Charles Ellicott Commentary Job 35

My righteousness is more than God’s. —See Job 19:6 and following. Job had not said this in so many words, but what he had said could be understood in that way, and perhaps seemed to imply it. (Job 10:15.)

Here, again, there was a misrepresentation of what Job had said. He certainly did not mean that he was none the better for being righteous; on the contrary, he had distinctly said, Let mine enemy be as the wicked, etc. (Job 27:7 and following), because he could not delight himself in God; but it was perfectly true that he had said that his righteousness had not delivered him from suffering.

And your companions. —Elihu professes to answer Job’s friends as well as himself, but what he says (Job 35:5 and following) is very much what Eliphaz had said before (Job 15:14 and following, Job 22:3 and following, and Bildad in Job 25:1 and following). It is indeed true that God is too high to be affected by man’s righteousness or unrighteousness, but it does not follow therefore that He is indifferent, for then He would not be a righteous judge. (See Note on Job 34:9.)

By reason of the multitude of oppressions. —The argument seems to be that among men there may be oppression, but not with an almighty and just Judge. The right course, therefore, is to wait. “Men may, indeed, complain because of the oppression of an earthly tyrant; but how can you say you do not behold Him?” (See Job 9:9.)

But none says. —Some interpret this as, “But he who gives songs in the night says not, Where is God my Maker?” that is, the selfish and luxurious oppressor, who spends the night in feasting and revelry. This is an intelligible meaning. On the other hand, though the phrase, “who gives songs in the night,” has become proverbial, and, with the meaning assigned to it, is very beautiful, it may be doubted whether it is so obvious or natural in this place. This is a matter for individual taste and judgment to decide.

If it is understood of God, it ascribes to Him the turning of sorrow into gladness, and the night of affliction into joy—an office which is, indeed, frequently assigned to God, but of which the appropriateness is not so evident here. The decision of this question will perhaps partly depend upon the view we take of the words which follow—“Where is God my Maker?”—whether they are part of the cry of the oppressed or whether they are the words of Elihu. If the latter, then they become more intelligible; if otherwise, it is difficult to see their special appropriateness in this particular place. Perhaps it is better to regard them as the words of Elihu.

Who teaches us. —Or it may be, Who teaches us by, and makes us wise by, etc. Then the sense will be that the oppression is so severe that the victims of it forget that God can give songs in the night, and that He has favoured men more than the beasts of the field, and that, as not one sparrow can fall to the ground without Him, so He has even numbered the hairs of those who are of more value to Him than many sparrows.