King James Version
Job 22
30 verses with commentary
Eliphaz's Third Speech: Can a Man Be of Use to God?
Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said</strong>—This verse introduces Eliphaz's third and final speech (22:1-30). After Job's devastating argument about wicked prosperity (chapter 21), Eliphaz abandons reasoned debate and resorts to false accusations. His progression through three speeches shows deteriorating discourse: first, appeals to revelation and experience (4-5); second, warnin...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
**XXII.**
(1) **Then answered Eliphaz.**—Eliphaz proceeds to reply in a far more exaggerated and offensive tone than he has yet adopted, accusing Job of definite and specific crimes. He begins by asserting that the judgment of God cannot be other than disinterested, that if, therefore, He rewards or punishes, there cannot be anything personal in it.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 22
Chapter Outline
Eliphaz shows that a man's goodness profits not God.(1-4)
Job accused of oppression.(5-14)
The world before the flood.(15-20)
Eliphaz exhorts Job to repentance.(21-30)
**Verses 1-4**
Eliphaz considers that, because Job complained so much of his afflictions, he thought God was unjust in afflicting him; but Job was far from thinking so. What Eliph...
Read full commentary →Can a man be profitable unto God, as he that is wise may be profitable unto himself? as he: or, if he may be profitable, doth his good success depend thereon?
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KJV Study Commentary
Eliphaz poses a rhetorical question striking at human autonomy before God: "Can a man be profitable (<em>sakan</em>, סָכַן) unto God?" The verb implies being advantageous or beneficial. Eliphaz correctly perceives God's self-sufficiency—the Creator needs nothing from creatures (Acts 17:25). However, Eliphaz misapplies this truth, suggesting that because God doesn't need us, our righteousness is ir...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(2) **As he that is wise.**—It is probably an independent statement: “Surely he that is wise is profitable, &c.”
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
CHAPTER 4 Job 4:1-21. First Speech of Eliphaz.
**1. Eliphaz--**the mildest of Job's three accusers. The greatness of Job's calamities, his complaints against God, and the opinion that calamities are proofs of guilt, led the three to doubt Job's integrity.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 22
Chapter Outline
Eliphaz shows that a man's goodness profits not God.(1-4)
Job accused of oppression.(5-14)
The world before the flood.(15-20)
Eliphaz exhorts Job to repentance.(21-30)
**Verses 1-4**
Eliphaz considers that, because Job complained so much of his afflictions, he thought God was unjust in afflicting him; but Job was far from thinking so. What Eliph...
Read full commentary →Is it any pleasure to the Almighty, that thou art righteous? or is it gain to him, that thou makest thy ways perfect?
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KJV Study Commentary
Eliphaz asks rhetorically: "Is it any pleasure to the Almighty, that thou art righteous? or is it gain to him, that thou makest thy ways perfect?" The noun <em>chephets</em> (חֵפֶץ, "pleasure") means delight or desire. The verb <em>batsa</em> (בֶּצַע, "gain") implies profit or advantage. Eliphaz argues God gains nothing from human righteousness since He lacks nothing. While this truth establishes ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**2. If we assay to commune--**Rather, two questions, "May we attempt a word with thee? Wilt thou be grieved at it?" Even pious friends often count that only a touch which we feel as a wound.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 22
Chapter Outline
Eliphaz shows that a man's goodness profits not God.(1-4)
Job accused of oppression.(5-14)
The world before the flood.(15-20)
Eliphaz exhorts Job to repentance.(21-30)
**Verses 1-4**
Eliphaz considers that, because Job complained so much of his afflictions, he thought God was unjust in afflicting him; but Job was far from thinking so. What Eliph...
Read full commentary →Will he reprove thee for fear of thee? will he enter with thee into judgment?
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Will he reprove thee for fear of thee?</strong> (הֲמִיִּרְאָתְךָ יוֹכִיחֶךָ, hamiyir'atekha yokhichekha)—Eliphaz's rhetorical question drips with sarcasm. <em>Yir'ah</em> (יִרְאָה) means fear or reverence, while <em>yakach</em> (יָכַח) means reprove, correct, or enter into judgment. Eliphaz mockingly asks if God disciplines Job because of Job's piety—an absurd suggestion in Eliphaz's theol...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(4) **Will he reprove thee.**—That is, *Because He standeth in awe of thee. Will He justify his dealings with thee?*
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**3. weak hands--**Is 35:3; 2Sa 4:1.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 22
Chapter Outline
Eliphaz shows that a man's goodness profits not God.(1-4)
Job accused of oppression.(5-14)
The world before the flood.(15-20)
Eliphaz exhorts Job to repentance.(21-30)
**Verses 1-4**
Eliphaz considers that, because Job complained so much of his afflictions, he thought God was unjust in afflicting him; but Job was far from thinking so. What Eliph...
