Who appointed God as the ruler of the earth according to Job 34:13? Canonical Context Job 34 belongs to the speeches of Elihu (Job 32–37). Elihu rebukes Job and his friends, defending God’s absolute justice and sovereignty. Verse 13 functions as a rhetorical pair of questions designed to silence any charge that God is answerable to a higher authority. Text “Who gave Him charge over the earth? Who set Him over the whole world?” (Job 34:13) Immediate Literary Function Elihu’s questions assume the answer “No one.” They affirm that God’s rule is not delegated, earned, or inherited; it is intrinsic to His nature. This undercuts any suggestion that His governance can be evaluated by external standards. Comparison with Other Biblical Passages Genesis 1:1; Psalm 24:1–2; Isaiah 40:13-14; 45:12; Daniel 4:35; Romans 11:34–36; Colossians 1:16-17; Revelation 4:11 all echo the same theme: God owns creation because He created it and sustains it. Job 34:13 concisely states the logical corollary—if He alone made all things, no one could have appointed Him. Ancient Near Eastern Background Surviving Ugaritic myths (e.g., Baal Cycle) depict younger gods gaining authority through combat or council vote. Hebrew Scripture uniquely proclaims a single self-existent Creator needing no enthronement ceremony. Archaeological tablets from Ras Shamra (14th c. BC) highlight this contrast and magnify Job’s rhetorical force. Philosophical and Apologetic Considerations 1. Contingency: Everything contingent requires a sufficient cause; the chain cannot regress infinitely. Therefore, an uncaused, necessary being—God—exists. 2. Moral Authority: If God were appointed, the appointer would be a higher moral standard. Scripture denies such a hierarchy (Psalm 97:9). 3. Historical Resurrection: The Father raises Christ (Acts 2:24), the Son rises by His own power (John 10:18), and the Spirit participates (Romans 8:11). The triune God demonstrates unborrowed authority over life itself, paralleling His unappointed rule over creation. Patristic and Rabbinic Commentary • Augustine, City of God 11.5: “God is supreme not by election but by essence.” • Rashi on Job 34:13: “He is not appointed by another; He appoints others.” These early voices confirm the unanimous reading: the verse negates any antecedent authority over God. Modern Scholarly Affirmations Text-critical studies (e.g., Qumran Job, Tov 2012) show no variant implying delegation. Philosophical theologians (e.g., Craig 2018) employ the verse in articulating divine aseity. Practical and Devotional Applications Because no higher court exists, God’s judgments are final; trust replaces litigation (Job 13:15). Worship flows from recognizing His unoriginated sovereignty (Revelation 4:11). Ethics derive from obedience to the One who answers to none yet stooped in grace to redeem (Philippians 2:6-8). Summary Answer According to Job 34:13, no one appointed God ruler of the earth. His authority is self-derived, resting on His eternal, self-existent nature as the Creator and Sustainer of all things. |
    |