Job 36 19

Job 36:19 kjv

Will he esteem thy riches? no, not gold, nor all the forces of strength.

Job 36:19 nkjv

Will your riches, Or all the mighty forces, Keep you from distress?

Job 36:19 niv

Would your wealth or even all your mighty efforts sustain you so you would not be in distress?

Job 36:19 esv

Will your cry for help avail to keep you from distress, or all the force of your strength?

Job 36:19 nlt

Could all your wealth
or all your mighty efforts
keep you from distress?

Job 36 verses

Job 36 19 Meaning

Job 36:19 states that no amount of human wealth or physical strength can buy off divine judgment, remove distress, or coerce God's actions. Elihu poses this as a rhetorical question, asserting that earthly possessions or might are utterly insignificant and ineffective when standing before God's supreme authority and just dealings with humanity. It underscores the futility of relying on anything but God for deliverance from suffering or consequences.

Job 36 19 Context

Job 36:19 is part of Elihu’s third major speech (Job 36:1-37:24). Elihu aims to defend God’s justice and sovereignty, contrasting with Job’s self-justification and the other friends' limited views. Elihu argues that God uses suffering not always as punishment for specific sin, but often for discipline, instruction, and to turn individuals towards repentance and dependence on Him. In the preceding verses (Job 36:15-18), Elihu explains that God delivers the afflicted and opens their ears to instruction, contrasting the way of the wicked who are hardened. He warns Job not to let "great ransom" (36:18) divert him. Verse 19 specifically targets the illusion that human wealth or strength could protect one from the discipline or consequences God brings, directly addressing Job's perceived importance or resilience. Elihu implies that Job’s situation is not an oversight by God, nor can it be circumvented by Job's human means.

Job 36 19 Word analysis

• הֲיַעֲרֹךְ (Ha-ya'arokh):
  • Origin: Interrogative particle "ha-" (meaning "is it so that?" or "will...?") prefixed to the verb "ya'arokh" (from עָרַךְ, 'arach').
  • Meaning: 'Arach' means "to arrange, set in order, compare, estimate, or put in opposition." In this interrogative form, it asks "Will it measure up?", "Will it be sufficient?", or "Will it count for?" It presents a challenging question about the efficacy or worth of what follows.
  • Significance: Elihu rhetorically asks if Job's resources can be measured against or be equivalent to what is needed for deliverance from God's hand.
• שׁוּעֲךָ (Shu'akha):
  • Origin: From שׁוּעַ (shuwʿa), which can refer to "nobleman," "rich person," or "cry for help." The context and parallel with "might of strength" strongly suggest "wealth" or "riches."
  • Meaning: Your wealth, your substance, your riches. Some older interpretations link it to a desperate "cry for help" or "entreaty." However, the prevalent understanding in modern scholarship and translations for Job 36:19 aligns it with material possessions or social standing due to wealth, creating a strong parallelism with "strength."
  • Significance: This highlights reliance on material possessions. Ancient Near Eastern beliefs often equated wealth with divine favor or assumed it could purchase influence; Elihu directly challenges this.
• לֹא בְצָר (Lo betsar):
  • Origin: לֹא (lo) is "not" or "no." בְצָר (betsar) is "in distress," "in trouble," or "in straits," from בָּצַר (batsar), "to be cut off," "restrain," "fortify."
  • Meaning: "So that you would not be in distress," "from being in trouble," or "from affliction." It implies escaping or being free from adversity.
  • Significance: Elihu focuses on the inability of human means to avert or alleviate God-ordained suffering or the consequences of actions.
• וְכֹל (Wəḵol):
  • Origin: Conjunction "wə-" (and) + כֹּל (kol), "all" or "every."
  • Meaning: "And all."
  • Significance: It emphasizes the totality; not just some strength, but all the collected might, no matter how great.
• מַאֲמַצֵּי כֹחַ (Ma'amatzê Kōaḥ):
  • Origin: מַאֲמַצֵּי (ma'amatzê) from אָמֵץ ('amets), "to be strong, stout, bold, vigorous." כֹחַ (koakh), "strength, power, ability."
  • Meaning: "The might of your strength," "all your mighty strength," "all your forceful energy." It refers to one's physical, personal, or military power.
  • Significance: Directly contrasts human might against divine power. It represents self-reliance, physical capability, or strategic prowess—all proven useless against God's decree.

• "הֲיַעֲרֹךְ שׁוּעֲךָ לֹא בְצָר" (Will your wealth/riches save you from distress?):
  • This phrase is a direct challenge to the notion that material possessions can provide ultimate security or a means to avoid God's sovereign dealing with human life. It posits a clear "no" as the expected answer. In ancient contexts, wealth was often seen as a sign of divine favor or a means to appease deities. Elihu refutes this, highlighting God's unassailability by human resources.
• "וְכֹל מַאֲמַצֵּי כֹחַ" (Or all the might of your strength?):
  • This phrase broadens the scope from material possessions to include personal power, influence, and physical might. It negates the efficacy of any human-derived capability when facing God's will. Human strength is finite and incomparable to God’s omnipotence. This is a common biblical theme where man's might is exposed as utterly frail against the Lord.

Job 36 19 Bonus section

• This verse carries a polemic against the prevalent ancient Near Eastern view that divine favor or aversion of divine wrath could be purchased through lavish offerings or temple contributions. Elihu clarifies that the one true God operates on principles of justice and wisdom, not financial transactions.
• The rhetorical question serves not to elicit an answer from Job, but to emphasize an undeniable truth: Job's extensive past wealth and renowned uprightness (and perceived "strength" of character) were ultimately powerless to prevent his affliction, and cannot deliver him from it. His hope must be placed in God's character, not his own standing.
• The passage implicitly prepares the way for Job's later encounter with God, where Job's limitations and God's infinite power and wisdom are fully unveiled. Elihu is foreshadowing the lesson Job needs to learn: all human endeavors, no matter how grand, are inconsequential when set against God's purposes.

Job 36 19 Commentary

Job 36:19 is a profound statement by Elihu that human wealth and strength are utterly powerless to alter or escape God’s decrees, especially concerning distress or disciplinary action. Elihu's point is that God is sovereign, impartial, and cannot be bribed, impressed, or resisted by human resources. No accumulation of riches or display of physical might will serve as a ransom from trouble or judgment when God has ordained it. This serves as a vital lesson, redirecting focus from futile self-reliance to a humble acknowledgment of God's unchallengeable authority and wisdom in managing human affairs, including suffering. True deliverance or escape from distress comes only from His grace, not from human means.