Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Job 35:3
For thou saidst, What advantage will it be unto thee? [and], What profit shall I have, [if I be cleansed] from my sin?
For thou saidst – Another sentiment of a similar kind which Elihu proposes to examine. He had already adverted to this sentiment of Job in Job 34:9, and examined it at some length, and had shown in reply to it that God could not be unjust, and that there was great impropriety when man presumed to arraign the justice of the Most High. He now adverts to it again in order to show that God could not be benefited or injured by the conduct of man, and that he was, therefore, under no inducement to treat him otherwise than impartially.
What advantage will it be unto thee? – see the notes at Job 34:9. The phrase unto thee, refers to Job himself. He had said this to himself; or to his own soul. Such a mode of expression is not uncommon in the Scriptures.
And, What profit shall I have if I be cleansed from my sin – Margin, or, by it more than by my sin. The Hebrew will admit of either of these interpretations, and the sense is not materially varied. The idea is, that as to good treatment or securing the favor of God under the arrangements of his government, a man might just as well be wicked as righteous. He would be as likely to be prosperous in the world, and to experience the tokens of the divine favor. Job had by no means advanced such a sentiment; but he had maintained that he was treated as if he were a sinner; that the dealings of Providence were not in this world in accordance with the character of people; and this was interpreted by Elihu as maintaining that there was no advantage in being righteous, or that a man might as well be a sinner. It was for such supposed sentiments as these, that Elihu and the three friends of Job charged him with giving answers for wicked people, or maintaining opinions which went to sustain and encourage the wicked; see Job 34:36.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Job 35:3-8
For thou saidst, What advantage will it be unto thee?
Mans character
Nothing is so important to man as his character.
I. That selfishness is an evil in mans character. For thou saidst, What advantage will it be unto thee? and, What profit shall I have, if I be cleansed from my sin? Whether Job expressed this selfish idea or not, Elihus language implies that such an idea is a great evil. It is by no means an uncommon thing for men to take up religion on purely selfish motives.
1. There are some who take it up for mere worldly gain.
2. There are some who take it up for eternal gain. Their object is to escape hell and get to heaven. Religion to them is not the summum bonum, is but a means to a selfish end.
II. That God is independent of mans character Look unto the heavens, and see; and behold the clouds which are higher than thou. If thou sinnest, what doest thou against Him? or if thy transgressions be multiplied, what doest thou unto Him? This being the case, it follows that sovereignty must be the principle of all His conduct with men.
1. It is the reason of all law. Why does He require us to love and serve Him? Not for His own sake, but for ours. Thus only I can become happy.
2. It is the source of redemption. Why did He send His Son into the world? He cannot be advantaged by it. God so loved the world, etc.
3. It is the ground of rewards. The blessedness He communicates to the good, is given not on the ground of merit, but of grace.
III. That society is influenced by mans character. One mans character is reproduced in another. The righteousness of one must profit society. Three things give every man some influence upon his race.
1. Relationship.
2. Dependence.
3. Affection.
If righteous we are fountains of life, whence rivers to irrigate, purify, and beautify the world will flow down the ages. (Homilist.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 3. What advantage will it be unto thee?] As if he had said to God, “My righteousness cannot profit thee, nor do I find that it is of any benefit to myself.” Or perhaps Elihu makes here a general assertion, which he afterwards endeavours to exemplify: Thou hast been reasoning how it may profit thee, and thou hast said, “What profit shall I have in righteousness more than in sin?”
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
This verse contains the proof of the foregoing charges. Job had oft affirmed that he was, and still continued to be, righteous, though he had no present benefit by it, but much bitterness with it; and God was not kind to Job, notwithstanding all his former and present piety, but dealt with him as if he had been a most wicked man; which was in effect to say, that he was more righteous than God.
What advantage will it, to wit, his righteousness last mentioned, be unto thee, i.e. unto me; such changes of persons being very frequent in the Hebrew language.
