“He rescues the afflicted in their misery, And opens their ears in time of oppression.
Parallel translations
- WEB He delivers the afflicted by their affliction, and opens their ear in oppression.
- KJV He delivereth the poor in his affliction, and openeth their ears in oppression.
- BSB God rescues the afflicted by their affliction and opens their ears in oppression.
- NKJV He delivers the poor in their affliction, And opens their ears in oppression.
- NLT But by means of their suffering, he rescues those who suffer. For he gets their attention through adversity.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
God delivers the afflicted through their affliction and opens their ear in oppression. He uses hardship itself as a means of rescue and teaching.
Overview
Elihu states a profound truth: God often saves people by means of their suffering, opening their ears to hear Him through hardship. Affliction becomes the very instrument of deliverance and instruction. This anticipates the New Testament truth that present sufferings produce endurance, character, and hope (Rom. 5:3-5), and supremely that God brought salvation through the suffering of His Son.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 2
- Job 36:10He also opens their ears to instruction, and commands that they return from iniquity.
- 2 Chr 12:8Nevertheless they will be his servants, that they may know my service, and the service of the kingdoms of the countries.”
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Christ at the center
Job's cry for a mediator who can lay his hand on both God and man, and his confidence that 'my Redeemer lives' and will stand on the earth, reaches forward to Jesus the living Redeemer.
How Job 36:15 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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