Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Job 34:18
[Is it fit] to say to a king, [Thou art] wicked? [and] to princes, [Ye are] ungodly?
18. The verse reads,
Is it fit to say to a king, Thou wicked!
Or to princes, Ye ungodly!
The word “wicked” means worthless, Heb. belial. No doubt many kings, whether in the past or the present, might be justly enough addressed as “wicked,” and princes in abundance as “ungodly,” but the speaker is thinking here less of persons than of the offices which they fill as rulers. If earthly rule implies righteousness, how much more the rule of the Supreme ( Job 34:19).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Is it fit to say to a king, Thou art wicked? – The argument here is this: There would be gross impropriety in arraigning the conduct of an earthly monarch, and using language severely condemning what he does. Respect is due to those of elevated rank. Their plans are often concealed. It is difficult to judge of them until they are fully developed. To condemn those plans, and to use the language of complaint, would not be tolerated, and would be grossly improper. How much more so when that language relates to the Great, the Infinite God, and to his eternal plans! It may be added here, in accordance with the sentiment of Elihu, that people often indulge in thoughts and language about God which they would not tolerate respecting an earthly monarch.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 18. Is it fit to say to a king, Thou art wicked?] The sentence is very short, and is thus translated by the VULGATE: Qui dicit regi, Apostata? Qui vocat duces impios? “Who says to a king, Apostate? Who calls leaders impious ?” Literally, Who calls a king Belial? Who calls princes wicked? Civil governors should be treated with respect; no man should speak evil of the ruler of the people. This should never be permitted. Even where the man cannot be respected, because his moral conduct is improper, even there the office is sacred, and should be reverenced. He who permits himself to talk against the man, would destroy the office and authority, if he could.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Thou art wicked; or, Thou art Belial, or a son of Belial. Though a king may really be unjust and wicked, yet their subjects neither may nor dare presume to call them so, Exo 22:28. And therefore if some evil thought did arise in thee, yet how wast thou not afraid to utter such unworthy and almost blasphemous expressions against God?
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
18. Literally, (Is it fit) tobe said to a king? It would be a gross outrage to reproach thusan earthly monarch, much more the King of kings (Ex22:28). But MAURERwith the Septuagint and Vulgate reads, (It is not fitto accuse of injustice Him) who says to a king, Thou artwicked; to princes, Ye are ungodly; that is, who punishes impartiallythe great, as the small. This accords with Job34:19.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
[Is it fit] to say to a king, [thou art] wicked?…. Not even to a bad king; for though he may be reproved for his sins, yet not by any or everyone, but by a fit and proper person: and generally speaking, if not always, the Scriptural instances of reproving such kings are of men that were prophets, and sent in the name of the Lord to do it; and when done by them, was done with decency: and much less should this be said to a good king; as to say to him, Belial, the word here used; or thou art Belial; or a son of Belial, as Shimei said to David, 2Sa 16:7; a name given to the worst of men, and is the devil himself; and signifies either one without a yoke, or lawless, which a king is not; or unprofitable, whereas a king is a minister of God for good; is for the punishment of evildoers, and for a praise to them that do well;
[and] to princes, [ye are] ungodly? Who have their name from being generous, munificent, and liberal, and therefore should not be treated in such a manner; who are the sons of kings, or subordinate magistrates to them, and execute their will and pleasure, laws and precepts. And if now such language is not to be used to earthly kings and princes, then surely not to the King of kings and Lord of lords; so Jarchi interprets it of God the King of the world; and some Christian interpreters, as Schmidt, understand by “princes” the three Persons in the Godhead; which can hardly be made to bear: though, could the whole be understood of God in the three Persons of the Deity, the connection with Job 34:19 would run more smoothly without the supplement that is made; so Broughton,
“to the King, the King of nobles, that accepteth not,” &c.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(18) Is it fit to say to a king?The argument is from the less to the greater. Who could challenge a king or princes? and if not a king, how much less the King of kings? There is a strong ellipse in the Hebrew, but yet one that is naturally supplied. (Comp. Psa. 137:5.)
