Job 35
Big idea: The coldest of Elihu's speeches: your sin does not damage God and your righteousness does not benefit him — look at the sky, which is higher than you — and the reason unanswered cries go unanswered is often that they are complaints rather than prayers.
The claim that God gains nothing from human virtue is Eliphaz's at 22:2-3, and the book's own prologue has already contradicted it.
35:1–16 — Who gives songs in the night
The opening quotes something Job said in a more nuanced form — do you say my righteousness is more than God's, and ask what advantage it is to me, what profit more than if I had sinned? — and answers it with the sky: look at the heavens, and see the clouds, which are higher than you. If you have sinned, what effect does it have on him? If your transgressions are multiplied, what do you do to him? If you are righteous, what do you give him? Your wickedness may hurt a man like yourself, and your righteousness may profit a son of man. The argument is that human conduct matters horizontally and not vertically — and the book's own first two chapters have already shown God staking his case on one man's integrity.
1 Moreover Elihu answered, 2 “Do you think this to be your right, or do you say, ‘My righteousness is more than God’s,’ 3 that you ask, ‘What advantage will it be to you? What profit will I have, more than if I had sinned?’ 4 I will answer you, and your companions with you. 5 Look to the skies, and see. See the skies, which are higher than you. 6 If you have sinned, what effect do you have against him? If your transgressions are multiplied, what do you do to him? 7 If you are righteous, what do you give him? Or what does he receive from your hand? 8 Your wickedness may hurt a man as you are, and your righteousness may profit a son of man. 9 “By reason of the multitude of oppressions they cry out. They cry for help by reason of the arm of the mighty. 10 But no one says, ‘Where is God my Maker, who gives songs in the night, 11 who teaches us more than the animals of the earth, and makes us wiser than the birds of the sky?’ 12 There they cry, but no one answers, because of the pride of evil men. 13 Surely God will not hear an empty cry, neither will the Almighty regard it. 14 How much less when you say you don’t see him. The cause is before him, and you wait for him! 15 But now, because he has not visited in his anger, neither does he greatly regard arrogance, 16 therefore Job opens his mouth with empty talk, and he multiplies words without knowledge.”
Scripture text: World English Bible (public domain).