4 For truly my words are not false. One who is perfect in knowledge is with you.
Do you know the workings of the clouds, The wondrous works of him who is perfect in knowledge?
Brothers, don't be children in thoughts, yet in malice be babies, but in thoughts be mature.
But you are forgers of lies. You are all physicians of no value.
Will you speak unrighteously for God, And talk deceitfully for him?
So how can you comfort me with nonsense, Seeing that in your answers there remains only falsehood?"
For you have taken pledges from your brother for nothing, And stripped the naked of their clothing. You haven't given water to the weary to drink, And you have withheld bread from the hungry. But as for the mighty man, he had the earth. The honorable man, he lived in it. You have sent widows away empty, And the arms of the fatherless have been broken. Therefore snares are round about you. Sudden fear troubles you, Or darkness, so that you can not see, And floods of waters cover you. "Isn't God in the heights of heaven? See the height of the stars, how high they are! You say, 'What does God know? Can he judge through the thick darkness? Thick clouds are a covering to him, so that he doesn't see. He walks on the vault of the sky.' Will you keep the old way Which wicked men have trodden, Who were snatched away before their time, Whose foundation was poured out as a stream, Who said to God, 'Depart from us;' And, 'What can the Almighty do for us?' Yet he filled their houses with good things, But the counsel of the wicked is far from me. The righteous see it, and are glad; The innocent ridicule them, Saying, 'Surely those who rose up against us are cut off, The fire has consumed the remnant of them.' "Acquaint yourself with him, now, and be at peace. Thereby good shall come to you. Please receive instruction from his mouth, And lay up his words in your heart. If you return to the Almighty, you shall be built up, If you put away unrighteousness far from your tents. Lay your treasure in the dust, The gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks. The Almighty will be your treasure, Precious silver to you. For then shall you delight yourself in the Almighty, And shall lift up your face to God. You shall make your prayer to him, and he will hear you. You shall pay your vows. You shall also decree a thing, and it shall be established to you. Light shall shine on your ways. When they cast down, you shall say, 'be lifted up.' He will save the humble person. He will even deliver him who is not innocent; Yes, he shall be delivered through the cleanness of your hands."
My mouth will speak words of wisdom. My heart shall utter understanding.
For my mouth speaks truth. Wickedness is an abomination to my lips. All the words of my mouth are in righteousness. There is nothing crooked or perverse in them.
it seemed good to me also, having traced the course of all things accurately from the first, to write to you in order, most excellent Theophilus;
But Felix, having more exact knowledge concerning the Way, deferred them, saying, "When Lysias, the commanding officer, comes down, I will decide your case."
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Job 36
Commentary on Job 36 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 36
Elihu, having largely reproved Job for some of his unadvised speeches, which Job had nothing to say in the vindication of, here comes more generally to set him to rights in his notions of God's dealings with him. His other friends had stood to it that, because he was a wicked man, therefore his afflictions were so great and so long. But Elihu only maintained that the affliction was sent for his trial, and that therefore it was lengthened out because Job was not, as yet, thoroughly humbled under it, nor had duly accommodated himself to it. He urges many reasons, taken from the wisdom and righteousness of God, his care of his people, and especially his greatness and almighty power, with which, in this and the following chapter, he persuades him to submit to the hand of God. Here we have,
This he prosecutes and enlarges upon in the following chapter.
Job 36:1-4
Once more Elihu begs the patience of the auditory, and Job's particularly, for he has not said all that he has to say, but he will not detain them long. Stand about me a little (so some read it), v. 2. "Let me have your attendance, your attention, awhile longer, and I will speak but this once, as plainly and as much to the purpose as I can.' To gain this he pleads,
Job 36:5-14
Elihu, being to speak on God's behalf, and particularly to ascribe righteousness to his Maker, here shows that the disposals of divine Providence are all, not only according to the eternal counsels of his will, but according to the eternal rules of equity. God acts as a righteous governor, for,
Job 36:15-23
Elihu here comes more closely to Job; and,
Job 36:24-33
Elihu is here endeavouring to possess Job with great and high thoughts of God, and so to persuade him into a cheerful submission to his providence.