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
18. Is it fit to say may also signify, “Him who saith.”
Thou art wicked Some ascribe this language to God, “the most just,” and read, Him (God) who saith to a king, Thou worthless one, (literally, belial,) etc.; which accords better with the context.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
“Handfuls of Purpose”
For All Gleaners
“Is it fit to say to a king, Thou art wicked? and to princes, Ye are ungodly?” Job 34:18
This makes a large assumption with regard to royal character. This enables us to understand the exhortations of the Bible with regard to kings, princes, and rulers. The assumption of the Bible is that they are good men, animated by a spirit of righteousness, and intent upon serving the interests of truth. The Bible never assumes the king to to be a bad man, or a prince to be ungodly. This is the secret of all its exhortations to loyalty and obedience. The king is to represent the whole state; the prince is to typify the righteousness of the universe. We are not to look at kings and princes in their mere individuality, for then they may not be equal to many over whom they reign, in intellectual capacity or in moral nobleness; king and prince are typical or symbolical terms, and they have reference to character, and to office, and to divine designs. If a king is not to be regarded as wicked, what about a Christian? If the thought of princes being ungodly is abhorrent, what must be the thought of praying men being unfaithful to their own prayers, living a contradiction to their own most pious desires? The more we expect from men the more we ought to realise from them, in the way of character and honour and utility. Kings must be made to feel that their people expect great things from them things worthy of kingship, actions worthy of royal designation; in this sense the people may make the king, the ruled may make the ruler. Let the kings of the earth feel that their people are increasing in education, in moral elevation, and in enlargement of view, and it will be impossible for the officially great to linger behind the untitled nobility. After all democracy has everything in its own hands; not immediately, but remotely, and it may attain all its purposes by painstaking effort in matters of education, self-culture, and self-discipline. The lowly will soon give the mighty to understand what is expected of them, by showing in themselves capacity for government and willingness to obey where laws are right and beneficent. Nothing is gained by effrontery, impertinence, defiance. I is easy to defy a king nothing comest of such rebellion; the true defiance is to be found in growing goodness, growing wisdom, growing simplicity of character. That is not the defiance of audacity, but the holy defiance of virtue.
Fuente: The People’s Bible by Joseph Parker
Job 34:18 [Is it fit] to say to a king, [Thou art] wicked? [and] to princes, [Ye are] ungodly?
Ver. 18. Is it fit to say to a king, Thou art wicked? ] Heb. Belial; that is, Thou yokeless, lawless, masterless monster. Kings are not wont to be so accosted and aviled, nor is it lawful, Exo 22:28 . It is blasphemy in the second table to speak evil of dignities, Jdg 1:8 , Qui dicit regi Apostata (Vulg.). It was some disadvantage to St Paul that, although provoked and unjustly smitten, he called the high priest whited wall, Act 23:3 ; he was glad to excuse it by his ignorance. And Luther cried our Henry VIII mercy, for his uncivil language to him, such as was that, Audi, Domine Rex, edocebo te, in a jeer. Henry VI indeed was coarsely handled in a tumult, and wounded, but then he was at in bad times; and being restored, he freely pardoned the offender, saying, Alas, poor soul, he struck me more to win favour with others than of any ill will he bare me: but this was a rare example of patience in a king (Dan. Hist.). Alexander the Great dealt more harshly with his friends, Clitus and Callisthenes, for their plain dealing. Tiberius put to death a poet for uttering some free words against him, though under the person of Agamemnon, quem in tragoedia probris lacessisset (Sen.). Savonarola suffered deeply for telling the pope his own. And Bajazet II took great revenge upon his janizaries, a who, for his casting Achmetes Bassa into prison, they in an uproar insolently cried out that they would by and by teach him, as a drunkard, a beast, and a rascal, to use his great place and calling with more sobriety and discretion. Kings must be spoken to with soft and silken words, as she said, , (Plut.). If Elijah, or Elisha, or Isaiah, or the Baptist do otherwise, that is not a copy for every man to write after. Is it safe to take a lion by the beard, or a bear by the tooth? Naboth suffered, though falsely accused to curse the king; and Shimei had at length his payment for reviling David. If Ezekiel called the king of Judah, Thou wicked and profane prince, Eze 21:25 , that was by an extraordinary spirit, and by a special command of God.
And to princes, Ye are ungodly?
a One of a former body of Turkish infantry, constituting the Sultan’s guard and the main part of the standing army. The body was first organized in the 14th century, and was composed mainly of tributary children of Christians; after a large number of them had been massacred in 1826, the organization was finally abolished.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
wicked = Belial.
princes = nobles.
ungodly. Hebrew. rasha’. App-44. Compare Job 34:8.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Exo 22:28, Pro 17:26, Act 23:3, Act 23:5, Rom 13:7, 1Pe 2:17, 2Pe 2:10, Jud 1:8
Reciprocal: 1Sa 13:13 – Thou hast done 2Sa 19:6 – thou regardest 2Ch 16:9 – Herein Job 1:22 – charged God foolishly Job 10:3 – Is it good Job 32:2 – because Ecc 8:4 – What Hos 14:9 – for Mat 20:13 – I do Rom 9:14 – Is there unrighteousness
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Job 34:18-19. Is it fit to say to a king, Thou art wicked? Hebrew, Belial, or a son of Belial. Though a king may be wicked, yet his subjects neither may nor dare call him so, Exo 22:28. And therefore if any evil thought did arise in thee, thou oughtest to have been afraid to utter it, and bring forth such unworthy expressions against God. That accepteth not the persons of any Who respecteth not the greatest princes, so as to do any unjust thing to gain their favour, or avoid their displeasure, and to whom princes and peasants are equally subject, and infinitely inferior; who, therefore, is free from all temptation to injustice, which commonly proceeds from respect of persons; and to whom therefore thou didst owe more reverence than thy words have expressed. For they all are the work of his hands And therefore of equal worth and price with him, and equally subject to his power and pleasure.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
34:18 [Is it fit] to say to a king, [Thou art] {n} wicked? [and] to princes, [Ye are] ungodly?
(n) If man by nature fears to speak evil of such as have power, then they should be much more afraid to speak evil of God.