The Meaning of Job 34:21 Explained

Job 34:21

KJV: For his eyes are upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his goings.

YLT: For His eyes are on the ways of each, And all his steps He doth see.

Darby: For his eyes are upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his steps.

ASV: For his eyes are upon the ways of a man, And he seeth all his goings.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

For his eyes  [are] upon the ways  of man,  and he seeth  all his goings. 

What does Job 34:21 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 34:21 mean?

For His eyes [are] on the ways of man and all his steps He sees
כִּי־ עֵ֭ינָיו עַל־ דַּרְכֵי־ אִ֑ישׁ וְֽכָל־ צְעָדָ֥יו יִרְאֶֽה

עֵ֭ינָיו  His  eyes  [are] 
Parse: Noun, cdc, third person masculine singular
Root: עֹונָה 
Sense: eye.
דַּרְכֵי־  the  ways 
Parse: Noun, common plural construct
Root: דֶּרֶךְ  
Sense: way, road, distance, journey, manner.
אִ֑ישׁ  of  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
וְֽכָל־  and  all 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
צְעָדָ֥יו  his  steps 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: צַעַד  
Sense: step, pace, stride.
יִרְאֶֽה  He  sees 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.