For he adds rebellion to his sin; he claps his hands among us and multiplies his words against God.”
Elihu, one of the men sitting with Job, has been answering him all through this chapter. Now he reaches his verdict: on top of his sin, Job has piled defiance, mockery in front of the others, and a flood of words aimed at God.
Rebellion Added to Sin
Sin is one thing. Arguing with God about His dealings is another. That is what turns a hidden attitude into something anyone can see.
H. L. RossierWhen the ungodly man curses his very being, because earthly things are empty, he adds rebellion to his sin. The same happens when someone who merely claims to believe loses his apparent faith in a time of trial and argues with God. The spirit of independence grows into open rebellion. A state of mind that was hidden now shows itself in action.
Where did the rebellion lie? Job set his own reading of events above God's judgment, and would not be taught.
F. B. HoleIt would have been better if he had humbly accepted the discipline. He would have admitted that there was iniquity in him that he did not know about. He needed God to teach him about it, so that he could put right what was wrong. Instead he challenged God's judgment in favour of his own mind. In doing so he added rebellion against God to his sin.
Clapping and a Flood of Words
The clapping in this verse is not applause. One translation renders it as mockery and puts the literal word in brackets:
William KellyIf only Job were tested to the very end, Because his replies are like those of wicked men; For he adds to his sin rebellion, Among us he mocks [literally, claps], And multiplies his words against God.
Each clause of the verse names a separate fault:
William KellyFor this was to add presumption in divine things, or a breaking away from authority. And it came with a sense of triumph over the rest, in a flood of words to God, in which there was no lack of sin.
What Job Should Have Said
Elihu has already offered the alternative, a few verses earlier. The contrast is between loud self-defence and a short, teachable prayer.
Samuel RidoutIf Job has unfairly charged God in this way, he has a most important lesson to learn. What is fitting for one in his position? Is it bold assertion of self-righteousness and accusations against God? Or is it the humble acknowledgment that he was wrong to hold such thoughts, joined with the prayer, "Teach me what I do not see; if I have done iniquity, I will do it no more" (v. 32)?
Answering Like the Wicked
Job was not a wicked man, so he should have known better. Rebellion against the Creator is a fight no one wins.
Leslie M. GrantJob should have known better, for he was not wicked. Yet whatever other sin he might be guilty of, Job was adding to it the serious crime of rebellion against the God of all creation. He acted as though he could stand against God and prosper!
Elihu asks for more testing, which sounds harsh. He asks because the suffering so far had changed nothing in Job.
Arno Clemens GaebeleinAnd Job has not yet learned the lesson; he needs more testing. Did a word like this ever come from his sinful lips? "I have borne chastisement, I will not offend any more." Has he asked in humility to be taught? Or has he said, "if I have done iniquity I will do it no more"? Sadly, despite all his affliction, his spirit was still unbroken.
The Charge Answered by Job Himself
Job himself later confirms the charge. The man who multiplied words against God ends with a few short words to Him.
C. H. MackintoshAs to God, Elihu had declared Job's mistake in these words: "Job has spoken without knowledge, and his words were without wisdom. … For he adds rebellion to his sin; he claps his hands among us, and multiplies his words against God." But notice the change. Listen to the breathing of a truly repentant spirit, the brief yet full statement of a corrected judgment: "Then Job answered the LORD and said: 'I know that you can do all things… therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know… I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you'" (Job 42:1-9).
Summary
- Sin. Job was not a wicked man, yet his replies sounded like those of wicked men.
- Plus rebellion. He set his own judgment above God's, and hidden independence came out into the open as defiance.
- Plus mockery. The clapping is scorn, a note of triumph over the others listening. It came wrapped in a flood of words full of sin.
- The missing sentence. One humble line would have ended it: teach me what I do not see, and I will not do it again.
- Tried to the end. Elihu asked for more testing because Job's spirit was still unbroken. In the end Job said of himself what Elihu had said of him — in far fewer words.