Chapter Summary
Core Passages from Job 36
Job 36:15He delivers the afflicted by their affliction and opens their ear by adversity.
This verse captures the core of Elihu's argument: suffering is a process God uses to rescue people and get their attention when nothing else will. It is not an endpoint.Job 36:22Behold, God is exalted in his power; who is a teacher like him?
Elihu emphasizes God's supreme authority and wisdom. He portrays God as an unparalleled teacher who uses all circumstances for His purposes. God is not merely a king or judge.Job 36:26Behold, God is great, and we know him not; the number of his years is unsearchable.
Historical & Cultural Context
A New Voice Attempts to Justify God
We are deep into the poetic dialogues of the book of Job. After Job's three friends - Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar - have failed to comfort or convince him, a new, younger voice emerges. Elihu has been listening silently to the entire debate, growing more frustrated with both Job's self-righteousness and the friends' flawed arguments. In the preceding chapters, he began his speech, and here in chapter 36, he continues his attempt to vindicate God's justice and explain the mystery of suffering from a new angle.
From Personal Pain to Cosmic Power
Elihu's speech in this chapter serves as a bridge. It begins by focusing on the theological problem at hand: why do the righteous suffer? He presents his case that suffering is disciplinary, a form of divine teaching. Then, his focus dramatically widens, moving from Job's personal situation to the awesome, untamable power of God seen in creation. This shift prepares the way for God Himself to finally speak from the whirlwind in the chapters that follow.
Elihu's Defense of God's Justice and Majesty
Elihu continues his address to Job, asking for a little more patience as he speaks on God's behalf. He claims his words are true and that his knowledge is perfect, setting a confident and assertive tone. His argument unfolds in stages, beginning with the purpose of affliction and culminating in a grand hymn praising God's power over nature, directly challenging Job's limited perspective.
Suffering as Divine Discipline (Job 36:1-15)
1 And Elihu continued, saying:
2 Bear with me a little, and I will show you, for I have yet something to say on God's behalf.
3 I will get my knowledge from afar and ascribe righteousness to my Maker.
4 For truly my words are not false; one who is perfect in knowledge is with you.
5 “Behold, God is mighty, and does not despise any; he is mighty in strength of understanding.
6 He does not keep the wicked alive, but gives the afflicted their right.
7 He does not withdraw his eyes from the righteous, but with kings on the throne he sets them forever, and they are exalted.
8 And if they are bound in chains and caught in the cords of affliction,
9 Then he declares to them their work and their transgressions, that they are behaving arrogantly.
10 He opens their ears to instruction and commands that they return from iniquity.
11 If they listen and serve him, they complete their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasantness.
12 But if they do not listen, they perish by the sword and die without knowledge.
13 "The godless in heart cherish anger; they do not cry for help when he binds them."
14 They die in youth, and their life ends among the cult prostitutes.
15 He delivers the afflicted by their affliction and opens their ear by adversity.
Commentary:
Elihu argues that God uses suffering to teach and correct people, and their response determines their future.
A Direct Warning to Job (Job 36:16-21)
16 "He also allured you out of distress into a broad place where there was no cramping, and what was set on your table was full of fatness."
17 But you are full of the judgment on the wicked; judgment and justice seize you.
18 Beware lest wrath entice you into scoffing, and let not the greatness of the ransom turn you aside.
19 “Will your cry for help avail to keep you from distress, or all the force of your strength?
20 Do not long for the night, when peoples vanish in their place.
21 Take care; do not turn to iniquity, for this you have chosen rather than affliction.
Commentary:
Elihu directly warns Job not to let his anger over his suffering lead him into sin.
Praise God, the Unrivaled Teacher (Job 36:22-25)
22 Behold, God is exalted in his power; who is a teacher like him?
23 Who has prescribed for him his way, or who can say, ‘You have done wrong’?
24 “Remember to extol his work, of which men have sung.
25 All mankind has looked on it; man beholds it from afar.
Commentary:
Instead of questioning God's methods, Elihu calls Job to praise God as the supreme and unchallengeable teacher.
The Unsearchable Greatness of God in the Storm (Job 36:26-33)
26 Behold, God is great, and we know him not; the number of his years is unsearchable.
27 For he draws up the drops of water; they distill his mist in rain,
28 which the skies pour down and drop on mankind abundantly.
