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Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Job 36:5-25

Elihu's doctrine is in a word: God is great and despiseth not, He is great in strength of heart. His greatness is that of understanding, which enables Him to estimate all rightly, to see through all right and wrong, and to adapt His providence to the strong and to the weak, the evil and the good. This thought with the illustrations of it, Job 36:6, and the application of it to Job, vv16-25, exhaust the first half of this concluding speech.

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See also Job 36:5-25 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Job 36:5. _GOD IS MIGHTY AND DESPISETH NOT ANY_] He reproaches no man for his want of knowledge. _If any man lack wisdom, he may come_ _to God, who giveth liberally, and upbraideth not_. I prefe...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    BEHOLD, GOD IS MIGHTY - This is the first consideration which Elihu urges, and the purpose seems to be to affirm that God is so great that he has no occasion to modify his treatment of any class of pe...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    CHAPTER 36:1-21 _ 1. God's care over the godly (Job 36:1)_ 2. The purposes of affliction (Job 36:8) 3. Job to consider this (Job 36:19) Job 36

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    God is mighty, yet despises none. He destroys the wicked, but watches over the righteous, exalting them to honour. If He afflicts them it is to bring home to them their sin. Thus God instructs them an...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    BEHOLD. Figure of speech _Asterism_. _s_. App-6. GOD. Hebrew El. App-4. IS MIGHTY. This is the text of Elihu's discourses, leading up to God's own addresses to Job. Compare Job 36:26, and Job 33:12....

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    DESPISETH NOT ANY— _Will not yield to any._ Heath....

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    E. GODPERSON, PROMISE, PURPOSE, AND PEOPLE (Job 36:1-33) 1. God deals with men according to their deeds; the penitent he restores, others perish. (Job 36:1-16) TEXT 36:1-16 1 ELIHU ALSO PROCEEDED...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    _BEHOLD, GOD IS MIGHTY, AND DESPISETH NOT ANY: HE IS MIGHTY IN STRENGTH AND WISDOM._ Strength and wisdom - rather, strength of understanding (heart): the force of the repetition of "mighty" is, "migh...

  • Darby's translation notes (1890)

    36:5 understanding. (f-13) Lit. 'heart,' see ch. 12.3....

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    THE SPEECHES OF ELIHU (CONTINUED) 1-15. Elihu maintains the wisdom and impartial justice of the rule of God. His purpose is to discipline and improve men, even by their afflictions....

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    THE WORK BEGUN. THE LIBERALITY OF THE PEOPLE Cp. 1 Chronicles 29:6; Ezra 2:68; Nehemiah 7:70. 8-38. The construction of the Tabernacle: see...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    Although God is powerful, he is not like an evil ruler. An evil ruler uses his power to cause trouble for people. But God uses his great power to do good things. He is a fair judge. He punishes evil p...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    JOB, A SERVANT OF GOD Job _KEITH SIMONS_ Words in boxes (except for words in brackets) are from the Bible. This commentary has been through Advanced Checking. CHAPTER 36 ELIHU TEACHES ABOUT GOD...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    הֶן ־אֵ֣ל כַּ֭בִּיר וְ לֹ֣א יִמְאָ֑ס כַּ֝בִּ֗

