Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered,
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Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered,
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Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,
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Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said:
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John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain Job 22:1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,
Job 22:1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,
Ver. 1. Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said] Abruptly, without any preface, he sets upon Job (as doth likewise Bildad, Job 25:1-6), acting the part of a spiteful caviller rather than of an ingenuous accuser; reckoning and ranking just Job among the wicked, not covertly, as before, but overtly and expressly; and then thinking to salve all by an exhortation to repentance, backed with a fair promise of a full restoration. Pulcherrima parsenesis, sed quid ad Iobum? saith Brentius, A very good exhortation, but ill applied. We shall do well to take notice what a dangerous thing it is to give way to unruly passions, which, like heavy bodies down steep hills, once in motion, move themselves, and know no ground but the bottom.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Henry 1710 · Public Domain Eliphaz here insinuates that, because Job complained so much…
Eliphaz here insinuates that, because Job complained so much of his afflictions, he thought God was unjust in afflicting him; but it was a strained innuendo. Job was far from thinking so. What Eliphaz says here is therefore unjustly applied to Job, but in itself it is very true and good,
I. That when God does us good it is not because he is indebted to us; if he were, there might be some colour to say, when he afflicts us, "He does not deal fairly with us." But whoever pretends that he has by any meritorious action made God his debtor, let him prove this debt, and he shall be sure not to lose it, Rom 11:35. Who has given to him, and it shall be recompensed to him again? But Eliphaz here shows that the righteousness and perfection of the best man in the world are no real benefit or advantage to God, and therefore cannot be thought to merit any thing from him. 1. Man's piety is no profit to God, no gain, Job 22:1, Job 22:2. If we could by any thing merit from God, it would be by our piety, our being righteous, and making our way perfect. If that will not merit, surely nothing else will. If a man cannot make God his debtor by his godliness, and honesty, and obedience to his laws, much less can he by his wit, and learning, and worldly policy. Now Eliphaz here asks whether any man can possibly be profitable to God. It is certain that he cannot. By no means. He that is wise may be profitable to himself. Note, Our wisdom and piety are that by which we ourselves are, and are likely to be, great gainers. Wisdom is profitable to direct, Ecc 10:10. Godliness is profitable to all things, Ti1 4:8. If thou be wise, thou shalt be wise for thyself, Pro 9:12. The gains of religion are infinitely greater than the losses of it, and so it will appear when they are balanced. But can a man be thus profitable to God? No, for such is the perfection of God that he cannot receive any benefit or advantage by men; what can be added to that which is infinite? And such is the weakness and imperfection of man that he cannot offer any benefit or advantage to God. Can the light of a candle be profitable to the sun or the drop of the bucket to the ocean? He that is wise is profitable to himself, for his own direction and defence, his own credit and comfort; he can with his wisdom entertain himself and enrich himself; but can he so be profitable to God? No; God needs not us nor our services. We are undone, for ever undone, without him; but he is happy, for ever happy, without us. Is it any gain to him, any real addition to his glory or wealth, if we make our way perfect? Suppose it were absolutely perfect, yet what is God the better? Much less when it is so far short of being perfect. 2. It is no pleasure to him. God has indeed expressed himself in his word well pleased with the righteous; his countenance beholds them and his delight is in them and their prayers; but all that adds nothing to the infinite satisfaction and complacency which the Eternal Mind has in itself. God can enjoy himself without us, though we could have but little enjoyment of ourselves without our friends. This magnifies his condescension, in that, though our services be no real profit or pleasure to him, yet he invites, encourages, and accepts them.
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II. That when God restrains or rebukes us it is not because he is in danger from us or jealous of us (Job 22:4): "Will he reprove thee for fear of thee, and take thee down from thy prosperity lest thou shouldst grow too great for him, as princes sometimes have thought it a piece of policy to curb the growing greatness of a subject, lest he should become formidable?" Satan indeed suggested to our first parents that God forbade them the tree of knowledge for fear of them, lest they should be as gods, and so become rivals with him; but it was a base insinuation. God rebukes the good because he loves them, but he never rebukes the great because he fears them. He does not enter into judgment with men, that is, pick a quarrel with them and seek occasion against them, through fear lest they should eclipse his honour or endanger his interest. Magistrates punish offenders for fear of them. Pharaoh oppressed Israel because he feared them. It was for fear that Herod slew the children of Bethlehem and that the Jews persecuted Christ and his apostles. But God does not, as they did, pervert justice for fear of any. See Job 35:5-8.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible (1708–1710) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said. As Eliphaz…
Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said. As Eliphaz was the first that entered the discussion with Job, being perhaps the oldest man, and might be reckoned the wisest, so he gives the lead in every course of disputation; and here, instead of replying to Job's arguments and instances, at which he was very angry, betakes himself to calumny and reproach, and to draw invidious consequences, instead of making use of solid reasons for conviction and confutation.
Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said. As Eliphaz was the first that entered the discussion with Job, being perhaps the oldest man, and might be reckoned the wisest, so he gives the lead in every course of disputation; and here, instead of replying to Job's arguments and instances, at which he was very angry, betakes himself to calumny and reproach, and to draw invidious consequences, instead of making use of solid reasons for conviction and confutation.
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Job 22:2
job 22:2
job 22:2
job 22:2Can a man be profitable unto God?.... Eliphaz imagined that Job thought so, by his insisting so much on his integrity, and complaining of his afflictions; and that God was beholden to him for his holiness and righteousness, and that instead of afflicting him, should have heaped honours and happiness upon him; whereas there is not anything a man can do, or does, by which God can be profiled; which is a very great truth, though misapplied to Job through a wrong construction of his words and meaning. No man, even the best of men, and by the best things they can do, can be profitable to God; as for bad men, they are altogether unprofitable to themselves and to others, and still less profitable to God; and as for good men, their "goodness extendeth not" to the Lord, Psa 16:2; it comes from him, it is his own previously; it is of no avail and advantage to him, who is perfect and all sufficient; when they have done all that they are commanded, they are bid to say, and very truly, "we are unprofitable servants", Luk 17:10; they do indeed glorify God, and are the means of others glorifying him by their good works; but then they add no glory to him, which he had not before; they only declare the glory of God by the light of their grace and works, as the heavens and luminaries in them do by their light and lustre; they worship God as they ought to do; but then he is not worshipped by them "as though he needed anything" of them, Act 17:25; it is they, and not he, that get by worship; it is good for them, and they find their account in it, to draw near to him, and wait upon him, and worship him; what are all their prayers and praises to him? the benefit redounds to themselves: some men are very serviceable to promote the interest of religion, either by their purses, or by their gifts and talents, fitting for public usefulness; but then, what do they give to God but what is his own? "of thine own have we given thee", says David, Ch1 29:14; or what do they do for him? it is for the good of themselves, and others, Rom 11:35. Some are useful in the conversion of men to God, either by the public ministry of the word, or in private life by discourse and conversation; but then the profit of all this is to men, and not unto God; there is nothing that a man can do, by which he can make God his debtor, or lay him under an obligation to him, which he would, if he could be profitable to him; but whatever he does, it is but his duty, and what God has a prior right unto; and therefore men can merit nothing at the hand of God, no, not the least mercy; it is by the grace of God a good man is what he is, and does what he does; the Targum paraphrases it, "can a man teach God?" and so Mr. Broughton; see Job 21:22;
as he that is wise may be profitable unto himself? or "though", or "indeed, truly he that is wise", &c. (h). A man that is worldly wise is profitable to himself and his family, by gathering wealth and riches; and a man that is wise, and has a large understanding of natural things, may be profitable to himself by enriching his mind with knowledge, increasing the pleasure of it, and getting credit and fame among men by it, and may be profitable to others by communicating his knowledge to them, see Pro 9:12; and one that is spiritually wise, or has the true grace of God, and wisdom in the hidden part, which is no other than real godliness, gets great gain; for godliness is that to him, and is profitable for all things, having the promise of the present and future life; and he that has an interest in Christ, the Wisdom of God, is a happy man indeed, since he has that, the merchandise of which is better than silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold; one that is wise unto salvation, and is a wise professor of religion, and walks wisely and circumspectly, has great advantages; he builds his salvation on the rock Christ, and is safe and sure; he is concerned to have the oil of grace, with the lamp of a profession, and so is always ready to meet the bridegroom; and being careful of his conversation, keeps his garments that his shame is not seen; and so a wise minister of the word, "one that instructs" (i), or gives instructions to others, as the word here signifies; or one that causes to understand, or is the means of causing men to understand, such a man is profitable to himself and to others, see Dan 12:3.
(h) "immo", Beza; "profecto", Schultens. (i)
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John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain Eliphaz, checks Job for his complaints of God, ver.…
Eliphaz, checks Job for his complaints of God, ver. 1-4. Charges miseries on his sins, ver, 5-14. Compares his case to that of the old world, ver. 15-20. Assures him, that if he would return to God, he would shew him mercy, ver. 21-30.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Eliphaz reproves Job for his attempts to clear his…
CHAPTER XXII
Eliphaz reproves Job for his attempts to clear his character
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and establish his innocence, 1-4.
Charges him with innumerable transgressions; with oppressions
towards his brethren, cruelty to the poor, hard-heartedness
to the needy, and uncharitableness towards the widow and the
orphan; and says it is on these accounts that snares and
desolations are come upon him, 5-11.
Speaks of the majesty and justice of God: how he cut off the
ante-diluvians, the inhabitants of Sodom and the cities of
the plain, 12-20.
Exhorts him to repent and acknowledge his sins, and promises
him great riches and prosperity, 21-30.
NOTES ON CHAP. XXII
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Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain Job 22:1. Then Eliphaz answered — Eliphaz, in this…
Job 22:1. Then Eliphaz answered — Eliphaz, in this chapter, charges Job home with particular facts of cruelty and oppression, which he supposes him to be guilty of, though he cannot allege one proof of them; to which he adds the atrocious crime of atheism, and a denial or disbelief of God’s providence; and this latter he assigns as the reason of Job’s obstinacy in refusing to submit and acknowledge his guilt. He compares his wickedness to that of the mighty oppressors of the antediluvian world; to that of the inhabitants of Sodom and the cities of the plain; not obscurely intimating that his end would probably be the same as theirs, unless prevented by a speedy submission and full restitution; to which he therefore earnestly presses him, and endeavours to allure him by placing full in his view the great advantages he would probably reap from such a conduct. — Heath.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Lange's Commentary on the Holy Scriptures 1864 · Public Domain Job 22-28
THIRD SERIES OF CONTROVERSIAL DISCOURSES
THE ENTANGLEMENT REACHING ITS EXTREME POINT
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Job 22-28
I. Eliphaz and Job: Chapter 22–24
A.—Eliphaz: Reiterated accusation of Job, from whose severe sufferings it must of necessity be inferred that he had sinned grievously, and needed to repent:
Job_22:1-20
1. The charge made openly that Job is a great sinner
Job_22:1-10
1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said:
2 Can a man be profitable unto God,
as he that is wise may be profitable unto himself?
3 Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that thou art righteous?
or is it gain to Him that thou makest thy ways perfect?
4 Will He reprove thee for fear of thee?
will He enter with thee unto judgment?
5 Is not thy wickedness great?
and thine iniquities infinite?
6 For thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother for nought,
and stripped the naked of their clothing.
7 Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink,
and thou hast withholden bread from the hungry.
8 But as for the mighty man, he had the earth:
and the honorable man dwelt in it.
9 Thou hast sent widows away empty,
and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.
10 Therefore snares are round about thee,
and sudden fear troubleth thee.
2. Earnest warning not to incur yet severer punishments:
Job_22:11-20
11 Or darkness, that thou canst not see;
and abundance of waters cover thee.
12 Is not God in the height of heaven?
and behold the height of the stars, how high they are!
13 And thou sayest, How doth God know?
can He judge through the dark cloud?
14 Thick clouds are a covering to Him, that He seeth not;
and He walketh in the circuit of heaven.
15 Hast thou marked the old way,
which wicked men have trodden?
16 Which were cut down out of time,
whose foundation was overflown with a flood;
17 which said unto God, Depart from us:
and what can the Almighty do for them?
18 Yet He filled their houses with good things:
but the counsel of the wicked is far from me
19 The righteous see it, and are glad
and the innocent laugh them to scorn:
20 “Whereas our substance is not cut down,
but the remnant of them the fire consumeth.”
3. Admonition to repent, accompanied by the announcement of the certain restoration of his prosperity to him when penitent:
Job_22:21-30
21 Acquaint now thyself with Him, and be at peace:
thereby good shall come unto thee.
22 Receive, I pray thee, the law from His mouth,
and lay up His words in thine heart.
23 If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up,
thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacles.
24 Then shalt thou lay up gold as dust,
and the gold of Ophir as the stones of the brooks.
25 Yea, the Almighty shall be thy defence,
and thou shalt have plenty of silver.
26 For then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty,
and shalt lift up thy face unto God.
27 Thou shalt make thy prayer unto Him, and He shall hear thee,
and thou shalt pay thy vows.
28 Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee:
and the light shall shine upon thy ways.
29 When men are cast down, then thou shalt say, There is lifting up;
and He shall save the humble person.
