For the congregation of hypocrites [shall be] desolate, and fire shall consume the tabernacles of bribery.
Ver. 34. For the congregation of hypocrites shall be desolate] Heb. Of the hypocrite; where he seemeth to point at Job, as by the unripe grapes, and blasted flowers of the olive, he had understood Job's children and possessions, Job 15:33. Now the whole congregation or train and retinue of the hypocrite God will unnest and ruin, saith Eliphaz; they shall all be as one desolated, so the original hath it.
And fire shall consume the tabernacles of bribery] Heb. The tabernacles of a bribe. Under these two heads, saith one, we may reduce all sorts of sinners; sinners against God under the notion of hypocrites; and sinners against men under the notion of bribe takers; δωροδεκτον, say the Septuagint, that is, receivers of gifts; and the Hebrew word signifieth, a gift in general; it is taken also for a bribe, because very many gifts are bribes, Munera sunt honoraria vel corruptoria (Lavat. in loc.). Now houses built by bribes or very many gifts shall be consumed and come to nothing, Jer 22:13-17 Habakkuk 2:9,12; see the note there. This Eliphaz casteth in Job's teeth, but herein he dealt with him as injuriously as Bouner did with Philpot, the martyr, when he said to him, Also I lay to thy charge, that thou killedst thy father, and wast accursed of thy mother on her death bed (Acts & Mon. fol. 1650).