Job 36:3

I will fetch my knowledge from afar,.... Not from himself; for it is but a small share of knowledge that a man gets of himself, or attains to by the light of nature, and especially concerning God and

I will fetch my knowledge from afar, and will ascribe righteousness to my Maker. From afar - not trite commonplaces, but drawn from God's mighty works.

From afar, i.e. from remote times, and places, and things. I will not confine my discourse to thy particular case, but will justify God by declaring his great and glorious works of creation and providence, both in the heaven and earth, and the manner of his dealing with men in other parts and ages of the world; for these are the chief heads of the following discourse, and therefore the best comment upon this general expression. I will acknowledge that which is true, that God is righteous. He adds the words, my Maker, either, 1. As an argument or evidence of God’ s righteousness; partly, because it is not likely that God should be unjust to his own creatures, since even men are not only just, but kind, to their own works and relations; and partly, because the work of creation gave unto God an absolute right and power to dispose of Job as he saw fit, as the potter hath power over the clay, , and therefore there was no foundation for unrighteousness, nor any temptation upon God to do it; and partly, because man’ s Maker must needs be a being of all possible perfection, and therefore one of perfect righteousness. Or, 2. As a motive or obligation upon him to plead God’ s cause. I do not engage myself in this controversy out of a pragmatical or contentious humour, nor out of any prejudice or ill-will to thee, but merely from the sense of my duty to my blessed Creator. Withal he reflects upon Job as guilty of great folly and ingratitude in contending with him, in or by whom he lived, and moved, and had his being.

Job 36:3 I will fetch my knowledge from afar, and will ascribe righteousness to my Maker.Ver. 3. I will fetch my knowledge from afar] Even from heaven, as one taught of God; I will discourse of ancient things (for τακαινακενα), and fetch my reasons from the wonderful and sublime works of God, De arduis atque admirandis Dei operibus, those real demonstrations of his Deity. Est autem plane hic Elihu mirus et egregius, saith Mercer. And he is not a little wronged by that French Paraphrast, who saith of him, That he knew well how to begin a discourse, but knew not how to end it; and that seeing well that his tediousness might make him troublesome, he awakened his languishing auditors by this artificial preface. And will ascribe righteousness to my Maker] This is both the main proposition of the ensuing oration and the main end of man’ s creation, viz. to glorify his Maker, Romans 11:36 Revelation 4:11.

(3) I will fetch my knowledge from afar.—But is not this what Bildad had said before him? (Job 8:8, &c.); and yet the teaching of Job 36:6 is not very different from his.

Verse 3. I will fetch my knowledge from afar] למרחוק lemerachok, "from the distant place," meaning probably both remote antiquity and heaven; see below. I will show thee that all antiquity and experience are on my side. I can bring proofs from the remotest ages and from the most distant countries to demonstrate that God is infinitely WISE, and can do nothing foolish or erroneous; that he is infinitely POWERFUL, and can bring all the purposes of his wisdom to effect; that he is infinitely GOOD, and can will nothing, and can do nothing that is not good in itself, and well calculated to do good to his creatures. And I shall show that his operations in the heavens and on the earth prove and demonstrate the whole. And will ascribe righteousness to my Maker.] By proving the above points, the righteous conduct of God, and his gracious government of the world, will be fully established. That Elihu brings his knowledge from afar - from every part of the creation, as well as from the Divine nature - is evident from the end of the chapter. Job 36:32 1. The omnipotence of God; - God is great. 2. The eternity of God - We know him not, the number of his years cannot be found out, Job 36:26. 3. From the economy of God in the atmosphere, in dews, rain, vapour, and the irrigation of the earth; - He maketh small the drops, c., Job 36:27-28. 4. In the thunder and lightning, by which he performs such wonders in the atmosphere, and executes such judgments in the world-Also who can understand the noise of his tabernacle? He spreadeth his light upon it. He judgeth the people, &c., Job 36:29-33.

3. from afar] He will speak comprehensively, embracing the distant parts of the subject in his survey, or throwing light upon it from far-off regions. righteousness to my Maker] Elihu gives here in a word the ruling idea of his discourses: they are all meant to ascribe righteousness or right to God; they are a defence of God against the charges of Job. The expression rendered my Maker does not occur elsewhere in the Old Testament.

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.

First Division — THE OF GOD IN THE MORAL WORLD, CHIEFLY AS MADE KNOWN THROUGH THE ECONOMY OF , Job 36:2-21.Introduction — Elihu has yet much more to say in vindication of the ways of God, Job