Job 21:34
Job 21:34 in Multiple Translations
So how can you comfort me with empty words? For your answers remain full of falsehood.”
How then comfort ye me in vain, seeing in your answers there remaineth falsehood?
How then comfort ye me in vain, Seeing in your answers there remaineth only falsehood?
Why then do you give me comfort with words in which there is no profit, when you see that there is nothing in your answers but deceit?
Why do you try to comfort me with worthless nonsense? Your answers are just a pack of lies!”
How then comfort ye me in vaine, seeing in your answeres there remaine but lyes?
And how do ye comfort me [with] vanity, And in your answers hath been left trespass?
So how can you comfort me with nonsense, because in your answers there remains only falsehood?”
How then comfort ye me in vain, seeing in your answers there remaineth falsehood?
How then do ye comfort me in vain, whereas your answer is shewn to be repugnant to truth?
“So how can you console me by talking nonsense? Every reply that you make is full of lies!”
Berean Amplified Bible — Job 21:34
BAB
Word Study
Hover over any word to see its amplified meaning. Click a word to explore its full definition and translation comparisons.
Amplified text is generated using scripting to tie together English translations for comparison. Always refer to the core BSB translation and original Hebrew/Greek text for accuracy. Anomalies may occur.
Job 21:34 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
וְ֭/אֵיךְ
תְּנַחֲמ֣וּ/נִי
הָ֑בֶל
וּ֝/תְשֽׁוּבֹתֵי/כֶ֗ם
נִשְׁאַר
מָֽעַל
וְ֭/אֵיךְ
ʼêyk
H349
how?
Conj | Part
תְּנַחֲמ֣וּ/נִי
nâcham
H5162
to be sorry
V-Piel-Imperf-2mp | Suff
הָ֑בֶל
hebel
H1892
vanity
N-ms
וּ֝/תְשֽׁוּבֹתֵי/כֶ֗ם
tᵉshûwbâh
H8666
turn
Conj | N-fp | Suff
נִשְׁאַר
shâʼar
H7604
to remain
V-Niphal-Perf-3ms
מָֽעַל
maʻal
H4604
unfaithfulness
N-ms
Hebrew Word Study
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Hebrew Word Reference — Job 21:34
וְ֭/אֵיךְ
ʼêyk
H349
"how?"
Conj | Part
In the Bible, this word means 'how' or 'where', like in Genesis when God asks Adam 'where are you'. It's also used to express surprise or excitement.
Definition: interrog adv how?
Usage: Occurs in 74 OT verses. KJV: how, what. See also: Genesis 26:9; Ecclesiastes 2:16; Psalms 11:1.
תְּנַחֲמ֣וּ/נִי
nâcham
H5162
"to be sorry"
V-Piel-Imperf-2mp | Suff
To comfort means showing pity or sympathy, as seen in God's actions throughout the Bible, such as in Isaiah 40. The word can also imply regret or remorse, like in the story of Jonah, who was sorry for his actions. It involves easing someone's pain or discomfort.
Definition: : comfort 1) to be sorry, console oneself, repent, regret, comfort, be comforted 1a) (Niphal) 1a1) to be sorry, be moved to pity, have compassion 1a2) to be sorry, rue, suffer grief, repent 1a3) to comfort oneself, be comforted 1a4) to comfort oneself, ease oneself 1b) (Piel) to comfort, console 1c) (Pual) to be comforted, be consoled 1d) (Hithpael) 1d1) to be sorry, have compassion 1d2) to rue, repent of 1d3) to comfort oneself, be comforted 1d4) to ease oneself Also means: na.cham (נָחַם ": relent" H5162H)
Usage: Occurs in 100 OT verses. KJV: comfort (self), ease (one's self), repent(-er,-ing, self). See also: Genesis 5:29; Isaiah 12:1; Psalms 23:4.
הָ֑בֶל
hebel
H1892
"vanity"
N-ms
Hebel means emptiness or vanity, describing something transitory and unsatisfactory, like a breath of air. It appears in the book of Ecclesiastes, where Solomon writes about life's fleeting nature. The KJV translates it as vanity or altogether.
Definition: 1) vapour, breath 1a) breath, vapour 1b) vanity (fig.) adv 2) vainly
Usage: Occurs in 64 OT verses. KJV: [idiom] altogether, vain, vanity. See also: Deuteronomy 32:21; Ecclesiastes 4:7; Psalms 31:7.
וּ֝/תְשֽׁוּבֹתֵי/כֶ֗ם
tᵉshûwbâh
H8666
"turn"
Conj | N-fp | Suff
This Hebrew word means to turn or return, and is often used to describe a response or answer. In the Bible, it appears in books like Isaiah and Ezekiel, where God calls his people to return to him.
