Job 36 Study Notes: Elihu Exalts God's Justice and Greatness
Elihu continues speaking on God's behalf, saying the mighty God despises no one and uses affliction to instruct and rescue people. He tells Job he is under judgment, warns him against wealth, bribes and wrongdoing, then praises God's greatness beyond knowing, seen in rain, clouds, thunder and lightning.
General
In Job 36:15, what does Elihu say God does for the afflicted by means of their affliction?
Answer: He delivers them through it and makes them listen while they are oppressed
Elihu says God uses the very affliction of the afflicted to rescue them, and He makes them listen while they are oppressed (36:15). In this picture, suffering becomes a means of deliverance because it makes people listen to God. This is true in itself, and Scripture elsewhere affirms it: a psalmist says affliction was good for him because it taught him God's statutes (Ps 119:71), and Hebrews says God disciplines His children for their good so that they may share His holiness, and that painful training later produces righteousness and peace (Heb 12:10-11). Elihu goes on to apply the point directly to Job (36:16-21). The opening chapters, however, show readers what neither Job nor Elihu knew: the LORD Himself called Job blameless and said Job had been ruined without cause (2:3). So the verse states a real truth about God's ways, but it is not the book's explanation of why Job suffered.
- Job 36:15 (BSB)“God rescues the afflicted by their affliction and opens their ears in oppression.”Elihu says God uses affliction itself to rescue the afflicted and make them listen.
- Psalm 119:71 (BSB)“It was good for me to be afflicted, that I might learn Your statutes.”A psalmist says affliction was good for him because it taught him God's statutes.
- Hebrews 12:10-11 (BSB)“Our fathers disciplined us for a short time as they thought best, but God disciplines us for our good, so that we may share in His holiness. No discipline seems enjoyable at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it yields a harvest of righteousness and peace to those who have been trained by it.”God disciplines His children for their good, and the painful training later bears fruit.
- Job 2:3 (BSB)“Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one on earth like him, a man who is blameless and upright, who fears God and shuns evil. He still retains his integrity, even though you incited Me against him to ruin him without cause.””The LORD Himself called Job blameless and said he was ruined without cause.
Theological
What does Elihu affirm in Job 36:15 about affliction as God's instrument?
Answer: He delivers them through it and makes them listen while they are oppressed
Elihu affirms that God delivers the afflicted through their very affliction, unstopping their ears under oppression (36:15): suffering becomes an instrument of instruction and rescue. The principle is true in itself and is affirmed elsewhere, both in the psalmist's testimony that affliction taught him God's statutes (Ps 119:71) and in Hebrews' teaching that God's painful discipline aims at our sharing His holiness and later yields righteousness and peace (Heb 12:10-11). Elihu immediately applies it to Job (36:16-21), yet the prologue has already shown that the LORD regarded Job as blameless and his ruin as without cause (2:3). The verse thus states a true principle of God's dealings without functioning as the book's account of Job's suffering.
- Job 36:15 (BSB)“God rescues the afflicted by their affliction and opens their ears in oppression.”Elihu says God uses affliction itself to rescue the afflicted and make them listen.
- Psalm 119:71 (BSB)“It was good for me to be afflicted, that I might learn Your statutes.”A psalmist says affliction was good for him because it taught him God's statutes.
- Hebrews 12:10-11 (BSB)“Our fathers disciplined us for a short time as they thought best, but God disciplines us for our good, so that we may share in His holiness. No discipline seems enjoyable at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it yields a harvest of righteousness and peace to those who have been trained by it.”God disciplines His children for their good, and the painful training later bears fruit.
- Job 2:3 (BSB)“Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one on earth like him, a man who is blameless and upright, who fears God and shuns evil. He still retains his integrity, even though you incited Me against him to ruin him without cause.””The LORD Himself called Job blameless and said he was ruined without cause.
General
True or False: Elihu says that when God binds people in affliction, He shows them their wrongdoing and calls them to turn from it, and that what happens next depends on whether they listen and obey (Job 36:8-12).
