Albert Barnes Commentary Job 15:34

"For the company of the godless shall be barren, And fire shall consume the tents of bribery." — Job 15:34 (ASV)

For the congregation of hypocrites - The word translated “congregation” here (עדה ‘êdâh) properly means an appointed meeting—a meeting convened by appointment or at stated times (from ידה yâdâh)—and therefore, an assembly of any kind. It is commonly applied to an assembly for public worship. However, it may also refer to a more private company: a family, a circle of friends, dependents, and so on.

In this context, I suppose it refers to the community a man can gather around him in his own dwelling: his family, servants, dependents, and the like. The word translated “hypocrites” (חנף chânêph) is in the singular number and should be rendered accordingly here. This does not mean that a worshipping assembly composed of hypocrites would be desolate—although that may be true—but instead, it means that the community a hypocrite can gather around himself will be swept away. His children, his dependents, and his retinue of servants will be taken away from him, and he will be left in solitude.

Probably there was an allusion here to Job, who had been stripped in this manner. Or, at any rate, the remark was one—if it were a quotation from the ancient sayings of the Arabians—which Job could not help but regard as applied to himself.

And fire shall consume - This has all the appearance of being a proverb. The meaning is that those who received a bribe would certainly be punished.

The tabernacles of bribery - This refers to the tents or dwellings of those who receive bribes and who, therefore, are easily corrupted and have no solid principles. There is probably an allusion here to Job, and no doubt Eliphaz meant to apply this severe remark to him.

Job was a Sheik, an Emir, a head of a tribe, and, therefore, a magistrate (see Job 29:7 and following). Yet, a part of his possessions and servants had been cut off by fire from heaven (Job 1:16); Eliphaz probably means to imply that this happened because Job had been guilty of receiving a bribe.

This ancient proverb declared that the dwellings of the man who could be bribed would be consumed by fire. Eliphaz now presumes that the fact Job had been visited by the fire of heaven was full proof that he had been guilty in this manner.

It was based on principles such as these that the reasoning of Job’s friends was conducted.