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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.comKeil and Delitzsch Commentary - Job 34:21 - 34:21
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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:
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. שִׂים with עַל does not here signify: to lay upon (Saad., Gecat.), but as Job 37:15, and as with אֶל (Job 34:14) or בְּ (Job 23:6); to direct one's attention (supply לִבֹּו, Job 1:8) towards anything; the fut. has here a modal signification; עֹוד is used as e.g., Gen 46:29 : again and again, continuously; and in the clause expressive of purpose it is אֶל־אֵל (instead of אֵלָיו, 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.