But thou hast fulfilled the judgment of the wicked: judgment and justice take hold [on thee].
17. The A. V. takes this verse positively; it is more suitable to the connexion and purpose of the speaker to understand it conditionally if thou art filled with, or as A. V. fulfillest. To be full of, or to fulfil, the judgment of the wicked, is to join the wicked in their judgment of God when He afflicts, to lay up wrath against God ( Job 36:13), an idea immediately taken up in Job 36:18. If Job acts in this way, as he is too much inclined ( Job 36:21), then judgment and justice shall keep hold on him. God’s condemnation of him will reveal itself in the continuance and increase of his chastisement (cf. Job 36:13-14, ch. Job 5:1 seq.). The word “judgment” is used in the one clause of man’s, and in the other of God’s judgment, making a forcible antithesis.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
But thou hast fulfilled the judgment of the wicked – Rosenmuller explains this as meaning, If under divine inflictions and chastisements you wish to imitate the obduracy of the wicked, then the cause and the punishment will mutually sustain them selves; that is, the one will be commensurate with the other. But it is not necessary to regard this as a supposition. It has rather the aspect of; an affirmation, meaning to express the fact that Job had, as Elihu feared, envinced the same spirit in his trials which the wicked do. He had not seen in him evidence of penitence and of a desire to return to God, but had heard complaints and murmurings, such as the wicked indulge in. He had filled up, or fulfilled, the judgment of the wicked; that is, he had in no way come short of the opinion which they expressed of the divine dealings. Still it is possible that the word if may be here understood, and that Elihu means merely to state that if Job should manifest the same spirit with the wicked, instead of a spirit of penitence, he would have reason to apprehend the same doom which they experience.
Judgment and justice take hold on thee – Margin, or, should uphold thee. The Hebrew word here rendered take – yitmoku, is from tamak – to take hold of, to obtain, to hold fast, to support. Rosenmuller and Gesenius suppose that the word here has a reciprocal sense, and means they take hold of each other, or sustain each other. Prof. Lee renders it, Both judgment and justice will uphold this; that is, the sentiment which he had just advanced, that Job had filled up the judgment of the wicked. Urnbrett renders it, If thou art full of the opinion of the wicked, then the opinion and justice will rapidly follow each other.
Doch worm du yell bist yon des Frevlers Urtheil,
So werden Urthoil und Gericht schnell auf einander folgen.
According to this the meaning is, that if Job held the opinions of wicked people, he must expect that these opinions would be rapidly followed by judgment, or that they would go together, and support each other. This seems to me to be in accordance with the connection, and to express the thought which Elihu meant to convey. It is a sentiment which is undoubtedly true – that if a man holds the sentiments, and manifests the spirit of the wicked, he must expect to be treated as they are.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 17. But thou hast fulfilled the judgment of the wicked] As thou art acting like the wicked, so God deals with thee as he deals with them.
Elihu is not a whit behind Job’s other friends. None of them seems to have known any thing of the permission given by God to Satan to afflict and torment an innocent man.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The judgment; or, the cause, or sentence, as the word most properly signifieth. Thou hast fully pleaded their cause, and justified the hard and reproachful speeches which wicked men in their rage utter against God, condemning God and justifying themselves.
Judgment and justice take hold on thee; or, therefore (which is oft understood) the sentence and judgment (or, the judicial sentence, to wit, of the wicked now mentioned) shall take hold on thee. Thou hast maintained their cause against God, and God shall pass against thee their sentence, or the sentence of condemnation due to such wicked men.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
17. Rather, “But ifthou art fulfilled (that is, entirely filled) with the judgment ofthe wicked (that is, the guilt incurring judgment”[MAURER]; or rather, asUMBREIT, referring toJob 34:5-7; Job 34:36,the judgment pronounced on God by the guilty in misfortunes),judgment (God’s judgment on the wicked, Jer51:9, playing on the double meaning of “judgment”) andjustice shall closely follow each other [UMBREIT].
