I will fetch my knowledge from afar, and will ascribe righteousness to my Maker.

JOB 36:3KJV
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Job 36:3 (KJV)

What does Job 36:3 mean?

Job 36:3 describes someone declaring that they will bring knowledge from a distant place and give credit for righteousness to their Creator. The speaker is emphasizing that what they are about to say is not just their own idea, but something carefully considered and meant to honor God.

In this verse, Elihu is speaking to Job and the others, preparing them for his argument about God's justice. Elihu claims he will draw on wisdom from "afar," suggesting a thoughtful or far-reaching perspective, and he promises to show that God, his Maker, is truly righteous. This sets the stage for Elihu's defense of God's character in the face of Job's suffering.

The Hebrew behind Job 36:3

  • "fetch" (נָשָׂא, nasa) often means "to lift" or "to carry." Here, it gives the sense of bringing something important from a distance, not just physically but also in terms of thought or insight.
  • "knowledge" (דַּעַת, daʿat) refers to understanding or wisdom. Elihu claims to offer more than opinion—he is presenting considered knowledge.
  • "afar" (רָחוֹק, raḥoq) means "from a distance." This can suggest wisdom from far-off places or ideas that are not common or simple.
  • "ascribe" (נָתַן, natan) usually means "to give." In this context, it means to credit or attribute something, in this case, righteousness.
  • "righteousness" (צֶדֶק, tsedeq) means justice or what is right. Elihu intends to show that God is truly just.
  • "Maker" (פָּעַל, paʿal) literally means "one who acts" or "does." Here, it refers to God as the Creator, emphasizing His role as the one who made everything.

Why Job 36:3 matters

  • Job 36:3 shows that Elihu wants to speak with authority and humility, claiming his insights are not just personal opinions but are rooted in a broader, perhaps even divine, understanding.
  • The verse highlights Elihu's main goal: to defend God's righteousness, which is a central theme in the surrounding chapters as Job and his friends struggle to understand suffering.
  • By calling God "my Maker," Elihu personalizes his relationship with God, reminding listeners that his arguments are not just theoretical but come from someone who sees himself as created and accountable to God.

Where else these words appear

“knowledge” Hebrew H1843 · used in 5 verses

  • Job 32:6 And Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite answered and said, I am young, and ye are very old; wherefore I was afraid, and durst not shew you mine opinion.
  • Job 32:10 Therefore I said, Hearken to me; I also will shew mine opinion.
  • Job 32:17 I said, I will answer also my part, I also will shew mine opinion.

“Maker” Hebrew H6466 · used in 55 verses

  • Exodus 15:17 Thou shalt bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance, in the place, O LORD, which thou hast made for thee to dwell in, in the Sanctuary, O Lord, which thy hands have established.
  • Psalms 14:4 Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread, and call not upon the LORD.
  • Psalms 125:5 As for such as turn aside unto their crooked ways, the LORD shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity: but peace shall be upon Israel.

“afar” Hebrew H7350 · used in 84 verses

  • Genesis 22:4 Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.
  • 2 Chronicles 6:36 If they sin against thee,(for there is no man which sinneth not,) and thou be angry with them, and deliver them over before their enemies, and they carry them away captives unto a land far off or near;
  • Isaiah 37:26 Hast thou not heard long ago, how I have done it; and of ancient times, that I have formed it? now have I brought it to pass, that thou shouldest be to lay waste defenced cities into ruinous heaps.

“righteousness” Hebrew H6664 · used in 109 verses

  • Leviticus 19:15 Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honour the person of the mighty: but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour.
  • Psalms 58:1 To the chief Musician, Altaschith, Michtam of David. Do ye indeed speak righteousness, O congregation? do ye judge uprightly, O ye sons of men?
  • Ecclesiastes 7:15 All things have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a just man that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his life in his wickedness.