Job 36:17
But thou hast fulfilled the judgment of the wicked: judgment and justice take hold on thee.
But thou hast fulfilled the judgment of the wicked,.... Some {w} take this to be a continuation of the happiness Job would have enjoyed, had he behaved in his affliction as he ought to have done; then he would have been filled to satisfaction, by seeing the judgments of God exercised on wicked men, as on the Chaldeans and Sabeans, who had injured him: "and judgment and justice would have upheld thee"; when they should be cast down. But these words rather seem to be expressive of his present state, and the reason of it, he not being sufficiently humbled: and the sense is, not that he had lived a vicious course of life, as the wicked do, and filled up the measure of his wickedness as they; and so deserved to be filled with the like judgments as inflicted on them. Mr. Broughton reads the words,
"as thou hast fulfilled the sentence of the wicked, sentence and judgment have laid hold:''
but rather the meaning is, that he had "fulfilled the contention of the wicked" {x}; pleaded as they did, argued with God after their manner: and therefore is said to go in company and walk with them, and make answers for them, Job 34:8. Wherefore
justice and judgment take hold on thee; afflictions in righteousness, or the chastening hand of God, in righteous judgment, had taken hold upon him, and would hold him until he was sufficiently humbled under them.
{w} Schmidt, Michaelis.
{x} talm evr Nyry "et litem improbi implevisti", Schultens.