Why does Elihu question the benefit of righteousness in Job 35:3? Canonical Text “Do you ask, ‘What does it profit me, and what benefit do I gain by not sinning?’ ” (Job 35:3) Immediate Literary Setting Elihu is responding to Job’s repeated lament that integrity appears useless when calamity continues (cf. Job 9:22–24; 21:15; 34:9). In 35:1–8 Elihu summarizes Job’s complaint, contrasts mankind’s limited perspective with God’s transcendence, and begins to show that righteousness carries intrinsic and relational value even when outward circumstances remain bleak. Elihu’s Perception of Job’s Claim 1. Job has insisted that he is blameless (Job 27:5–6) yet still suffers. 2. Job has implied that God gains nothing by Job’s righteousness; therefore Job gains nothing either (Job 9:30–31; 10:15). 3. Elihu restates the implication in interrogative form to expose its flaw: if righteousness yields no dividend, why pursue it? Rhetorical Function of the Question The question in 35:3 is not Elihu’s doubt but his way of drawing Job (and the reader) to examine a utilitarian view of piety. By voicing Job’s thought aloud, Elihu creates a pivot point: God is not a trader bargaining blessings for behavior; He is sovereign Creator whose moral order is good in itself. Divine Transcendence and Immutability (35:4–8) Elihu immediately answers his own question: • “Look to the heavens and see; gaze at the clouds high above you” (v. 5). God is above human bargaining. • Human righteousness cannot enrich God; human wickedness cannot diminish Him (v. 6). • Yet righteousness blesses “a son of man like yourself” (v. 8). The benefit is real but horizontal, experienced in community and ultimately in fellowship with God’s character. Exegetical and Linguistic Notes • יִסְכָּה (yisskah, “benefit”) occurs with commercial nuance—profit, advantage—underscoring the faulty market-driven theology Job drifts toward. • חָטָאתִי (chatati, “I have sinned”) in v. 6 and v. 3 contrasts moral failure with covenantal fidelity; Elihu presses that sin first wounds the sinner and his neighbors, not God. • The Masoretic Text, the LXX, and the 4QJob fragment from Qumran all agree on the wording, affirming textual stability. Biblical Theology of the Profit of Righteousness Genesis 15:6—righteousness “credited” to Abram; the language of imputation points beyond material reward. Psalm 19:11—keeping God’s commands yields “great reward.” Proverbs 11:18—“He who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward.” 1 Timothy 4:8—godliness carries “promise for the present life and the life to come.” These passages echo Elihu’s contention: righteousness pays dividends, but not always in immediate circumstances; ultimate recompense rests in the eschatological plan culminating in resurrection (cf. Job 19:25–27). Correcting a Transactional Faith Elihu attacks the notion that God functions like a cosmic employer. Scripture elsewhere condemns such calculus: • Isaiah 58 parodies fasting for wages of favor. • Luke 15’s elder brother serves for a goat; he misses relational joy with the father. • Matthew 20’s vineyard parable shows grace, not wage, governing divine economy. Human Benefit vs. Benefit to God God’s aseity means He does not need creaturely righteousness (Acts 17:25). Yet, because humans bear His image, living righteously aligns us with the moral order and therefore promotes well-being—psychological, social, and spiritual. Modern behavioral science confirms that altruistic, virtuous living correlates with lower depression and higher life satisfaction, illustrating the built-in profit God designed (Romans 2:14–15). Philosophical Perspective The Euthyphro dilemma dissolves here: goodness is neither arbitrary nor external to God; it is rooted in His nature. Righteousness benefits us because reality is structured around divine character. Denying that benefit results in existential angst (Ecclesiastes 2:11). Archaeological and Manuscript Corroboration • The Ketef Hinnom silver scrolls (7th century BC) preserve the priestly blessing (Numbers 6:24–26), showing early circulation of covenant promises of well-being tied to righteousness. • The Job Targum among the Dead Sea Scrolls parallels the canonical Hebrew, witnessing to Job’s ancient reception and theological consistency. These finds strengthen Elihu’s premise by demonstrating a long, coherent biblical ethic. Christological Fulfillment Jesus embodies perfect righteousness that seemed “unprofitable” on the cross yet resulted in resurrection glory (Philippians 2:5–11). His vindication answers Job’s angst: present suffering can coexist with ultimate triumph, guaranteeing that righteousness is never wasted (1 Corinthians 15:58). Practical and Pastoral Implications 1. Suffering saints should reject the lie that obedience is futile; God’s timing eclipses immediate metrics. 2. Communities gain stability when members pursue holiness regardless of observable payoff. 3. Evangelistically, pointing to the resurrected Christ shows righteousness’ eternal yield. Summary Elihu questions the benefit of righteousness in Job 35:3 to spotlight Job’s drift toward a profit-and-loss view of faith. He insists that while righteousness adds nothing to God’s essence, it accords with His nature and thus enriches human life and destiny. Scripture, corroborated by manuscript fidelity, archaeological testimony, and the resurrection narrative, affirms that righteous living, though sometimes unrewarded short-term, stores eternal treasure and glorifies the Creator. |
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