Job 36:11-21

11 If they hear him, and keep his behests, they shall full-fill their days in good, and their years in glory. (If they hear him, and obey him, they shall fill their days full with good things, and their years with glory.)

12 Soothly if they hear not, they shall pass by sword, and they shall be wasted in folly. (But if they will not listen, or obey, then they shall pass away, or die, by the sword, and they shall be destroyed by foolishness.)

13 Feigners and false men stir (up) the wrath of God; and they shall not cry to God (but they do not cry out to God), and acknowledge their guilt, when they be bound.

14 The soul of them shall die in (a) tempest; and the life of them among womanish men. (They shall die young; after a life of disgrace.)

15 He shall deliver a poor man from his anguish; and he shall open his ear in tribulation. (He shall rescue the poor from their anguish; and he shall use tribulation to open their eyes.)

16 Therefore he shall save thee from the strait mouth of the broadest tribulation, and not having a foundament under it; and the rest of thy table shall be full of fatness. (And so he hath saved thee out of the strait, or the narrow, and into the broad, where there was no tribulation; and thy table was covered with food.)

17 Thy cause is deemed as the cause of a wicked man; and thou shalt receive thy cause and thy doom. (But now thy case is judged like the case of the wicked; and for that thou shalt receive thy judgement and thy punishment.)

18 Therefore wrath overcome thee not, that thou oppress any man; and the multitude of gifts bow thee not. (And so let not anger overcome thee, so that thou oppress anyone; and do not bow thyself down before a multitude of gifts.)

19 Put down thy greatness without tribulation, and put down all strong men by strength. (Depend not upon thy own greatness, whether thou suffereth tribulation, or not, and depend not upon any strong man for your help in times of trouble.)

20 Delay thou not the night, that peoples go up for them. (Desire thou not the night, when nations shall perish.)

21 Be thou ware, that thou bow not (down) to wickedness; for thou hast begun to follow this wickedness after (thy) wretchedness.

Job 36:11-21 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JOB 36

This chapter, with the following, contains Elihu's fourth and last discourse, the principal view of which is to vindicate the righteousness of God; which is done by observing the dealings of God with men in his providence, according to their different characters, and from the wonderful works wrought by him in a sovereign manner, and for the benefit of his creatures. This chapter is introduced with a preface, the design of which is to gain attention, Job 36:1-4; the different dealings of God with men are observed, and the different issue of them, and the different ends answered thereby, Job 36:5-15; and it is suggested to Job, that had he attended to the design of the providence he was under, and had submitted to it patiently, things would have been otherwise with him; and therefore Elihu proceeds to give him some advice, which, if taken, would be for his own good, and the glory of God, Job 36:16-25; and closes the chapter by observing the unsearchable greatness of God, as appears by the works of nature wrought by him, Job 36:26-33.