Job 36 18

Job 36:18 kjv

Because there is wrath, beware lest he take thee away with his stroke: then a great ransom cannot deliver thee.

Job 36:18 nkjv

Because there is wrath, beware lest He take you away with one blow; For a large ransom would not help you avoid it.

Job 36:18 niv

Be careful that no one entices you by riches; do not let a large bribe turn you aside.

Job 36:18 esv

Beware lest wrath entice you into scoffing, and let not the greatness of the ransom turn you aside.

Job 36:18 nlt

But watch out, or you may be seduced by wealth.
Don't let yourself be bribed into sin.

Job 36 verses

Job 36 18 Meaning

Elihu warns Job that despite God's patience, His wrath is real and can lead to sudden, swift judgment. This divine punishment is absolute, and no human wealth, power, or elaborate bribe, no matter how great, can ever avert or buy freedom from God’s determined righteous indignation once it falls. It underscores the severity of ignoring God's corrective discipline.

Job 36 18 Context

Job 36:18 is part of Elihu’s lengthy discourse (chapters 32-37) where he attempts to defend God’s righteousness against Job's lamentations. Elihu believes Job has sinned by presumptuously accusing God of injustice and urges him to heed divine discipline. In this specific verse, Elihu shifts his focus to the severe consequences of rejecting God's correction. He is warning Job against continuing in his current attitude, which Elihu perceives as stubbornness against God, lest Job invite a sudden, crushing judgment from the Almighty that no human power or wealth could counteract. Elihu asserts that God does not afflict people without reason; His ways are just, and He warns mankind for their good. He suggests that if Job refuses to humble himself and repent, he will face God’s unrestrained anger.

Job 36 18 Word analysis

• Because: kî (כִּי) - This conjunction introduces the reason or explanation for the preceding warning (implied in Elihu’s continued argument against Job’s presumed resistance to God’s justice). It signifies a direct causal link.
• there is wrath: ḥemâ (חֵמָה) - Refers to hot displeasure, burning anger, or rage. In divine contexts, it signifies God's righteous indignation against sin and unrighteousness. It is not an arbitrary human passion but a holy, just reaction to transgression. The passive or implied existence indicates its inherent presence within God's character concerning evil.
• beware: This is an exhortation, though the Hebrew text (תַחְשׂךְ / takhsokh) literally means "hold back" or "restrain yourself." It's a caution against tempting divine wrath by continuing a defiant or impenitent path. The emphasis is on active restraint from provoking God.
• lest He take you away: pen yassiteka (פֶּן יַסִּיתְךָ) - The verb sâtha (סָתָה) means to turn aside, sweep away, or seduce. Here, it implies God's action in removing or carrying away someone in judgment. It denotes a decisive and complete removal from one's state or existence, signifying utter destruction or death as a consequence.
• with a blow: bə·sâp̄aq (בְּסָפַק) - From sâphaq (סָפַק), meaning to strike, clap, or smite. This is not a gentle touch but a decisive, often violent, striking or blow. It conveys the idea of a swift, crushing, and possibly unexpected judgment, akin to a final, fatal strike.
• for a great ransom: kōp̄er gāḏôl (כֹּפֶר גָּדֹול) - Kopher (כֹּפֶר) means a bribe, atonement, or ransom (something that covers or atones). Gadôl (גָּדוֹל) means great, large. Elihu is stressing that no amount of human offering, wealth, or power—however 'great'—can appease God's wrath or avert His judgment once it has been decreed or begun. It speaks to the absolute finality and irreversibility of such a judgment.
• would not deliver you: lō yannīlĕkā (לֹא יַנְנִילְךָ) - Natzal (נָצַל) means to rescue, deliver, snatch away. The negative 'not' underscores the utter futility of human efforts. Once God's blow falls, there is no escape, no redemption from it through human means, emphasizing God's omnipotence and unchallenged authority in judgment.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• Because there is wrath, beware: This phrase immediately establishes a sober warning. It links God's inherent attribute of righteous wrath directly to a human responsibility to "beware" or restrain oneself. It is a direct cause-and-effect statement regarding the severity of God's character concerning sin. It acts as an urgent caution, implying that ignoring this reality leads to dire consequences.
• lest He take you away with a blow: This segment vividly portrays the method and consequence of divine judgment. "Take away" signifies complete removal or destruction, not just temporary affliction. "With a blow" intensifies the swiftness, decisiveness, and severity. It implies that God Himself will be the agent of this sudden, inescapable calamity. The imagery conveys the immediacy and finality of such a judgment, without reprieve.
• for a great ransom would not deliver you: This emphasizes the ultimate helplessness of humanity in the face of God's final judgment. "Great ransom" points to the pinnacle of human capability to offer restitution or buy freedom, whether through wealth, influence, or sacrificial means. However, the unequivocal declaration that it "would not deliver you" highlights that God’s wrath, once expressed decisively, is beyond human appeal or bribery. It underscores the profound theological truth that human means are utterly insufficient to avert divine justice, pointing implicitly towards the need for a divinely ordained redemption.

Job 36 18 Bonus section

Elihu's perspective, though imperfect in its application to Job's specific blamelessness, articulates an essential aspect of God's character: His inviolable holiness and righteous anger towards ungodliness. This contrasts sharply with pagan deities often depicted as able to be bribed or appeased through human sacrifices or gifts to alter their will. For Elihu, God's justice cannot be subverted by human wealth or cleverness; He demands sincere repentance, not material compensation, as a means to avert His ultimate wrath. This truth ultimately foreshadows the inadequacy of all human-initiated atonement and points, though not directly, to the necessity of a divinely provided, perfect "ransom" to truly deliver from God's wrath – which ultimately, for the New Testament believer, is found in Christ.

Job 36 18 Commentary

Elihu's warning in Job 36:18 serves as a pivotal point in his argument, stressing the absolute power and justice of God. He contends that God is not to be trifled with, implying Job's laments verge on such a transgression. God’s wrath is an intrinsic part of His holy character, not arbitrary or capricious, but a just response to sin and unrepentant rebellion. This verse asserts that when God decides to execute judgment, it is sudden and final ("with a blow"). Crucially, Elihu highlights the utter impotence of human wealth or power ("a great ransom") to save one from such a decree. This teaches that when divine judgment is fully manifest, it transcends any earthly value or human capability to bribe, mitigate, or escape it. Elihu’s words underscore a fundamental biblical principle: human attempts to buy or negotiate release from God's righteous judgment are utterly futile.