Job 36

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Elihu continues his discourse, asserting God's mighty power, wisdom, and impartial justice. He explains that God preserves the righteous, but chastens them in affliction to prompt repentance, while the wicked and hypocrites face destruction. Elihu admonishes Job, suggesting his suffering is due to choosing iniquity over affliction, and warns against God's inescapable wrath. He concludes by extolling God's incomparable greatness, seen in His control over nature, from the water cycle to the clouds and light.

Elihu Defends God's Righteousness and Knowledge 1–4

Elihu also proceeded, and said,

Suffer me a little, and I will show thee; For I have yet somewhat to say on God’s behalf.

I will fetch my knowledge from afar, And will ascribe righteousness to my Maker.

For truly my words are not false: One that is perfect in knowledge is with thee.

God's Power and Impartial Justice 5–15

Behold, God is mighty, and despiseth not any: He is mighty in strength of understanding.

He preserveth not the life of the wicked, But giveth to the afflicted their right.

He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous: But with kings upon the throne He setteth them for ever, and they are exalted.

And if they be bound in fetters, And be taken in the cords of affliction;

Then he showeth them their work, And their transgressions, that they have behaved themselves proudly.

He openeth also their ear to instruction, And commandeth that they return from iniquity.

If they hearken and serve him, They shall spend their days in prosperity, And their years in pleasures.

But if they hearken not, they shall perish by the sword, And they shall die without knowledge.

But they that are godless in heart lay up anger: They cry not for help when he bindeth them.

They die in youth, And their lifeperisheth among the unclean.

He delivereth the afflicted by their affliction, And openeth their ear in oppression.

A Warning Against Rejecting Discipline 16–21

Yea, he would have allured thee out of distress Into a broad place, where there is no straitness; And that which is set on thy table would be full of fatness.

But thou art full of the judgment of the wicked: Judgment and justice take holdon thee.

For let not wrath stir thee up against chastisements; Neither let the greatness of the ransom turn thee aside.

Will thy cry avail, that thou be not in distress, Or all the forces ofthystrength?

Desire not the night, When peoples are cut off in their place.

Take heed, regard not iniquity: For this hast thou chosen rather than affliction.

God's Supreme Power and Wisdom 22–33

Behold, God doeth loftily in his power: Who is a teacher like unto him?

Who hath enjoined him his way? Or who can say, Thou hast wrought unrighteousness?

Remember that thou magnify his work, Whereof men have sung.

All men have looked thereon; Man beholdeth it afar off.

Behold, God is great, and we know him not; The number of his years is unsearchable.

For he draweth up the drops of water, Which distil in rain from his vapor,

Which the skies pour down And drop upon man abundantly.

Yea, can any understand the spreadings of the clouds, The thunderings of his pavilion?

Behold, he spreadeth his light around him; And he covereth the bottom of the sea.

For by these he judgeth the peoples; He giveth food in abundance.

He covereth his hands with the lightning, And giveth it a charge that it strike the mark.

The noise thereof telleth concerning him, The cattle also concerningthe stormthat cometh up.

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for Job 36

Verse 3

fetch my knowledge from afar — 'Afar' is rachoq, remote; Elihu draws his case from the far-reaching ground of God's character, not from Job's immediate pain. 'Righteousness' is tsedeq, and 'Maker' is the participle of pa'al, to do or make. His aim is that of Ps 145:17, 'The LORD is righteous in all his ways'.

Verse 4

perfect in knowledge — 'Perfect' is tamim, complete, without blemish; 'false' is sheqer, a lie or sham. Elihu claims sincerity and soundness for his words. The phrase returns in 37:16, where it is used of God: 'the wondrous works of him which is perfect in knowledge'.

Verse 5

despiseth not any — Ma'as, to spurn or reject. The LORD is kabbir, vast in power, yet no one is too small for his regard: 'he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted' (Ps 22:24). 'Though the LORD be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly' (Ps 138:6).

Verse 7

withdraweth not his eyes — Gara', to remove or withhold. The LORD's eye stays on the righteous, as in Ps 34:15 and 1 Pet 3:12. 'For ever' is netsach, perpetually; the raising of the lowly to sit with princes is described in 1 Sam 2:8 and Ps 113:7–8.

Verse 9

sheweth them their work — Nagad, to make plain, to declare. In Elihu's account affliction exposes what the sufferer has done: 'their transgressions' (pesha', rebellion) 'that they have exceeded', or acted proudly. The same teaching: 'when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord' (1 Cor 11:32).