Read full commentary →Is not thy wickedness great? and thine iniquities infinite?
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KJV Study Commentary
Eliphaz escalates accusations: 'Is not thy wickedness great? and thine iniquities infinite?' Having failed to convince Job through general theology, Eliphaz now invents specific sins. This progression from doctrine to false accusation shows how theological systems can justify cruelty.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(5) **Is not thy wickedness great?**—This was mere conjecture and surmise, arising simply from a false assumption: namely, that a just God can only punish the wicked, and that therefore those must be wicked whom He punishes.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 5-14**
Eliphaz brought heavy charges against Job, without reason for his accusations, except that Job was visited as he supposed God always visited every wicked man. He charges him with oppression, and that he did harm with his wealth and power in the time of his prosperity.
For thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother for nought, and stripped the naked of their clothing. the naked: Heb. the clothes of the naked
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KJV Study Commentary
Eliphaz invents sins: 'For thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother for nought, and stripped the naked of their clothing.' These specific accusations have no basis in the narrative. False witness under guise of spiritual concern becomes particularly insidious sin.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(6) **Thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother.**—These specific charges, false as they were, show the depth to which Eliphaz had sunk.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**5. thou art troubled--**rather, "unhinged," hast lost thy self-command (1Th 3:3).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 5-14**
Eliphaz brought heavy charges against Job, without reason for his accusations, except that Job was visited as he supposed God always visited every wicked man. He charges him with oppression, and that he did harm with his wealth and power in the time of his prosperity.
Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink, and thou hast withholden bread from the hungry.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink</strong> (לֹא־מַיִם עָיֵף תַּשְׁקֶה, lo-mayim ayef tashqeh)—Eliphaz now invents specific sins to justify his theology. Providing water to the thirsty was fundamental covenant obligation (Isaiah 58:7, Matthew 25:35). The word <em>ayef</em> (עָיֵף) means weary, exhausted, or faint. Denying water violated basic hospitality and compassion laws th...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**6. Is not this thy fear, thy confidence, &c.--**Does thy fear, thy confidence, come to nothing? Does it come only to this, that thou faintest now? Rather, by transposition, "Is not thy fear (of God) thy hope? and the uprightness of thy ways thy confidence? If so, bethink thee, who ever perished being innocent?" [Umbreit]. But Lu 13:2, 3 shows that, though there is a retributive divine govern...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 5-14**
Eliphaz brought heavy charges against Job, without reason for his accusations, except that Job was visited as he supposed God always visited every wicked man. He charges him with oppression, and that he did harm with his wealth and power in the time of his prosperity.
But as for the mighty man, he had the earth; and the honourable man dwelt in it. mighty: Heb. man of arm honourable: Heb. eminent, or, accepted for countenance
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>But as for the mighty man, he had the earth</strong> (וְאִישׁ זְרוֹעַ לוֹ הָאָרֶץ, ve'ish zero'a lo ha'arets)—<em>Ish zero'a</em> (אִישׁ זְרוֹעַ) literally means 'man of arm'—a powerful, influential person. Eliphaz accuses Job of favoring the powerful while oppressing the weak. The mighty 'had the earth'—possessed land, wealth, and influence through Job's partiality.<br><br><strong>The hon...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(8) **But as for the mighty man.**—By the “mighty and the honourable” man is probably meant Job. Some understand the words from Job 22:5-10 inclusive, as the words spoken by God on entering into judgment with Job (Job 22:4); but this hardly seems probable.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 5-14**
Eliphaz brought heavy charges against Job, without reason for his accusations, except that Job was visited as he supposed God always visited every wicked man. He charges him with oppression, and that he did harm with his wealth and power in the time of his prosperity.
Thou hast sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Thou hast sent widows away empty</strong> (אַלְמָנוֹת שִׁלַּחְתָּ רֵיקָם)—Eliphaz makes his most serious false accusation yet, charging Job with violating the Torah's clear commands to protect widows (Exodus 22:22-24, Deuteronomy 24:17). The Hebrew <em>reyqam</em> (empty) means sending away without provision or justice.<br><br><strong>The arms of the fatherless have been broken</strong> (ו...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**8. they that plough iniquity ... reap the same--**(Pr 22:8; Ho 8:7; 10:13; Ga 6:7, 8).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 5-14**
Eliphaz brought heavy charges against Job, without reason for his accusations, except that Job was visited as he supposed God always visited every wicked man. He charges him with oppression, and that he did harm with his wealth and power in the time of his prosperity.