Definition: 1) a recurrence, an answer, return 1a) return 1a1) completion of a year, return of a year 1b) at the return (construct) 1c) answer, reply
Usage: Occurs in 8 OT verses. KJV: answer, be expired, return. See also: 1 Samuel 7:17; 1 Chronicles 20:1; Job 34:36.
נִשְׁאַר
shâʼar
H7604
"to remain"
V-Niphal-Perf-3ms
To remain or be left over, as in Joshua 10:20. It can also mean to spare or reserve something, like God sparing Noah in Genesis 7:23. This word is used to describe the remnant of Israel.
Definition: 1) to remain, be left over, be left behind 1a) (Qal) to remain 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be left over, be left alive, survive 1b1a) remainder, remnant (participle) 1b2) to be left behind 1c) (Hiphil) 1c1) to leave over, spare 1c2) to leave or keep over 1c3) to have left 1c4) to leave (as a gift)
Usage: Occurs in 123 OT verses. KJV: leave, (be) left, let, remain, remnant, reserve, the rest. See also: Genesis 7:23; 1 Kings 22:47; Isaiah 4:3.
מָֽעַל
maʻal
H4604
"unfaithfulness"
N-ms
This word refers to unfaithfulness or treachery, describing a sinful or trespassing act against someone or God. It's about being false or disloyal, and the Bible translates it as 'falsehood', 'transgression', or 'trespass'.
Definition: 1) unfaithful or treacherous act, trespass 1a) against man 1b) against God
Usage: Occurs in 28 OT verses. KJV: falsehood, grievously, sore, transgression, trespass, [idiom] very. See also: Leviticus 5:15; 2 Chronicles 28:19; Daniel 9:7.
Study Notes — Job 21:34
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Job 21:34 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Job 21:34
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Job 21:34
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Job 21:34
- Trapp's Commentary on Job 21:34
- Ellicott's Commentary on Job 21:34
- Adam Clarke's Commentary on Job 21:34
- Cambridge Bible on Job 21:34
- Barnes' Notes on Job 21:34
- Whedon's Commentary on Job 21:34
- Sermons on Job 21:34
Context — Job: God Will Punish the Wicked
32He is carried to the grave, and watch is kept over his tomb.
33The clods of the valley are sweet to him; everyone follows behind him, and those before him are without number.
34So how can you comfort me with empty words? For your answers remain full of falsehood.”
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Job 16:2 | “I have heard many things like these; miserable comforters are you all. |
| 2 | Job 32:3 | and he burned with anger against Job’s three friends because they had failed to refute Job, and yet had condemned him. |
| 3 | Job 13:4 | You, however, smear with lies; you are all worthless physicians. |
| 4 | Job 42:7 | After the LORD had spoken these words to Job, He said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “My wrath is kindled against you and your two friends. For you have not spoken about Me accurately, as My servant Job has. |
Job 21:34 Summary
[This verse means that Job is frustrated with his friends because they are trying to comfort him with words that are not true or helpful. He wants them to speak truthfully and honestly with him, rather than just saying things to make him feel better. This is similar to what the Bible says in Proverbs 24:26, which says that an honest answer is like a kiss on the lips. We can apply this to our own lives by being mindful of the words we speak to others, and making sure that they are truthful and helpful.]
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Job accusing his friends of in this verse?
Job is accusing his friends of offering empty words of comfort that are full of falsehood, which is similar to the warnings given in Proverbs 26:28, where it says that a lying tongue hates its victims.
Why is Job so upset with his friends' attempts to comfort him?
Job is upset because his friends' words are not only unhelpful but also untrue, and this is evident in their lack of understanding of his situation, as seen in Job 42:7, where God says that Job's friends did not speak what was right about Him.
Is it ever okay to speak empty words to someone who is hurting?
No, it is not okay to speak empty words, as seen in Ephesians 4:29, which says that we should only speak words that are helpful for building others up, and in Job 21:34, Job expresses his frustration with such words.
How can we apply this verse to our own lives when interacting with others who are hurting?
We can apply this verse by being mindful of the words we speak to those who are hurting, and instead of offering empty words, we should offer words of truth and comfort, as seen in 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, where it talks about the God of all comfort.
Reflection Questions
- What are some ways that I can offer genuine comfort to those who are hurting, rather than just empty words?
- How can I discern when someone's words are empty and lacking in truth, and what should I do in that situation?
- In what ways can I apply the principle of speaking truthful and helpful words to my own relationships and interactions with others?
- What are some Bible verses that I can turn to for guidance on how to speak words of truth and comfort to those who are hurting?
Gill's Exposition on Job 21:34
How then comfort ye me in vain,.... This is the conclusion Job draws from the above observations: his friends came to comfort him, and they took methods for it, as they thought, but miserable
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Job 21:34
How then comfort ye me in vain, seeing in your answers there remaineth falsehood? Falsehood - literally, wickedness.
