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Commentary on Job 36 verses 15–23
Elihu here comes more closely to Job; and,
I. He tells him what God would have done for him before this if he had been duly humbled under his affliction. "We all know how ready God is to deliver the poor in his affliction (Job 36:15); he always was so. The poor in spirit, those that are of a broken and contrite heart, he looks upon with tenderness, and, when they are in affliction, is ready to help them. He opens their ears, and makes them to hear joy and gladness, even in their oppressions; while he does not yet deliver them he speaks to them good words and comfortable words, for the encouragement of their faith and patience, the silencing of their fears, and the balancing of their griefs; and even so (Job 36:16) would he have done to thee if thou hadst submitted to his providence and conducted thyself well; he would have delivered and comforted thee, and we should have had none of these complaints. If thou hadst accommodated thyself to the will of God, thy liberty and plenty would have been restored to thee with advantage." 1. "Thou wouldst have been enlarged, and not confined thus by thy sickness and disgrace: He would have removed thee into a broad place where is no straitness, and thou wouldst no longer have been cramped thus and have had all thy measures broken." 2. "Thou wouldst have been enriched, and wouldst not have been left in this poor condition; thou wouldst have had thy table richly spread, not only with food convenient, but with the finest of the wheat" (see Deu 32:14) "and the fattest of the flesh." Note, It ought to silence us under our afflictions to consider that, if we were better, it would be every way better with us: if we had answered the ends of an affliction, the affliction would be removed; and deliverance would come if we were ready for it. God would have done well for us if we had conducted ourselves well; Psa 81:13, Psa 81:14; Isa 48:18.
II. He charges him with standing in his own light, and makes him the cause of the continuance of his own trouble (Job 36:17): "But thou hast fulfilled the judgment of the wicked," that is, "Whatever thou art really, in this thing thou hast conducted thyself like a wicked man, hast spoken and done like the wicked, hast gratified them and served their cause; and therefore judgment and justice take hold on thee as a wicked man, because thou goest in company with them, actest as if thou wert in their interest, aiding and abetting. Thou hast maintained the cause of the wicked; and such as a man's cause is such will the judgment of God be upon him;" so bishop Patrick. It is dangerous being on the wrong side: accessaries to treason will be dealt with as principals.
III. He cautions him not to persist in his frowardness. Several good cautions he gives him to this purport.
1.Let him not make light of divine vengeance, nor be secure, as if he were in no danger of it (Job 36:18): "Because there is wrath" (that is, "because God is a righteous governor, who resents all the affronts given to his government, because he has revealed his wrath from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, and because thou hast reason to fear that thou art under God's displeasure) therefore beware lest he take thee away suddenly with his stroke, and be so wise as to make thy peace with him quickly and get his anger turned away from thee." A warning to this purport Job had given his friends (Job 19:29): Be you afraid of the sword, for wrath brings the punishment of the sword. Thus contenders are apt, with too much boldness, to bind one another over to the judgment of God and threaten one another with his wrath; but he that keeps a good conscience needs not fear the impotent menaces of proud men. But his was a friendly caution to Job, and necessary. Even good men have need to be kept to their duty by the fear of God's wrath. "Thou art a wise and good man, but beware lest he take thee away, for the wisest and best have enough in them to deserve his stroke."
2.Let him not promise himself that, if God's wrath should kindle against him, he could find out ways to escape the strokes of it. (1.) There is no escaping by money, no purchasing a pardon with silver, or gold, and such corruptible things: "Even a great ransom cannot deliver thee when God enters into judgment with thee. His justice cannot be bribed, nor any of the ministers of his justice. Will he esteem thy riches, and take from them a commutation of the punishment? No, not gold, Job 36:19. If thou hadst as much wealth as ever thou hadst, that would not ease thee, would not secure thee from the strokes of God's wrath, in the day of the revelation of which riches profit not," Pro 11:4. See Psa 49:7, Psa 49:8. (2.) There is no escaping by rescue: "If all the forces of strength were at thy command, if thou couldst muster ever so many servants and vassals to appear for thee to force thee out of the hands of divine vengeance, it were all in vain; God would not regard it. There is none that can deliver out of his hand." (3.) There is no escaping by absconding (Job 36:20): "Desire not the night, which often favours the retreat of a conquered army and covers it; think not that thou canst so escape the righteous judgment of God, for the darkness hideth not from him," Psa 139:11, Psa 139:12. See Job 34:22. "Think not, because in the night people retire to their place, go up to their beds, and it is then easy to escape being discovered by them, that God also ascends to his place, and cannot see thee. No; he neither slumbers nor sleeps. His eyes are open upon the children of men, not only in all places, but at all times. No rocks nor mountains can shelter us from his eye." Some understand it of the night of death; that is the night by which men are cut off from their place, and Job had earnestly breathed for that night, as the hireling desires the evening, Job 7:2. "But do not do so," says Elihu; "for thou knowest not what the night of death is." Those that passionately wish for death, in hopes to make that their shelter from God's wrath, may perhaps be mistaken. There are those whom wrath pursues into that night.