If I be cleansed from my sin; or, by the expiation of my sin; for the same Hebrew word signifies both to sin and to purge out or expiate sin. Or, by it (to wit, by my righteousness) more than by my sin. So the sense is, I have no more present benefit by all my care to please and serve God, than wicked men have by their sins against him. God regards my cries no more than theirs, and shows no more kindness or pity to me than he doth to the most profligate wretches. But still remember Job speaks not here of the future life, wherein he knew he should have much advantage, as he professed before, but only of this present state.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
3. Rather, explanatory of “this”in Job 35:2, “That thousayest (to thyself, as if a distinct person) What advantage is it(thy integrity) to thee? What profit have I (by integrity) more than(I should have) by my sin?” that is, more than if I had sinned(Job 34:9). Job had said thatthe wicked, who use these very words, do not suffer for it(Job 21:13-15);whereby he virtually sanctioned their sentiments. The same change ofpersons from oblique to direct address occurs (Job 19:28;Job 22:17).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
For thou saidst, what advantage will it be unto thee?…. Meaning that his righteousness, his holy life and conversation, were of no avail to him: he received no more benefit by being righteous than if he was wicked, since God destroyed one as well as another; and since his righteousness did not secure him from afflictions and calamities, it was of no advantage to him; he had not said so in so many words, but it is inferred from what he had said, Job 9:22. Man’s own righteousness is of no advantage to him as to justification before God, and acceptance with him, nor in the business of salvation, or with respect to heaven and happiness, so as to give a right and title to it; bat is of great advantage in other respects; is for self-defence against the imputations and calumnies of wicked men; it makes a man honourable and respectable among men, when to live a vicious course of life is scandalous and reproachful; it gives pleasure and satisfaction to the mind, the testimony of a good conscience is matter of rejoicing; and such a man is free from the racks and tortures of an evil conscience others are distressed with; besides, good works are an evidence of the truth and genuineness of faith to others, and ornament the doctrines of the Gospel and a profession of them: and though a righteous man may be afflicted as others, yet in a different manner, in love and not in wrath, and always for his good;
[and], what profit shall one have, [if I be cleansed] from my sin? The words, “if I be cleansed”, are a supplement, and seem necessary; so Mr. Broughton supplies. Sin is of a defiling nature, yet man may be cleansed from it, not by anything he can do, but only by the grace of. God and blood of Christ; and from such a cleansing profit arises. This fits a man for the service and worship of God, and for communion with him; gives him peace of mind, and makes him meet for heaven. This Job had not expressly said, and not at all in this sense, but it seems to be inferred from Job 9:29; where he is speaking of outward purity of life, and yet was plunged into the ditch of afflictions. Some render the words to this sense, as if there was no profit “by expiation of atonement for sin” u; the same word signifying both sin and atonement for it: there is none but by the blood and sacrifice of Christ, and much profit arises from that; pardon of sin proceeds upon it, and this furnishes out much solid peace, joy, and comfort, Ro 5:10. Others, what profit by punishment for sin w, unless to God? so sin is sometimes put for punishment; or through leaving sin and repenting of it x. Now though these are not the causes of the pardon of sin, yet it is given and applied to such who do repent of it, confess and forsake it, Pr 28:13. Or by being “without sin” y: no man is without sin; but a man may be without any gross and enormous crime he is chargeable with, or without living a vicious course of life; and this is profitable, as has been before observed. Jarchi’s paraphrase is,
“what shall I profit more by my righteousness than by my sin?”
which sense is followed by others: I may as well be wicked as righteous; I am not the better for it, since I am afflicted in the manner I am: my righteousness is of no profit to me; if to any, it is to God. To this Elihu returns an answer in the following verses.
u “de expiatione mea”, Mercerus, c. “in expiando peccatum”, Grotius “pro piaculo venit”, Cocceius; so Simeon Bar Tzemach in loc. w “Supplicio meo”, Junius Tremellius “mucta pro illo aut poena”, Cocceius; “ex poena peccati mei”, Drusius; so Ben Gersom. x “Subaudi relicto”, so Mercerus, Drusius; “remisso et per poenitentiam diluto”, Munster. y “Absque peccato”, i.e. “ita vivendo ut non perccom”; so some in Michaelis.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
3. What profit my sin Literally, What shall I gain more than by my sin? In Job 9:22; Job 21:23-26 Job had seemed to say that the perfect and the wicked are alike to God. In Elihu’s remembrance these unguarded statements assume the form of a comparison between the gains from virtue and the profits from sin.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Job 35:3 For thou saidst, What advantage will it be unto thee? [and], What profit shall I have, [if I be cleansed] from my sin?
Ver. 3. For thou saidst, What advantage will it be unto thee? ] Here he endeavours to prove the charge, grounding upon some words of Job’s, as Job 9:22 ; Job 10:15 , which seem to hold out thus much, that no good was to be gotten by leaving evil ways, since good men and bad suffer and perish together. But we must know, that Job herein reasoned not of those things that happen after death, but only of the prosperous or unhappy estate of this life present; denying, and that rightly, that we are hereby to judge God’s love or hatred, or of any man’s honest or dishonest conversation. Neither yet did he stand in defence of his own righteousness against God, but only appealed to God as a most wise and just judge, against the false accusations of his foe-like friends, who, by pouring oil into the fire, as it were, very much vexed and disquieted him all along.
Or what profit shall I have if I be cleansed from my sin?
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
What . . . ? Figure of speech Erotesis. App-6.
sin. Hebrew chata’. App-44.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
what advantage: Job 9:21, Job 9:22, Job 10:15, Job 21:15, Job 31:2, Job 34:9, Psa 73:13, Mal 3:14
If I be cleansed from my sin: or, by it more than by my sin
Reciprocal: Job 15:6 – thine own Job 32:17 – General Job 34:37 – multiplieth Job 36:21 – this Job 40:8 – wilt thou condemn 1Co 15:32 – what