He doesn’t withdraw his eyes from the righteous, but with kings on the throne, he sets them forever, and they are exalted.
If they are bound in fetters, and are taken in the cords of afflictions,
then he shows them their work, and their transgressions, that they have behaved themselves proudly.
He also opens their ears to instruction, and commands that they return from iniquity.
If they listen and serve him, they will spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures.
But if they don’t listen, they will perish by the sword; they will die without knowledge.
Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain On vv7, 9, 12 He preferreth the godly to honor.
He preferreth the godly to honor.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain On vv7–12 Job 36:7 He withdraweth not his eyes from the…
Job 36:7 He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous: but with kings [are they] on the throne; yea, he doth establish them for ever, and they are exalted.
Ver. 7. He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous] He is so lost in love, as I may say, toward such that he cannot like to look beside them; he beholdeth them when afflicted with singular care and complacency. Then, if ever, the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears open to their cry, Psa 34:15; then they may have anything of God, there being no time like that for heariug of prayers, Zec 13:9. Times of affliction are times of supplication, Psa 50:15; Psa 91:15. They are mollissima fandi tempora, Jer 51:19-21. Then our hearts are largest, then God’s ears are most open. Neither his ears only, but his eyes too, are busied about his suffering servants, as the goldsmiths are about the gold cast into the furnace, that no grain thereof be lost. He sits down by the fire, saith Malachi, and tends it, as a refiner and purifier of silver, Job 3:3. He refines them, but not as silver, Isa 48:10, that is, not exactly, and to the utmost, lest they should be consumed in that fiery trial: he seeth to it that the choice spirits of his people fail not before him, Isa 57:16, as they would do if he should bring upon them an evil, an only evil, Eze 7:5, and not in the midst of judgment remember mercy.
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But with kings are they on the throne] i.e. He raiseth them to highest honours, as he did Joseph; whose fetters God in one hour changed into a chain of gold, his stocks into a chariot, his jail into a palace, his rags into fine linen, &c.; yea, as Jeremiah’s rags helped to draw him out of the dungeon, so do afflictions work out to God’s people an exceeding, eternal weight of glory. Here, perhaps, they may be held under, but to him that overcometh will the Lord Christ grant to sit with him in his throne, Rev 3:21. The deluge of calamities may assault them, but it shall certainly exalt them. They shall have crowns on their heads, and palms in their hands, and walk arm in arm with angels. Some of the Hebrews by "kings" here understand angels, as if it were written מלאבים, not Melachim, but Maleochim.
Yea, he doth establish them for ever, and they are exalted] Or, when they are exalted. This no earthly prince can promise himself. Dionysius, who thought his kingdom had been tied to him with cords of adamant, was at length driven out of it. But Christ’s kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and he will not reign alone; if we suffer with him we shall also reign together, Rom 8:37.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain On vv7–12 He never ceaseth to care for and watch over
He never ceaseth to care for and watch over
the righteous, no, not when they are afflicted or persecuted, when he may seem to neglect them. Though they may be oppressed for a time, yet ofttimes he not only delivers them, but also raiseth them to the highest honour and happiness in this life; compare 1Sa 2:8; Psa 113:7,8; and their felicity is more stable and permanent than that of the wicked. Having mentioned the cause, that God did establish them; he now mentions the effect, that they are or continue to be exalted; they are not cast down from their dignity, as the wicked commonly are.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain On vv7–12 He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous,.... His…
He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous,.... His eyes of providence are upon them to supply their temporal wants, and to protect and defend them from their enemies, and they are never off of them; his eyes of love, grace, and mercy, are upon them; he always viewed them as righteous in his Son, and through his righteousness imputed; and looked upon them with delight and pleasure, and always so views them; they are engraven on his heart and on his hands, and are ever before him, and in his sight: and his eyes are upon them from the beginning of the year to the end of it, yea, from one eternity to another; these were set upon them from everlasting, and are upon them in time; at the time of their conversion to quicken them, and call them by his grace; and afterwards they continue upon them under all their afflictions, temptations, and desertions, and ever will remain on them; they will never be withdrawn, nothing can separate them from the love of God;