3.Let him not continue his unjust quarrel with God and his providence, which hitherto he had persisted in when he should have submitted to the affliction (Job 36:21): "Take heed, look well to thy own spirit, and regard not iniquity, return not to it (so some), for it is at thy peril if thou do." Let us never dare to think a favourable thought of sin, never indulge it, nor allow ourselves in it. Elihu thinks Job had need of this caution, he having chosen iniquity rather than affliction, that is, having chosen rather to gratify his own pride and humour in contending with God than to mortify it by a submission to him and accepting the punishment. We may take it more generally, and observe that those who choose iniquity rather than affliction make a very foolish choice. Those that ease their cares by sinful pleasures, increase their wealth by sinful pursuits, escape their troubles by sinful projects, and evade sufferings for righteousness' sake by sinful compliances against their consciences, make a choice they will repent of; for there is more evil in the least sin than in the greatest affliction. It is an evil, and only evil.
4.Let him not dare to prescribe to God, nor give him his measures (Job 36:22, Job 36:23): "Behold, God exalteth by his power," that is, "He does, may, and can set up and pull down whom he pleases, and therefore it is not for thee nor me to contend with him." The more we magnify God the more do we humble and abase ourselves. Now consider, (1.) That God is an absolute sovereign: He exalts by his own power, and not by strength derived from any other. He exalts whom he pleases, exalts those that were afflicted and cast down, by the strength and power which he gives his people; and therefore who has enjoined him his way? Who presides above him in his way? Is there any superior from whom he has his commission and to whom he is accountable? No; he himself is supreme and independent. Who puts him in mind of his way? so some. Does the eternal Mind need a remembrancer? No; his own way, as well as ours, is ever before him. He has not received orders or instructions from any (Isa 60:13, Isa 60:14), nor is he accountable to any. He enjoins to all the creatures their way; let not us then enjoin him his, but leave it to him to govern the world, who is fit to do it. (2.) That he is an incomparable teacher: Who teaches like him? It is absurd for us to teach him who is himself the fountain of light, truth, knowledge, and instruction. He that teaches man knowledge, and so as none else can, shall not he know? Psa 94:9, Psa 94:10. Shall we light a candle to the sun? Observe, When Elihu would give glory to God as a ruler he praises him as a teacher, for rulers must teach. God does so. He binds with the cords of a man. In this, as in other things, he is unequalled. None so fit to direct his own actions as he himself is. He knows what he has to do, and how to do it for the best, and needs no information nor advice. Solomon himself had a privy-council to advise him, but the King of kings has none. Nor is any so fit to direct our actions as he is. None teaches with such authority and convincing evidence, with such condescension and compassion, nor with such power and efficacy, as God does. He teaches by the Bible, and that is the best book, teaches by his Son, and he is the best Master. (3.) That he is unexceptionably just in all his proceedings: Who can say, Thou hast wrought iniquity? Not, Who dares say it? (many do iniquity, and those who tell them of it do so at their peril), but Who can say it? Who has any cause to say it? Who can say it and prove it? It is a maxim undoubtedly true, without limitation, that the King of kings can do no wrong.
And you certainly, he says, were tested so far in the furnace of correction. But God will indeed restore you and will bring you back to your former wealth and dignity.
5. As if he said; ‘How can He be blamed, Whose doing cannot be searched into? For no one judges properly of that, which he knows not. We ought, therefore, to rest the more silent under His judgments, the more we see that we perceive not the reason of His judgments.
