“But now, because it is not so, he hath visited in his anger; yet he knoweth it not in great extremity:”
And now, because his anger does not punish, and he does not take great note of transgression — Elihu accuses Job of taking advantage of what he perceives as divine inattention. The verse is part of Elihu's argument that Job's complaint about God's silence is actually a form of presumption: Job assumes God should respond immediately to moral violations, but Elihu counters that divine patience is not indifference. Ironically, this verse will be partially answered by the divine speeches themselves, which reveal that God has in fact been intensely attentive to Job's situation from the very beginning of the heavenly council scene. The verse thus marks another limitation in Elihu's understanding.
Church Fathers on Job 35:15
For He doth not now bring on His fury, nor severely punish wickedness. For God in truth bears a long while with him, whom He condemns for ever; and forbears now to bring on His wrath, because He reserves it to be poured forth, hereafter, without end. For suffering is here the portion of the Elect, in order to their being trained for the rewards of their heavenly inheritance. It is our portion to receive stripes here, for whom an eternity of joy is reserved. For hence it is…
Nicene & Post-Nicene / Ante-Nicene Fathers translations · public domain
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