29 Can anyone understand the spreading of the clouds, the thunderings of his pavilion?
30 Behold, he scatters his lightning about him and covers the roots of the sea.
31 For by these he judges peoples; he gives food in abundance.
32 He covers his hands with the lightning and commands it to strike the mark.
33 Its crashing declares his presence; the cattle also declare that he rises.
Commentary:
Elihu points to the power of the storm to show that God's greatness is mysterious and far beyond human understanding.
Understanding God's Ways in Affliction
Suffering as God's Classroom
Unlike Job's other friends who saw suffering only as punishment for sin, Elihu presents it as a form of divine education. He suggests God uses hardship to 'open their ear by adversity' (Job 36:15), creating an opportunity for growth, repentance, and deeper relationship if the sufferer is willing to learn.
The Sovereignty and Justice of God
Elihu repeatedly defends God's character. He insists that God is 'mighty, and does not despise any' (Job 36:5) and is 'exalted in his power' (Job 36:22). His argument rests on the foundation that God is both all-powerful and perfectly fair, even when His methods are painful or difficult to understand.
From Human Reason to Divine Wonder
The chapter demonstrates a crucial shift from trying to figure God out to standing in awe of Him. After trying to explain the 'why' of suffering, Elihu concludes by pointing to the clouds, rain, and lightning, essentially saying that a God who commands these forces is beyond our full comprehension. This moves the focus from finding answers to worshiping the one who is the answer.
Applying Elihu's Wisdom Today
Job 36 reveals God as a powerful and sovereign teacher who is deeply invested in our character. He is not distant or indifferent to suffering. Rather, He uses it as a tool to communicate, correct, and refine. As Elihu says, 'He opens their ears to instruction' (Job 36:10), showing that even in hardship, God's goal is restorative, not punitive.
This chapter challenges you to ask 'What might God be trying to teach me?' during difficult times, instead of only asking 'Why is this happening to me?' It encourages a posture of listening and humility. According to verses 11-12, your response is key. You can approach adversity as a classroom for growth, trusting that God is working for your ultimate good even when it's painful.
It means that sometimes the noise and comfort of a good life can make us deaf to God's voice. Adversity, as described in Job 36:15, can strip away distractions and force you to depend on God in a new way. It's in those moments of quiet desperation or need that your heart can become uniquely receptive to His guidance, correction, and comfort.
God Teaches Through The Storm
Elihu's message is that God's power is never separated from His purpose. He argues that suffering is one of God's most impactful teaching tools, designed to get our attention and correct our path. The storms of life, like the storms in the sky, are expressions of a God who is too great to control but too good to be cruel. The ultimate message is an invitation to listen for the Teacher's voice within the trial.
What This Means for Us Today
Elihu's speech challenges us to re-evaluate our response to hardship. Instead of seeing trials as obstacles to be endured, we are invited to see them as classrooms where God is the teacher. This perspective calls us to listen, to learn, and to trust that God's corrective hand is a sign of His love, not His absence.
- In what current struggle might God be opening your ear to instruction?
- How can you shift your prayers from asking 'why' to asking 'what' - what are you trying to teach me, Lord?
- Where can you look in creation this week to be reminded of God's unsearchable greatness?
Further Reading
Immediate Context
Connections Across Scripture
This New Testament passage provides a clear explanation of divine discipline, echoing Elihu's theme that God disciplines those He loves for their good.
This wisdom text makes a similar point, urging the reader not to despise the Lord's discipline because it is a sign of His fatherly love.
Like the end of Job 36, this Psalm celebrates God's power over nature (giving snow, frost, and hail) as a sign of His greatness and care for His people.
Discussion Questions
- Elihu presents suffering as a tool God uses to teach. Can you think of a time when a difficult experience taught you something valuable you wouldn't have learned otherwise?
- In verses 17-21, Elihu warns Job about letting bitterness lead to sin. How can we guard our hearts against anger and despair when facing prolonged trials?
- Elihu ends his speech by pointing to God's power in nature (Job 36:26-33). How does observing the power and complexity of the natural world affect your perspective on your own problems?