but with kings are they on the throne; that is, either the eyes of the Lord are with them, even with righteous kings, as the Targum; to guide and direct them in the affairs of government, and to protect and preserve them from the designs of evil men: or the righteous are with kings on the throne, or are the favourites of kings that are on thrones; are admitted into their presence, and are highly esteemed by them, and have honour conferred on them, even to be the next to them in the throne and kingdom, as Joseph and Daniel, Gen 41:41, or rather, the righteous are equal to kings on the throne; they are so accounted of by the Lord as kings; they are made by him kings and priests, and are regarded by him as such; they have the power, and riches, and honour of kings; they have a kingdom of grace bestowed on them now, and a kingdom of glory they are entitled to hereafter; and shall reign with Christ on earth a thousand years, and in the ultimate glory to all eternity, Rev 20:6;
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yea, he doth establish them for ever; as righteous persons in their righteousness, which is an everlasting one; so that they shall never come into condemnation: they are established in the love of God, in the covenant of grace, in the hands of Christ, and in a state of grace now, and shall be in a stable permanent state of happiness to all eternity;
and they are exalted: now, being raised as beggars from the dung hill to sit among princes, even among the princes of God's people; and they will be exalted hereafter, and sit at Christ's right hand, and be introduced into his kingdom, where they will be set down with him in his throne, and reign with him for ever and ever, Rev 22:5.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain On vv7–10 He - Never ceases to care for and watch…
He - Never ceases to care for and watch over them. Exalted - They continue to be exalted; they are not cast down from their dignity, as the wicked commonly are.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain On vv7–12 Verse 7. He withdraweth not his eyes] Exactly similar…
Verse 7. He withdraweth not his eyes] Exactly similar to those words of David, Ps 34:15: "The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous."
But with kings are they on the throne] I think the words should be read thus:-"But with kings upon the throne shall he place them; and they shall be exalted for ever." The word וישיבם vaiyeshibem, he will establish or place them, should be added to the first clause, as I have done; and then the sense becomes much clearer. Instead of לנצח lanetsach, forever, perhaps to victory would be a better sense: "But with kings upon the throne will he place them; and they shall be exalted or triumph to victory." This is precisely the same idea, and conveyed in nearly the same words, as that of our Lord: - "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne;" Re 3:21. "Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father, to him be glory," c. Re 1:5-6.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain On vv8, 11 Job 36:8-10. If they be bound in fetters —…
Job 36:8-10. If they be bound in fetters — If, through the vicissitude of worldly affairs, they are brought from their throne into a prison, as sometimes hath been done. Then he showeth them their work — Their evil works: by these afflictions he brings them to a sight of their sins; that then have exceeded — That they have greatly sinned by abusing their power and prosperity, which even good men are too prone to do. He openeth also, &c. — He inclines them to hearken to what God speaks by his rod, who would not hear in the time of their prosperity; namely, to hear the rod and him that hath appointed it; and commandeth — Either by his word or Spirit accompanying this affliction, and discovering the design of God in this dispensation; that they return from iniquity — The chief cause of their calamity and trouble.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain On vv7–12 He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous -…
He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous - That is, he constantly observes them, whether they are in the more elevated or humble ranks of life. Even though he afflicts them, his eye is upon them, and he does not forsake them. It will be remembered that one of the difficulties to be accounted for was, that they who professed to be righteous are subjected to severe trials. The friends of Job had maintained that such a fact was in itself proof that they who professed to be pious were not so, but were hypocrites. Job had verged to the other extreme, and had said that it looked as if God had forsaken those that loved him, and that there was no advantage in being righteous; notes, Job 35:2. Elihu takes a middle ground, and says that neither was the correct opinion. It is true, he says, that the righteous are afflicted, but they are not forsaken. The eye of God is still upon them, and he watches over them, whether on the throne or in dungeons, in order “to bring good results” out of their trials.