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    XXVI. THE DIVINE PREROGATIVE Job 35:1; Job 36:1; Job 37:1 AFTER a long digression Elihu returns to consider the statement ascribed to Job, "It profiteth a man nothing that he should delight himself...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    HE DESPISETH NOT ANY Job 36:1 God is mighty, but He does not despise thee, though thou be the least of saints. His eyes are upon thee for good, and He will set thee before His throne forever. He will...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    After answering the arguments of Job, as expressed in the quotations, there would seem to have been a pause. Then Elihu commenced his last address. He first appealed to Job to hear him, as he was abou...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    Behold, God [is] mighty, and despiseth not [any: he is] (c) mighty in strength [and] wisdom. (c) Strong and constant, and of understanding: for these are the gifts of God, and he loves them in man: b...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    God. Septuagint, "Know that the Lord will not cast away the innocent." Theodotion continues to ver. 12: "The mighty, in strength of heart, (Wisdom vi.) will not make the impious live, and will render...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    (4) For truly my words shall not be false: he that is perfect in knowledge is with thee. (5) В¶ Behold, God is mighty, and despiseth not any: he is mighty in strength and wisdom. (6) He preserveth not...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY COVERS CHAPTER S 32 THROUGH 37. But these spiritual affections of Job did not prevent his turning this consciousness of integrity into a robe of self-righteousness which hid G...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    BEHOLD, GOD [IS] MIGHTY,.... This is a clear plain truth, easy to be discerned, and worthy of notice, and therefore introduced with a "behold"; that God is mighty, the most mighty, the Almighty, as ap...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    Behold, God [is] mighty, and despiseth not [any: he is] mighty in strength [and] wisdom. Ver. 5. _Behold, God is mighty, and despiseth not any_] Much less oppresseth he any one in a good cause, or ty...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _God is mighty, and despiseth not any_ His greatness doth not cause him (as the greatness of men causeth them) to despise or oppress such as are mean. _He is mighty in strength and wisdom_ His strengt...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    THE BENEVOLENT PURPOSES OF DIVINE JUSTICE...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    Behold, God is mighty, and despiseth not any, in spite of His greatness and exaltation He does not disdain to take the proper interest in even the lowliest of His creatures; HE IS MIGHTY IN STRENGTH A...

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    SPEAKING ON GOD'S BEHALF (vv.1-4) Elihu continues in the same strain, for as he says, there is much more to be said on God's behalf. Where did Elihu find his knowledge? He fetched it "from afar" (v....

  • Marginal Notes in the King James Version (1611)

    WISDOM: _ Heb._ heart...

  • Mark Dunagan Commentaries

    "GOD IS MIGHTY BUT DOES NOT DESPISE ANY": God is mighty, yet God does not lack mercy. God is mighty in strength and "understanding", that is, literally, in heart....

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    14-26 As in prosperity we are ready to think our mountain will never be brought low; so when in adversity, we are ready to think our valley will never be filled up. But to conclude that to-morrow mus...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    His greatness doth not make him (as it doth men) to scorn, or despise, or oppress the meanest. Though he may do what he pleaseth, and none can hinder him, yet he will not use it to do any man wrong, a...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Job 36:5 God H410 mighty H3524 despises H3988 (H8799) mighty H3524 strength H3581 understanding H3820 despiseth -...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Elihu's discourse continued. God's justice defended. CHARACTERS: God, Elihu, Job. CONCLUSION: God does all things well. Though it may seem sometimes that we are neglected and forgotten and...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Job 36:3. _I will fetch my knowledge from afar;_ from the expanse of heaven, and from the remotest traditions of the sires. Natural theology is very instructive to man, to acquaint us with the perfect...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _Behold, God is mighty and despiseth not any._ THE LAW OF REVERENCE Contempt, whether of men or of things, is a feeling that is alien to God. With Him there is no littleness; He neither spurns, nor...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    JOB—NOTE ON JOB 36:1 Elihu concludes his lengthy speech. ⇐ ⇔...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    JOB—NOTE ON JOB 36:5 Elihu implies that Job’s situation is an example of God using affliction to deliver the righteous from their sin—if they are willing to accept his correction. ⇐

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    _ELIHU’S FOURTH SPEECH_ No reply being made to Elihu’s preceding address, he resumes. Job 36:1.—“Elihu also proceded and said”. His object to bring Job to a more becoming state of mind in reference t...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION JOB 36:1 The two chapters, Job 36:1; Job 37:1, form a single discourse, and ought not to have been separated; or, at any rate, not so unskilfully as they are, in the middle of a descriptio...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Elihu continued (Job 36:1), He's really taking him on. Just allow me a little more, and I'm going to show you what I have to speak on God's behalf. I'm going to fetch my knowledge from far off, I'm g...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    1 Corinthians 1:24; Jeremiah 10:12; Jeremiah 32:19; Job 10:3;...

  • Wells of Living Water Commentary

    HIGH ALTITUDES IN ELIHU'S ANSWER TO JOB Job 32:1, Job 33:1; Job 34:1; Job 35:1; Job 3

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    Despiseth — His greatness doth not make him (as it doth men) despise, or oppress the meanest. Wisdom — His strength is guided by wisdom, and therefore cannot do any thing unbecoming God, or unjust to...

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