30 He shall deliver the island of the innocent;
and it is delivered by the pureness of thine hands.
EXEGETICAL AND CRITICAL
1. Without controverting Job’s position in Job 21, that the present life furnishes numerous examples of the prosperity of the ungodly, and of calamity to the pious, but at the same time without abandoning in the slightest degree his former argument in favor of an external doctrine of retribution, Eliphaz adheres to his assumption that the cause of Job’s calamities and misery could lie only in sins of a grievous character (Job_22:2-10), with which he now reproaches him particularly and in detail (Job_22:6-9),—sins of arrogance, of cruelty, and of injustice towards his neighbor. Then follows an earnest warning against pursuing any further his unholy thoughts and speeches, as otherwise his final doom, like that of all the wicked from the earliest times must be a terrible one (Job_22:11-20)—a position indeed which Job also might urge to prove the alleged injustice of God’s treatment of him. To this sharp warning succeeds a conciliatory invitation to repent and to return to God, and to enter into possession of the blessings promised by God to the penitent, the whole discourse having a conclusion similar to that of the first discourse of Eliphaz (Job_22:21-30). This third and last discourse of Eliphaz falls into three divisions, exactly equal in length, and each of these embraces two strophes substantially equal in length, consisting of five verses each (the first, however, only of four).
2. First Division, or Double Strophe: the accusation: Job_22:2-10.
First Strophe: Job_22:2-5 : Four interrogative sentences, which taken together exhibit a well-constructed syllogism, of which the first two questions (Job_22:2-3) constitute the major premise, the third (Job_22:4) the minor, the fourth (Job_22:5) the conclusion. The major premise expresses the thought: The cause of Job’s misery cannot lie in God, the All-sufficient One, to whom the conduct of men, whether good or evil, (wise or unwise) matters nothing. The minor premise affirms that the penalty which Job was enduring could not have been brought upon him by his piety. From this he draws a conclusion unfavorable to Job’s moral character. Is a man [גֶּבֶר, “a great man, a hero, etc.; man in short considered in his best estate;” Carey] profitable unto God? Nay, the intelligent man is profitable unto himself. The question, with its negative force, and the negative follow each other immediately, the latter introduced by כִּי in the sense of “nay, rather” [Conant: “for;” E. V. Wemyss, Elzas, less suitably; “as,” regarding the second clause as a part of the question]. The meaning is: God, the absolutely Blessed One, who has everything and needs nothing, receives no advantage from man’s conduct whether it be thus or so, whether he act unwisely, (i.e. wickedly, Psa_14:2 [1], or intelligently (i.e. piously, righteously); so that accordingly if the latter is the case, man cares only for his own well-being. In regard to סכן, lit. “to dwell beside one another, to become one’s neighbor,” and hence “to assist one another, to be serviceable, to be profitable,” comp. above on Job_15:3; also 35:3. The pathetic plural form עָלֵימֹו, with the signification of the singular, עליו, as in Job_20:23. [The use of עַל in the second member, instead of לְ as in the first, is one of the Aramaisms, “which poetry gladly adopts” (Del.). Comp. Psa_16:6].
Job_22:3. Is it an advantage to the Almighty, if thou art righteous?חֵפֶץ [lit. “pleasure”] means here, as the parallel בֶּצַעַ in the second member shows, “interest, gain, advantage,” as in Job_21:21. Or a gain, if thou behavest blamelessly? lit. “if thou makest thy ways blameless” [or “perfect”] (תַּתֵּם, imperf. Hiph. of תמם, with the [Aramizing] doubling of the first radical; comp. Gesen. § 66, Rem. 8), si integras facias vias tuas. The meaning of the whole question is: God gets no profit from men’s righteousness; consequently the motives which determine him to inflict sufferings on men are neither selfish, nor arbitrary.
Job_22:4. Will He because of thy godliness [lit. “fear, godly tear”] chastise thee, enter into judgment with thee? That is: if now then the cause of such a calamity as has befallen thee lies in thyself, can it be thy piety for which God punishes thee? Hirzel interprets מִיִּרָֽאתְךָ to mean: “from fear of thee,” the suffix expressing the genit. of the object against the context, which requires a meaning antithetic to רעתך, Job_22:5. [Hirzel’s explanation is the one adopted also by Bernard, Wemyss, Carey, Renan, Rodwell, Elzas]. The meaning: “godly fear, piety” is all the more firmly established for ירעה by the fact that Eliphaz has already used this same word twice in this emphatic sense: Job_4:6 and Job_15:4 [“a genuine Eliphazian word, in accordance with the poet’s method of assigning favorite words and habits to his speakers.” Ewald].
Job_22:5. The conclusion, expressed in the interrogative form, like the preceding propositions in the syllogism. Is not thy wickedness great, and no end of thy transgressions?—Thus strongly does Eliphaz accuse Job here; for, entangled in legalism, he thinks that if the impossibility that God should cause the innocent to suffer be once for all firmly held, then, from the severity of the sufferings inflicted on any one, we may argue the greatness of the transgressions which are thus punished,—a piece of bad logic, seeing that it entirely overlooks the intermediate possibility which lies between those two extremes, that God may inflict suffering on such as are friends indeed, but not yet perfected in their piety, with a view to their trial or purification.
Second Strophe: Job_22:6-10. Enumeration of a series of sins, which, seeing that they are ordinarily associated with riches and power, must constitute, in the opinion of the speaker, the probable reason why Job, who was once rich and honored, had fallen so low, and been made to suffer the Divine chastisement.
Job_22:6. For thou didst distrain thy brethren without cause—i.e., without being in thy superfluity under any necessity of doing so (Hirzel). The brethren are naturally the next of kin, fellow-clansmen, not specially brethren in the more literal sense. If instead of אַחֶיךָ we should with many MSS. and Editions (so also Bähr and Delitzsch) read אָחִיךָ, this singular form, “thy brother,” would nevertheless require to be understood as a collective, as the second member shows. And the clothes of the naked thou didst strip off.—By עֲרוּמִּים we are to understand, of course, not those who are absolutely naked, but those who are scantily clothed, the half-naked poor, as in Isa_20:2; Joh_21:7; Jam_2:15 (comp. also Seneca, De Benefeciis, v. 13: si quis male vestitutum et pannosum videt, nudum se vidisse dicit). To strip such “naked” ones by distraint of their last piece of apparel is forbidden not only by the law of Moses (Exo_22:25 seq.; Deu_24:6; Deu_24:10 seq.), but also by the sentiment of universal humanity. The same may be said of the proofs of cruelty enumerated in the following verse [Job_22:7 : Thou gavest no water to the fainting to drink, and thou didst refuse bread to the hungry]; comp. Isa_58:10, and for the opposite course Mat_10:42.
Job_22:8. And the man of the fist (absolute case)—his was the land, and the honored one was to dwell therein!—That is to say, according to the insolent, selfish, grasping views and principles which Eliphaz imputes to Job. The “man of the arm,” or “of the fist” (אִישׁ זְרוֹעַ), i.e., the powerful and violent man, as well as “the honored man” (נְשׂוּא פָנִים, as in Isa_3:3; Isa_9:14), is none other than Job himself, the proud, rich Emir, who, as Eliphaz maliciously conjectures, had driven away many of the poor and helpless from house and home, in order to seize upon the land far and wide for himself. According to the assumption that both expressions referred to another than Job, whom the latter had favored in his course of self-aggrandizement (Rosenmüller, Umbreit, Hahn [Noyes, Wemyss, Renan, Elzas—who translates: “As if the land belonged to the man of power alone; as if only the man of rank may dwell therein”]), the strong sense of the passage is needlessly weakened. That Job is not immediately addressed here, as in the verse just preceding, and again in the verse following, is to be explained by the vivid objectivizing tendency of the description.
Job_22:9. Widows thou didst send away empty—when they came to thee as suppliants; and the arms of the orphans were broken—in consequence, namely, of the treatment which such needy and helpless ones were wont to receive from thee and those like thee. The discourse here assumes the objective generalizing tone, for the reason that Eliphaz is sensible that the concrete proofs of the charge which he would be able to produce out of Job’s former history would be all too few! The “arms of the orphans” is a figurative expression describing not their appeal for help, but all their powers and rights, all upon which they could depend for support. The same phrase—דכא זרעות—occurs also in Psa_37:17; Eze_30:22. For the “arms” as the symbol of strength, power, comp. Job_40:9; Psa_77:16 [15]; 83:9 [8].
Job_22:10. Therefore snares are round about thee (a figure descriptive of destruction as besetting him around; comp. Job_18:8-10), and terror suddenly comes upon [or affrights] thee (comp. Pro_3:25)—i.e., sudden deadly anguish, terror in view of thy approaching complete destruction, overpowers thee time after time. Comp. the similar description above in Bildad’s discourse, Job_18:11. [“To be noted is the frequent paronomasia of פח and פחר.” Schlott.].
3. Second Division, or Double Strophe: the warning. If Job should presumptuously cast doubt on the Divine righteousness, and thereby make himself partaker of the sins of those in the primeval world who insolently denied God, he would draw down on himself the Divine judgment which had been ordained for those guilty of such wickedness, and which would without fail overtake them, however long and securely they might seem to enjoy their prosperity: Job_22:11-20.
Third Strophe: Job_22:11-15. Or seest thou not the darkness, and the flood of waters, which covereth thee?—That is, dost thou not then perceive in what destruction thou art already involved, and that in punishment for thy sins? “Darkness” and the “flood of waters” (the multitudinous heaving of waters, שִׁפְעָה as in Isa_60:6) are here, as also in Job_27:20, a figure not of the sins of Job (Hahn), but of the night of suffering and of the deep misery, which, as Eliphaz thinks, had come upon him in consequence of his sins. תְּכַסֶּךָּ is a relative clause, and logically belongs also to חשֶׁךְ; comp. Isa_60:2. In mentioning darkness and a flood as bursting on Job, he has reference to the catastrophe of the deluge, which in the following verses he proceeds to hold up as a warning picture of terror (Job_22:16). The whole verse forms a suitable transition from the accusation in the preceding section to the warning which now follows. [By the majority of versions and commentators Job_22:11 is joined immediately to the verse preceding, as its continuation. There is certainly a close connection between the two. But that Zöckler (after Dillmann) is correct in regarding Job_22:11 as transitional to what follows, and so introducing the next strophe, is favored both by the use of the disjunctive אוֹ rather than וְ, and by the evident anticipation of Job_22:16 in the שִׁפְעַת־מַיִם. This view requires the construction of חשֶׁךְ as the object of לֹא תִרְאֶה: “seest thou not the darkness?” (Ewald, Schlottm., Dillm., Delitzsch), rather than as an independent subject, followed by a relative clause: “darkness, that, thou canst not see” (E. V., Umbreit, Noyes, Con., Lee, Renan, Rodwell, etc.).—E.]
Job_22:12. Is not Eloah the height of heaven?i.e. the heaven-high, infinitely exalted One (comp. Job_11:8; [in view of which passage, says Schlottmann, the construction of גבה שמים as Accus. loci: “in the height of heaven,” is less probable than the construction, as predicate]).—And see now the head of the stars [i.e. the highest of the stars, כּוֹכָבִיםgen. partitivus) how high they are!—כִּי “how,” or also “that,” as in Gen_49:15; 1Sa_14:29. The plural רָמוּ [by attraction] as in Job_21:21; comp. Ewald, § 317, c. The whole verse, in this reference to the Divine greatness and exaltation, beginning as a question, and passing over into a challenge, has for its object the vindication of Him who is above the world, and above man, against every thought which would limit His knowledge, or cast any suspicion on the perfect justice of His ways.
Job_22:13 seq. The doubt expressed by Job touching the justice of God in administering the affairs of the world is here interpreted by Eliphaz as a denial that God has any knowledge of earthly things, or feels any special concern in what happens to men. He therefore reproaches him with holding that erroneous, and almost atheistical conception of the Deity, which has since been advanced by the Epicureans (see e.g. Lucretius III. 640 seq.), and more recently by the English Deists. [“Eliphaz here attributes to Job, who in Job_21:22 had appealed to the exaltation of God in opposition to the friends, a complete misconception of the truth, and thus skilfully turns against Job himself the weapon which the latter had just sought to wrest from him.” Schlottmann]. And so thou thinkest (literally “sayest”) what knows God? (or: what should God know?) will He judge through (בְּעַד as in Gen_26:8; Joe_2:9) the darkness of the clouds?—i.e. judge us men on this lower earth, from which He, covered by the clouds, is wholly separated and shut off.
Job_22:14 continues this symbolical description of this total separation of God from the world: Clouds are a covering to Him, so that He sees not (comp. Lam_3:44), and He walks upon the vault (or “circle,” Pro_8:27; Isa_40:22) of the heaven—not therefore on this earthly world, which is too small and insignificant for Him. Similar expressions of unbelief touching God’s special concern for the affairs of earth may be found e.g. in Psa_73:11; Psa_94:7; Isa_29:15; Eze_8:12.