Answer: True
This is true. Elihu pictures people bound in chains and held fast by affliction. God then shows them what they have done and how proudly they have sinned (36:8-9). He makes them listen to correction and orders them to turn away from iniquity, which means wrongdoing (36:10). If they listen and serve Him, they finish their lives in prosperity and happiness; if they will not listen, they die by the sword without knowledge (36:11-12). Those who are godless at heart, by contrast, hold on to their anger and refuse to call out to Him even when He puts them in bonds, and they die young (36:13-14). Elihu had made a similar point earlier, that God also corrects people through pain (33:19). Scripture elsewhere teaches that the LORD disciplines those He loves (Prov 3:11-12; Deut 8:5). Elihu states this as a general pattern; he does not explain why each sorrow comes.
- Job 36:8-12 (BSB)“And if men are bound with chains, caught in cords of affliction, then He tells them their deeds and how arrogantly they have transgressed. He opens their ears to correction and commands that they turn from iniquity. If they obey and serve Him, then they end their days in prosperity and their years in happiness. But if they do not obey, then they perish by the sword and die without knowledge.”Elihu describes God warning people who are bound by affliction and the two outcomes that follow.
- Job 33:19 (BSB)“A man is also chastened on his bed with pain and constant distress in his bones,”Elihu had earlier said that God also corrects a person through pain.
- Proverbs 3:11-12 (BSB)“My son, do not reject the discipline of the LORD, and do not loathe His rebuke; for the LORD disciplines the one He loves, as does a father the son in whom he delights.”Scripture elsewhere teaches that the LORD disciplines those He loves.
- Deuteronomy 8:5 (BSB)“So know in your heart that just as a man disciplines his son, so the LORD your God disciplines you.”Israel is told that the LORD disciplines His people as a father disciplines a son.
Theological
True or False: According to Elihu, God uses the bonds of affliction to expose people's sin and summon them to repentance, with their response determining the outcome (Job 36:8-12).
Answer: True
This is true. In Elihu's account, those held fast by affliction are shown their deeds and their arrogant transgression (36:8-9); God makes them hear correction and commands them to turn from iniquity (36:10). Obedience leads to days ended in prosperity, while refusal ends in death by the sword without knowledge (36:11-12), while those who are godless at heart nurse their anger, will not call out even when bound, and die young (36:13-14). Elihu had already spoken of God chastening through pain (33:19), and the LORD's fatherly discipline is affirmed elsewhere (Prov 3:11-12; Deut 8:5). Elihu presents this as a general pattern rather than an account of each particular sorrow.
- Job 36:8-12 (BSB)“And if men are bound with chains, caught in cords of affliction, then He tells them their deeds and how arrogantly they have transgressed. He opens their ears to correction and commands that they turn from iniquity. If they obey and serve Him, then they end their days in prosperity and their years in happiness. But if they do not obey, then they perish by the sword and die without knowledge.”Elihu describes God warning people who are bound by affliction and the two outcomes that follow.
- Job 33:19 (BSB)“A man is also chastened on his bed with pain and constant distress in his bones,”Elihu had earlier said that God also corrects a person through pain.
- Proverbs 3:11-12 (BSB)“My son, do not reject the discipline of the LORD, and do not loathe His rebuke; for the LORD disciplines the one He loves, as does a father the son in whom he delights.”Scripture elsewhere teaches that the LORD disciplines those He loves.
- Deuteronomy 8:5 (BSB)“So know in your heart that just as a man disciplines his son, so the LORD your God disciplines you.”Israel is told that the LORD disciplines His people as a father disciplines a son.
General
What does Elihu say about God's greatness in Job 36:26?
Answer: He is great beyond what we can know, and His years cannot be counted
Elihu calls God supreme in power and asks whether any teacher compares with Him, who has assigned Him His way, or who could tell Him He has done wrong (36:22-23). He urges Job to praise God's work, which people have celebrated in song and all humanity has seen from afar (36:24-25). Then he declares that God's greatness lies beyond what we know and that His years are past counting (36:26). This is true in itself, and Scripture elsewhere affirms it: the LORD's greatness cannot be fully searched (Ps 145:3), His understanding has no limit we can trace (Isa 40:28), and Paul marvels at the depth of God's wisdom and asks who has ever advised Him (Rom 11:33-34).
