But the hypocrites in heart heap up wrath,.... Or "and the hypocrites" s; for these are the same with the disobedient in
Job 36:12; who seem to be righteous, but are not; pretend to what they have not; have a double heart, Psalms 12:2, or say one thing with their mouth, and mean another thing in their hearts; or with their mouths draw nigh to God, but their hearts are far from him, Matthew 15:8; and so hypocrites, at least outwardly righteous before men, but inwardly full of wickedness, as the Pharisees were, whom our Lord often calls hypocrites, Matthew 15:7: these "put" or add wrath, as Aben Ezra interprets it; they increase the wrath of God; or, as we express it, heap up wrath; or, to use the apostle's phrase, treasure up wrath against the day of wrath: though some understand it of the wrath of the hypocrites against God for afflicting them; so Jarchi. When afflictions come upon them, they reproach and blaspheme; they are angry with God and are wrathful, and quarrel at his dealings with them: "they put the nose" t; so it may be literally rendered; they erect that against God, and point it at him in a proud, haughty, wrathful, and contumacious manner;
they cry not when he bindeth them; in fetters and cords of affliction,
Job 36:8; or when he corrects them, as Mr. Broughton rightly as to the sense renders it: they pray not, as Ben Gersom interprets it; whereas sanctified afflictions bring good men to the throne of grace, who have been too long absent from it: but these men cry not unto God for grace and mercy, help, assistance, and deliverance; they cry out against God, but not unto him.
s וחנפי "et hypocritae", Montanus; "et loripedes", Schultens. t ושימו אף "ponent nasum", Montanus; "ponunt nasum". Schultens.