Job_22:15. Wilt thou keep in the path of the old world? (שָׁמַר, to observe, follow, as in Psa_18:22 [not “hast thou marked”? E. V. against which is the fut. תִּשְׁמור, and the connection] and אֹרַח עֹולָם, as in Jer_6:16; Jer_18:15), which the men of wickedness trod?i.e. insolent, ungodly and wicked men, as they are described in the following verses, both as to their arrogant deeds, and their righteous punishment. The reference to the race of men immediately preceding the Noachian deluge (the ἀρχαῖος κὀσμος of 2Pe_2:5) is evident enough.
Fourth Strophe: Job_22:16-20. Description of the destruction of those ungodly men as a divine judgment overtaking them after a season of prosperity, together with an application to the controversy suggested by Job’s case in respect to the doctrine of retribution.
Job_22:16. [The asterisk in the Hebrew Bible marks the verse as the middle of the book, there being 537 verses before, and the same number after this mark] Who were swept off (קֻּמְּטוּ, lit. “were seized” comp. above on Job_16:8) [Bernard, Rodwell, etc., “who became shrivelled (corpses) before, etc.” Carey: “who got tied up … so that escape was impossible,” but better as above,—“to be snatched away”] before the time—i.e. before there was any probability, according to human experience, that their hour had come; comp. the ἄωροι of the LXX. also above in Job_15:32בְּלֹא יוֹמוֹ—as even in the present passage some Mss. read בְּלֹא instead of וְלֹא (com. Psa_139:16). As a stream their foundation was poured away—i. e. it became fluid, so that they could no longer stand on it, but sank down. Again a palpable allusion to the deluge (scarcely to the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah, in mentioning which the rain of fire and brimstone (Gen_19:24; comp. Job_18:15) would scarcely have been forgotten:—against Ewald [and Davidson, Introd. ii. 229]). The construction of the words which we have followed, according to which יְסוֹדָם is the subject, נָהָר nominat. of the predicate or product, and יוּצַק descriptive Imperf. Hoph. (not an unusual alternate form of the Perf. Pual וֻצַּק, as Ewald supposes) appears as that which alone is favored by the position of the words and the accents. The following renderings are not so good: “their place became a poured out stream” (Hirzel: “whose foundation was a poured out stream” (Umbr., Olsh.) [Rodwell]; “a stream was poured out upon their foundation”(Rosenm., Hahn) [Lee, Carey: with which may be connected the rendering of E. V. Renan, Noyes, Elzas: “whose foundation was overflown with a flood,” and of Conant: “their foundation was poured away in a flood”].
Job_22:17. Who said unto God: Depart from us! and what could the Almighty do for them?—The sentiment of the ungodly is expressed first in the direct and then in the indirect form of speech, precisely as in Job_19:28. As to the matter the passage reminds us of Job’s last discourse, Job_21:14-15. The same arrogant God-renouncing utterances, which Job there attributes to the prosperous wicked described by him, is here imputed by Eliphaz to the objects of his description, in order to show to him that up to a certain point he agrees entirely with his representation of the relation of external prosperity to human sinfulness. [“El. no doubt intends this as a direct contradiction to Job’s statement. The Patriarch had asserted that men of these atheistical principles were happy all their lives. El. says: No! these are the very sort of men who were visited by the judgment of the deluge, and you are just as bad as they, for you are treading in their steps.” Carey].
Job_22:18. And yet he had filled their houses with blessings—(טוֹב, prosperity, good, as below Job_22:21 and Job_21:25טוֹבָה); a circumstantial clause, which stands connected with the principal verb in Job_22:16, having a restrictive force, in order to express the contrast between the sudden judgment which overtakes the wicked, and the long season of prosperity preceding it, which gives to them the appearance of exemption from punishment. The formula of detestation which follows in b Eliphaz intentionally takes as it were out of the mouth of Job (comp. Job_21:16), in order to impress upon him that only he has the right thus to speak who does not doubt that God inflicts righteous retribution.
Job_22:19. The righteous will see it:—to wit, the destruction which will one day befall the wicked (not the punishment inflicted on the sinners of the primeval world, which was long since past)—and rejoice, and the innocent will mock at them—at those who were once prosperous, but have now encountered the righteous penalty of their transgressions, in regard to whom accordingly the proverb will be verified—“he laughs best who laughs last.” The triumphant joy of the righteous over the final punishment of the ungodly, which they shall live to see, and which Eliphaz here describes in such a way as to contrast with Job’s previous utterances, Job_17:8; Job_21:5-6, is frequently described in the Old Testament; comp. Psa_58:11 [10] seq.; 64:10 [9] seq.
Job_22:20 contains the words in which this future triumph of the pious will be expressed. Verily (אִס־לֹאֹ as in Job_1:11; Job_17:2) our adversaries are destroyed. קִימָנוּ (instead of which Olsh. needlessly proposes קָמֵינוּ after Psa_44:6; Exo_15:7) is a pausal form for קִימֵנוּ, from a root קִים, which occurs only here, meaning “he who is set up” (partic. pass.), i.e. the adversary. The righteous designate the ungodly as their adversaries not in a personal, but an ethical sense, because God’s enemies are also their enemies; comp. Psa_139:21; Rom_11:28. And what is left to them a fire has devouredיתְרָם, “their remnant, their residue,” to wit, in property and wealth; the remainder of their means; hardly “their super-abundance” (Del.) [“for why should the fire devour only that which they had as a superfluity?” Dillm.] יִתְרָם is used here accordingly in another sense than in Job_4:21, a passage otherwise similar to the present. For the use of fire as a symbol of the divine decree of punishment effecting a radical extermination, comp. Job_15:34; Job_20:26; Eze_20:28, etc.
4. Third Division, or Double Strophe: Job_22:21-30 : An admonition to repentance, and a promise of salvation to the penitent.
Fifth Strophe: Job_22:21-25 : The admonition.
Job_22:21. Make friends now with Him, and be at peace. חִסְבִּין here with עִם, which gives a signification different from that found above in Job_22:2, viz. “to make friends with any one, to draw nigh to any one,” comp. Jam_4:8. The following וּשְׁלָם is to be rendered as an Imperat. consec. (comp. Pro_3:4; and Gesen. § 130 [§ 127], 2; “and be at peace, i.e. “and so shalt thou be at peace.” [“We distinguish best between הסכן and שלם by regarding the former as expressing the conclusion, the latter the preservation of peace.” Schlottmann]. There by shall blessing come to thee—come upon thee, comp. Job_20:22. תְּבֹאָֽתְךָ (instead of which many Mss. read תְּבֹאַתְךָ) Isaiah 3 sing. fem. imperf. with a doubled indication of its feminine form (first by ת and afterwards by ־ָה), hence = תָּבֹאָה, with suffix of the 2d person. Comp. in regard to such double feminines Delitzsch on the passage [who refers to Pro_1:20; Eze_23:20; Jos_6:17; 2Sa_1:26; Amo_4:3], also Ewald § 191, c; 249, c [Green § 88, 3 f.]—Olsh. and Rödig. following certain Mss. would read תְּבוּאָֽתְךָ: “thereby will thine income be a good one,” but this would impart to the discourse an artificial character, seeing that an earthly reward is not mentioned before Job_22:25 seq. As to בָּהֶם, “thereby” (lit. “by these things”) with neuter suffix, comp. Eze_33:18; Isa_64:4; Isa_38:16.
Job_22:22. Receive, I pray, instruction out of His mouth.—God’s mouth represented as the source of instruction in the higher truth, as in Pro_2:6 [El. as Dillm. says claiming to be himself the interpreter of God’s teaching to Job].
Job_22:23. If thou returnest to the Almighty.—(שׁוּב עַר as in Joe_2:12; Amo_4:6 seq.; Isa_19:22) [“We are told by Rosenmüller that עַד stands here for אֶלto, but we are rather inclined to think with Maimonides that it is purposely made use of in its real signification, viz., as far as, even to, right up to, close up to, in order to encourage Job, who was looked upon by the speaker as a very great sinner, by showing him that notwithstanding the enormities of his sins, he need not despair of coming through penitence again close up to his offended Creator.” Bernard. Or, as Carey says, that his return must be no partial movement, “not one that would stop half way, but a return quite to God”]. If thou removest iniquity far (puttest it far away) from thy tents.—This second conditional clause, being parallel to the antecedent clause in a, needs no apodosis. It adds to the former a more specific qualification, which in itself indeed is not necessary, but which is appropriately illustrative of the former; comp. Job_11:14. The LXX., who in the first member read תֵּעָנֶח (καὶ ταπεινώσῃς) instead of תִּבָּנֵח construed the whole verse as the antecedent, Job_22:24-25 as parenthetic, and Job_22:26 as consequent—a dragging construction, which indeed has a parallel in Job_11:13-15, but has less to justify it here in the sense and connection. [The E. V. in making the last clause a part of the apodosis—“thou shalt be built up, thou shalt put away, etc.,” does not quite correctly set forth the logical relation of the clauses. E.]
Job_22:25. And lay down in (or cast down to) the dust the precious ore.—The word בֶּצֶר, which occurs only here and in the following verse, signifies according to the etymology as well as the connection precious metal, gold or silver, and that in its crude, unprepared state, as it is brought forth out of the shafts of the mountain mines, hence “gold and silver ore,” “virgin-gold” (Delitzsch). The “laying down of such metal in the dust” signifies that one relieves himself of it as of worthless trash. The second member expresses the same thought still more strongly. And among the pebbles of the brooks (בְּצוּר assonant with בֶּצֶר) the gold of Ophir,—אוֹפִיר for the more complete and common כֶּתֶם אוֹפִיר, comp. Job_28:16; Psa_45:10 [9], etc., also such modern mercantile abbreviations as Mocha, Damask, Champagne, etc. In regard to the much disputed location of the land of Ophir (LXX., Ὠφείρ,—Cod. Al. however Σωφείρ, which reminds us of Sufâra, on the peninsula of Guzerat, in India, as well as of the Coptic Sofir, used as a name for India) comp. the Realwörterbücher [Cyclopædias and Dictionaries]; also Bähr on 1Ki_10:22 [Vol. VI. of this series, p. 122]. To the earlier theories which located Ophir in India, or in Arabia has been added latterly that of Sir Rod. Murchison, who in a Report to the London Geographical Society is inclined to the opinion that the south-African coast around the mouth of the Limpopo river is the true Ophir of the Bible, supporting his view in part by the conjectures of the well-known archæologist, John Crawford (in his Descriptive Dictionary of the Indian Islands), which point to this locality, and in part by the discoveries of districts abounding in gold, which the German traveller, K. Mauch, claims to have made since 1866 in this very region (north of the colony of Natal). Comp. the Ausland, 1868, No. 39: Die Goldfünde in der Kolonie Natal und das Ophir der Bibel—which essay indeed rightly prefers the combinations of K. Ritter, Chr. Lassen, etc. pointing to the East Indies, while an article in the “Globus,” Vol. 18, No. 24, p. 369 seeks to mediate between the two hypotheses by supposing Ophir to be “a wild region on the Indian Ocean, which embraced a part of the eastern coast of Africa and of the western coast of India.”
Job_22:25. Apodosis. Then will the Almighty be thy treasure (בְּצָרִים, pl. of בֶּצֶר, hence lit “pieces of gold-ore, pieces of metal”) and silver in heaps to thee—scil, “will He be.”—תּוֹעָפוֹת which occurs elsewhere only in Num_23:22; Num_24:8; and Psa_95:4, has received very different explanations. According to these passages, however, it must signify “things standing out high and prominent.” Here, therefore it must mean either “high heaps of silver,” or “long, prominent bars of silver.” The former definition is favored by the fact that the Arabic certifies for יעף the signification, “to tower, to grow, to mount upward,” a meaning which the Vulgate expresses here also (argentum coacervabitur tibi), while on the contrary the derivation of the word from the root יפע, “to shine” (comp. the LXX: καθαρὀν ὤσπερ ἀργὐριον πεπυρωμἐνον), or even from יָעֵף, “to be weary” (Gesen. in Thes., Böttcher [Con. “silver sought with toil”] etc), has but slight etymological foundation. In regard to the sentiment in Job_22:24-25 comp. New Testament parallels: like Mat_6:20; Mat_6:33; Mat_19:21; Luk_12:33; 1Ti_6:16-19, etc. [The rendering of these two verses (24, 25) by the E. V. is to be rejected as inconsistent with the language (thus שִׁית־עַל־עָפָר cannot be “to lay up as dust”), and as yielding a much feebler sense.—E.]
Sixth Strophe: Job_22:26-30 : Further expansion of the promise annexed to the admonition.—Yea, then shalt thou delight thyself in the Almighty.—כִּי־אָז confirmatory, as in Job_11:15 : or argumentative—“for then,” etc., which is the common rendering. For the representation of God as the object of joy or delight on the part of the righteous comp. Psa_37:4; Isa_58:14. In regard to “lifting up the face” as an expression of freedom from the consciousness of sin (the opposite of נָֽפְלוּ פָנִים, Gen_4:6), comp. above Job_11:15.
Job_22:27. If thou prayest to Him,etc.—תֲּעְתִּיר hypothetical antecedent without אִם, as also תִּגְזַר in the following verse. As to הֱעֶתִיר to pray (lit. “to present incense”), comp. Exo_8:4 [8], 25 [29]; 10:17. In respect to “discharging,” i.e. “fulfilling” vows (here most naturally such as have been offered in connection with prayer), see Psa_22:26 [25]; 50:14; 61:6 [5], 9 [8]; 65:2 [1]. Comp. v. Gerlach on this passage (below in the Homiletical Remarks).
