Job 34:20

A common misinterpretation views this as a literal prediction of apocalyptic events where all people or leaders die precisely at midnight, ignoring its poetic emphasis on God's sudden and sovereign intervention against the unjust; others wrongly apply it to endorse fatalism or indiscriminate divine wrath on innocents, overlooking Elihu's focus on the wicked mighty who oppress others, or twist it to justify personal vendettas by claiming divine approval for abrupt judgments without mercy or context.

Elihu emphasizes God's sovereign justice and omnipotence, declaring that He can strike down the wicked and powerful suddenly, even in the dead of night, without any human agency, underscoring that no one escapes divine judgment regardless of their status or strength, as seen in the broader context of defending God's righteousness against Job's suffering.