The Meaning of Job 36:18 Explained

Job 36:18

KJV: Because there is wrath, beware lest he take thee away with his stroke: then a great ransom cannot deliver thee.

YLT: Lest He move thee with a stroke, And the abundance of an atonement turn thee not aside.

Darby: Because there is wrath, beware lest it take thee away through chastisement: then a great ransom could not avail thee.

ASV: For let not wrath stir thee up against chastisements; Neither let the greatness of the ransom turn thee aside.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Because [there is] wrath,  [beware] lest he take thee away  with [his] stroke:  then a great  ransom  cannot deliver  thee. 

What does Job 36:18 Mean?

Context Summary

Job 36:1-33 - He Despiseth Not Any
God is mighty, but He does not despise thee, though thou be the least of saints. His eyes are upon thee for good, and He will set thee before His throne forever. He will stoop to thy low dungeon, whispering instruction to thine ear and commanding thee to return. There are broad places before thee in which there shall be no straitness; tables await thee full of fatness. Thy path leads from thy present prison-house into liberty and light.
Remember the unsearchable numbers of His years. Behold the wonderful machinery by which He collects from ocean, lake, and stream the clouds which, like floating cisterns, carry the waters to be bleached in the snow of the hills, and oxidized in the torrent beds! There is more love than terror in creation. Nature's myriad voices proclaim with Scripture, "God is love." He cannot, therefore, be indifferent to the righteous man or neglect him. He may discipline him to make him hate sin; but, when this end is attained, He will assuredly withdraw His rod, Job 36:10-11. [source]

Chapter Summary: Job 36

1  Elihu shows how God is just in his ways
16  How Job's sins hinder God's blessings
24  God's works are to be magnified

What do the individual words in Job 36:18 mean?

Because [there is] wrath [beware] lest He take you away with [one] blow for a large ransom not would help you avoid [it]
כִּֽי־ חֵ֭מָה פֶּן־ יְסִֽיתְךָ֣ בְסָ֑פֶק וְרָב־ כֹּ֝֗פֶר אַל־ יַטֶּֽךָּ

כִּֽי־  Because 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
חֵ֭מָה  [there  is]  wrath 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: חֵמָא 
Sense: heat, rage, hot displeasure, indignation, anger, wrath, poison, bottles.
פֶּן־  [beware]  lest 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: פֶּן  
Sense: lest, not, beware lest adv.
יְסִֽיתְךָ֣  He  take  you  away 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person masculine singular, second person masculine singular
Root: סוּת  
Sense: to incite, allure, instigate, entice.
בְסָ֑פֶק  with  [one]  blow 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular
Root: סֶפֶק 
Sense: handclapping, mocking, mockery, scorn.
וְרָב־  for  a  large 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: רַב 
Sense: much, many, great.
כֹּ֝֗פֶר  ransom 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֹּפֶר 
Sense: price of a life, ransom, bribe.
יַטֶּֽךָּ  would  help  you  avoid  [it] 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person masculine singular, second person masculine singular
Root: נָטָה 
Sense: to stretch out, extend, spread out, pitch, turn, pervert, incline, bend, bow.