Job_22:28. If thou purposest anything, so shall it come to pass to thee.—גזר lit. “to cut off,” here as an Aramaism in the sense of “to purpose, determine.” אֹמֶר, either = דָּבָר “a matter, anything,” or “design, plan” (Del.). As to קוּם, “to come to pass, to be realized,” comp. Isa_7:7; Pro_15:22; in respect to “light upon thy ways,” see Job_19:8.
Job_22:29. When they lead downwards—viz. thy ways (as to הִשְׁפִּיל, “to make low, to lead downwards,” comp. Jer_13:18), then thou sayest—Upward!—גִּוָה, syncopated form of גְּאֵזָה (Ewald § 62, b; 73, b), lit. “uplifting;” here as an interjection, meaning—“upward! arise!” not, however, as a petition in a prayer (Dillm., etc.), but as a triumphant exclamation in thanksgiving. [This rendering is certainly not free from objection, especially on account of the artificial cast which it seems to give to the expression The rendering of E. V., however: “when men are cast down, then thou shalt say, etc.,” is still less satisfactory, destroying as it does the connection between the first and second members, leaving two verbs, הִשְׁפִּילוּ and יוֹשִׁעַ, with subjects unexpressed, and introducing in a a thought which is scarcely suited to this connection, and which is subsequently introduced with climactic force in 30b.—E.] And to the humbled one (i.e., to thee, if thou art humbled; lit. “to him who has downcast eyes,” LXX.: κύφοντα ὀφθαλμοῖς) He works out deliverance;i.e., God, who is also the subject of the first member in the following verse. It is not necessary therefore with the Pesh. and Vulg. to read the passive יִוָּשֵׁעַ.
Job_22:30. He will rescue him that is not guiltless, and (yet more!) he is rescued by the pureness of thine hands (בֹּר כַּפַיִם as in Job_17:9; Psa_18:21 [20]; 24:4); i.e., on account of thine innocence, which thou shalt then have recovered, God will be gracious even to others who need an atonement for their sins. So great and transcendent an efficacy does Eliphaz assume that Job’s future conversion will possess, without once anticipating that he (together with Bildad and Zophar) will turn out to be the not-guiltless one” (אִי־נָקִי for אֵין־נָקִי, Ewald, § 215, b) [Gesen., § 149, 1], whom God will forgive only on Job’s account; comp. Job_42:8. [Another striking example of that dramatic irony in which our author from time to time indulges, when he allows for a moment the light of the future to fall on his characters in such a way as to present the contrast between their thoughts and God’s thoughts.—E.] Seb. Schmidt and J. D. Michaelis have already given the correct explanation, as follows: Liberabit Deus et propter puritatem manuum tuarum alios, quos propria innocentia ipsos deficiens ipsos deficiens non esset liberatura. So also substantially most moderns, while Hirzel arbitrarily understands by the not-guiltless one Job, with another subject for the second member. Umbreit, however, gives a still harsher construction, taking Job as the object of the first member (= אִי־נָקִי), and at the same time as subject of the second member, which he treats as addressed to God: “yea, he (Job) is delivered by the pureness of Thy hands;” i.e., by Thy Divine righteousness. [E. V., in taking אִי in its usual meaning of “island,” gives a rendering which is seen at once to be altogether unsuitable.—E.]
DOCTRINAL AND ETHICAL
1. Eliphaz in the second part of this new discourse is prompted to discuss somewhat more thoroughly than before the proposition advanced by Job (Job 21) touching the frequent contradiction between the moral desert and the outward lot of men, which he does indeed only by representing the prosperity of the wicked, the existence of which he cannot deny, as only apparent, and quickly passing away (Job_22:15-20). Following upon this discussion, which has in it little that is personal, and which concerns itself rather with the subject-matter, he resumes the tone of fatherly admonition and persuasion by promises of good found in his first discourse, instead of continuing the purely threatening tone of the second (Job 15), closing even with a prophetic picture so full of light, that it quite rivals in the freshness and glow of its colors that found at the close of the first discourse (Job_5:17 seq.), and breathes a spirit which certainly proves him to be in his way Job’s sincere well-wisher. In all these particulars, and to this extent, Eliphaz, the oldest of Job’s friends and their leader, here at the beginning of the third act of the colloquy exhibits progress for the better in his way of thinking—a progress, moreover, to which Job himself contributes by the skill with which he vindicates himself, and the moral superiority of his spirit. On the other hand, however, it must be said that he is guilty of misunderstanding and of misrepresenting in a one-sided manner Job’s doubts resulting from the disproportion between human desert and happiness (Job_22:13-14), and so perverts them, as though Job had advanced frivolous epicurean conceptions of the Deity, and thus denied a special Providence, leaving the destinies of men on earth to be ruled over by accident. In close connection with this gross misconception of Job’s opinions, and serving to explain it, is the re-affirmation which he makes in the First Division through the medium of a downright syllogism (Job_22:2-5) of grievous crime on the part of Job as the ground of his sufferings, proceeding so far even as to name particular sins of which he arbitrarily assumes him to be guilty, and pushing his charges to the most outrageous excess (Job_22:6-9). In both these respects we see an advance on the part of the speaker in an evil direction, an increasing bitterness, a constant stubborn refusal to entertain the truth. We accordingly find in this discourse in one direction certainly an apparent preparation for a peaceful solution and harmonious reconciliation of the conflict; but in another direction, and that the very one which is important and decisive, it simply contributes to the heightening of the conflict, and by inciting Job to bitterness, makes it more and more impossible for the sorely tried sufferer to enter upon a truly calm and convincing exhibition of the goodness of his cause, and thus points with a necessity which ever becomes more and more imperative, to the final intervention of a higher Arbiter as the only way of unraveling the entangled coil of the controversy.
2. In consequence of this advance both in a good and an evil direction, this new discourse of Eliphaz bears in a much higher degree than his two former ones the character of a peculiar double-sidedness, and self-contradiction in its expressions. Considered in itself it is “the purest truth, expressed in the most striking and beautiful form; but as an answer to the speech of Job the dogma of the friends itself is destroyed in it, by the false conclusion by which it is obliged to justify itself to itself” (Delitzsch). In one respect its expressions breathe the spirit of a genuine prophet, of a divinely enlightened teacher of wisdom of the patriarchal age. But in another respect, in that, namely, which concerns the sharply malicious tendency which they reveal against Job. they seem like the sayings of a false prophet, and even of a passionate accuser and spiteful suspecter of suffering innocence. They have a double sound to them, like the expressions of one who is at once a Moses and a Balaam. “According to their general substance these speeches are genuine diamonds; according to their special application they are false ones” (Delitzsch).—Eliphaz gives utterance to the purest and most elevated conceptions of God, and His infinitely wise and righteous dealings. At the very beginning of the first division he describes His blessed all-sufficiency; at the beginning of the second His heaven-high exaltation, His majesty comparable to the unchangeable brilliancy of the stars; and in the third division he sets forth with incomparable and truly impressive power His fatherly gentleness and compassion, which willingly hears the prayer of the penitent sinner. And what he affirms in respect to the inexorable rigor with which the justice of the same God inflicts punishment, as it was manifested in judgment upon the sinners of the primeval world, upon the ungodly antediluvians (Job_22:15-18), even that produces an impression all the more deep and forcible in that it has for its setting those splendid descriptions radiating forth their mild brilliancy. Yet after all that inviting description of the divine all-sufficiency is used in the service of a low, external and vulgar theory of retribution, which is deduced from it by an audacious sophism, and an unexampled logical leap (see on Job_22:5). After all that admonitory reference to the majestic movement of God as the All-seeing Ruler of the universe, and the inexorable Avenger of the wicked, shoots wide of the mark in so far as it is aimed at Job, for it was neither true that Job had denied the special Providence and Omniscience of God (as Eliphaz in Job_22:13-14, by a crafty process of deduction, reproached him with doing), nor that his sins were of such a character that they could even approximately be compared with those of the insolent blasphemers and deniers of God in Noah’s time. Finally, the beautiful words of promise in the closing division, with their reference to God’s goodness as Father, and with their counsel to seek the love of this God as the most precious of all treasures (Job_22:24-25), are wanting in all true power of consolation for Job, and lose entirely their apparent value in consequence of that which precedes them. For if Job is to seek God as his heavenly treasure, it is presupposed that hitherto he has loved earthly treasures more than was right, nay, that he has been guilty of the sins and transgressions of grasping tyrants, as was intimated in the first division (Job_22:6-9). And if Job had really sinned so wantonly, and subscribed to the atheistic sentiments of the generation that was destroyed by the deluge, then all advice to repent and return to the Heavenly Father would be for him practically useless; at least from the stand-point of Eliphaz, characterized as it was by the pride of legal virtue, such an exhortation, together with the promise of good which accompanied it, could scarcely have been uttered sincerely. [Should we not, however, make allowance for the perplexing dilemma in which the friends found themselves placed? Was there not a constant strife between the deductions of their logic and the instincts of their affection? Is it strange that the rigor of the former should be continually qualified by the tenderness of the latter? And does not our poet skillfully avail himself of this inconsistency to relieve what would otherwise be the intolerable harshness of their position?—E.]
3. This two-fold character appertaining to the utterances of Eliphaz, it is evident, increases largely the difficulty of the homiletic expounder of this chapter, especially if he would not simply seize upon and bring forth single pearls or gems, but consider the beautiful glittering jewel as a whole. For in order to a correct appreciation, and a truly fruitful application of the contents of the discourse, which is not wanting in richness, it is indispensable to avoid as much as possible any mutilation of so well-connected a whole, and to note everywhere not only what is true, but also what is false and one-sided in the utterances of the speaker. The Moses and the Balaam sides of the prophet must be exhibited together. Any other treatment, any one-sided favorable representation of the speaker’s character would contradict the evident purpose of the poet, which is from the beginning to the end of this discourse to present truth and error blended and amalgamated together. This is especially indicated by the circumstance that Eliphaz at the close of the discourse appears wholly in the character of a pseudo-prophet, of the order of Balaam, and is compelled unwillingly to prophesy the issue of the controversy, and that too as one that is decidedly unfavorable to him and his associates. “He who now, considering himself as נָקִי, preaches penitence to Job, shall at last stand forth אִי נָקִי, and will be one of the first who need Job’s intercession as the servant of God, and whom he is able mediatorially to rescue by the purity of his hands” (Delitzsch—comp. above on Job_22:29-30).
HOMILETICAL AND PRACTICAL
Job_22:2 seq. Brentius: This is indeed a most beautiful exhortation to repentance which Eliphaz here delivers; but what is it to Job? Eliphaz therefore sins in this direction, because that by these words he falsely charges Job with iniquity and impiety, and this with no other reason for so doing than that he sees him to be afflicted. … Everything is well said, but carnally understood. For carnal wisdom thinks that in this life blessing attends the godly in temporal affairs, but a curse the ungodly; whereas truth teaches that in this life, to the godly, the blessing accompanies the curse, life death, salvation damnation; while, on the contrary, to the ungodly, the curse accompanies the blessing, death life, damnation salvation.
Job_22:6 seq. Starke (after the Tübingen Bible and Zeyss): To withhold a pledge which has been received, and to oppress the poor, are heinous sins, which cry out to heaven (Exo_22:26 seq.). To sin against the widows, the orphans, the poor, the needy, etc., infallibly brings down severe punishment from God, as One who has His eye specially on those, Sir_35:18 seq.
Job_22:12 seq. Cocceius: It is an old error that God dwells in the highest summit of heaven, and touches those things which are lower only by a certain force impressed on those things which are nearest to Himself, and gradually transmitted from them;—an error which Scripture refutes when it says that God is a God at hand, and not a God afar off (Jer_23:23 seq.), for no part of creation is nearer to God than any other.—Wohlfarth: “God is too exalted to trouble himself about the affairs of men:” thus do many still think, and walk accordingly in the path of unbelief, sin and destruction. Only the Tempter can persuade them to this. Just because God is the most exalted Being, nothing is hidden from Him; and He knows even our most secret actions, our most hidden wishes, our most silent sufferings (Jer_23:23 seq.; Psa_139:1 seq.; Mat_6:8; 1Jn_3:20, etc.).
Job_22:17 seq. Starke: As it is the wish and longing of the godly, that God would draw nigh to them, so, on the contrary, the burden of the song of the ungodly is: “Depart from us!” They would gladly leave to God His heaven, if He would only leave to them their earthly pleasure.—God oftentimes seeks to allure the wicked to repentance by multiplying their earthly possessions; if, however, He does not succeed in this, it results only in their heavier condemnation. When they think that they are most firmly established, God suddenly casts them down, and brings them to nought (Psa_73:19).
Job_22:19. Wohlfarth: May the Christian also rejoice in the destruction of sinners? Eliphaz, in accordance with the way of thinking in his time, speaks of the pleasure of the righteous when sinners are seized by the hand of the Lord. Christ wept in sight of Jerusalem over its hardened inhabitants, and said: “How often,” etc. (Mat_23:37; Luk_19:42 seq.) … When, therefore, the Lord blesses the righteous, rejoice, O Christian! but do not mock at the sinner, but save him when thou canst do it (Jam_5:19-20),—when not, mourn for him as thy brother, whose fate demands pity.
