If through the vicissitude of worldly affairs, and the righteous judgment of God upon them for their sins, they be brought from their throne into a prison, as sometimes hath been done. read more
Their work, i.e. their evil works, as the next clause explains and limits it. By these afflictions he brings them to a sight of their sins and to repentance, which is the way and means of their recovery. That they have exceeded; that they have greatly sinned by abusing their power and prosperity; which even good men are too prone to do. read more
i.e. He enableth and inclineth them to hearken to what God speaks by the rod, who would not hear in the time of their prosperity; like them Jeremiah 22:21. To discipline; or, to instruction, i.e. to receive instruction; or, to chastening, i.e. to hear the rod, and who hath appointed it, as is said, Micah 6:9. Commandeth, either by his word or Spirit accompanying the affliction, and discovering the mind and will of God in this dispensation. That they return from iniquity, which is the chief... read more
If they obey God’s admonition and command. They shall spend their days in prosperity; they shall be restored to their farmer prosperity, and shall live and die in it. This he speaks according to the tenor of God’s promises, especially in the Old Testament state of the church, and according to the common course and method of God’s providence, which Elihu and other good men had observed. Their years in pleasures; abounding in worldly comforts, and being enabled by God to rejoice in them, which is... read more
If they; the righteous, spoken of Job 35:7, opposed to the hypocrites here following, Job 35:13; for even good men may sometimes be disobedient to Divine admonitions, and may suffer deeply, yea, even death itself, for their folly: see 1 Corinthians 11:30. Without knowledge; in or for their ignorance, or inadvertency, or folly. Or, because they are without knowledge; because they are foolish, or brutish, and will not learn the lessons which God so plainly teacheth them. read more
The hypocrites in heart; such as are truly void of that piety which they profess; whereby he either secretly insinuates that Job was such a one; or gives him this occasion to search himself whether he were not so; or rather, admonisheth him not to carry himself like such a one, as he had hitherto done, and for which he reproved him, Job 34:8. Heap up wrath, i.e. by their impious and obstinate carriage in all conditions, they treasure up God’s wrath against themselves. They cry not unto God for... read more
They die in youth; they provoke God to cut them off before their time. Heb. Their soul (i.e. they themselves) shall die in youth. Their life is; or, their life shall die or be extinct; which verb is understood out of the former clause, after the manner of the Hebrews. The unclean; or, the filthy, or whoremongers, or sodomites; to whose destruction (which happened not long before this time) he may seem to allude. The sense is, they shall die by some dreadful and exemplary stroke of Divine... read more
i.e. Causeth them to hear, and understand, and do the will of God; hearing being oft put for obeying. And this latter clause seems to be added, to intimate that he will not deliver all afflicted persons, but only those whose ears he openeth to receive his counsels. In oppression, i.e. in the time of their oppression. Or, by oppression or tribulation, as the means of opening their ears and hearts. read more
Even so, if thou hadst opened thine ear to God’s counsels, and humbled thyself under his correcting hand, and sued to God for mercy, would he have removed thee; as this verb is used, 2 Chronicles 18:31. Or, allured, or enticed, or persuaded thee, as the word properly signifies; which possibly may here be emphatical, and may imply, as that Job had by his sins brought himself into these straits, so that God would have brought him out of them by the usual and regular way, to wit, by persuading him... read more
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Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible - Job 36:7
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 1 Samuel 2:8; Psalms 113:7,Psalms 113:8; 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,... read more