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SUMMARY
Job 36:23, a powerful rhetorical declaration by Elihu, asserts God's absolute and unchallengeable sovereignty, wisdom, and perfect righteousness. It emphatically denies that any created being possesses the authority to dictate God's actions or to accuse Him of any wrongdoing or injustice. The verse encapsulates the profound theological truth that God operates according to His own perfect counsel, entirely beyond human comprehension or judgment, thereby inviting a posture of humility and unwavering trust in His divine character amidst life's most perplexing circumstances.
CONTEXT
Literary Context: Job 36:23 is situated within Elihu's final and most extensive discourse, spanning chapters 32-37. Elihu, presented as a younger, more discerning man, positions himself as a divinely inspired mediator between Job and God, claiming to offer a fresh, nuanced perspective that transcends the limited and often flawed understanding of Job's three older friends. His speeches are consistently characterized by a strong emphasis on God's majesty, omnipotence, and inherent justice, frequently contrasting God's perfect and inscrutable ways with human fallibility, ignorance, and presumption. In this particular section (Job 36:22-33), Elihu is passionately extolling God's incomparable greatness, particularly His wisdom and power as vividly displayed in natural phenomena and His providential governance. Verse 23 functions as a powerful rhetorical climax to his overarching argument that God is utterly beyond human critique or counsel, serving as a foundational premise for Elihu's subsequent detailed descriptions of God's awesome control over creation and His just dealings with humanity. This verse directly challenges any notion of human autonomy or moral superiority over the divine, setting the stage for Elihu's call for Job's humble submission.
Historical & Cultural Context: The Book of Job is set in the ancient Near East, a cultural milieu deeply steeped in the concept of divine sovereignty. In this period, rulers and deities were commonly perceived as absolute authorities whose decrees were not to be questioned by their subjects. However, the specific cultural and theological challenge addressed within Job's narrative revolves around the prevailing retribution theology—the deeply ingrained belief that suffering is always a direct and proportional consequence of sin, and prosperity is a sign of righteousness. Elihu, while departing from the friends' simplistic and often harsh application of this theology, still operates within a broader framework that seeks to justify God's actions, even when those actions appear inscrutable or seemingly unjust to human eyes. The cultural expectation was that a righteous God would always act justly, and any perceived injustice by humans was understood as a failure of human understanding, not a flaw in divine character. This verse powerfully reinforces the ancient understanding of a transcendent deity whose ways are inherently higher and more profound than human paths, reflecting a common reverence for the unapproachable majesty and moral perfection of the divine, a concept deeply embedded in the wisdom traditions of the ancient world.
Key Themes: Job 36:23 powerfully contributes to several overarching themes within the Book of Job and broader biblical theology. Firstly, it underscores God's Unquestionable Sovereignty and Aseity. Elihu argues that God is not beholden to any external counsel or authority; He is self-existent and self-sufficient, acting purely from His own perfect will. This resonates deeply with passages like Psalm 115:3 which declares God's absolute freedom to act, and Isaiah 40:13-14 which rhetorically asks who could ever counsel the Lord. Secondly, the verse highlights God's Perfect Justice and Righteousness. By asserting that no one can accuse God of iniquity, Elihu affirms God's intrinsic moral perfection and unwavering commitment to what is right, even when His actions seem inscrutable or harsh to human eyes. This theme is foundational to understanding God's character throughout Scripture, as seen in Deuteronomy 32:4, which praises God as "The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice." Finally, the verse implicitly emphasizes Human Limitation and Humility before God. The rhetorical questions expose the profound chasm between finite human understanding and infinite divine wisdom, urging Job—and all readers—to adopt a posture of humility and reverence rather than presumptuous judgment or accusation. This aligns with the wisdom literature's call to fear the Lord as the beginning of knowledge, as stated in Proverbs 1:7.