Job_22:23-25. Starke: What sin tears down, God’s grace builds up again. Having this, you are rich enough! The world’s treasure and comfort are silver and gold, empty and perishable things; but the children of God’s only, highest, and best portion is God Himself (Psa_73:25 seq.).—V. Gerlach: If thou dost cling with the heart to God, thou canst throw away thy gold, or lose it without concern; the Almighty still remains thy perennial treasure; whereas, on the contrary, without Him the most laborious cares and watchings avail nothing.
Job_22:27. V. Gerlach: The paying of the vows, which is elsewhere presented more as a duty, appears here as a promise: God will ever grant thee so much, that thou shalt be able to fulfill all thy vows!
Job_22:30. Jo. Lange: The intercession of a righteous man is so potent with God, that on account of it He spares even evil-doers, and visits them not with punishment (Gen_18:23 seq.; Eze_14:14 seq.).
Lange's Commentary on the Holy Scriptures (Critical, Doctrinal, and Homiletical), ed. John Peter Lange, English translation edited by Philip Schaff (1864–1880) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain The third stage of the controversy.
The third stage of the controversy.
Chaps. 22-26.
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THIRD ADDRESS OF ELIPHAZ.
1. Then Eliphaz… answered — God is all-sufficient, and if he punish, it is not for his own profit, much less for the sake of human piety, but on account of the sins of men. It is therefore plain that an infinite sufferer must have been an infinite sinner, (2-5.) Job’s exaggerated description of the prosperity of the wicked seems to Eliphaz a denial of Divine Providence.
He now proceeds to refute Job by indirectly arguing the doctrine of such Providence, and carries the war into Africa by an assault upon Job himself. He charges upon him the guilt of oppression and cruelty to the weak and defenceless. Under his emirship might and violence prospered. Moreover, he was a sceptic, well skilled to make “the worse appear the better reason,” (12-15.) That Job should suffer was due to sins such as these, and demonstrated that the wicked are punished in this life. The antediluvians lived just such lives as those of the happy wicked, and their foundation of bliss and security was poured forth like a stream. The triumphant song of the survivors furnishes a text from which Eliphaz confidently urges Job to return to God, with the assurance of returning prosperity, which will manifest itself not so much in worldly good as in joy in God, the consciousness of spiritual uprightness, and the bliss of doing good to others.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (1) Then answered Eliphaz.—Eliphaz proceeds to reply in a…
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.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain Vers. 1-30. Eliphaz returns to the attack, but with…
Vers. 1-30. Eliphaz returns to the attack, but with observations that are at first strangely pointless and irrelevant, e.g. on the unprofitableness of man to God (vers. l, 2), and on the slight importance of Job"s case (ver. 3). After this weak prelude, however, there is more vigour in his assault. In vers. 4-9 he directly charges Job with a number of specified sins, and in vers. 10, 11 declares his sufferings to be the consequence of them. He then proceeds to accuse him of denying God"s omniscience (vers. 12-14), and, alter some not very successful attempts to retort on him his own words (vers. 15-20), finally recurs to his favourite devices (see Job_5:17-26) of exhorting Job to submission and repentance, and promising him restoration to God"s favour and a return of prosperity (vers. 21-30).
Vers. 1, 2. Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said, Can a man be profitable unto God? Job had said nothing upon this point; but perhaps Eliphaz thinks his complaints and expostulations to imply a higher value in man, and a greater claim to consideration at God"s hands, than can rightly be challenged. Certainly God does not depend on man for profit or advantage of any kind. Neither our wisdom nor our.goodness "extendeth to him." As he that is wise may be profitable unto himself; rather, truly he that is wise is profitable unto himself; i.e. to himself only, and not to God. Man"s intelligence and researches can add nothing to God"s knowledge.
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Vers. 1-4. Eliphaz to Job: the third colloquy: the second controversy: 1. A fallacious syllogism.
I A SOUND PREMISS. That God"s government of mankind is entirely disinterested, his judicial retributions not being affected by considerations of personal benefit or hurt arising from the conduct of his creatures.
1. Not by expectation of advantage. (Vers. 2, 3) Here is:
(1) An admission; that a wise man, rightly exercising his faculties in the sphere of natural life, may effectually promote his own advantage a proposition incontrovertible by reason, since wisdom in this sense signifies superior discernment and ability, the capacity of employing means to accomplish ends; (Ecc_10:10) and abundantly confirmed by experience, which attests that "by wisdom there is profit to them that see the sun", (Ecc_7:11) that "through wisdom is a house builded, and its chambers filled with all precious and pleasant riches", (Pro_24:3, Pro_24:4) and that "wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty men which are in the city". (Ecc_7:19)
(2) An implication; that the same law holds good in the higher realm of religion; that a man acting wisely, i.e. living under the influence of that wisdom which cometh from above, (Jam_3:17) filling his heart with that fear of the Lord which is the beginning of wisdom, (Job_28:28 Psa_111:10 Pro_1:7 Ecc_12:13) and shaping his ways in accordance with its instructions, (Job_28:28 Pro_3:7 Pro_16:6) shall also advance his highest interests (Pro_4:8) a sentiment likewise endorsed by Scripture (1Ti_4:8 1Ti_6:6) and experience.
(3) An admonition; that the above law does not apply to man"s relations to his Creator; that a man even in his best estate (Geber), which is wholly vanity, (Psa_39:5) clothing himself in righteousness, and striving, with apparent success, to make his ways perfect, as Job somewhat boldly asserted he had done, (Job_9:21 Job_13:15) can center nothing in the shape of increase or profit upon God; that his piety, which may be useful to himself (Pro_19:8) and helpful to his neighbors, (Ecc_9:15) does not reach as far as God in the way of bestowing advantage, (Job_35:7 Psa_16:2) neither augmenting his felicity nor enhancing his sufficiency, (Rom_11:35) and therefore cannot enter into God"s calculations in the distribution of rewards and punishments among his subjects, as certainly it should not mingle with man"s cogitations about himself. (Luk_17:10)
(4) A qualification. Nevertheless, God not only expresses himself as it" the piety of his people did contribute to his felicity (Num_14:8 1Ki_10:9 Psa_37:23 Psa_147:11) and advantage (Matthew" 21:41), but pathetically complains that sinful men are "together become unprofitable". (Rom_3:12)
2. Not by fear of damage. (Ver. 4) Eliphaz appears to mean that God has as little reason to dread loss from man"s wickedness (Job_35:6) as to expect gain from his godliness, and therefore no need to defend himself against man by either punishing him with undeserved calamities, or weakening him through unmerited rebukes. The sentiment may remind us
(1) of man"s weakness, which can do nothing against God, who sits enthroned in heaven far beyond the reach of man"s puny arm;
(2) of sin"s folly, which by all its craft and contrivance can succeed in inflicting damage only on itself;
(3) of God"s greatness, which remains unaffected by all the conspiracies of men and devils against his throne, his Law, his grace, his Person;
(4) of affliction"s design, which is not to crush but to convert man, not to reduce him to weakness but to bring him to repentance, not to evince the Divine indignation against him bat to attest the Divine love and compassion towards him.
II THE MISTAKEN INFERENCE. That Job was a sinner.
1. The inference appeared obvious.
(1) It was evident that Job was a great sufferer.
(2) It was self-contradictory to suppose that God was chastising him on account of his piety. So some read the words, "Will he reprove thee for fear of thee?" literally, "for, or on account of, thy fear," i.e. thy piety? No, verily.
(3) It was inconceivable that God could be punishing him from any interested motive. Hence
(4) it was a natural inference that Job"s calamities were judicial visitations on account of sins. Therefore
(5) Job, in spite of appearances to the contrary, must be a great sinner in fact, a criminal of gigantic proportions, as Eliphaz next proceeds to show (vers. 5-9). Nevertheless:
2. The inference was wrong. Since
(1) Job was not a sinner in the sense intended by his accuser, but, as his conscience testified and God had declared, a perfect man and an upright, one that feared God and eschewed evil.
(2) Besides strict judicial retribution, and infliction of suffering from interested motives, there was a third alternative, of which Eliphaz appeared to be ignorant, viz. chastisement for the individual"s good (Heb_12:10) the view of suffering subsequently brought into prominence by Elihu, (Job_33:14-30) and constantly exhibited in the gospel. And
(3) in point of fact, Job was not being treated penalty on account of any personal transgression. Hence
(4) the inference of Eliphaz, though on his premises correct, was essentially fallacious.
Learn:
1. That the best saint has no more claim on God"s grace and favour than the worst sinner.
2. That God"s salvation of sinful men can in the case of none be of work and merit, but in the case of all must be of faith and grace.
3. That, as a special mark of condescension and kindness, God is pleased to accept and reward the services of his people as if they had been profitable unto himself.
4. That if God has no need of man"s righteousness, man has infinite need of God"s.
5. That, notwithstanding God derives no advantage from the piety of his creatures, he commands all men to make their ways perfect,
6. That, though God never reproves men out of fear, he sometimes does out of love.
7. That good people"s piety is sometimes better than their logic.
HOMILIES BY E. JOHNSON Vers. 1-30. Censorious and uncharitable reasoning.
Eliphaz again takes up the word. He does not contest Job"s position, that life presents many examples of the prosperity of the godless, and of the calamities of the godly, but he still maintains that only grievous sins, such as he proceeds to specify oppression, hard-heartedness, injustice to his neighbours could be the cause of his misfortunes and miseries (vers. 2-10). He then proceeds to give an earnest warning against further indulgence in profane thoughts and words, because the fatal end of the wicked man, whatever his course may have been, can be no other than dreadful, like that of all wicked men from olden time (vers. 11-20). Then comes an invitation to repentance and conversion, and to the enjoyment of the blessings promised to the penitent by God (vers. 21-30).
I ACCUSATION OF JOB AS A GREAT SINNER. (Vers. 2-10)
1. These questions taken together (vers. 2-5) form a syllogism (Zockler). The major premise (vers 2, 3) expresses the thought: in God, the all-sufficing One, who is not affected by man"s good or evil, the cause of Job"s unhappiness cannot lie; the minor premise shows that if Job himself bears the blame, this cannot possibly be because of his reverence for God (ver. 4); and the conclusion is drawn to the prejudice of the moral character of Job (ver. 5). "Does man bring profit to God? No, the man of sense profits himself." God needs nothing, and gains nothing, whether man"s conduct be wise or foolish; therefore if he has acted wisely, man is but consulting his own interest. "Is it an advantage to the Almighty, if thou art just? or a gain, if thou makest thy ways sound?" i.e. pure and free from blame and punishment. Therefore it cannot be selfish or arbitrary motives which determine God to afflict men. "Will he chastise thee for thy reverence, go with thee to judgment?" If the reason of your doom is to be found in yourself, can it be reverence to him for which he punishes you? It must be the very opposite. Then comes the conclusion, "Is thy wickedness not great, and of thy transgressions no end?" On the rigid principles of Eliphaz and his companions, no other conclusion can be drawn. "The things said are good, but they are carnally understood. For the wisdom of the flesh thinks that blessing outwardly belongs in this world to the godly, and to the ungodly, curses; but the truth teaches that the godly enjoy blessing in this life under the guise of cursing, life in death, salvation in seeming condemnation; but, on the contrary, the ungodly are cursed under the show of blessing, are dead while they live, are condemned though in seeming safety" (Brenz).
