The Meaning of Job 34:29 Explained

Job 34:29

KJV: When he giveth quietness, who then can make trouble? and when he hideth his face, who then can behold him? whether it be done against a nation, or against a man only:

YLT: And He giveth rest, and who maketh wrong? And hideth the face, and who beholdeth it? And in reference to a nation and to a man, It is the same.

Darby: When he giveth quietness, who then will disturb? and when he hideth his face, who shall behold him? and this towards a nation, or towards a man alike;

ASV: When he giveth quietness, who then can condemn? And when he hideth his face, who then can behold him? Alike whether it be done unto a nation, or unto a man:

KJV Reverse Interlinear

When he giveth quietness,  who then can make trouble?  and when he hideth  [his] face,  who then can behold  him? whether [it be done] against a nation,  or against a man  only: 

What does Job 34:29 Mean?

Context Summary

Job 34:1-37 - The Almighty Must Be Just
Elihu stands in Job 34:10 as God's apologist. God's absolute and impartial justice is at all times a matter of untold comfort. There will be no cause of ultimate complaint, but from the lips of the holiest beings in the universe, most able to pass an opinion, the cry will ascend, "Great and marvelous are thy works, O Lord God the Almighty. Righteous and true are thy ways, thou King of the ages"¦. Thy righteous acts have been made manifest," Revelation 15:3-4, r.v.
Ponder those last words. God's righteous acts have not yet been made manifest; it is therefore foolish and wrong to pass judgment upon an unfinished program. Wait, mortal man, until, at the great white throne, God shall unfold His inner reasons. If it is not fit to say to a king, "Thou art vile," how much less to Him who lives through the ages, while the people are shaken and pass away, and the mighty are taken away without hand! [source]

Chapter Summary: Job 34

1  Elihu accuses Job for charging God with injustice
10  God omnipotent cannot be unjust
31  Man must humble himself unto God
34  Elihu reproves Job

What do the individual words in Job 34:29 mean?

And when He gives quietness then who can make trouble and when He hides [His] face can see Him and Whether [it is] against a nation or a man alone
וְה֤וּא יַשְׁקִ֨ט ׀ וּמִ֥י ؟ יַרְשִׁ֗עַ וְיַסְתֵּ֣ר פָּ֭נִים יְשׁוּרֶ֑נּוּ וְעַל־ גּ֖וֹי וְעַל־ אָדָ֣ם יָֽחַד

וְה֤וּא  And  when  He 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, third person masculine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
יַשְׁקִ֨ט ׀  gives  quietness 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁקַט  
Sense: to be quiet, be tranquil, be at peace, be quiet, rest, lie still, be undisturbed.
וּמִ֥י  then  who 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Interrogative
Root: מִי  
Sense: who?, whose?, whom?, would that, whoever, whosoever.
؟ יַרְשִׁ֗עַ  can  make  trouble 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: רָשַׁע  
Sense: to be wicked, act wickedly.
וְיַסְתֵּ֣ר  and  when  He  hides 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive imperfect Jussive, third person masculine singular
Root: סָתַר  
Sense: to hide, conceal.
פָּ֭נִים  [His]  face 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
יְשׁוּרֶ֑נּוּ  can  see  Him 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine singular
Root: שׁוּר  
Sense: to see, behold, observe, regard.
וְעַל־  and  Whether  [it  is]  against 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
גּ֖וֹי  a  nation 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: גֹּוי 
Sense: nation, people.
אָדָ֣ם  a  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָדָם 
Sense: man, mankind.
יָֽחַד  alone 
Parse: Adverb
Root: יַחַד 
Sense: union, unitedness adv.