But with kings are they on the throne - That is, if the righteous are in the state of the highest earthly honor and prosperity, God is with them, and is their protector and friend. The same thing Elihu, in the following verses, says is true respecting the righteous, when they are in the most down-trodden and depressed condition.
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Yea, he doth establish them for ever - The meaning of this is, that they are regarded by God with favor. When righteous kings “are” thus prospered, and have a permanent and peaceful reign, it is God who gives this prosperity to them. They are under his watchful eye, and his protecting hand.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain On vv7, 9, 10, 12 Just. Hebrew, Syriac, &c., "the just man, he will…
Just. Hebrew, Syriac, &c., "the just man, he will place him with kings on the throne." (Calmet) --- Exalted, or "extolled" for ever, if they have done well. (Worthington) --- He always disposes of kingdoms. (Menochius)
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain On vv7–12 (Pe1 3:12). God does not forsake the godly, as…
(Pe1 3:12). God does not forsake the godly, as Job implied, but "establishes," or makes them sit on the throne as kings (Sa1 2:8; Psa 113:7-8). True of believers in the highest sense, already in part (Pe1 2:9; Rev 1:6); hereafter fully (Rev 5:10; Job 22:5).
and they are--that they may be.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain On vv7–12 7. But with kings… are exalted — Read, And…
7. But with kings… are exalted — Read, And (even) with kings on the throne he makes them sit forever, and they are exalted. The moral elevation that attends the life of the righteous, though in another sphere, is not inferior to that of royalty. It emblems forth their future exaltation — of which Elihu unconsciously speaks — when they shall become “kings and priests unto God.” The subsequent allusion to fetters leads Grotius to think that the speaker has in view the advancement of Joseph from his prison to a throne.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain On vv7, 8, 9, 11 7. The second half of the verse reads,
7. The second half of the verse reads,
But with kings upon the throne
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He setteth them for ever, and they are exalted.
God’s careful providence especially keeps the righteous, whom He exalts to the loftiest stations, 1Sa_2:8; Psa_113:7 seq.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain On vv7, 9, 11 (7) From the righteous—i.e., the righteous man. (Comp. Psa_113:5-8.)
(7) From the righteous—i.e., the righteous man. (Comp. Psa_113:5-8.)
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain On vv7–12 He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous. Under…
He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous. Under no circumstances does God cease to keep an eye upon the righteous, as Job had seemed to imply when he exclaimed, "Oh that I were as in months of old, in the days when God preserved me!" or "watched me!". (Job_29:2) "The eyes of the Lord are" always "upon the righteous, as his ears are open unto their cry". (Psa_34:15) With kings are they on the throne . In some cases, God shows his care of the righteous by "setting them with princes, even with the princes of his people", (Psa_113:8) raising them, that is, to high station, and making them companions of the great of the earth. Yea, he doth establish them for ever, and they are exalted. They are permanently established in their high positions, like Joseph and Mordecai and Daniel; and they are exalted to the highest pitch of prosperity.
The kingship of righteousness.
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Elihu assures Job that the righteous are to be with kings on the throne. In the New Testament we learn that Christians are "kings and priests unto God." Let us, then, inquire as to what the kingship of righteousness consists in.
I ITS SOURCE. How does this kingly state come to be conferred on men?
1. By Divine favour. God favours righteousness. This is not apparent on earth, or, at all events, under circumstances of trouble and disappointment. Yet in the long run God sustains and exalts those who follow his will. No man can lift himself up to the high places of God. God, and God alone, raises up and casts down. God "withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous.
2. On condition of righteousness. This is not an arbitrary condition.
(1) It is just. The right should prevail. Good men are best fitted to be in the exalted positions.
(2) It is natural. If "the meek shall inherit the earth" by a silent law that gives them possession of it, the righteous shall rule it by force of a similar law in the very constitution of things. Right tends to prevail, for there is "a stream of tendencies that makes for righteousness.
3. Through faith. We must add this Christian thought to the teaching of Elihu, if we would have a complete view of the truth. Our own self-made righteousness will never exalt us to a kingly throne. There is no royalty about it. The kingly grace attaches to that righteousness of faith which is the gift of God.