2. Enumeration of Job"s supposed sins (vers. 6-10). They are the sins of the rich and powerful, such as Job had been. "For thou didst take a pledge of thy brother without cause," thine abundance rendering such measures against a poor neighbour unnecessary. Note the indignation with which the Bible ever treats sins against the poor and needy. "And stripped off the clothes of the naked," i.e. the ragged, the scantily clothed. Common humanity would forbid the taking of the last garment of such in pledge; and the Law of Moses strictly, prohibited it (Exo_22:25 Deu_24:6, Deu_24:10) "Thou gavest...not the thirsty water to drink, and didst refuse the hungry bread;" comp. Isa_58:10, and the beautiful contrast in the words of Christ concerning giving the cup of cold water to the little one. (Mat_10:42) "And the powerful man literally, "the man of arm, his was the land, and the man of consideration was to dwell in it." A picture, as the speaker supposes, true to the life of what Job had been. "Widows thou didst send empty away, and the arms of the orphans were crushed" i.e. their rights and their resources, all that they could rely on. (Psa_37:17 Eze_30:22) "Therefore snares are round about thee, and terror comes upon thee suddenly". (comp. Job_18:11 Pro_3:25) The truth of God"s special care over widows and orphans, over the poor, the prisoners, and the oppressed is thus incidentally brought out with force. Sins against them are amongst the vilest that cry to Heaven. (RAPC Sir 35:14, 15, 18)
II WARNING OF FURTHER PUNISHMENT. (Vers. 11-20)
1. "Or darkness that thou canst not see, and a flood of waters covers thee the night of woe and the deep misery which have come upon him inconsequence of his sins (ver. 1). "Is not Eloah heaven-high? infinitely exalted do but behold the head or, "highest of the stars, how exalted they are!" (ver. 12). Then how idle is every thought of the limitation of his power, and every doubt of the absolute justice of his doings! In vers. 13, 14 Job"s doubts of the justice of God"s government are construed by the speaker as denials of God"s knowledge of earthly things and his providence over mankind, like the Epicureans in ancient and the deists in modern times. "And thou sayest, What knoweth God? will he judge through the dark clouds? clouds are his covering, that he seeth not; and he walketh on the circumference of the heaven," deigning not to give heed to this little and insignificant earth. Similar expressions of ancient scepticism are found in Psa_73:11 Psa_94:7 Isa_29:15 Eze_8:12. Its refutation is in the words of Jer_23:23, God is not afar off, but near to every creature not far from every one of us. (vers 27, 28 Ac 17) To think that God is too exalted to attend to our mean affairs, is to set out on the road of unbelief, sin, and ruin. Rather, because God is so exalted, nothing is hidden from him. He is as manifest in the microscopic dust as in the planetary worlds. He knows our most secret deeds, our inmost feelings, our sufferings that most retire from the notice of others. (Jer_23:23, 24 Psa_139:1 Mat_6:8 1Jn_3:20)
2. The overthrow of the godless. (Vers. 15-20) "Wilt thou observe the way of the old world, which men of perdition trod? alluding, perhaps, to those before the Deluge. (2Pe_2:5) Swept away before their time, their foundation was poured away like a stream, so that they could not remain (ver. 16). These ungodly ones had said to God, "Depart from us;" had asked, "What can the Almighty do for us?" (ver. 17). Job had in the previous chapter (vers. 14, 15) put words like these into the mouth of the prosperous bad men; and now Eliphaz ascribes them to the subject of his description, to show Job that he approves up to a certain point of the representation he had made of the relation of external happiness to human guilt (Zockler). "And yet it was he that had filled their houses with blessing," giving the contrast between the sudden Divine judgments and the previous prosperous condition which suggested their exemption from punishment. "The counsel of the wicked be far from me!" exclaims the speaker (ver. 18), echoing Job, (Job_21:16) as if to imply only one who, like myself, has no doubt of God"s retributive justice, may dare thus to speak. The wish of the godly is that God may draw near, ever nearer, to him; that of the ungodly is always, "Remove, depart from us!" "They would willingly leave God his heaven, if he would only leave them their earthly comfort" (Starke). Ver. 19, the overthrow of the wicked is a subject of rejoicing even of derision, to the righteous and innocent, according to the proverb, "He laughs best who laughs last". (comp. Psa_58:10, 11 64:9) Ver. 20 contains the words of triumph of the godly, "Verily, our adversaries are destroyed, and their remainder the fire has consumed." Contrast the spirit of Christ. (Mat_23:37 Luk_19:42 Jam_5:19, Jam_5:20)
III EXHORTATION TO REPENTANCE AND PROMISE OF SALVATION. (Vers. 21-30)
1. Exhortation. "Make friends with him, and be at peace", (Jam_4:8) "thereby blessing will come to thee" (ver. 21); "Take instruction from his mouth". (Pro_2:6) "If thou returnest to the Almighty, thou wilt be built again; if thou put wrong far from thy tents, and lay in the dust the precious metal, and under the gravel of the brooks the Ophir gold getting rid of it as a worthless thing will the Almighty be thy Treasure, and silver in heaps" (vers. 23, 25; see on this sentiment the New Testament passages, Mat_6:20, 33 19:21 Luk_12:33 1Ti_6:16-19). God"s grace builds up what sin destroys. To enjoy that grace is competency, is wealth. Deus meus et cranial. (Psa_73:25, Psa_73:26) "Let thy heart rely on God, and thou mayest cast away thy gold, lose it without care; the Almighty remains thine inviolable Treasure; whilst, on the other hand, without him the most troubled watching and anxiety are of no avail" (vide Gerlach).
2. Promises continued. (Vers. 26-30) "Yea, then thou writ delight thyself, in the Almighty, and lift up thy face to God" (ver. 26), in the freedom of a conscience without guilt. (Job_11:15; comp. Psa_37:4 Isa_58:14) "If thou prayest to him, he will hear thee, and thy vows thou wilt have". (Psa_22:25 Psa_50:14 Psa_61:8 Psa_65:2) The vow is looked at in the light of promise rather than of duty; God will always grant so much that thou canst fulfil all thy vows. "If thou resolvest on anything, it will come to pass, and light shall beam on thy way. If they the ways go downwards, thou sayest, Up! a cry of triumph and thanksgiving. "And to the cast down he gives help. He will deliver the not-innocent, and he is delivered by the cleanness of thy hands" (vers. 28-30). For the sake of thy innocence, which thou shalt have regained, God will be gracious to others who need atonement for their guilt. Little does the Pharisaic speaker dream that it is he who will receive the pardon at God"s hands for Job"s sake. (Job_42:8) The "prayer of a righteous man availeth much." At his intercession evil-doers may be spared, and not visited with the merited punishment. J. (Gen_18:23, 24 Eze_14:14)
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Biblical Illustrator 1887 · Public Domain Can a man be profitable unto God?
Job_22:1-4
Can a man be profitable unto God?
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The third speech of Eliphaz
Two general truths.
I. That the great God is perfectly independent of mans character, whether right or wrong. Can a man be profitable unto God, as he that is wise may be profitable unto himself? Is it any pleasure to the Almighty, that thou art righteous? or is it gain to Him, that thou makest thy ways perfect?
1. He is so independent of it that He is not affected by it. No hellish crimes can lessen His felicity; no heavenly virtue can heighten His blessedness. He is infinitely more independent of all the virtues in heaven than the orb of day is independent of a candles feeble rays, more independent of all the crimes of hell than noontide brightness is of a mere whiff of smoke. He is not worshipped with mens hands as though He needed anything. This fact should impress us--
(1) With the duty of humility. He is independent of the most righteous services of the highest intelligence in the universe. None are necessary to the carrying out of His purposes.
(2) With the benevolence of His legislation. Why does He lay down laws for the regulation of human conduct? Simply and entirely for our own happiness.
2. He is so independent of it that He will not condescend to explain His treatment of it. Will He reprove thee for fear of thee? Will He enter with thee into judgment? One great cause of Jobs murmuring was that God had sent punishment upon him without any explanation. For this Eliphaz here reproves him, and virtually says, Is it not in the highest degree absurd to expect that the Maker should be willing to explain His doings to the creatures He has made?
II. Mans character is of the utmost importance to himself. He that is wise may be profitable unto himself. Eliphaz means to say that the wise and pious man is profitable to himself. To the man himself, character is everything. The wealth of Croesus, the strength of Samson, the wisdom of Solomon, and the dominion of Caesar are nothing to a man in comparison to his character. His character is the fruit of his existence, the organ of his power, the law of his destiny. It is the only property he carries with him beyond the grave. (Homilist.)
The independence of God
The question, Can a man be profitable unto God? requires, in order to its thorough discussion, that it be resolved into two,--Can anything which a man does be injurious to God? Can anything which a man does be advantageous to God? When human actions are considered in reference to the Almighty, their consequences it appears can in no degree extend themselves to one infinitely removed from all that is created. Not, indeed, that we must so represent the independence of God, as that it involves indifference to men, or totally disregards their actions. Scriptures declare that God is dishonoured by our sinfulness, and glorified by our obedience. But we glorify Him without actually rendering Him any service, and we dishonour Him without doing Him any actual injury.
I. Thy impossibility that men should be profitable unto God. Think of the greatness of God, how inaccessible He is, how immeasurably removed from all created being. Thinking of this, you can scarcely indulge the idea, that the services of any creature, however exalted and endowed, can be necessary to God. If you examine with the least attention, you must see that, supposing God injured by our sin, or advantaged by our righteousness, is the equivalent to supposing our instrumentality necessary in order to the accomplishment of His purposes.
II. The inferences which follow from this truth. Note the perfect disinterestedness of God in sending His own Son to die for the rebellious. It cannot be that God redeemed us because He required our services. The only account which can be given of the amazing interposition is, that God loves us; and even this evades, rather than obviates, the difficulty. Remember that, though you can do nothing for God, He is ready in Christ to do everything for you. (Henry Melvill, B. D.)
The doctrine of merit
It is a matter of no small moment for a man to be rightly informed upon what terms and conditions he is to transact with God, and God with him, in the great business of his salvation. St. Paul tells us that eternal life is the gift of God. Salvation proceeds wholly upon free gift, though damnation upon strict desert. Such is the extreme folly, or rather sottishness, of mans corrupt nature, that this does by no means satisfy him. When he comes to deal with God about spirituals, he appears and acts, not as a supplicant, but as a merchant; not as one who comes to be relieved, but to traffic. This great self-delusion, so prevalent upon most minds, is the thing here encountered in the text; which is a declaration of the impossibility of mans being profitable to God, or of his meriting of God, according to the true, proper, and strict sense of merit. Merit is a right to receive some good upon the score of some good done, together with an equivalence or parity of worth between the good to be received and the good done.
I. It is implied that men are naturally very prone to entertain as opinion or persuasion, that they are able to merit of God, or be profitable to Him. The truth of this will appear from two considerations.
1. It is natural for men to place too high a value both upon themselves and their own performances. That this is so is evident from universal experience. Every man will be sure to set his own price upon what be is, and what he does, whether the world will come up to it or no; as it seldom does.
2. The natural aptness of men to form and measure their apprehensions of the supreme Lord of all things, by what they apprehend and observe of the princes and potentates of this world, with reference to such as are under their dominion. This is certainly a very prevailing fallacy, and steals too easily upon mens minds, as being founded in the unhappy predominance of sense over reason, No marvel then, if they blunder in their notions about God, a Being so vastly above the apprehensions of sense. From misapplied premises, the low, gross, undistinguishing reason of the generality of mankind, presently infers that the creature may, on some accounts, be as beneficial to his Creator as a subject may be to his prince. Men are naturally very prone to persuade themselves that they are able to merit of God, or be profitable to Him.
II. Such a persuasion is utterly false and absurd, for it is impossible for men to merit of God. Show the several ingredients of merit, and the conditions necessary to render an action meritorious.
1. That an action be not due; that is to say, it must not be such as a man stands obliged to the doing of, but such as he is free either to do or not to do, without being chargeable with any sinful omission in case he does not. But all that any man alive is capable of doing, is but an indispensable homage to God, and not a free oblation; and that also such an homage as makes his obligation to what he does much earlier than his doing of it, will appear both from the law of nature, and that of Gods positive command.
2. It should really add to and better the state of the person of whom it is to merit. The reason of which is because all merit consists properly in a right to receive some benefit, or the account of some benefit first done.
(1) God offers Himself to our consideration as a Being infinitely perfect, infinitely happy, and self-sufficient, depending upon no supply or revenue from abroad.
(2) On the other hand, is man a being fit and able to make this addition? Man only subsists by the joint alms of heaven and earth, and stands at the mercy of everything in nature, which is able either to help or hurt him. Is this now the person to oblige his Maker?
3. That there be an equal proportion of value between the action and the reward. This is evident from the foundation already laid by us; to wit, that the nature of merit consists properly in exchange; and that, we know, must proceed according to a parity of worth on both sides, commutation being most properly between things equivalent. Can we, who live by sense, and act by sense, do anything worthy of those joys which not only exceed our senses, but also transcend our intellectuals?
4. He who does a work whereby he would merit of another, does it solely by his own strength, and not by the strength or power of him from whom he is to merit.
III. This persuasion is the source and foundation of two of the greatest corruptions of religion that have infested the Christian Church. These are pelagianism and popery. Pelagianism is resolvable into this one point, that a man contributes something of his own, which he had not from God, towards his own salvation.
IV. Remove an objection naturally apt to issue from the foregoing particulars. Can there be a greater discouragement than this doctrine to men in their Christian course? Answer--
1. It ought not to be any discouragement to a beggar to continue asking an alms, and in doing all that he can to obtain it, though he knows he can do nothing to claim it.
2. I deny that our disavowing this doctrine of merit, cuts us off from all plea to a recompense for our Christian obedience from the hands of God. It cuts us off from all plea on the score of strict justice. But Gods justice is not the only thing that can oblige Him in His transactings with men. His veracity and His promise also oblige Him. (Robert South, D. D.)
Does religion enrich God
These withering questions were addressed to a humiliated man, with the object of crushing him more completely. Eliphaz was, of course, right in defending the justice of the Divine government. But was the argument he used--that mans religion is a matter of indifference to God--a sound one?
I. Upon the surface, the questions admit of no answer but a negative. Can a man be profitable unto God, as he that is wise may be profitable unto himself? We cannot conceive of the Deity as other than perfect, self-contained and self-sufficient. His power is omnipotent, and His years eternal. What can man do to enhance such adorable perfections? Will the light of a candle add to the glory of the sunshine at midday? Will a single drop of water perceptibly increase the volume of the ocean? Our Christian activities do not enrich God, as the work of shop assistants enriches their employers. Nor do our religious offerings add to His wealth. All is already His, and of His own do we give Him. The gain is on our side; not Gods. We profit by our holiness of character, our Christian zeal, and our religious offerings. Nothing can be more sublimely ludicrous than the patronage which some men accord religion. They give to religious objects in the spirit of monarchs dispensing alms to the needy. They graciously allow their names to be printed as patrons of religious institutions.
