Job 34:7 Meaning and Explanation
“What man is like Job, who drinketh up scorning like water?”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Elihu charges that Job drinks in mockery as freely as water, treating scorn as easily as a thirsty man drinks.
What Does Job 34:7 Mean?
Elihu's tone now sharpens. He pictures Job as one who 'drinketh up scorning like water' -- absorbing scoffing speech as naturally and abundantly as a thirsty man drinks. The vivid image suggests that, in Elihu's judgment, Job has grown too comfortable with words that border on contempt for God.
The warning beneath the image is sobering: what we take in habitually shapes us. To drink scorn like water is to let bitterness become second nature. Scripture counsels a different thirst, the longing of the soul that pants for God as the deer pants for the water brooks. What we drink in, we become; the heart is wise to choose its waters well.
Job 34:7 in the Original Language
latson (לָצוֹן), 'scorning' -- mockery or derision, the speech of one who scoffs.
Frequently Asked Questions About Job 34:7
What does Job 34:7 mean?
Elihu charges that Job drinks in mockery as freely as water, treating scorn as easily as a thirsty man drinks.