Albert Barnes Commentary Job 34:17

"Shall even one that hateth justice govern? And wilt thou condemn him that is righteous [and] mighty?-" — Job 34:17 (ASV)

Shall even he that hateth right govern? The margin reads, as in Hebrew, “bind”—that is, shall he bind by laws? The argument in this verse seems to be an appeal to what must be the conviction of humanity: that God, the Great Governor of the universe, could not be unjust.

Elihu appears to have supposed this conviction was so deep in the human mind that he might appeal even to Job himself for its truth. The question asked here implies that it would be impossible to believe that one who was unjust could govern the universe.

Such a supposition would be at variance with all the convictions of the human soul and all the indications of the nature of his government to be found in his works.

And wilt thou condemn him that is most just?—referring to the great and holy Ruler of the universe. The argument here is that Job had, in fact, placed himself in the attitude of condemning him who, precisely because he is the Ruler of the universe, must be most just. Elihu shows the impropriety of this in the following verses.