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Job 21:34
Why then do you seek to comfort me with vain hopes of recovering my prosperity if I repent, seeing your grounds are manifestly false, and common experience showeth that good men are very oft in great tribulation, while the vilest of men thrive and prosper in the world?
Trapp's Commentary on Job 21:34
Job 21:34 How then comfort ye me in vain, seeing in your answers there remaineth falsehood?Ver. 34. How then comfort ye me in vain] Since ye apply nothing rightly to me, nor affirm nothing rightly of me, but, instead of comforting me, which you came for, ye trouble me. And such are all those consolatiunculae, creaturulae (as Luther finely phraseth it), petty creature comforts, waterish and empty businesses; an unsubstantial substance, as one saith of the bulrush. Seeing in your answers remaineth falsehood?] Or prevarication, or double dealing; foul mistakes, and little less than malice.
Ellicott's Commentary on Job 21:34
(34) There remaineth falsehood.—Or, all that is left of them is transgression, that is to say, it is not only worthless, but yet more, it is even harmful and wrong.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on Job 21:34
Verse 34. How then comfort ye me in vain] Mr. Good translates: "How vainly then would ye make me retract!" See the note on Job 21:2. I cannot retract any thing I have said, as I have proved by fact and testimony that your positions are false and unfounded. Your pretensions to comfort me are as hollow as the arguments you bring in support of your exceptionable doctrines. THIS chapter may be called Job's triumph over the insinuated calumnies, and specious but false doctrines, of his opponents. The irritability of his temper no longer appears: from the time he got that glorious discovery of his Redeemer, and the JOYOUS hope of an eternal inheritance, Job 19:25, c., we find no more murmurings, nor unsanctified complainings. He is now full master of himself and reasons conclusively, because he reasons coolly. Impassioned transports no longer carry him away: his mind is serene; his heart, fixed; his hope, steady; and his faith, strong. Zophar the Naamathite is now, in his presence, as an infant in the gripe of a mighty giant.
Another of these pretended friends but real enemies comes forward to renew the attack with virulent invective, malevolent insinuation, and unsupported assertion. Him, Job meets, and vanquishes by pious resignation and fervent prayer. Though, at different times after this, Job had his buffetings from his grand adversary, and some seasons of comparative darkness, yet his faith is unshaken, and he stands as a beaten anvil to the stroke. He effectually exculpates himself, and vindicates the dispensations of his Maker. There appears to be something in the 29th verse which requires to be farther examined: Have ye not asked them that go by the way? And do ye not know their tokens? It is probable that this verse may allude to the custom of burying the dead by the way-side, and raising up specious and descriptive monuments over them.
Cambridge Bible on Job 21:34
34. Job feels he has refuted the theories of his friends in regard to the pretended calamities and misery of the wicked man, whether in life or death. Hence their attempts to comfort him by this line of thinking are vain. there remaineth falsehood] i. e. there is left (only) falsehood. When Job’s proofs to the contrary are subtracted from the answers of his friends, there is left in them only the wrongful, false disposition they shew towards him.
Barnes' Notes on Job 21:34
How then comfort ye me in vain ... - That is, how can you be qualified to give me consolation in my trials, who have such erroneous views of the government and dealings of God?
Whedon's Commentary on Job 21:34
34. Falsehood — Malice or treachery. Having subjected their consolatory speeches to the test of reason, and having eliminated that which seemed to be truth, Job declares the residuum to be solely the
Sermons on Job 21:34
| Sermon | Description | |
|---|---|---|
|
True and False Consolation. by Horatius Bonar | Horatius Bonar emphasizes the necessity of true consolation in times of trouble, as exemplified by Job's suffering. He identifies the conditions under which consolation can be effe |
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Lecture Xvii. - False Comforts for Sinners. by Charles Finney | Charles Finney addresses the issue of false comforts given to anxious sinners, emphasizing that true comfort can only come from recognizing one's sinfulness and the need for immedi |
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Distress of Job - Part 2 by W.F. Anderson | The video is a sermon on the book of Job in the Bible. It begins by describing the structure of the book, with a prologue and three cycles of speeches between Job and his friends. |
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Job, 1975 Part 1 by Norman Grubb | In this sermon, the speaker discusses the book of Job and the conversations that take place within it. The speaker acknowledges that the book contains 41 chapters filled with vario |
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Confidence in God, Not Man by Theodore Epp | Theodore Epp emphasizes Job's unwavering confidence in God amidst his suffering, as Job refuses to let his friends dictate his faith or understanding of his situation. He asserts h |
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Mark of a True Prophet by Art Katz | In this sermon, the speaker discusses the painful message of God's judgment and how people often reject both the message and the messenger. He gives an example of a church service |
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(Through the Bible) Job 1-4 by Chuck Smith | In this sermon, the preacher discusses the story of Job from the Bible. Job was a man who experienced extreme loss and suffering, losing his wealth, possessions, and even his child |