Therefore snares are round about thee, and sudden fear troubleth thee;
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Therefore snares are round about thee</strong> (עַל־כֵּן סְבִיבוֹתֶיךָ פַחִים)—Eliphaz argues Job's suffering (<em>pachim</em>, traps/snares) proves the accusations. The Hebrew <em>savivoteycha</em> (round about you) pictures complete encirclement with no escape—exactly Job's experience (3:23, 19:8).<br><br><strong>Sudden fear troubleth thee</strong> (וִיבַהֶלְךָ פַּחַד פִּתְאֹם)—<em>Pitom...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(10, 11) **Snares . . . about thee.**—That is, *Fear troubleth thee, or darkness, &c. *“If darkness and abundance of waters cover thee so that thou canst not see, is not God in the high heavens, though thou canst not see Him. God is too great to take note of the affairs of men, their sin or their good deeds. He is so far off that He cannot see what goes on in the earth, for His dwelling-place is i...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**9. breath of his nostrils--**God's anger; a figure from the fiery winds of the East (Job 1:16; Is 5:25; Psa 18:8, 15).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 5-14**
Eliphaz brought heavy charges against Job, without reason for his accusations, except that Job was visited as he supposed God always visited every wicked man. He charges him with oppression, and that he did harm with his wealth and power in the time of his prosperity.
Or darkness, that thou canst not see; and abundance of waters cover thee.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Or darkness, that thou canst not see</strong> (אוֹ־חֹשֶׁךְ לֹא־תִרְאֶה)—<em>Choshech</em> (darkness) in Hebrew wisdom literature represents confusion, disorientation, and divine absence. Job has repeatedly described this darkness (3:4-9, 10:21-22, 23:17), but Eliphaz treats it as deserved judgment rather than mysterious trial.<br><br><strong>Abundance of waters cover thee</strong> (וְשִׁפְ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**10-11. lion--**that is, wicked men, upon whom Eliphaz wished to show that calamities come in spite of their various resources, just as destruction comes on the lion in spite of his strength (Psa 58:6; 2Ti 4:17). Five different Hebrew terms here occur for "lion." The raging of the lion (the tearer), and the roaring of the bellowing lion and the teeth of the young lions, not whelps, but grown up e...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 5-14**
Eliphaz brought heavy charges against Job, without reason for his accusations, except that Job was visited as he supposed God always visited every wicked man. He charges him with oppression, and that he did harm with his wealth and power in the time of his prosperity.
Is not God in the height of heaven? and behold the height of the stars, how high they are! height of the stars: Heb. head of the stars
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KJV Study Commentary
Eliphaz challenges Job: "Is not God in the height of heaven? and behold the height of the stars, how high they are!" The noun <em>gavah</em> (גָּבַהּ, "height") emphasizes God's exaltation. The rhetorical question expects affirmation: yes, God is transcendent. Eliphaz will argue (verse 13-14) that Job wrongly thinks God's transcendence means He doesn't observe earthly affairs. This sets up a false...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**10-11. lion--**that is, wicked men, upon whom Eliphaz wished to show that calamities come in spite of their various resources, just as destruction comes on the lion in spite of his strength (Psa 58:6; 2Ti 4:17). Five different Hebrew terms here occur for "lion." The raging of the lion (the tearer), and the roaring of the bellowing lion and the teeth of the young lions, not whelps, but grown up e...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 5-14**
Eliphaz brought heavy charges against Job, without reason for his accusations, except that Job was visited as he supposed God always visited every wicked man. He charges him with oppression, and that he did harm with his wealth and power in the time of his prosperity.
And thou sayest, How doth God know? can he judge through the dark cloud? How: or, What
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And thou sayest, How doth God know?</strong> (וְאָמַרְתָּ מַה־יָּדַע אֵל)—Eliphaz now accuses Job of practical atheism, claiming Job believes God is ignorant of human affairs. The verb <em>yada</em> (to know) implies intimate awareness and covenant relationship. Eliphaz falsely attributes to Job the wicked man's philosophy from Psalm 73:11, 94:7.<br><br><strong>Can he judge through the dar...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**12. a thing--**Hebrew, a "word." Eliphaz confirms his view by a divine declaration which was secretly and unexpectedly imparted to him.
**a little--**literally, "a whisper"; implying the still silence around, and that more was conveyed than articulate words could utter (Job 26:14; 2Co 12:4).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 5-14**
Eliphaz brought heavy charges against Job, without reason for his accusations, except that Job was visited as he supposed God always visited every wicked man. He charges him with oppression, and that he did harm with his wealth and power in the time of his prosperity.
Thick clouds are a covering to him, that he seeth not; and he walketh in the circuit of heaven.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Thick clouds are a covering to him</strong> (עָבִים סֵתֶר־לוֹ)—Eliphaz continues the false accusation, claiming Job believes <em>avim</em> (clouds) hide human activity from God's sight. Ironically, clouds represent God's glorious presence in Scripture (Exodus 13:21, 1 Kings 8:10-11), not His limitation.<br><br><strong>He walketh in the circuit of heaven</strong> (חוּג שָׁמַיִם יִתְהַלָּךְ)...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**13. In thoughts from the visions of the night--**[So Winer]. While revolving night visions previously made to him (Da 2:29). Rather, "In my manifold (Hebrew, divided) thoughts, before the visions of the night commenced"; therefore not a delusive dream (Psa 4:4) [Umbreit].
**deep sleep--**(Ge 2:21; 15:12).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 5-14**
Eliphaz brought heavy charges against Job, without reason for his accusations, except that Job was visited as he supposed God always visited every wicked man. He charges him with oppression, and that he did harm with his wealth and power in the time of his prosperity.
Hast thou marked the old way which wicked men have trodden?
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Hast thou marked the old way which wicked men have trodden?</strong> (הַאֹרַח עוֹלָם תִּשְׁמֹר אֲשֶׁר דָּרְכוּ מְתֵי־אָוֶן)—<em>Orach olam</em> (ancient path) typically refers to godly tradition (Jeremiah 6:16), but here Eliphaz uses it ironically for the <em>metey-aven</em> (men of iniquity). <em>Shamar</em> (to keep/guard/observe) asks if Job is following their example.<br><br>Eliphaz in...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(15) **Hast thou marked the old way . . .?**—Rather, *Dost thou keep the old way which the wicked men trod? Dost thou hold their tenets?*
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 15-20**
Eliphaz would have Job mark the old way that wicked men have trodden, and see what the end of their way was. It is good for us to mark it, that we may not walk therein. But if others are consumed, and we are not, instead of blaming them, and lifting up ourselves, as Eliphaz does here, we ought to be thankful to God, and take it for a warning.
Which were cut down out of time, whose foundation was overflown with a flood: whose: Heb. a flood was poured upon their foundation
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Which were cut down out of time</strong> (אֲשֶׁר־קֻמְּטוּ וְלֹא־עֵת)—<em>Qummetu</em> (cut down/seized) describes premature death; <em>lo-et</em> (not their time) emphasizes untimely destruction. Eliphaz clearly references the Flood generation (Genesis 6-7), whose lives were cut short by divine judgment.<br><br><strong>Whose foundation was overflown with a flood</strong> (יְסוּדָם נָהָר יו...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(16) **Which were cut down out of time.**—Or, *which were snatched away before their time. *It is generally supposed that there is an allusion here to the history of the Flood; if so, the reference is of course very important in its bearing on the age of that record, since the Book of Job can hardly fail to be very old itself.
**Whose foundation was overflown with a flood.**—Or, *upon whose founda...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 15-20**
Eliphaz would have Job mark the old way that wicked men have trodden, and see what the end of their way was. It is good for us to mark it, that we may not walk therein. But if others are consumed, and we are not, instead of blaming them, and lifting up ourselves, as Eliphaz does here, we ought to be thankful to God, and take it for a warning.
Which said unto God, Depart from us: and what can the Almighty do for them? for: or, to
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Which said unto God, Depart from us</strong> (הָאֹמְרִים לָאֵל סוּר מִמֶּנּוּ)—<em>Sur mimmennu</em> (depart from us) represents willful rejection of God's authority. Eliphaz quotes the wicked man's defiant cry (compare Job 21:14, where Job quoted this same phrase—but as the wicked's words, not his own!).<br><br><strong>What can the Almighty do for them?</strong> (וּמַה־יִּפְעַל שַׁדַּי לָ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(17) **Which said unto God, Depart from us.**—Here again he attributes to Job the very thoughts he had ascribed to the wicked (Job 20:14-15).
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**16. It stood still--**At first the apparition glides before Eliphaz, then stands still, but with that shadowy indistinctness of form which creates such an impression of awe; a gentle murmur: not (English Version): there was silence; for in 1Ki 19:12, the voice, as opposed to the previous storm, denotes a gentle, still murmur.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 15-20**
Eliphaz would have Job mark the old way that wicked men have trodden, and see what the end of their way was. It is good for us to mark it, that we may not walk therein. But if others are consumed, and we are not, instead of blaming them, and lifting up ourselves, as Eliphaz does here, we ought to be thankful to God, and take it for a warning.
Yet he filled their houses with good things: but the counsel of the wicked is far from me.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Yet he filled their houses with good things</strong> (וְהוּא מִלֵּא בָתֵּיהֶם טוֹב)—<em>Mille</em> (filled) indicates abundance; <em>tov</em> (good things) means material prosperity. Eliphaz acknowledges God's generosity even to the wicked—a fact that contradicts strict retribution theology but which he doesn't explore.<br><br><strong>But the counsel of the wicked is far from me</strong> (...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(18) **Yet he filled their houses.**—The bitterness of his irony now reaches its climax in that he adopts the very formula of repudiation Job had himself used (Job 14:16).
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**17. mortal man ... a man--**Two Hebrew words for "man" are used; the first implying his feebleness; the second his strength. Whether feeble or strong, man is not righteous before God.
**more just than God ... more pure than his maker--**But this would be self-evident without an oracle.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 15-20**
Eliphaz would have Job mark the old way that wicked men have trodden, and see what the end of their way was. It is good for us to mark it, that we may not walk therein. But if others are consumed, and we are not, instead of blaming them, and lifting up ourselves, as Eliphaz does here, we ought to be thankful to God, and take it for a warning.
The righteous see it, and are glad: and the innocent laugh them to scorn.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>The righteous see it, and are glad</strong> (יִרְאוּ צַדִּיקִים וְיִשְׂמָחוּ)—<em>Tsaddiqim</em> (righteous ones) rejoice (<em>yismakhu</em>) at divine justice against the wicked. Eliphaz pictures the righteous celebrating when God judges sinners—a theme from imprecatory psalms (58:10, 107:42).<br><br><strong>The innocent laugh them to scorn</strong> (וְנָקִי יִלְעַג־לָמוֹ)—<em>Naqi</em> (...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(19) **The righteous see it.**—That is, the destruction of the wicked, as in the days of Noah.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**18. folly--**Imperfection is to be attributed to the angels, in comparison with Him. The holiness of some of them had given way (2Pe 2:4), and at best is but the holiness of a creature. Folly is the want of moral consideration [Umbreit].
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 15-20**
Eliphaz would have Job mark the old way that wicked men have trodden, and see what the end of their way was. It is good for us to mark it, that we may not walk therein. But if others are consumed, and we are not, instead of blaming them, and lifting up ourselves, as Eliphaz does here, we ought to be thankful to God, and take it for a warning.
Whereas our substance is not cut down, but the remnant of them the fire consumeth. substance: or, estate the remnant: or, their excellency
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Whereas our substance is not cut down</strong> (אִם־לֹא נִכְחַד קִימָנוּ)—<em>Qimanu</em> (our rising/substance/existence) contrasts with the wicked's destruction; <em>nichad</em> (cut down/destroyed) echoes verse 16's language. Eliphaz contrasts 'our' (the righteous) security with 'their' (the wicked) judgment.<br><br><strong>But the remnant of them the fire consumeth</strong> (וְיִתְרָם ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(20*)* **Whereas our substance . . .**—These are probably the words of the righteous and the innocent: “Surely they that did rise up against us are cut off, and the remnant of them the fire hath consumed.” The rendering in the Authorised Version is probably less correct, though in that also these words seem to be those of the innocent in Job 22:19.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**19. houses of clay--**(2Co 5:1). Houses made of sun-dried clay bricks are common in the East; they are easily washed away (Mt 7:27). Man's foundation is this dust (Ge 3:19).
**before the moth--**rather, "as before the moth," which devours a garment (Job 13:28; Psa 39:11; Is 50:9). Man, who cannot, in a physical point of view, stand before the very moth, surely cannot, in a moral, stand before ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 15-20**
Eliphaz would have Job mark the old way that wicked men have trodden, and see what the end of their way was. It is good for us to mark it, that we may not walk therein. But if others are consumed, and we are not, instead of blaming them, and lifting up ourselves, as Eliphaz does here, we ought to be thankful to God, and take it for a warning.
Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee. him: that is, God
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KJV Study Commentary
Eliphaz urges: 'Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee.' The verb sakan (סָכַן, acquaint) means to be familiar with, to befriend. Shalom (שָׁלוֹם, peace) denotes wholeness, completeness, harmony with God. Tovah (טוֹבָה, good) refers to prosperity and blessing. Eliphaz's counsel contains truth—relationship with God brings peace and blessing. However, he as...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(21) **Acquaint now thyself with him.**—As he himself had done in Job 5, and as Zophar had done in Job 11, Eliphaz proceeds to give Job some good advice. “Thereby good shall come unto thee,” or “Thereby shall thine increase be good;” or perhaps he means that peace and rest from the obstinate questionings he was disturbed with would come to him thereby.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**20. from morning to evening--**unceasingly; or, better, between the morning and evening of one short day (so Ex 18:14; Is 38:12).
**They are destroyed--**better, "they would be destroyed," if God withdrew His loving protection. Therefore man must not think to be holy before God, but to draw holiness and all things else from God (Job 4:17).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 21-30**
The answer of Eliphaz wrongly implied that Job had hitherto not known God, and that prosperity in this life would follow his sincere conversion. The counsel Eliphaz here gives is good, though, as to Job, it was built upon a false supposition that he was a stranger and enemy to God. Let us beware of slandering our brethren; and if it be our lot to suffer in this manner, let us ...
Read full commentary →Receive, I pray thee, the law from his mouth, and lay up his words in thine heart.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Receive, I pray thee, the law from his mouth</strong>—Eliphaz urges Job to accept <em>torah</em> (תּוֹרָה), meaning instruction or teaching, directly from God's mouth. The verb <em>laqach</em> (לָקַח, receive/take) implies active appropriation, not passive hearing. <strong>Lay up his words in thine heart</strong> uses <em>sim</em> (שִׂים, to place/set) with <em>levav</em> (לֵבָב, heart)—th...
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(22) **The law from his mouth.**—It would be highly interesting to know whether by this *law *(Torah), the Law, the Torah, was in any way alluded to. One is naturally disposed to think that since Job seems to be the one Gentile book of the Old Testament, the one book in which the literature of Israel touches the world at large, it must, therefore, be prior to the Law, or else have been written in ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**21. their excellency--**(Psa 39:11; 146:4; 1Co 13:8). But Umbreit, by an Oriental image from a bow, useless because unstrung: "Their nerve, or string would be torn away." Michaelis, better in accordance with Job 4:19, makes the allusion be to the cords of a tabernacle taken down (Is 33:20).
**they die, even without wisdom--**rather, "They would perish, yet not according to wisdom," but accordi...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 21-30**
The answer of Eliphaz wrongly implied that Job had hitherto not known God, and that prosperity in this life would follow his sincere conversion. The counsel Eliphaz here gives is good, though, as to Job, it was built upon a false supposition that he was a stranger and enemy to God. Let us beware of slandering our brethren; and if it be our lot to suffer in this manner, let us ...
Read full commentary →If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacles.
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KJV Study Commentary
Eliphaz counsels Job: "If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up." The Hebrew <em>banah</em> (בָּנָה, "built up") evokes construction and restoration—a rebuilding of Job's fortunes. The conditional "if" assumes Job has departed from God, requiring repentance. Eliphaz's theology contains truth: genuine repentance does lead to restoration. Yet he errs in assuming Job's suffering proves ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(23) **Thou shalt put away iniquity.**—All this implies the imputation of apostasy and iniquity to Job.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 21-30**
The answer of Eliphaz wrongly implied that Job had hitherto not known God, and that prosperity in this life would follow his sincere conversion. The counsel Eliphaz here gives is good, though, as to Job, it was built upon a false supposition that he was a stranger and enemy to God. Let us beware of slandering our brethren; and if it be our lot to suffer in this manner, let us ...
Read full commentary →Then shalt thou lay up gold as dust, and the gold of Ophir as the stones of the brooks. as dust: or, on the dust
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Then shalt thou lay up gold as dust</strong>—Eliphaz promises that repentance will bring prosperity where gold becomes as common as <em>aphar</em> (עָפָר, dust/dirt). <strong>The gold of Ophir as the stones of the brooks</strong> references Ophir, famed for the finest gold (1 Kings 9:28, 10:11), suggesting it will become as abundant as river pebbles. The Hebrew <em>betsir</em> (בְּצוּר, ro...
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(24) **The gold of Ophir.**—And, moreover, that the wealth for which he was so famous among the children of the East was the accumulation of iniquity and wrong-doing. The sense probably is, “Put thy treasure on a level with the dust, and the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks”: that is, reckon it of no more value than such stones; do not set thine heart upon it. The situation of Ophir ha...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
CHAPTER 5 Job 5:1-27. Eliphaz' Conclusion from the Vision.
**1. if there be any, &c.--**Rather, "will He (God) reply to thee?" Job, after the revelation just given, cannot be so presumptuous as to think God or any of the holy ones (Da 4:17, "angels") round His throne, will vouchsafe a reply (a judicial expression) to his rebellious complaint.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 21-30**
The answer of Eliphaz wrongly implied that Job had hitherto not known God, and that prosperity in this life would follow his sincere conversion. The counsel Eliphaz here gives is good, though, as to Job, it was built upon a false supposition that he was a stranger and enemy to God. Let us beware of slandering our brethren; and if it be our lot to suffer in this manner, let us ...
Read full commentary →Yea, the Almighty shall be thy defence, and thou shalt have plenty of silver. defence: or, gold plenty: Heb. silver of strength
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>The Almighty shall be thy defence</strong>—The Hebrew <em>betser</em> (בֶּצֶר) means fortified place, stronghold, or precious ore. Eliphaz plays on words: instead of hoarding gold ore (<em>betsir</em>, v. 24), Job should find his security in <em>Shaddai</em> (שַׁדַּי, the Almighty) as his <em>betser</em>. <strong>Thou shalt have plenty of silver</strong> uses <em>to'aphot kesef</em> (תּוֹע...
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(25) **The Almighty shall be thy defence.**—Rather, *And the Almighty shall be thy treasure, and precious silver unto thee. *The word thus qualifying silver occurs only three other times in the Bible: Psalm 95:4, “The *strength *of the hills”; Numbers 22:23-24, “the *strength *of a unicorn.” Its original idea is probably brightness or splendour.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**2. wrath ... envy--**fretful and passionate complaints, such as Eliphaz charged Job with (Job 4:5; so Pr 14:30). Not, the wrath of God killeth the foolish, and His envy, &c.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 21-30**
The answer of Eliphaz wrongly implied that Job had hitherto not known God, and that prosperity in this life would follow his sincere conversion. The counsel Eliphaz here gives is good, though, as to Job, it was built upon a false supposition that he was a stranger and enemy to God. Let us beware of slandering our brethren; and if it be our lot to suffer in this manner, let us ...
Read full commentary →For then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face unto God.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>For then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty</strong>—The verb <em>anag</em> (עָנַג) means to take exquisite pleasure or find delight, appearing in Psalm 37:4 ('Delight thyself also in the LORD'). Eliphaz promises that repentance will restore Job's joy in God. <strong>Shalt lift up thy face unto God</strong> contrasts with shame that makes one cover the face (2 Samuel 19:4). The ph...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(26) **Then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty.**—Zophar had told him the same thing, that he should lift up his face *without spot *(Job 11:15).
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**3. the foolish--**the wicked. I have seen the sinner spread his "root" wide in prosperity, yet circumstances "suddenly" occurred which gave occasion for his once prosperous dwelling being "cursed" as desolate (Psa 37:35, 36; Jr 17:8).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 21-30**
The answer of Eliphaz wrongly implied that Job had hitherto not known God, and that prosperity in this life would follow his sincere conversion. The counsel Eliphaz here gives is good, though, as to Job, it was built upon a false supposition that he was a stranger and enemy to God. Let us beware of slandering our brethren; and if it be our lot to suffer in this manner, let us ...
Read full commentary →Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he shall hear thee, and thou shalt pay thy vows.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he shall hear thee</strong>—The verb <em>shama</em> (שָׁמַע) means to hear with intent to respond, not merely auditory reception. Eliphaz promises restored fellowship where prayer receives answer. <strong>Thou shalt pay thy vows</strong> uses <em>shalam</em> (שָׁלַם), meaning to complete, fulfill, or make peace—the root of <em>shalom</em>. Vows (<em...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**4. His children ... crushed in the gate--**A judicial formula. The gate was the place of judgment and of other public proceedings (Psa 127:5; Pr 22:22; Ge 23:10; De 21:19). Such propylæa have been found in the Assyrian remains. Eliphaz obliquely alludes to the calamity which cut off Job's children.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 21-30**
The answer of Eliphaz wrongly implied that Job had hitherto not known God, and that prosperity in this life would follow his sincere conversion. The counsel Eliphaz here gives is good, though, as to Job, it was built upon a false supposition that he was a stranger and enemy to God. Let us beware of slandering our brethren; and if it be our lot to suffer in this manner, let us ...
Read full commentary →Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: and the light shall shine upon thy ways.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee</strong>—The verb <em>gazar</em> (גָזַר) means to cut, decide, or decree with authority. Eliphaz promises that Job's words will carry creative power once restored to favor. <strong>It shall be established</strong> uses <em>qum</em> (קוּם), meaning to stand, arise, or be confirmed. <strong>The light shall shine upon thy w...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(28) **Thou shalt also decree a thing.**—As, for instance, in the memorable case of Abraham’s intercession for Sodom, to which there is not improbably an allusion here.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**5. even out of the thorns--**Even when part of the grain remains hanging on the thorn bushes (or, "is growing among thorns," Mt 13:7), the hungry gleaner does not grudge the trouble of even taking it away, so clean swept away is the harvest of the wicked.
**the robber--**as the Sabeans, who robbed Job. Rather, translate "the thirsty," as the antithesis in the parallelism, "the hungry," proves.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 21-30**
The answer of Eliphaz wrongly implied that Job had hitherto not known God, and that prosperity in this life would follow his sincere conversion. The counsel Eliphaz here gives is good, though, as to Job, it was built upon a false supposition that he was a stranger and enemy to God. Let us beware of slandering our brethren; and if it be our lot to suffer in this manner, let us ...
Read full commentary →When men are cast down, then thou shalt say, There is lifting up; and he shall save the humble person. the humble: Heb. him that hath low eyes
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KJV Study Commentary
Eliphaz promises: 'When men are cast down, then thou shalt say, There is lifting up; and he shall save the humble person.' The verb shaphel (שָׁפֵל, cast down) means to be brought low or humbled. Gavah (גָּוָה, lifting up) suggests exaltation or pride—a difficult phrase variously translated. Shach eynayim (שַׁח עֵינַיִם, humble person) literally means 'lowly of eyes.' Eliphaz promises that if Job ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(29) **There is lifting up.**—This may be its meaning, but some understand it in a bad sense: “When men are cast down, then thou shalt say, It was pride that caused their fall.”
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**6. Although--**rather, "for truly" [Umbreit].
**affliction cometh not forth of the dust--**like a weed, of its own accord. Eliphaz hints that the cause of it lay with Job himself.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 21-30**
The answer of Eliphaz wrongly implied that Job had hitherto not known God, and that prosperity in this life would follow his sincere conversion. The counsel Eliphaz here gives is good, though, as to Job, it was built upon a false supposition that he was a stranger and enemy to God. Let us beware of slandering our brethren; and if it be our lot to suffer in this manner, let us ...
Read full commentary →He shall deliver the island of the innocent: and it is delivered by the pureness of thine hands. He shall: or, The innocent shall deliver the island
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KJV Study Commentary
Eliphaz concludes: 'He shall deliver the island of the innocent: and it is delivered by the pureness of thine hands.' This final conditional assumes repentance will restore Job. The irony is that Job needs no repentance - he is already innocent. False diagnosis leads to false cure.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(30) **He shall deliver the island of the innocent **is undoubtedly an error for *He shall deliver him that is not innocent: *that is, either God shall deliver, or the humble person, if that is the subject of the former clause; the humble-minded man would have saved them. “He would have delivered him that is not innocent; yea, even so shall he be delivered by the cleanness of thy hands,” as the te...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**7. Yet--**rather, "Truly," or, But affliction does not come from chance, but is the appointment of God for sin; that is, the original birth-sin of man. Eliphaz passes from the particular sin and consequent suffering of Job to the universal sin and suffering of mankind. Troubles spring from man's common sin by as necessary a law of natural consequences as sparks (Hebrew, "sons of coal") fly upwar...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 21-30**
The answer of Eliphaz wrongly implied that Job had hitherto not known God, and that prosperity in this life would follow his sincere conversion. The counsel Eliphaz here gives is good, though, as to Job, it was built upon a false supposition that he was a stranger and enemy to God. Let us beware of slandering our brethren; and if it be our lot to suffer in this manner, let us ...
Read full commentary →