Job 34:2
Hear my words, O ye wise men; and give ear unto me, ye that have knowledge.
Original Language Analysis
שִׁמְע֣וּ
Hear
H8085
שִׁמְע֣וּ
Hear
Strong's:
H8085
Word #:
1 of 6
to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell, etc.)
מִלָּ֑י
my words
H4405
מִלָּ֑י
my words
Strong's:
H4405
Word #:
3 of 6
a word; collectively, a discourse; figuratively, a topic
וְ֝יֹדְעִ֗ים
unto me ye that have knowledge
H3045
וְ֝יֹדְעִ֗ים
unto me ye that have knowledge
Strong's:
H3045
Word #:
4 of 6
to know (properly, to ascertain by seeing); used in a great variety of senses, figuratively, literally, euphemistically and inferentially (including o
Historical Context
Elihu speaks in the wisdom tradition that valued reasoned discourse and careful argumentation. Ancient Near Eastern wisdom culture (reflected in Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Egyptian instructions, Mesopotamian wisdom) emphasized learning through dialogue. Elihu's appeal to 'wise men' and 'those with knowledge' frames his speech as wisdom discourse rather than prophetic oracle or legal brief.
Questions for Reflection
- How does Elihu's call for the wise to listen challenge intellectual pride in theological discussion?
- What distinguishes genuine wisdom from the false confidence Job's friends displayed?
- How should biblical humility inform how we engage complex theological questions like suffering?
Analysis & Commentary
Hear my words, O ye wise men (שִׁמְעוּ חֲכָמִים מִלָּי, shim'u chakamim millay)—Shama (hear) implies obedient attention, not mere auditory reception. Elihu addresses chakamim (wise men), using Job's three friends' self-perception ironically—they claimed wisdom yet failed to answer Job. And give ear unto me, ye that have knowledge (וְיֹדְעִים הַאֲזִינוּ לִי, v'yod'im ha'azinu li)—Yada (know) and azan (give ear, listen carefully) create synonymous parallelism emphasizing attentiveness.
Elihu's rhetorical strategy mirrors wisdom literature's pedagogical style: addressing the wise to instruct them further (Proverbs 9:9). The irony is deliberate—those claiming knowledge need instruction. This pattern appears in New Testament wisdom teaching: 'If any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know' (1 Corinthians 8:2). True wisdom recognizes its limits and remains teachable.