Bible Strands

Job 34:29

But when He remains silent, who can condemn Him? When He hides His face, who can see Him? Yet He watches over both man and nation,

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Elihu addresses Job and his companions during a discourse on divine justice, immediately after noting that God hears the outcry of the afflicted.

The words — יַשְׁקִ֨ט (yash.KIT) = he will keep quiet, and פָּנִים (Pā.nîm) = face, anchor the rhetorical questions regarding divine silence and hidden presence.

The thread — The tension between divine concealment and sovereign oversight runs through Job 23:13, Psalms 27:9, and Isaiah 26:3.

Why it lands — The text states that no one can condemn God when He is silent or see Him when He hides His face, yet He continues to watch over humanity and nations. This demands the reader acknowledge that human judgment cannot override divine authority or pause His governance.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וְה֤וּאve./Hu'and/ heיַשְׁקִ֨ט׀yash.Kithe will keep quietוּמִ֥יu./Miand/ who?יַרְשִׁ֗עַyar.Shi.a'will he condemn [him] as guiltyוְיַסְתֵּ֣רve./yas.Terand/ he may hideפָּ֭נִיםPa.nimfaceוּמִ֣יu./Miand/ who?יְשׁוּרֶ֑נּוּye.shu.Re./nuwill he observe/ himוְעַל־ve./'al-and/ overגּ֖וֹיGoya nationוְעַל־ve./'al-and/ overאָדָ֣ם'a.Dama personיָֽחַד׃Ya.chadalike

King James Version

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:

Cross-references