Job 36:2Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Elihu continued speaking, urging patience for a moment longer, as he aimed to present Job. He had already shared considerable insights and hoped to express a bit more. Those who are prideful often believe they suffer significant loss when they restrain their verbosity, wrongly thinking that the greater their words, the more knowledgeable they appear. They often disregard the value of silence, feeling compelled to articulate the might of the Lord, under whose name they claim to speak. They seek reverence for themselves, although they are undeserving of it, appearing to elevate God while actually promoting their own image. In this context, Elihu asserts that he has more to convey in the name of God.

Elius, encountering silence from Job this time, renews his attempts to demonstrate the justice of God as evident in creation (36: 1-4). He contends that the Lord neither punishes unfairly nor disregards the integrity of the righteous (5-7). God allows them to experience trials as a means to purify them from their transgressions, promising that if they repent, He will bestow rewards upon them (8-11). In contrast, He will harshly reprimand those who remain unrepentant and hypocritical (12-15). Thus, Job will find salvation through his righteousness, should he indeed be righteous (16-17); however, if found wicked, he will be unable to escape divine judgment (18-21).