Job 36:8Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Verses 8-9: And if they find themselves in shackles, constrained by the chains of destitution, He will unveil their actions and their iniquities, for they have been cruel Job 36:8-9. The fetters symbolize the culmination of their earthly journey. Paul recognized his own entrapment in these bonds when he expressed, ‘I have a desire to be dissolved and be with Christ’ Philippians 1:23. He understood that he was ensnared by the chains of poverty as he gazed upon the truly wealthy, urging them to become his followers. ‘That ye may know what is the hope of his calling, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the Saints’ Ephesians 1:18. It is apt to add that He would reveal to them their actions and their iniquities, for they have acted unjustly.

Elius, having received no response from Job on this occasion, makes another attempt to illustrate the righteousness of God as manifested through the workings of the world. He asserts that the Lord neither punishes unjustly nor overlooks the integrity of the upright. Rather, He allows suffering as a means of purifying their transgressions; if they repent, He will grant them rewards. Conversely, those who remain unrepentant and hypocritical will face stern condemnation. Job, if he maintains his righteousness, will find salvation; however, if he persists in wickedness, he will face inevitable punishment. To affirm this truth, Job need only recognize the magnitude of God's creations.