Job 36:19
Will he esteem thy riches? no, not gold, nor all the forces of strength.
Original Language Analysis
הֲיַעֲרֹ֣ךְ
Will he esteem
H6186
הֲיַעֲרֹ֣ךְ
Will he esteem
Strong's:
H6186
Word #:
1 of 7
to set in a row, i.e., arrange, put in order (in a very wide variety of applications)
לֹ֣א
H3808
לֹ֣א
Strong's:
H3808
Word #:
3 of 7
not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles
וְ֝כֹ֗ל
H3605
וְ֝כֹ֗ל
Strong's:
H3605
Word #:
5 of 7
properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
Historical Context
In the ancient Near East, wealth and power were viewed as divine blessings and means of security. Kings amassed gold and armies believing these provided safety. The wisdom literature of Israel consistently challenged this assumption, insisting that righteousness and fear of God mattered infinitely more than material resources (Proverbs 10:2, 11:28, 16:16).
Questions for Reflection
- What resources or strengths are you tempted to trust in instead of relying fully on God?
- How does losing everything strip away false securities and reveal what we truly value?
- In what ways does modern prosperity gospel teaching contradict Elihu's truth that riches cannot buy God's favor?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
Will he esteem thy riches? no, not gold, nor all the forces of strength (הֲיַעֲרֹךְ שׁוּעֲךָ לֹא בְצָר, ha-ya'arokh shua'kha lo v'tsar)—The Hebrew here is notoriously difficult, but the sense is clear: wealth cannot buy deliverance from God's judgment. The verb arak means 'to arrange, set in order, value, esteem.' Elihu argues that neither shua (riches, crying out) nor all the forces of strength (כֹּל מַאֲמַצֵּי־כֹחַ, kol ma'amatzei koach)—meaning all exertions of power—can avail when God acts in judgment.
This directly addresses Job's situation. Before his testing, Job was the wealthiest man in the East (1:3). Now stripped of everything, Job learns what Elihu declares: material resources and human strength cannot manipulate God or escape His purposes. This truth echoes throughout Scripture: 'Riches profit not in the day of wrath' (Proverbs 11:4). Jesus taught the same: 'What shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?' (Mark 8:36). The rich young ruler learned this painfully (Luke 18:18-25). Paul declared all his advantages as 'dung' compared to knowing Christ (Philippians 3:8).