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
But thou hast fulfilled the judgment of the wicked,…. Some w take this to be a continuation of the happiness Job would have enjoyed, had he behaved in his affliction as he ought to have done; then he would have been filled to satisfaction, by seeing the judgments of God exercised on wicked men, as on the Chaldeans and Sabeans, who had injured him: “and judgment and justice would have upheld thee”; when they should be cast down. But these words rather seem to be expressive of his present state, and the reason of it, he not being sufficiently humbled: and the sense is, not that he had lived a vicious course of life, as the wicked do, and filled up the measure of his wickedness as they; and so deserved to be filled with the like judgments as inflicted on them. Mr. Broughton reads the words,
“as thou hast fulfilled the sentence of the wicked, sentence and judgment have laid hold:”
but rather the meaning is, that he had “fulfilled the contention of the wicked” x; pleaded as they did, argued with God after their manner: and therefore is said to go in company and walk with them, and make answers for them, Job 34:8. Wherefore
justice and judgment take hold [on thee]; afflictions in righteousness, or the chastening hand of God, in righteous judgment, had taken hold upon him, and would hold him until he was sufficiently humbled under them.
w Schmidt, Michaelis. x “et litem improbi implevisti”, Schultens.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
2. Job has had the wrong spirit toward his sufferings. (Job. 36:17-21)
TEXT 36:1721
17 But thou art fall of the judgment of the wicked:
Judgment and justice take hold on thee.
18 For let not wrath stir thee up against chastisements;
Neither let the greatness of the ransom turn thee aside.
19 Will thy cry avail, that thou be not in distress,
Or all the forces of thy strength?
20 Desire not the night,
When peoples are cut off in their place.
21 Take heed, regard not iniquity:
For this hast thou chosen rather than affliction.
COMMENT 36:1721
Job. 36:17The first verb in the verse is in the perfect tense, full of judgment, and the second is in the imperfectjudgment and justice take hold of him. Jobs own attitude toward justice is continually condemning him.
Job. 36:18Elihu warns (hemahbeware) Job, do not let wrath entice you evil. The A. V. understands the wrath to be Gods, while the R. S. V. understands it to be Jobs. The entire issue is concerned with Gods judgment on Jobs unrighteousness, so surely the wrath (hemah) is Gods. The parallelism presents a powerful warning against the corruption of justice. Do not let the abundance (sepeq) of the reward or ransom pervert you.
Job. 36:19Dhorme renders this very difficult verse as can one compare your crying out to him (Heb. loeto him, not lo) in distress? Wealth and bribery cannot influence the divine JudgePope, p. 271. The rendering of the A. V. makes little sense. The essential meaning of the verse is Jobs wealth could not save him. The verse, like the previous one, is a warning against corruption.
Job. 36:20The most promising of all suggestions as to the meaning of this cryptic verse is that it is condemning the letting of kinship influence his judgments. As usual, night is the symbol of sudden catastropheJob. 34:20; Job. 34:25. People, symbol for many, a group, or a clan, are cut off without warning.
Job. 36:21Stop rebelling against God because of His chastening hand. Because of your rebellion, you were chosen for testing. Job is being rebuked for choosing rebellion; he certainly did not choose affliction. If one amends the Hebrew text as passive (bohantayou have been tested), the sense is precisely Elihus major assertionthat suffering is for warning and discipline, in order to turn the sufferer from evil.
Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
17. But thou hast fulfilled But if thou art filled with the judgment of the wicked, then will judgment and justice take hold, (on thee,) or, as others read, “hold fast together,” that is, being closely joined, they will prove inseparable. For him whose mind is filled with the judgment, , of the wicked, who makes “answers for wicked men,” (Job 34:36,) judgment, , and justice wait; an element of retributive justice, like for like. “He whom thou presumest to judge with words will judge thee indeed.” Schlottmann.
Job 36:17 But thou hast fulfilled the judgment of the wicked: judgment and justice take hold [on thee].
Ver. 17. But thou hast fulfilled the judgment of the wicked ] But thou contrariwise blusterest against God, and blurtest out such words, that thou seemest to be as bad as the worst, and to have little or no goodness in thee. See Job 34:8 . It is a shame to God’s holy people to symbolize with the wicked, to be carnal in their speeches or carriages, and to walk as men, 2Co 3:3 . They should so speak and so do as those that shall be judged by the law of liberty, Jas 2:12 .
Judgment and justice take hold of thee fulfilled: Job 16:5, Job 34:8, Job 34:36, Rom 1:32, Rev 18:4
take hold on thee: should uphold thee
Reciprocal: Job 9:19 – he is strong Job 10:3 – Is it good Mal 2:17 – Every Luk 12:58 – the judge
Job 36:17. But thou hast fulfilled the judgment of the wicked Or, the cause, or sentence, as the word din, most properly signifies. Thou hast fully pleaded their cause, and justified the hard speeches which wicked men utter against God. Therefore the just judgment of God takes hold on thee. Thou hast maintained their cause against God, and God passes against thee the sentence of condemnation due to wicked men.
36:17 But thou hast fulfilled the {m} judgment of the wicked: judgment and justice take hold [on thee].
(m) You are altogether after the manner of the wicked: for you murmur against the justice of God.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes