Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Job 34:21
For his eyes [are] upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his goings.
21 24. This just rule of God operates unfailingly, being guided by infallible insight.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
For his eyes are upon the ways of man – None can escape from his notice; compare Psa 139:2-3.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
This is added as the reason of the judgments mentioned in the foregoing verse, God doth not afflict nor destroy either princes or people unjustly, no, nor out of his mere pleasure and absolute sovereignty, (to which Job seemed to impute his calamities,) but for their sins, which God sees exactly, although they use all possible arts and tricks to hide them from him. Therefore no man hath cause to complain of God, but of himself, for all that he may suffer in the world.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
21. God’s omniscience andomnipotence enable Him to execute immediate justice. He needs not tobe long on the “watch,” as Job thought (Job 7:12;2Ch 16:9; Jer 32:19).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
For his eyes [are] upon the ways of man,…. Which denotes the omniscience of God, which reaches to every man, to every individual, and to all men in general; and to their ways, to every step taken by them, to the whole of their lives and conversations, and every action of them; to all their internal and external ways and goings; perhaps the former may be meant in this, and the latter in the following clause. This may denote all their inward thoughts, the workings of their mind, the imaginations of their heart; all their secret purposes, designs, and schemes; and all the desires and affections of their soul; and all these, whether good or bad:
and he seeth all his goings; the whole of his walk and conversation, conduct and behaviour; all his external ways, works, and actions; and these whether of good or bad men, see Ps 139:1.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
21 For His eyes are upon the ways of each one,
And He seeth all his steps.
22 There is no darkness nor shadow of death
Wherein the workers of iniquity might hide themselves.
23 For He needeth not long to regard a man
That he may enter into judgment with God.
As the preceding strophe showed that God’s creative order excludes all partiality, so this strophe shows that His omniscience qualifies Him to be an impartial judge. He sees everything, nothing can escape His gaze; He sees through man without being obliged to wait for the result of a judicial investigation. with does not here signify: to lay upon (Saad., Gecat.), but as Job 37:15, and as with (Job 34:14) or (Job 23:6); to direct one’s attention (supply , Job 1:8) towards anything; the fut. has here a modal signification; is used as e.g., Gen 46:29: again and again, continuously; and in the clause expressive of purpose it is (instead of , a very favourite combination used throughout the whole book, Job 5:8; Job 8:5; Job 13:3, and so on) from the human standpoint: He, the all-seeing One, needs not to observe him long that he should enter into judgment with God – He knows him thoroughly before any investigation takes place, which is not said without allusion to Job’s vehement longing to be able to appear before God’s tribunal.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
(21) His eyes are upon the ways of man.He is not only just and mighty, but He is also all-wise; He cannot therefore err.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Job 34:21 For his eyes [are] upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his goings.
Ver. 21. For his eyes are upon the ways of man ] God’s providence (like a well drawn picture, that eyeth each one in the room) observeth all things; he seeth cause enough thus to proceed in judgment against a person or people, though we see it not. And although one man knoweth not another, nor doth any man well know himself; yet God, following, as it were, all men hard at the heels, doth with his eyes narrowly observe and mark what way every one walketh in, he seeth all his goings: let not men, therefore, please themselves in their sinful practices, as if God saw them not, because for a time they escape unpunished; Saeculi laetitia est impunita nequitia; but sin and punishment are tied together with chains of adamant, and cannot long be asunder.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Job 34:21-30
Job 34:21-30
“For his eyes are upon the ways of a man,
And he seeth all his goings.
There is no darkness, nor thick gloom,
Where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.
For he needeth not further to consider a man,
That he should go before God in judgment.
He breaketh in pieces mighty men in ways past finding out,
And setteth others in their stead.
Therefore he taketh knowledge of their works;
And he overturneth them in the night, so that they are destroyed.
He striketh them as wicked men
In the open sight of others;
Because they turned aside from following him,
And would not have regard to any of his ways:
So that they caused the cry of the poor to come upon him,
And he heard the cry of the afflicted.
When he giveth quietness, who then can condemn?
And when he hideth his face, who then can behold him?
Alike, whether it be done unto a nation or unto a man:
That the godless man reign not,
That there be none to ensnare the people.”
Elihu here continues his cruel, unjust and relentless attack upon Job. Job had longed for an `umpire’ who might plead his case before God; but Elihu declares that God needs no such assistance, because he is omniscient (Job 34:22-23).
“He breaketh in pieces mighty men” (Job 34:24). No one could avoid knowing whom Elihu was speaking of.
“In the open sight of others” (Job 34:24). Just look how public Job’s disasters were!
And why did God do all this to Job? (1) He would not regard any of God’s ways (Job 34:27); (2) he abused the poor and the afflicted (Job 34:28); when God finally sends quietness (when Job dies) who could condemn God for such a judgment? This of course, was merely Elihu’s analysis of the situation; and he was totally in error.
E.M. Zerr:
Job 34:21-22. God sees all the actions of man. There is no darkness dense enough to hide man from the divine Being.
Job 34:23. He means God and the thought is that he will not impose on man; therefore man will have no reason for contending with God.
Job 34:24-26. I trust the reader will not lose sight of the real issue. Job was being terribly afflicted and Elihu claimed it was a special punishment for his sins. In order to show it to be just, a great many sentences were spoken to describe the greatness of God and his mighty treatment of sinners. Job admitted the greatness of God as freely as did his accusers, so there was no difference of opinion there.
Job 34:27. Turned back means they backslid and did sinfully. Job 34:28. The backslider misused the poor people and caused them to cry unto God; when they did so their cry was heard,
Job 34:29. It is in vain to oppose the works of God. This is true whether attempted by a nation or an individual.
Job 34:30. God will not suffer a hypocrite to reign lest the people be misled. It is true that God takes some notices of the kind of men who rule. (Dan 4:17.)
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
Job 31:4, Gen 16:13, 2Ch 16:9, Psa 34:15, Psa 139:23, Pro 5:21, Pro 15:3, Jer 16:17, Jer 17:10, Jer 32:19, Amo 9:8
Reciprocal: Gen 3:8 – cool of the day Job 14:16 – thou numberest Job 34:30 – General Psa 33:15 – considereth Psa 44:21 – Shall Psa 90:8 – Thou Psa 119:168 – for all my Psa 139:8 – in hell Hos 7:2 – are before Heb 4:13 – naked