He shall pray to God, and he will be favorable to him: and he shall see his face with joy: for he will render to man his righteousness.
pray
2 Kings 20:2-5 Then he turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the LORD, saying, …
2 Chronicles 33:12,13,19 And when he was in affliction, he besought the LORD his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers, …
Psalm 6:1-9 To the chief Musician on Neginoth upon Sheminith, A Psalm of David. O LORD, rebuke me not in thine anger, neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure…
and he shall
Job 42:8,9 Therefore take unto you now seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you: for him will I accept: lest I deal with you after your folly, in that ye have not spoken of me the thing which is right, like my servant Job…
Numbers 6:25,26 The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: …
Psalm 4:6,7 There be many that say, Who will shew us any good? LORD, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us…
he will
Job 34:11 For the work of a man shall he render unto him, and cause every man to find according to his ways.
1 Samuel 26:23 The LORD render to every man his righteousness and his faithfulness: for the LORD delivered thee into my hand to day, but I would not stretch forth mine hand against the LORD'S anointed.
Psalm 18:20 The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.
he sees God’s face and shouts for joy,
Seeing God's face is a metaphor for experiencing His presence and favor. In the ancient Near Eastern context, seeing the face of a king was a sign of acceptance and favor. Similarly, in biblical terms, it signifies a close and personal relationship with God. The joy that follows is a natural response to the assurance of God's presence and approval. This echoes the joy expressed in Psalm 16:11, where being in God's presence is associated with fullness of joy.
and God restores His righteousness to that man.
Restoration of righteousness implies a return to a state of right standing with God. In the context of Job, this suggests that God is willing to forgive and restore those who repent and seek Him. This restoration is not based on human merit but on God's grace. Theologically, this points to the concept of justification, where God declares a sinner righteous through faith, as seen in Romans 3:22-24. This also foreshadows the work of Jesus Christ, who restores righteousness to believers through His sacrificial death and resurrection.
Job 33:26 opens with the simple, profound act of turning to the Lord: “He prays to God.”
• Prayer is personal—there is no intermediary but Christ Himself (Hebrews 4:16).
• Prayer is expected—“Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you” (Psalm 50:15).
• Prayer is effective—James 5:16 reminds us “the prayer of a righteous man has great power.”
Elihu is describing a sufferer who finally cries out instead of arguing, mirroring Job’s own eventual surrender (Job 42:1-6).
The verse continues, “and finds favor.” God answers sincere, humble petitions with grace:
• Favor is unearned; it flows from God’s mercy (Ephesians 2:8-9).
• Favor is promised to the contrite—“I dwell…with the contrite and humble in spirit” (Isaiah 57:15).
• Favor replaces estrangement; where sin blocked fellowship, grace restores it (Psalm 32:5).
“He sees God’s face” speaks of restored fellowship and renewed perception of God’s character.
• In Scripture, seeing God’s face represents intimate access (Psalm 17:15).
• Jesus affirms this hope: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God” (Matthew 5:8).
• Job longed for this very moment of vindication (Job 19:26-27); Elihu assures him it is possible.
Joy naturally follows reconciliation—“You turned my mourning into dancing” (Psalm 30:11).
• True joy is rooted in God’s presence (Psalm 16:11).
• Restoration leads to praise—“Shout for joy in the LORD, O you righteous” (Psalm 33:1).
• Joy is evidence that the crisis has become a testimony (Philippians 4:4).
Finally, “God restores His righteousness to that man.” The repentant sufferer is declared right before God.
• Righteousness is God-given, not self-produced—“the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ” (Romans 3:22).
• Restoration points ahead to the gospel reality: “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21).
• Job, once called “blameless and upright” (Job 1:1), regains that standing, illustrating God’s willingness to renew the repentant.
Job 33:26 sketches a gospel pattern long before the New Testament: prayerful repentance, gracious acceptance, restored fellowship, erupting joy, and renewed righteousness. Elihu assures Job—and every reader—that God gladly meets the humbled sinner with favor, allows them to behold His face, fills them with joy, and reinstates them in righteousness.
(26) He will be favourable unto him.--Very beautiful is this description of the restoration of the penitent sinner and his recovery from sickness. He shall thankfully resort unto the house of God with joy, for that He has rewarded him according to his righteousness, which was the fruit of faith (Genesis 15:6; Psalm 32:1-2).Verse 26. - He shall pray unto God, and he (i.e. God) will be favourable unto him, Being restored to God's favour, he will once more be able to address him in "effectual fervent prayer," and obtain whatever he desires of him. And he shall see his face with joy. God's face shall no longer be a terror to him, but he shall look upon it with joy and gladness. For he (i.e. God, will render unto man his righteousness. That is, will both account and make him righteous - both justify and sanctify him.