Does righteous behavior mean nothing to God?
No. Elihu emphasizes that God needs no contribution to become complete. Scripture still affirms that God values justice, loves his people, and responds to their conduct. Independence is not indifference.
JOB 35 — GOD’S GREATNESS AND THE CRY OF THE OPPRESSED
Does righteous behavior mean nothing to God? Study Job 35 with context, apologetic analysis, and cross-references.
Job 352 questions
Source linked
Commentary provenance
Dr. Lucas D. Shallua Commentary · JOB 35 — GOD’S GREATNESS AND THE CRY OF THE OPPRESSED
The precise difficulties
- Does righteous behavior mean nothing to God?
- Are unanswered prayers always proud or insincere?
Verse and question study
Are unanswered prayers always proud or insincere?
No. Scripture includes faithful prayers that await an answer or receive one different from the request. Elihu’s explanation is a possible moral concern, not a universal diagnosis.
Historical and literary context
The speech follows Elihu’s defense of divine justice. He addresses the relation between moral conduct, divine independence, and unanswered prayer. His summary of Job again risks turning a question about the usefulness of righteousness into a rejection of righteousness itself. Readers should separate the valid principle of God’s self-sufficiency from Elihu’s diagnosis of the wounded speaker.
Apologetic note
God’s self-sufficiency and personal care should not be played against each other. The Creator can care freely precisely because he does not need to exploit his creatures. Any account that turns transcendence into indifference has moved beyond the balanced biblical witness.
Chapter cross-references
- Psalm 50:7–15 God needs no supplies but invites troubled people to call
- Psalm 77:1–12 Nighttime distress and remembered praise
- Luke 18:1–8 Persistent prayer under delayed justice
- Acts 17:24–25 God gives rather than depends on human service
Source and editorial status
Dr. Shallua’s Commentary
This study preserves the hard questions, explanations, context, apologetic note, and references from Dr. Shallua's Commentary.