- Job 36:22-26 (BSB)“Behold, God is exalted in His power. Who is a teacher like Him? Who has appointed His way for Him, or told Him, ‘You have done wrong’? Remember to magnify His work, which men have praised in song. All mankind has seen it; men behold it from afar. Indeed, God is great—beyond our knowledge; the number of His years is unsearchable.”Elihu exalts God as a teacher without equal whose greatness and years are beyond knowing.
- Psalm 145:3 (BSB)“Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised; His greatness is unsearchable.”A psalm declares that the LORD's greatness cannot be searched out.
- Isaiah 40:28 (BSB)“Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary; His understanding is beyond searching out.”Isaiah says the everlasting Creator's understanding has no limit that can be traced.
- Romans 11:33-34 (BSB)“O, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and untraceable His ways! “Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been His counselor?””Paul marvels at the depth of God's wisdom and asks who has ever advised Him.
Theological
How does Elihu describe God's greatness and eternity in Job 36:26?
Answer: He is great beyond what we can know, and His years cannot be counted
Having exalted God as a teacher without equal whom no one directs or corrects (36:22-23), and having urged Job to extol His work seen by all mankind (36:24-25), Elihu declares God's greatness to exceed our knowledge and His years to be beyond reckoning (36:26). God's incomprehensibility is true in itself and affirmed elsewhere: His greatness cannot be fully searched (Ps 145:3), His understanding has no traceable limit (Isa 40:28), and Paul exults in the depth of His wisdom and asks who has ever advised Him (Rom 11:33-34).
- Job 36:22-26 (BSB)“Behold, God is exalted in His power. Who is a teacher like Him? Who has appointed His way for Him, or told Him, ‘You have done wrong’? Remember to magnify His work, which men have praised in song. All mankind has seen it; men behold it from afar. Indeed, God is great—beyond our knowledge; the number of His years is unsearchable.”Elihu exalts God as a teacher without equal whose greatness and years are beyond knowing.
- Psalm 145:3 (BSB)“Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised; His greatness is unsearchable.”A psalm declares that the LORD's greatness cannot be searched out.
- Isaiah 40:28 (BSB)“Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary; His understanding is beyond searching out.”Isaiah says the everlasting Creator's understanding has no limit that can be traced.
- Romans 11:33-34 (BSB)“O, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and untraceable His ways! “Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been His counselor?””Paul marvels at the depth of God's wisdom and asks who has ever advised Him.
General
How does Elihu describe God's might in Job 36:5-7?
Answer: Though mighty, He scorns no one, and He watches over the righteous
Elihu says God is mighty, yet He looks down on no one, and His understanding is mighty too (36:5). He does not preserve the life of the wicked, He secures justice for the afflicted, He keeps watching the righteous, and He sets them on high with kings (36:6-7). Job had earlier asked why the wicked keep living and growing in power (21:7), so Elihu is pressing his own answer to that complaint. That God's greatness goes together with care for the humble is true in itself, and Scripture elsewhere affirms it: the LORD, though on high, cares for the lowly (Ps 138:6), and He watches over the righteous and hears their cry (Ps 34:15).
- Job 36:5-7 (BSB)“Indeed, God is mighty, but He despises no one; He is mighty in strength of understanding. He does not keep the wicked alive, but He grants justice to the afflicted. He does not take His eyes off the righteous, but He enthrones them with kings and exalts them forever.”Elihu describes God's might joined with His care for the afflicted and the righteous.
- Job 21:7 (BSB)“Why do the wicked live on, growing old and increasing in power?”Job had earlier asked why the wicked keep living and gaining power.
- Psalm 138:6 (BSB)“Though the LORD is on high, He attends to the lowly; but the proud He knows from afar.”The LORD, though on high, cares for the lowly.
- Psalm 34:15 (BSB)“The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and His ears are inclined to their cry.”The LORD watches over the righteous and hears their cry.