II. Yet, looking at his words again, we feel that they must not be allowed to pass without qualification or amendment. They are true to a certain extent, and in that limited degree may be usefully employed. Eliphaz in his laudable attempt to exalt God above the deities of the heathen, who according to the conceptions of their worshippers were enriched or impoverished by their piety or the lack of it, elevated Him to a pinnacle of remoteness and indifference which He does not occupy. In his extremely proper endeavour to magnify God he belittled man, which is both unnecessary and wrong. Is it the case that religion is merely an insurance? Is godliness nothing more than prudence? Do our saintliest serve God only for what they can get? Well, religion is less attractive than it seemed if the struggles that won our admiration and the sacrifices that moved us to tears were only prompted by self-interest. It is an insufficient explanation. Again, is it true, as Eliphaz insinuates, that human righteousness gives no pleasure to God? It is a crushing suggestion. The Eternal is high above you and cares nothing for your little concerns, even for your small virtues and petty victories over sin! It is a crushing suggestion. And surely it is a fallacious one. We may take the good He has given us or we may leave it, He does not care! His eternal calm is unruffled, His ineffable completeness unbroken, by the fortunes of mortal men! Can a man be profitable unto God? No, he that is wise is profitable unto himself. Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that thou art righteous? or is it gain to Him that thou makest thy ways perfect? Oh, it is a repellent picture. We are prepared to hear that there is a fallacy in it.
III. Its effect is to demoralise and debauch man. And it really does not magnify God. While professing to exalt Him, it lowers Him. Is God too great to notice man? That is not real greatness which can only condescend to notice great affairs. The answer to it lies in the book which records it. We see the Almighty contemplating with satisfaction the uprightness of a man. We see Him defending that uprightness against the malicious insinuations of His own enemy and mans, Satan. A better reply still is furnished by the teaching of Jesus. He revealed God. He was God. And in beautiful similitudes He spoke of the Divine concern for the soul of man and the Divine joy in its salvation. God, if we may reverently say so, has given His case away by the revelation of His fatherhood. We cannot argue upon the ground of majesty, but on this level we are at home. We know how a father hungers for the love of his child. So we can please God: we can wound Him. For love craves a return, and love lies bleeding from indifference. Jesus, yearning over Jerusalem, is the answer in the affirmative to the questions of Eliphaz. But the supreme answer lies not in the teaching of Jesus, convincing though that is, but in Jesus Himself. That answer is final. Is the moral condition of man of no concern to God? Then come with me to Bethlehem, to a stable behind the village inn. Is the soul of man uncared for by God? Then come with me to Calvary. Do you see that Man dying, amid throes of unutterable agony, on a cross of wood? (B. J. Gibbon.)
The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Expositor's Bible 1887 · Public Domain Job 22
XIX.
DOGMATIC AND MORAL ERROR
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Job 22
ELIPHAZ SPEAKS
THE second colloquy has practically exhausted the subject of debate between Job and his friends. The three have really nothing more to say in the way of argument or awful example. It is only Eliphaz who tries to clinch the matter by directly accusing Job of base and cowardly offences. Bildad recites what may be called a short ode, and Zophar, if he speaks at all, simply repeats himself as one determined if possible to have the last word.
And why this third round? While it has definite marks of its own and the closing speeches of Job are important as exhibiting his state of mind, another motive seems to be required. And the following may be suggested. A last indignity offered, last words of hard judgment spoken, Job enters upon a long review of his life, with the sense of being victorious in argument, yet with sorrow rather than exultation because his prayers are still unanswered: and during all this time the appearance of the Almighty is deferred. The impression of protracted delay deepens through the two hundred and twenty sentences of the third colloquy in which, one may say, all the resources of poetry are exhausted. A tragic sense of the silence God keeps is felt to hang over the drama, as it hangs over human life. A man vainly strives to repel the calumnies that almost break his heart. His accusers advance from innuendo to insolence. He seeks in the way of earnest thought escape from their false reasoning; he appeals from men to God, from God in nature and providence to God in supreme and glorious righteousness behind the veil of sense and time. Unheard apparently by the Almighty, he goes back upon his life and rehearses the proofs of his purity, generosity, and faith; but the shadow remains. It is the trial of human patience and the evidence that neither a mans judgment of his own life nor the judgment expressed by other men can be final. God must decide, and for His decision men must wait. The author has felt in his own history this delay of heavenly judgment, and he brings it out in his drama. He has also seen that on this side death there can be no final reading of the judgment of God on a human life. We wait for God; He comes in a prophetic utterance which all must reverently accept; yet the declaration is in general terms. When at last the Almighty speaks from the storm the righteous man and his accusers alike have to acknowledge ignorance and error; there is an end of self defence and of condemnation by men, but no absolute determination of the controversy. "The vision is for the appointed time, and it hasteth toward the end, and shall not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not delay. Behold, his soul is puffed up, it is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith." {Hab_2:3-4}
Eliphaz begins with a singular question, which he is moved to state by the whole tenor of Jobs reasoning and particularly by his hope that God would become his Redeemer. "Can a man be profitable unto God?" Not quite knowing what he asks, meaning simply to check the boldness of Jobs hope, he advances to the brink of an abyss of doubt. You, Job, he seems to say, a mere mortal creature, afflicted enough surely to know your own insignificance, how can you build yourself up in the notion that God is interested in your righteousness? You think God believes in you and will justify you. How ignorant you must be if you really suppose your goodness of any consequence to the Almighty, if you imagine that by making your ways perfect, that is, claiming an integrity which man cannot possess, you will render any service to the Most High. Man is too small a creature to be of any advantage to God. Mans respect, faithfulness, and devotion are essentially of no profit to Him.
One must say that Eliphaz opens a question of the greatest interest both in theology or the knowledge of God, and in religion or the right feelings of man toward God. If man as the highest energy, the finest blossoming, and most articulate voice of the creation, is of no consequence to his Creator, if it makes no difference to the perfection or complacency of God in Himself whether man serves the end of his being or not, whether man does or fails to do the right he was made to love; if it is for mans sake only that the way of life is provided for him and the privilege of prayer given him, -then our glorifying of God is not a reality but a mere form of speech. The only conclusion possible would be that even when we serve God earnestly in love and sacrifice we are in point of fact serving ourselves. If one wrestles with evil, clings to the truth, renounces all for righteousness sake, it is well for him. If he is hard hearted and base, his life will decay and perish. But, in either case, the eternal calm, the ineffable completeness of the Divine nature are unaffected. Yea, though all men and all intelligent beings were overwhelmed in eternal ruin the Creators glory would remain the same, like a full-orbed sun shining over a desolate universe.
"We are such stuff
As dreams are made of, and our little life
Is rounded by a sleep."
Eliphaz thinks it is for mans sake alone God has created him, surrounded him with means of enjoyment and progress, given him truth and religion, and laid on him the responsibilities that dignify his existence. But what comes then of the contention that, because Job has sinned, desolation and disease have come to him from the Almighty? If mans righteousness is of no account to God, why should his transgressions be punished? Creating men for their own sake, a beneficent Maker would not lay upon them duties the neglect of which through ignorance must needs work their ruin. We know from the opening scenes of the book that the Almighty took pleasure in His servant. We see Him trying Jobs fidelity for the vindication of His own creative power and heavenly grace against the scepticism of such as the Adversary. Is a faithful servant not profitable to one whom he earnestly serves? Is it all the same to God whether we receive His truth or reject His covenant? Then the urgency of Christs redemptive work is a fiction. Satan is not only correct in regard to Job but has stated the sole philosophy of human life. We are to fear and serve God for what we get; and our notions of doing bravely in the great warfare on behalf of Gods kingdom are the fancies of men who dream.
"Can a man be profitable unto God?
Surely he that is wise is profitable to himself.
Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that thou art righteous?
Or is it gain to Him that thou makest thy ways perfect?
Is it for thy fear of Him that He reproveth thee,
That He entereth with thee into judgment?"
Regarding this what are we to say? That it is false, an ignorant attempt to exalt God at the expense of man, to depreciate righteousness in the human range for the sake of maintaining the perfection and self-sufficiency of God. But the virtues of man, love, fidelity, truth, purity, justice, are not his own. The power of them in human life is a portion of the Divine energy, for they are communicated and sustained by the Divine Spirit. Were the righteousness, love, and faith instilled into the human mind to fail of their result, were they, instead of growing and yielding fruit, to decay and die, it would be waste of Divine power; the moral cosmos would be relapsing into a chaotic state. If we affirm that the obedience and redemption of man do not profit the Most High, then this world and the inhabitants of it have been called into existence by the Creator in grim jest, and He is simply amusing Himself with our hazardous game.
With the same view of the absolute sovereignty of God in creation and providence on which Eliphaz founds in this passage, Jonathan Edwards sees the necessity of escaping the conclusion to which these verses point. He argues that Gods delight in the emanations of His fulness in the work of creation shows "His delight in the infinite fulness of good there is in Himself and the supreme respect and regard He has for Himself." An objector may say, he proceeds, "If it could be supposed that God needed anything; or that the goodness of His creatures could extend to Him; or that they could be profitable to Him, it might be fit that God should make Himself and His own interest His highest and last end in creating the world. But seeing that God is above all need and all capacity of being added to and advanced, made better and happier in any respect; to what purpose should God make Himself His end, or seek to advance Himself in any respect by any of His works?" The answer is-"God may delight with true and great pleasure in beholding that beauty which is an image and communication of His own beauty, an expression and manifestation of His own loveliness. And this is so far from being an instance of His happiness not being in and from Himself, that it is an evidence that He is happy in Himself, or delights and has pleasure in His own beauty." Nor does this argue any dependence of God on the creature for happiness. "Though He has real pleasure in the creatures holiness and happiness; yet this is not properly any pleasure which He receives from the creature. For these things are what He gives the creature." Here to a certain extent the reasoning is cogent and meets the difficulty of Eliphaz; and at present it is not necessary to enter into the other difficulty which has to be faced when the Divine reprobation of sinful life needs explanation. It is sufficient to say that this is a question even more perplexing to those who hold with Eliphaz than to those who take the other view. If man for Gods glory has been allowed a real part in the service of eternal righteousness, his failure to do the part of which he is capable, to which he is called, must involve his condemnation. So far as his will enters into the matter he is rightly held accountable, and must suffer for neglect.
Passing to the next part of Eliphazs address we find it equally astray for another reason. He asks "Is not thy wickedness great?" and proceeds to recount a list of crimes which appear to have been charged against Job in the base gossip of ill-doing people.
Is not thy wickedness great,
And no limit to thy iniquities?
For thou hast taken pledges of thy brother for nought
And stripped the naked of their clothing.
Thou hast not given water to the weary.
And thou hast withholden bread from the famished.
The man of might-his is the earth;
And he that is in honour dwelt therein.
Thou hast sent widows away empty,
And the arms of the orphans have been broken.
The worst here affirmed against Job is that he has overborne the righteous claims of widows and orphans. Bildad and Zophar made a mistake in alleging that he had been a robber and a freebooter. Yet is it less unfriendly to give ear to the cruel slanders of those who in Jobs day of prosperity had not obtained from him all they desired and are now ready with their complaints? No doubt the offences specified are such as might have been committed by a man in Jobs position and excused as within his right. To take a pledge for debt was no uncommon thing. When water was scarce, to withhold it even from the weary was no extraordinary baseness. Vambery tells us that on the steppes he has seen father and son fighting almost to the death for the dregs of a skin of water. Eliphaz, however, a good man, counts it no more than duty to share this necessary of life with any fainting traveller, even if the wells are dry and the skins are nearly empty. He also makes it a crime to keep back corn in the year of famine. He says truly that the man of might, doing such things, acts disgracefully. But there was no proof that Job had been guilty of this kind of inhumanity, and the gross perversion of justice to which Eliphaz condescends recoils on himself. It does not always happen so within our knowledge. Pious slander gathered up and retailed frequently succeeds. And Eliphaz endeavours to make good his opinion by showing providence to be for it; he keeps the ear open to any report that will confirm what is already believed; and the circulating of such a report may destroy the usefulness of a life, the usefulness which is denied.
Take a broader view of the same controversy. Is there no exaggeration in the charges thundered sometimes against poor human nature? Is it not often thought a pious duty to extort confession of sins men never dreamed of committing, so that they may be driven to a repentance that shakes life to its centre and almost unhinges the reason? With conviction of error, unbelief, and disobedience the new life must begin. Yet religion is made unreal by the attempt to force on the conscience and to extort from the lips an acknowledgment of crimes which were never intended and are perhaps far apart from the whole drift of the character. The truthfulness of John the Baptists preaching was very marked. He did not deal with imaginary sins. And when our Lord spoke of the duties and errors of men either in discourse or parable, He never exaggerated. The sins He condemned were all intelligible to the reason of those addressed, such as the conscience was bound to own, must recognise as evil things, dishonouring to the Almighty.
