Job 34:37

For he addeth rebellion unto his sin,.... Or he "may" or "will" add (u), if he is suffered to go on at this rate, and is not stopped; as yet he has only committed, it may be charitably hoped, some

For he addeth rebellion unto his sin, he clappeth his hands among us, and multiplieth his words against God. Clappeth ... hands - in scorn (Job 27:23; Ezekiel 21:17). Multiplieth ... words - (Job 11:2; Job 35:16).

He sinned before, as other ways, so by impatience under his afflictions, which may be ascribed to human infirmity; but now he is grown obstinate and incorrigible, and instead of repenting and humbling himself for his sins, he excuseth them, and justifieth himself, and accuseth the blessed God. Or thus, For otherwise, unless he be thoroughly tried and rebuked, he will add rebellion unto his sin; he will break forth into open rebellion against God, and (as it follows) he will clap, &c. For the Hebrew words are of the future tense, although such are oft rendered by the past tense. He clappeth his hands, in token of joy and victory, as this phrase is used, 98:8; insulting and triumphing, not only over us, as if none of us were able to answer him, but in a sort over God himself, inasmuch as he hath again and again desired leave of God to debate his cause with or before him, and in that case did not doubt to maintain it, but could not obtain the favour or justice of a fair hearing. Multiplieth his words against God: whereas the reverence which he oweth to God, and his infinite distance from him, should teach him to be very modest and sparing in his speeches of God, Job on the contrary poureth forth whole floods of bold and presumptuous expostulations with God, and reflections upon God’ s proceedings with him.

Job 34:37 For he addeth rebellion unto his sin, he clappeth [his hands] among us, and multiplieth his words against God.Ver. 37. For he addeth rebellion unto his sin] Or, he will add, viz. unless he be exercised and subdued by more and longer load of afflictions; there will else be no hoe with him, no ground will hold him. The cross is of singular use to tame that rebel flesh; and is theretbre prayed for by Jeremiah for himself, Jeremiah 10:24, and here by Elihu for Job, who had before advisedly chosen affliction rather than sin, and reckoned it as a mercy to be visited every morning, and tried every moment, Job 7:18. He clappeth his hands among us] By way of derision, and as insulting over us. This it may seem Job had done in a disdainful way against all that had been spoken, which maketh Elihu thus fiercely to charge him. And multiplieth his words against God] By a strange pertinace. He delivereth him therefore unto God to be further afflicted; as St Paul did Hymenaeus and Alexander unto Satan to be inwardly buffeted and bodily tormented, as Acts 13:11; Acts 19:16 ut castigati discerent, that they might learn not to blaspheme, 1 Timothy 1:20.

(37) He clappeth his hands among us.—As though he were confident of victory in argument.

Verse 37. He addeth rebellion unto his sin] An ill-natured, cruel, and unfounded assertion, borne out by nothing which Job had ever said or intended; and indeed, more severe than the most inveterate of his friends (so called) had ever spoken. Mr. Good makes this virulent conclusion still more virulent and uncharitable, by translating thus: - "For he would add to his transgressions apostasy; He would clap his hands in the midst of us: Yea, he would tempest his words up to God." There was no need of adding a caustic here; the words in the tamest translation are tart enough. Though Elihu began well and tolerantly, he soon got into the spirit, and under the mistake, of those who had preceded him in this "tempest of words." ON Job 34:30 I have referred to the case of Hegiage, governor of the Babylonian Irak, under the caliph Abdul Malec. When Hegiage was informed that the people were in a state of mutiny because of his oppressive government, before they broke out into open acts of hostility, he mounted on an eminence, and thus harangued them: - "God has given me dominion over you; if I exercise it with severity, think not that by putting me to death your condition will be mended. From the manner in which you live you must be always ill-treated, for God has many executors of his justice; and when I am dead he will send you another, who will probably execute his orders against you with more rigour. Do you wish your prince to be moderate and merciful? Then exercise righteousness, and be obedient to the laws. Consider that your own conduct is the cause of the good or evil treatment which you receive from him. A prince may be compared to a mirror; all that you see in him is the reflection of the objects which you present before him." The people immediately dropped their weapons, and quietly returned to their respective avocations. This man was one of the most valiant, eloquent, and cruel rulers of his time; he lived towards the close of the 7th century of the Christian era. He is said to have put to death 120,000 people; and to have had 50,000 in his prisons at the time of his decease. Yet this man was capable of generous actions. The following anecdote is given by the celebrated Persian poet Jami, in his Baharistan: - Hegiage, having been separated from his attendants one day in the chase, came to a place where he found an Arab feeding his camels. The camels starting at his sudden approach, the Arab lifted up his head, and seeing a man splendidly arrayed, became incensed, and said, Who is this who with his fine clothes comes into the desert to frighten my camels? The curse of Good light upon him! The governor, approaching the Arab, saluted him very civilly, with the salaam, Peace be unto thee! The Arab, far from returning the salutation, said, I wish thee neither peace, nor any other blessing of God.

37. Job’s sin is that of his former life, for which he has been cast into afflictions; his rebellion is his unsubmissive, defiant demeanour against God in his speeches. This “rebellion” is further described as clapping of the hands, a gesture of open mockery and contempt. The next clause, “multiplieth his words against God”, that is, his rebellious speeches, indicates that it is against God that Job “claps his hands,” not against his friends and counsellors—he shews his defiant scorn of God among them. The passage is decisive as to the position taken by Elihu towards Job. His judgment of Job extends far beyond the mere bearing of the latter under his afflictions; it embraces Job’s former life. And the language exceeds in harshness almost anything that the three friends had said.

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.

37. For he addeth rebellion — The root idea of ôùׁ ?ò “rebellion,” is, “break from,” “sever.” The more Job murmurs, the more he becomes alienated from God. The danger is that he will completely apostatize from God.