II ITS CHARACTER. In what sense is it said that righteous men are to be with kings on the throne? How can Christians be regarded as kings?
1. In true glory. Good men may not enjoy worldly glory; they may be poor, despised, obscure. Yet in the sight of God and the angels they may be sitting as kings with crowns on their heads. Royal dignity is not a matter of display. There is a glory which no eye of sense can see.
2. In spiritual power. Kings in the East, and in the olden time, were rulers who made their power felt; and in the Bible kingship involves ruling authority as well as reigning dignity. Now, there is influence in goodness. The man of character carries weight with his advice. In course of time he gains respect, and so acquires influence.
3. In future possession. These ideas of the kingship of the good point to a yet unseen future for their perfect realization. Righteousness is not yet by any means universally dominant. The future has in store for us a glorious kingdom of God, when all evil shall be suppressed, and when goodness shall take its rightful place. In that perfect Messianic age, with Christ reigning as King of kings, all his people will have the honour and power of royalty. In the mean time let us recollect that the kingdom must begin within. Until we can rule our own souls we are not fit to sit as kings. Kingly natures are those that have mastered themselves, and so are capable of ruling others. Righteousness implies self-mastery. When the self-mastery is complete it will be time to ask about the larger kingship. W.F.A.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Biblical Illustrator 1887 · Public Domain On vv9–10 Then He sheweth them their work, and their transgression…
Job_36:9
Then He sheweth them their work, and their transgression that they have exceeded.
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Showing up our transgressions
I. General remarks on the text.
1. Sin is properly attributable to man. It is their work. If God suffers moral evil to exist, He is not the author of it. Satan may tempt, but cannot constrain to the commission of sin. The whole guilt of it lies upon the offender. It first exists as simple apprehension, is then approved, and, being conceived in the heart, it brings forth actual transgression, until it is finished in death.
2. It is the prerogative of God effectually to convince men of sin; or, to show unto them their work. No man ever saw his sinfulness in a proper light until it was thus discovered to him.
3. The Lord frequently imparts this knowledge in a season of affliction: then it shows unto men their work. It was in deep adversity that Job was made to possess the iniquities of his youth, to recollect what had been long forgotten, and to feel the burden of his guilt.
4. The knowledge of our sinfulness is necessary to true repentance, and to our believing in Christ for eternal life. Sorrow for sin, confessing and forsaking it, will be the immediate effect. An irreconcilable hatred to sin, and an earnest desire to have it mortified and subdued, will be the necessary consequence of a true conviction of its evil nature.
II. In what respects the Lord may be said to show unto men their transgressions.
1. He makes known to them the fact that they are sinners, and that their transgressions are their own.
2. The Lord convinces them not only of the fact, but also of the evil of sin, and causes them to repent of that, as well as of its consequences.
3. When persons are truly convinced Of sin, the Lord not only shows them their work end their transgression, but also that they have exceeded. They are made to see that they have sinned with a high hand. God employs various means, and accompanies them with various effects. God often renews the discovery of sin in our later experience. (B. Beddom,, M. A.)
The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv8, 10 If they are bound in chains
If they are bound in chains
Here the word "they" refers righteous people whom God will discipline if they sin. This can be stated in active form. AT: "If someone binds them in chains" or "If someone makes them a prisoner" (See: Active or Passive)
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trapped in cords of suffering
Elihu speaks of a person being made to suffer as if that person were trapped in ropes that cause suffering. AT: "someone causes them to suffer" (See: Metaphor and Active or Passive)
their transgressions and their pride
The verb may be supplied from the previous phrase. AT: "he reveals to them their transgressions and their pride" (See: Ellipsis)
translationWords
bind
reveal
transgress
proud
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv7, 11, 12 36:7 The biblical principle that God never takes his…
36:7 The biblical principle that God never takes his eyes off the innocent (2 Chr 16:9; Pss 33:18; 34:15; 1 Pet 3:12) answered Job’s frustration about divine surveillance (Job 7:17-21).
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.