What is the meaning of Job 36:14? They die “They die…” (Job 36:14) • Elihu is contrasting the destinies of the teachable and the stubborn (Job 36:11–13). • The verb is blunt: judgment is not deferred. Compare Psalm 55:23, “But You, O God, will bring them down to the pit of destruction; men of bloodshed and deceit will not live out half their days.” • Scripture often associates sudden or premature death with persistent rebellion—see Job 15:32, Proverbs 10:27, Acts 5:1-10. • God’s patience is real (2 Peter 3:9), yet willful sin eventually meets a fixed end (Hebrews 9:27). in their youth “…in their youth…” • The tragedy intensifies: life is cut short before its prime. Ecclesiastes 7:17 warns, “Do not be overly wicked… why should you die before your time?” • Youth is usually a season of strength and potential (Psalm 103:5). When squandered, the loss echoes Isaiah 40:6-7: brilliance fades quickly without the Lord. • Elihu’s point: rejecting God doesn’t merely tarnish later years; it can forfeit them entirely. among the male shrine prostitutes “…among the male shrine prostitutes.” • The phrase places the rebels’ death in infamous company. Deuteronomy 23:17 prohibits “a shrine prostitute… of the sons of Israel,” revealing how detestable the practice is to God. • Israel’s history shows the link between cultic immorality and divine judgment (1 Kings 14:24; 2 Kings 23:7). • Dying “among” them implies identification with their lifestyle. Romans 1:26-27 and 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 echo that those who persist in sexual perversion without repentance inherit judgment, not the kingdom. • The picture is not merely social disgrace but spiritual ruin—cut off from covenant blessings (Ephesians 5:5-6). summary Job 36:14 warns that stubborn, defiant sinners can forfeit life early, dying in shameful association with the very sins they embraced. God’s justice is swift enough to reach the young, and His verdict exposes hidden wickedness. Choosing obedience secures life and honor; rejecting Him risks a brief, dishonorable end. |
    |