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Job 36:23 primarily employs Rhetorical Questions. Elihu poses two direct questions not to elicit information, but to make a forceful and undeniable assertion: no one can command God, and no one can legitimately accuse Him of injustice. These questions compel the listener (Job, and by extension, the reader) to acknowledge the self-evident truth of God's supreme authority, unassailable sovereignty, and perfect righteousness. The structure also exhibits a clear form of Parallelism or Antithesis, where the two questions, though distinct in their focus, work in tandem to reinforce a singular overarching theme of God's unchallengeable nature. The first question focuses on God's absolute sovereignty over His actions and plans ("His way"), while the second focuses on His impeccable moral character ("wrought iniquity"). Together, these parallel inquiries form a comprehensive, powerful, and undeniable statement about the divine, emphasizing both God's omnipotence and His perfect holiness.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Job 36:23 articulates a core theological truth about God's nature: His absolute sovereignty and perfect righteousness are entirely beyond human questioning, comprehension, or judgment. This verse speaks profoundly to God's aseity, meaning He is self-existent, self-sufficient, and not dependent on anything outside of Himself, nor is He accountable to anyone. His "way" is His own, perfectly conceived and executed according to His infinite wisdom, and His actions are inherently just because they flow from His perfectly righteous character. This perspective is vital for cultivating profound humility and unwavering trust in believers, especially when faced with suffering, inexplicable circumstances, or the apparent injustices of the world. It serves as a powerful reminder that God's wisdom and justice operate on a plane infinitely higher than human comprehension. It calls us to rest in the unwavering assurance that the one who governs all things is utterly incapable of error, malice, or moral failing.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Job 36:23 presents both a profound challenge and an immense comfort to the human spirit. In a world where we often feel entitled to understand, analyze, and even critique every event and every aspect of life, this verse calls us to adopt a posture of profound humility and awe before the Creator. It serves as a powerful reminder that God's ways are not our ways, and His thoughts are infinitely higher than our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9). When life's circumstances seem chaotic, unjust, or utterly inexplicable, this verse provides an unshakeable anchor for our souls: our God is perfectly just, perfectly wise, and perfectly sovereign. We are invited not to fully comprehend all of His reasons or to demand an explanation for every trial, but rather to trust implicitly in His flawless character. This trust frees us from the burdensome need to justify God or to fully comprehend His every move, allowing us instead to rest securely in His unfailing goodness and unblemished righteousness. It encourages us to shift from questioning His actions to worshipping His nature, finding deep peace in His ultimate control and perfect design, even when the path ahead is shrouded in mystery and our understanding is limited.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Does this verse imply that humans should never ask "why" or express their pain to God, as Job did throughout his ordeal?
Answer: Not at all. While Job 36:23 powerfully emphasizes God's absolute sovereignty and perfect righteousness, it does not forbid honest lament, questioning, or the raw expression of pain from a place of dependence, as is abundantly evident throughout the Psalms (e.g., Psalm 13:1). The crucial distinction lies in the posture of the heart. Job's initial laments and desperate cries, though raw and at times bordering on accusation, ultimately stemmed from a deep desire for vindication and understanding from God, not from an attempt to sit in judgment over God or to demand that He conform to human standards of justice. Elihu's point, and indeed the ultimate message of the Book of Job, is that while we can and should cry out to God in our suffering, we must do so with humility, recognizing His infinite wisdom and our finite understanding. We cannot "enjoin" Him His way or legitimately accuse Him of "iniquity" as if we were His judge or superior. True faith allows for honest wrestling with difficult circumstances while maintaining a foundational and unwavering trust in God's good and perfect character, as Job himself ultimately did when he declared, "I know that my Redeemer lives.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Job 36:23, with its profound declaration of God's unchallengeable sovereignty and perfect righteousness, finds its ultimate and most glorious fulfillment in the person and redemptive work of Jesus Christ. The "way" of God, which no one can enjoin or dictate, is perfectly embodied and revealed in the life and mission of Christ, who declared, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. Jesus perfectly submitted Himself to the Father's divine will, even to the incomprehensible point of death on a cross (Philippians 2:8), thereby demonstrating that God's "way" is one of profound self-giving love, perfect obedience, and ultimate redemptive purpose. Furthermore, the powerful assertion that no one can accuse God of having "wrought iniquity" is definitively and triumphantly vindicated in Christ. Jesus, "who committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth," lived a perfectly righteous and blameless life, fulfilling all the demands of divine justice on our behalf. His atoning sacrifice on the cross was not an act of divine injustice, but rather the supreme demonstration of God's righteousness and boundless love, satisfying the holy demands of His law while simultaneously providing complete salvation for all who believe (Romans 3:25-26). Thus, in Christ, we witness the perfect "way" of God unfolded in human history and His impeccable righteousness displayed in the most profound act of cosmic justice and mercy, inviting us not to question His character, but to worship the One who is "the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature.