The Meaning of Job 36:31 Explained

Job 36:31

KJV: For by them judgeth he the people; he giveth meat in abundance.

YLT: For by them He doth judge peoples, He giveth food in abundance.

Darby: For with them he judgeth the peoples; he giveth food in abundance.

ASV: For by these he judgeth the peoples; He giveth food in abundance.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

For by them judgeth  he the people;  he giveth  meat  in abundance. 

What does Job 36:31 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 36:31 mean?

For by these He judges the peoples He gives food in abundance
כִּי־ בָ֭ם יָדִ֣ין עַמִּ֑ים יִֽתֶּן־ אֹ֥כֶל לְמַכְבִּֽיר

בָ֭ם  by  these 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
יָדִ֣ין  He  judges 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: דֹּון 
Sense: to judge, contend, plead.
עַמִּ֑ים  the  peoples 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
יִֽתֶּן־  He  gives 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
אֹ֥כֶל  food 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֹכֶל  
Sense: food.
לְמַכְבִּֽיר  in  abundance 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Hifil, Participle, masculine singular
Root: כָּבַר  
Sense: (Hiphil) to be in abundance.