Albert Barnes

For he adds rebellion to his sin; he claps his hands among us and multiplies his words against God.”

“For he addeth rebellion unto his sin - To the sin which he has formerly committed and which bas brought these trials upon him, he now adds the sin of complaining and rebellion against God.”

And Elihu went on to say:

“Elihu spake - Hebrew, ויען vaya‛an “And he answered”; the word “answer” being used, as it is often in the Scriptures, to denote the commencement of a discourse.”

For you ask, ‘What does it profit me, and what benefit do I gain apart from sin?’

“For thou saidst - Another sentiment of a similar kind which Elihu proposes to examine. He had already adverted to this sentiment of Job in Job 34:9, and examined it at some length, and had shown in reply to it that God could not be…”

Look to the heavens and see; gaze at the clouds high above you.

“Look unto the heavens, and see - This is the commencement of the reply which Elihu makes to the sentiment which he had understood Job to advance, and which Eliphaz had proposed formerly to examine.”

Men cry out under great oppression; they plead for relief from the arm of the mighty.

“By reason of the multitude of oppressions they make the oppressed to cry - It is not quite easy to see the connection which this verse has with what goes before, or its bearing on the argument of Elihu.”

who teaches us more than the beasts of the earth and makes us wiser than the birds of the air?’

“Who teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth - Who is able to teach us mere than the irrational creation; that is, in regard to the nature and design of affliction. They suffer without knowing why.”

Surely God does not listen to empty pleas, and the Almighty does not take note of it.

“Surely God will not hear vanity - A vain, hollow, heartless petition. The object of Elihu here is to account for the reason why sufferers are not relieved - having his eye, doubtless, on the case of Job as one of the most remarkable of…”

and further, that in His anger He has not punished or taken much notice of folly!

“But now, because it is not so - This verse, as it stands in our authorized translation, conveys no intelligible idea. It is evident that the translators meant to give a literal version of the Hebrew, but without understanding its sense.”

And Elihu continued:

“Elihu also proceeded - Hebrew added - ויסף vayâsaph. Vulgate “addens;” Septuagint, Ηροσθεὶς Eerostheis - “adding, or proceeding.” The Hebrew commentators remark that this word is used because this speech is “added” to the number which it might be supposed he would make.”

“Bear with me a little longer, and I will show you that there is more to be said on God’s behalf.

“Suffer me a little - Even beyond the regular order of speaking; or, allow me to go on though I have fully occupied my place in the “number” of speeches.”

I get my knowledge from afar, and I will ascribe justice to my Maker.

“I will fetch my knowledge from afar - What I say shall not be mere commonplace. It shall be the result of reflection on subjects that lie out of the ordinary range of thought.”

He does not take His eyes off the righteous, but He enthrones them with kings and exalts them forever.

“He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous - That is, he constantly observes them, whether they are in the more elevated or humble ranks of life. Even though he afflicts them, his eye is upon them, and he does not forsake them.”

And if men are bound with chains, caught in cords of affliction,

“And if they be bound in fetters - That is, if the righteous are thrown into prison, and are subjected to oppressions and trials, or if they are chained down, as it were, on a bed of pain, or crushed by heavy calamities, the eye…”

then He tells them their deeds and how arrogantly they have transgressed.

“Then he showeth them their work - What their lives have been. This he does either by a messenger sent to them Job 33:23, or by their own reflections Job 33:27, or by the influences of his Spirit leading them to a proper review of…”

If they obey and serve Him, then they end their days in prosperity and their years in happiness.

“If they obey and serve him - That is, if, as the result of their afflictions, they repent of their sins, seek his mercy, and serve him in time to come, they shall be prospered still.”

God rescues the afflicted by their affliction and opens their ears in oppression.

“He delivereth the poor in his affliction - Margin, “or afflicted.” This accords better with the usual meaning of the Hebrew word (עני ‛ânı̂y) and with the connection.”

But now you are laden with the judgment due the wicked; judgment and justice have seized you.

“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…”

Can your wealth or all your mighty effort keep you from distress?

“Will he esteem thy riches? - That is God will not regard thy riches as a reason why he should not cut you off, or as a ransom for your forfeited life.”

Be careful not to turn to iniquity, for this you have preferred to affliction.

“Take heed, regard not iniquity - That is, be cautious that in the view which you take of the divine government, and the sentiments which you express, you do not become the advocate of iniquity.”

Who has appointed His way for Him, or told Him, ‘You have done wrong’?

“Who hath enjoined him his way? - Who hath prescribed to him what he ought to do? Who is superior to him, and has marked out for him the plan which he ought to pursue?”

For He draws up drops of water which distill the rain from the mist,

“For he maketh small the drops of water - Elihu now appeals, as he proposed to do, to the works of God, and begins with what appeared so remarkable and inexplicable, the wisdom of God in the rain and the dew, the tempest and the…”

Furthermore, who can understand how the clouds spread out, how the thunder roars from His pavilion?

“Also, can any understand the spreadings of the clouds? - The out spreading - the manner in which they expand themselves over us.”

For by these He judges the nations and provides food in abundance.

“For by them judgeth he the people - By means of the clouds, the rain, the dew, the tempest, and the thunderbolt. The idea seems to be, that he makes use of all these to execute his purposes on mankind.”

The thunder declares His presence; even the cattle regard the rising storm.

“The noise thereof showeth concerning it - The word “noise” here has been inserted by our translators as a version of the Hebrew word (רעו rê‛ô), and if the translators attached any idea to the language which they have used, it seems to have been…”

“At this my heart also pounds and leaps from its place.

“At this also - That is, in view of the thunderstorm, for it is that which Elihu is describing. This description was commenced in Job 36:29, and is continued to Job 37:5, and should not have been separated by the division into chapters.”