Theological
What does Elihu affirm about God's power and His treatment of people in Job 36:5-7?
Answer: Though mighty, He scorns no one, and He watches over the righteous
Elihu joins God's might, both in strength and in understanding, to His refusal to despise anyone (36:5): He does not preserve the wicked, He secures justice for the afflicted, and He keeps watch over the righteous and exalts them (36:6-7). This answers, from Elihu's side, Job's earlier question about why the wicked prosper (21:7). God's majesty joined to His regard for the lowly is affirmed elsewhere (Ps 138:6), as is His watchful care over the righteous (Ps 34:15).
- Job 36:5-7 (BSB)“Indeed, God is mighty, but He despises no one; He is mighty in strength of understanding. He does not keep the wicked alive, but He grants justice to the afflicted. He does not take His eyes off the righteous, but He enthrones them with kings and exalts them forever.”Elihu describes God's might joined with His care for the afflicted and the righteous.
- Job 21:7 (BSB)“Why do the wicked live on, growing old and increasing in power?”Job had earlier asked why the wicked keep living and gaining power.
- Psalm 138:6 (BSB)“Though the LORD is on high, He attends to the lowly; but the proud He knows from afar.”The LORD, though on high, cares for the lowly.
- Psalm 34:15 (BSB)“The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and His ears are inclined to their cry.”The LORD watches over the righteous and hears their cry.
General
Why does Elihu ask Job to bear with him a little longer (Job 36:2-4)?
Answer: He says more remains to be said for God, and he will credit his Maker with justice
Elihu asks for patience because, he says, there is still more to say in God's defense (36:2). He claims to draw his knowledge from far away, he intends to credit his Maker with justice, and he insists that what he says is not false (36:3-4). Defending God's justice has been his aim from the beginning: he was angry with Job for defending himself instead of God, and with the three friends for condemning Job without answering him (32:2-3), and he had already insisted that God never acts wickedly (34:12).
- Job 36:2-4 (BSB)““Bear with me a little longer, and I will show you that there is more to be said on God’s behalf. I get my knowledge from afar, and I will ascribe justice to my Maker. For truly my words are free of falsehood; one perfect in knowledge is with you.”Elihu asks for more time, saying he will speak on God's behalf.
- Job 32:2-3 (BSB)“This kindled the anger of Elihu son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram. He burned with anger against Job for justifying himself rather than God, and he burned with anger against Job’s three friends because they had failed to refute Job, and yet had condemned him.”From the start Elihu was angry with Job for defending himself and with the friends for failing to answer him.
- Job 34:12 (BSB)“Indeed, it is true that God does not act wickedly, and the Almighty does not pervert justice.”Elihu had already insisted that God never acts wickedly or twists justice.
Theological
What purpose does Elihu give for continuing his speech in Job 36:2-4?
Answer: He says more remains to be said for God, and he will credit his Maker with justice
Elihu requests a further hearing because more remains to say in God's defense (36:2); claiming knowledge drawn from afar, he means to credit his Maker with justice and insists his words are not false (36:3-4). This has been his program throughout: his anger was kindled against Job for vindicating himself instead of God and against the friends for condemning Job without refuting him (32:2-3), and he had already maintained that God never acts wickedly (34:12).
- Job 36:2-4 (BSB)““Bear with me a little longer, and I will show you that there is more to be said on God’s behalf. I get my knowledge from afar, and I will ascribe justice to my Maker. For truly my words are free of falsehood; one perfect in knowledge is with you.”Elihu asks for more time, saying he will speak on God's behalf.
- Job 32:2-3 (BSB)“This kindled the anger of Elihu son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram. He burned with anger against Job for justifying himself rather than God, and he burned with anger against Job’s three friends because they had failed to refute Job, and yet had condemned him.”From the start Elihu was angry with Job for defending himself and with the friends for failing to answer him.
- Job 34:12 (BSB)“Indeed, it is true that God does not act wickedly, and the Almighty does not pervert justice.”Elihu had already insisted that God never acts wickedly or twists justice.
General
In Job 36:31, what does Elihu say God does by means of the rain, clouds and lightning?
Answer: He brings judgment on nations and supplies plenty of food
Elihu describes God drawing up water in drops that turn to rain out of the mist and pour from the clouds on mankind (36:27-28). He asks who can grasp the spreading of the clouds or the roar of thunder from God's dwelling, and he pictures God scattering His lightning and directing it to its target (36:29-30, 32). By these, he says, God both judges nations and provides abundant food (36:31), and the thunder announces His presence (36:33). Scripture elsewhere affirms that God's gift of rain and fruitful seasons bears witness to His goodness (Acts 14:17), and a psalm praises Him for spreading clouds over the sky and making ready the rain (Ps 147:8). When the LORD speaks in chapter 38, He too asks Job about rain and storm, such as who clears the way for the lightning bolt and brings rain on barren land where no one lives (38:25-27).
- Job 36:27-33 (BSB)“For He draws up drops of water which distill the rain from the mist, which the clouds pour out and shower abundantly on mankind. Furthermore, who can understand how the clouds spread out, how the thunder roars from His pavilion? See how He scatters His lightning around Him and covers the depths of the sea. For by these He judges the nations and provides food in abundance. He fills His hands with lightning and commands it to strike its mark. The thunder declares His presence; even the cattle regard the rising storm.”Elihu describes God's rain, clouds, thunder and lightning and what He does by them.
- Acts 14:17 (BSB)“Yet He has not left Himself without testimony to His goodness: He gives you rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling your hearts with food and gladness.””Paul and Barnabas tell the crowd at Lystra that God's gift of rain and fruitful seasons testifies to His goodness.
- Psalm 147:8 (BSB)“who covers the sky with clouds, who prepares rain for the earth, who makes grass to grow on the hills.”A psalm praises God for spreading clouds over the sky and sending rain on the earth.
- Job 38:25-27 (BSB)“Who cuts a channel for the flood or clears a path for the thunderbolt, to bring rain on a barren land, on a desert where no man lives, to satisfy the parched wasteland and make it sprout with tender grass?”The LORD Himself soon asks Job who clears the way for the lightning bolt and brings rain on barren land.
Theological
According to Job 36:31, what twofold purpose does Elihu assign to God's rain and storm?
Answer: He brings judgment on nations and supplies plenty of food
Elihu traces the water cycle back to God, who draws up drops that distill into rain and pour from the clouds (36:27-28), and he asks who can comprehend the spreading clouds or the thunder from God's pavilion as He scatters and directs His lightning (36:29-30, 32). Through these, he says, God both judges nations and provides abundant food (36:31), and the thunder announces His presence (36:33). God's providence in rain and harvest is affirmed elsewhere as a witness to His goodness (Acts 14:17; Ps 147:8). The LORD's own speech in chapter 38 likewise questions Job about who clears the way for the lightning bolt and brings rain on barren land where no one lives (38:25-27).
- Job 36:27-33 (BSB)“For He draws up drops of water which distill the rain from the mist, which the clouds pour out and shower abundantly on mankind. Furthermore, who can understand how the clouds spread out, how the thunder roars from His pavilion? See how He scatters His lightning around Him and covers the depths of the sea. For by these He judges the nations and provides food in abundance. He fills His hands with lightning and commands it to strike its mark. The thunder declares His presence; even the cattle regard the rising storm.”Elihu describes God's rain, clouds, thunder and lightning and what He does by them.
- Acts 14:17 (BSB)“Yet He has not left Himself without testimony to His goodness: He gives you rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling your hearts with food and gladness.””Paul and Barnabas tell the crowd at Lystra that God's gift of rain and fruitful seasons testifies to His goodness.
- Psalm 147:8 (BSB)“who covers the sky with clouds, who prepares rain for the earth, who makes grass to grow on the hills.”A psalm praises God for spreading clouds over the sky and sending rain on the earth.
- Job 38:25-27 (BSB)“Who cuts a channel for the flood or clears a path for the thunderbolt, to bring rain on a barren land, on a desert where no man lives, to satisfy the parched wasteland and make it sprout with tender grass?”The LORD Himself soon asks Job who clears the way for the lightning bolt and brings rain on barren land.