Verse 10

openeth also their ear to discipline — 'Discipline' is musar, chastisement and instruction in one word. God opens the ear, and then 'commandeth that they return from iniquity' (shub, turn back). The same opening is repeated in v.15, 'openeth their ears in oppression'; compare 'It is good for me that I have been afflicted' (Ps 119:71).

Verse 12

perish by the sword — 'Sword' is shelach, a missile or weapon. The alternative to v.11 is stated plainly: those who 'obey not' die 'without knowledge' (da'ath). Eliphaz had said much the same of mortal men: 'they die, even without wisdom' (Job 4:21).

Verse 13

the hypocrites in heart — Chaneph, the soiled or godless. They 'heap up wrath' (aph, anger), as 'treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath' (Rom 2:5), and 'cry not' (shava', to call for help) when bound; the binding is that of v.8, 'cords of affliction'.

Verse 15

openeth their ears in oppression — 'Oppression' is lachats, pressure or distress. The poor are delivered 'in his affliction' ('oni), not only out of it: the hearing God gives in the trouble is part of the rescue. It repeats the 'opening' of v.10, now as mercy.

Verse 16

a broad place, where there is no straitness — Rachab, breadth, against tsar and mutsaq, narrowness. The same contrast is in 'thou hast set my feet in a large room' (Ps 31:8) and 'set me in a large place' (Ps 118:5). The table 'full of fatness' (deshen) is the plenty Elihu says Job forfeited.

Verse 17

fulfilled the judgment of the wicked — Din is a legal case or sentence; Job has filled up the measure of the wicked man's cause. Elihu had said Job 'goeth in company with the workers of iniquity' (Job 34:8) and wished him 'tried unto the end because of his answers for wicked men' (Job 34:36).

Verse 18

a great ransom cannot deliver thee — Kopher, the price paid to cover a life; 'stroke' is sepheq, a blow. Wealth buys no exemption at the hour of wrath: 'Riches profit not in the day of wrath' (Prov 11:4); 'Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them' (Zeph 1:18).

Verse 21

regard not iniquity — Aven, trouble or vanity; the verb is panah, to turn toward. Elihu says Job has 'chosen' (bachar) this rather than affliction ('oni). The opposite choice is that of Moses, who preferred to suffer with God's people (Heb 11:25).

Verse 22

God exalteth by his power — Sagab, to set on high, out of reach; 'power' is koach. 'Who teacheth like him?' uses yarah, to point out or instruct, the root of torah. The one who raises (1 Sam 2:7–8) is also the incomparable teacher; compare 'Who hath directed the Spirit of the LORD' (Isa 40:13).

Verse 23

Who hath enjoined him his way? — Paqad, to appoint or charge. No one assigns God his course, and none can say 'Thou hast wrought iniquity' ('evel, injustice). Compare 'who hath been his counsellor?' (Rom 11:34) and Bildad's question 'Doth God pervert judgment?' (Job 8:3).

Verse 24

magnify his work — Sagah, to make great, hence to laud. 'Which men behold' is from shir, to sing: it is the work men have sung of. The theme of v.22 turns to praise, as in 'Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty' (Rev 15:3) and 'All thy works shall praise thee' (Ps 145:10).

Verse 26

God is great, and we know him not — Saggi', exceedingly great. 'Searched out' is cheqer, investigation: 'his greatness is unsearchable' (Ps 145:3). The question 'Canst thou by searching find out God?' (Job 11:7) is answered here, and it leads into the account of rain and thunder in vv.27–33.

Verse 27

maketh small the drops of water — Gara', to draw off or lessen; nataph is a drop, and 'vapour' is 'ed, mist. The drops are drawn off, then 'pour down rain according to the vapour thereof'. The LORD 'prepareth rain for the earth' (Ps 147:8), a work Job 38:28 asks about again: 'Hath the rain a father?'

Verse 31

by them judgeth he the people — The clouds and rain serve both ends: din, to judge, and food 'in abundance' (makbir, plenty). The same weather is the LORD's instrument 'whether for correction, or for his land, or for mercy' (Job 37:13); he also 'gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons' (Acts 14:17).

Verse 33

The noise thereof sheweth concerning it — 'Noise' is rea', a crash, here of thunder, which announces the storm before it arrives; even 'the cattle' (miqneh, livestock) perceive it. The thunder is God's voice in Job 37:2 and 'The LORD thundered from heaven' (2 Sam 22:14).

Job 36

Elihu Defends God's Righteousness and Knowledge 1–4

God's Power and Impartial Justice 5–15

A Warning Against Rejecting Discipline 16–21

God's Supreme Power and Wisdom 22–33

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