General
What does Elihu warn Job about in Job 36:16-21?
Answer: Not to let wealth or a bribe mislead him, nor to choose sin over affliction
Elihu reminds Job that God once drew him out of distress into an open place with a richly spread table (36:16). But now, Elihu says, Job is weighed down by the judgment owed to the wicked (36:17). He warns Job not to let riches or a large bribe lure him, asks whether wealth or effort can keep him from distress, tells him not to yearn for nightfall, and warns him not to turn aside to iniquity, which he says Job has chosen over affliction (36:18-21). Here Elihu, too, links Job's suffering with judgment on wrongdoing. The opening chapters show that Job committed no sin in his first losses (1:22) and that the LORD said Job still held fast to his integrity (2:3); at the end the LORD says Job spoke of Him accurately, unlike the three friends (42:7).
- Job 36:16-21 (BSB)“Indeed, He drew you from the jaws of distress to a spacious and broad place, to a table full of richness. But now you are laden with the judgment due the wicked; judgment and justice have seized you. Be careful that no one lures you with riches; do not let a large bribe lead you astray. Can your wealth or all your mighty effort keep you from distress? Do not long for the night, when people vanish from their homes. Be careful not to turn to iniquity, for this you have preferred to affliction.”Elihu recalls Job's former blessing and warns him about wealth, bribes and turning to iniquity.
- Job 1:22 (BSB)“In all this, Job did not sin or charge God with wrongdoing.”Through all his first losses Job did not sin or charge God with wrongdoing.
- Job 2:3 (BSB)“Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one on earth like him, a man who is blameless and upright, who fears God and shuns evil. He still retains his integrity, even though you incited Me against him to ruin him without cause.””The LORD said Job still held fast to his integrity and was ruined without cause.
- Job 42:7 (BSB)“After the LORD had spoken these words to Job, He said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “My wrath is kindled against you and your two friends. For you have not spoken about Me accurately, as My servant Job has.”At the end the LORD says Job spoke of Him accurately, unlike Eliphaz and his two friends.
Theological
Against what does Elihu caution Job in Job 36:16-21?
Answer: Not to let wealth or a bribe mislead him, nor to choose sin over affliction
Recalling how God once brought Job from distress into abundance (36:16), Elihu declares that Job is now weighed down by the judgment owed to the wicked (36:17). He cautions him against being lured by riches or a large bribe, asks whether wealth or effort can shield him, warns him not to yearn for nightfall, and charges him not to turn aside to iniquity, which he says Job has chosen over affliction (36:18-21). Elihu thus ties Job's suffering to judgment on wrongdoing. The prologue records that Job committed no sin in his losses (1:22) and that the LORD affirmed his integrity (2:3), and at the end the LORD says Job spoke of Him accurately, unlike the three friends (42:7).
- Job 36:16-21 (BSB)“Indeed, He drew you from the jaws of distress to a spacious and broad place, to a table full of richness. But now you are laden with the judgment due the wicked; judgment and justice have seized you. Be careful that no one lures you with riches; do not let a large bribe lead you astray. Can your wealth or all your mighty effort keep you from distress? Do not long for the night, when people vanish from their homes. Be careful not to turn to iniquity, for this you have preferred to affliction.”Elihu recalls Job's former blessing and warns him about wealth, bribes and turning to iniquity.
- Job 1:22 (BSB)“In all this, Job did not sin or charge God with wrongdoing.”Through all his first losses Job did not sin or charge God with wrongdoing.
- Job 2:3 (BSB)“Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one on earth like him, a man who is blameless and upright, who fears God and shuns evil. He still retains his integrity, even though you incited Me against him to ruin him without cause.””The LORD said Job still held fast to his integrity and was ruined without cause.
- Job 42:7 (BSB)“After the LORD had spoken these words to Job, He said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “My wrath is kindled against you and your two friends. For you have not spoken about Me accurately, as My servant Job has.”At the end the LORD says Job spoke of Him accurately, unlike Eliphaz and his two friends.