Having declared Jobs imaginary crimes, Eliphaz exclaims, "Therefore snares are round about thee and sudden fear troubleth thee." With the whole weight of assumed moral superiority he bears down upon the sufferer. He takes upon him to interpret providence, and every word is false. Job has clung to God as his Friend. Eliphaz denies him the right, cuts him off as a rebel from the grace of the King. Truly, it may be said, religion is never in greater danger than when it is upheld by hard and ignorant zeal like this.
Then, in the passage beginning at the twelfth verse, the attempt is made to show Job how he had fallen into the sins he is alleged to have committed.
"Is not God in the height of heaven?
And behold the code of the stars how high they are
And thou saidst-What doth God know?
Can He judge through thick darkness?
Thick clouds are a covering to Him that He seeth not,
And He walketh on the round of heaven."
Job imagined that God whose dwelling place is beyond the clouds and the stars could not see what he did. To accuse him thus is to pile offence upon injustice, for the knowledge of God has been his continual desire.
Finally, before Eliphaz ends the accusation, be identifies Jobs frame of mind with the proud indifference of those whom the deluge swept away. Job had talked of the prosperity and happiness of men who had not God in all their thoughts. Was he forgetting that dreadful calamity?
Wilt thou keep the old way
Which wickedmen have trodden?
Who were snatched away before their time,
Whose foundation was poured out as a stream:
Who said to God, Depart from us;
And what can the Almighty do unto us?
Yet He filled their houses with good things:
But the counsel of the wicked is far from me!
One who chose to go on in the way of transgressors would share their fate; and in the day of his disaster as of theirs the righteous should be glad and the innocent break into scornful laughter.
So Eliphaz closes, finding it difficult to make out his case, yet bound as he supposes to do his utmost for religion by showing the law of the vengeance of God. And, this done, he pleads and promises once more in the finest passage that falls from his lips:-
Acquaint now thyself with Him and be at peace:
Thereby good shall come Unto thee.
Receive, I pray thee, instruction from His mouth,
And lay up His words in thy heart.
If thou return to Shaddai, thou shalt be built up;
If thou put iniquity far from thy tents:
And lay thy treasure in the dust,
And among the stones of the streams the gold of Ophir;
Then shall Shaddai be thy treasure
And silver in plenty unto thee.
At last there seems to be a strain of spirituality. "Acquaint now thyself with God and be at peace." Reconciliation by faith and obedience is the theme. Eliphaz is ignorant of much; yet the greatness and majesty of God, the supreme power which must be propitiated occupy his thoughts, and he does what he can to lead his friend out of the storm into a harbour of safety. Though even in this strophe there, mingles a taint of sinister reflection, it is yet far in advance of anything Job has received in the way of consolation. Admirable in itself is the picture of the restoration of a reconciled life from which unrighteousness is put far away. He seems indeed to have learned something at last from Job. Now he speaks of one who in his desire for the favour and friendship of the Most High sacrifices earthly treasure, flings away silver and gold as worthless. No doubt it is ill-gotten wealth to which he refers, treasure that has a curse upon it. Nevertheless one is happy to find him separating so clearly between earthly riches and heavenly treasure, advising the sacrifice of the lower for what is infinitely higher. There is even yet hope of Eliphaz, that he may come to have a spiritual vision of the favour and friendship of. the Almighty. In all he says here by way of promise there is not a word of renewed temporal prosperity. Returning to Shaddai in obedience Job will pray and have his prayer answered. Vows he has made in the time of trouble shall be redeemed, for the desired aid shall come. Beyond this there shall be, in the daily life, a strength, decision, and freedom previously unknown. "Thou shalt decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee." The man who is at length in the right way of life, with God for his ally, shall form his plans and be able to carry them out.
"When they cast down, thou shalt say, Uplifting!
And the humble person He shall save.
He will deliver the man not innocent:
Yea he shall be delivered through the cleanness of thine hands."
True, in the future experience of Job there may be disappointment and trouble. Eliphaz cannot but see that the ill will of the rabble may continue long, and perhaps he is doubtful of the temper of his own friends. But God will help His servant who returns to humble obedience. And having been himself tried Job will intercede for those in distress, perhaps on account of their sin, and his intercession will prevail with God.
Put aside the thought that all this is said to Job, and it is surely a counsel of wisdom. To the proud and self-righteous it shows the way of renewal. Away with the treasures, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life, that keep the soul from its salvation. Let the Divine love be precious to thee and the Divine statutes thy joy. Power to deal with life, to overcome difficulties, to Serve thy generation shall then be thine. Standing securely in Gods grace thou shalt help the weary and heavy laden. Yet Eliphaz cannot give the secret of spiritual peace. He does not really know the trouble at the heart of human life. We need for our Guide One who has borne the burden of a sorrow which had nothing to do with the loss of worldly treasure but with the unrest perpetually gnawing at the heart of humanity, who "bore our sin in His own body unto the tree" and led captivity captive. What the old world could not know is made clear to eyes that have seen the cross against the falling night, and a risen Christ in the fresh Easter morning.
William Robertson Nicoll, ed., The Expositor's Bible (London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1887–1910) — public domain. 65 of 66 books (1 Corinthians is not separately keyed, as that volume carries no machine-parseable verse references); section-level commentary keyed to the opening verse. Introductory and overview sections not keyed to a specific passage are excluded.
The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary 1892 · Public Domain Remonstrates with Job on his self-righteousness, and plainly charges…
THIRD SPEECH OF ELIPHAZ THE TEMANITE
Remonstrates with Job on his self-righteousness, and plainly charges him with grievous transgressions as the cause of his present sufferings; concludes with promises of prosperity and blessing on his repentance.
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I. Reproves his apparent pride and self-righteousness (Job_22:2-4) God laid under no obligation by his piety. “Can a man be profitable unto God as he that is wise is profitable to himself? (or, when he by acting wisely profits himself; Margin, ‘if he may be profitable, does his good success depend on himself?’) Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that thou act righteous? or is it gain to Him that thou makest thy ways perfect? Will he reprove thee for fear of thee (lest He suffer injury and loss by thy conduct)? Will He enter with thee into judgment (to recover His right as an injured person)?” Observe—
1. God under no obligation to treat men better than He does. God no man’s debtor. A secret feeling at the bottom of men’s complaint against His providential dealings, as if they were wronged by Him and had a right to expect better treatment. On the contrary, all treated infinitely better than they deserve. All good in men is from God, not themselves. Men come infinitely short of rendering to God what He has a right to as their Creator, Preserver, and constant Benefactor.
2. God’s glory and happiness independent of man’s conduct. God no loser by men’s want of religion, nor gainer by their practice of it (Psa_16:2). God reproves men not from fear of them, but from love to them (Rev_3:19). Men never too bad for Him to love them, nor too great for Him to fear them. God neither rebukes the good from unkindness, nor the great from fear. Still true—
(1) That men may, through grace, promote God’s glory and advance His kingdom in the world;
(2) That He has pleasure in holy men and in their holy lives (Psa_147:11; Pro_11:20);
(3) That men have it in their power to render to God His rightful claim, or to rob Him of what is His (Mal_3:8). This the grievous sin not only of the Jews, but of men in general (Mat_21:34; Mat_21:41).
3. True wisdom always profitable to the possessor of it. That wisdom the fear of God and a life of godliness. Wisdom the knowledge, choice, and pursuit of the best end by the best means. Here equivalent to being “righteous,” or “making one’s ways perfect” or upright. Profitable in regard both to body and soul, time and eternity. Godliness with contentment great gain (1Ti_6:6). The gains of religion infinitely greater than its losses. Wisdom’s ways pleasantness and peace. Length of days in her right hand, in her left riches and honour. Godliness profitableness unto all things (1Ti_4:8). No good which is not gained by it; nothing lost by it which we are not the better by losing.
II. Charges Job with multiplied and grievous transgressions (Job_22:5-9).
1. In general terms (Job_22:5). “Is not thy wickedness great and thine iniquities infinite?” True, more or less, of all men, Job included. Not however in the sense of Eliphaz. According to Eliphaz, Job’s wickedness great in comparison with that of other men, and with his own. The thought that of the Pharisee in the temple.—Great and multiplied transgressions humbly acknowledged by the best (Psa_25:11; Psa_40:12; Ezr_9:6). The certain result of a fallen and corrupt nature (Mat_15:19; Gen_6:5; Gen_8:21). Corrupt streams constantly flow from a corrupt spring. Yet along with this, in Job and in all good men, a nature opposed to evil. Hence—
(1) the evil resisted, held in check, weakened, and more or less overcome;
(2) Good, though imperfectly, yet with more or less uniformity performed. Truly good men, in virtue of a two-fold nature, both saints and sinners. The former with their will, the latter against it. Good men do good, but not all they would, or any as they would. Do evil, but not all they otherwise would, nor would they do any (Gal_5:17). Observe—(i.) All wickedness great, as committed—(a) Against a great God; (b) Against great obligations to the contrary; (c) With comparatively little inducement to commit it; (d) With great evil as the result both to ourselves and others. (ii.) The wickedness of some greater than that of others; as committed—(a) With greater boldness; (b) Under great obligations to the contrary; (c) With greater knowledge and means of resistance; (d) With less temptation to the commission of it. (iii.) Men’s iniquities infinite—as (a) Against an infinite God; (b) Against infinite obligations to the contrary; (c) Numberless; (d) Incessant during life; (e) But for Divine grace, continuing to be committed throughout eternity; (f) Attended with infinitely disastrous results. Sins committed against infinite majesty and goodness have in them an infinite malignity and greatness.
2. Charges him with specific crimes (Job_22:6-9.)
(1) Cruelty and wrong (Job_22:6). “Thou hast taken a pledge from the poor for nought,”—unjustly, when nothing, or next to nothing, was due;—taking his garment from him for that purpose without restoring it to him by sunset, as afterwards required by the law (Exo_22:26-27), and as was always the part of a right-minded man,—the poor man’s garment by day being also his covering by night. Sometimes the bed itself taken as a pledge by rapacious and unfeeling creditors (Pro_22:27). The sin of not restoring the pledge spoken of as not uncommon among the Jews in the days of the prophets (Eze_18:12; Amo_1:8). This alleged sin of Job’s marked by Eliphaz as particularly heinous from its being committed against a “brother.” The “brother” not necessarily a relative, or even a countryman. All men brethren. All wrong done to our fellowmen done to our “brother.” “Sirs, ye are brethren,”—a powerful reason for not wronging one another (Act_7:26; Exo_2:11), &c.—The charge enlarged upon. “Thou hast stripped the naked (the poor and poorly clad) of their clothing,”—the large upper garment, or Arab hyke, worn as a garment by day and serving as a covering to sleep in at night. Among the articles taken and kept by rapacious and hard-hearted creditors. This charge the very opposite of Job’s character (ch. Job_29:12-17; Job_31:19-20).
(2) Want of kindness and charity to the poor and needy (Job_22:7.) “Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink, and thou hast witholden bread from the hungry.” Acts of kindness and hospitality particularly required in the East, and especially at that early period: no inns for travellers; people often poor; travelling generally performed on foot; climate hot and creating thirst; water often scarce and always precious; inhabitants often plundered by marauders, and forced to wander from house and home by invaders. Hence duties of hospitality held peculiarly sacred among Orientals, especially in Arabia (Gen_18:4-5; Gen_19:2; Gen_21:14-15; Gen_28:11; Exo_2:15). Fountains even in cities often bequeathed by wealthy Arabs for the free use of the poor, as well as money to provide persons to dispense it gratuitously in the streets. Job’s actual conduct the reverse of that here ascribed to him (ch. Job_31:17; Job_31:32).
(3) Partiality to the rich (Job_22:8). “But as for the mighty man, he had the earth (or land), and the honourable man dwelt in it.” Reference probably intended to Job’s judicial conduct as an Arab chief, emir, or prince. The charge that of neglecting and wronging the poor, while the rich and mighty were favoured. The former expelled from their homes and inheritances to make room for the latter. Violence and wrong on the part of the great connived at. Partiality to the rich a grievous offence in the sight of God (Pro_28:21). Especially on the part of judges and magistrates (Lev_19:15). Condemned as existing in early Christian churches (Jas_2:1-9). To feast the rich and neglect to feed the poor, the opposite of Christ’s rule (Luk_14:12-14). The peculiar temptation of the rich.
(4) Neglect and oppression of the widow and fatherless (Job_22:9). “Thou hast sent the widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken,”—their support and means of subsistence taken from them, either by Job himself, or by others with his connivance. His alleged conduct either as that of a rich and powerful man in private life, or of a judge and magistrate, such as Job actually was (ch. Job_29:7-17. The conduct here ascribed to him that of the unjust judge in the Parable (Luk_18:2-5). The opposite of Job’s real conduct (ch. Job_21:12-17; Job_31:17-18; Job_31:21). The offence laid to his charge one of the most aggravated. Neglect of the cause of an injured person a grievous offence on the part of the judge or magistrate; still more so when the cause is that of those who are bereft of their natural defenders and unable to defend themselves. To injure any a sin in the sight, of God; an aggravated sin to injure the widow and the fatherless. Widows and fatherless children entitled to pity; still more to justice. Not to assist such, a sin; a still greater one to injure them. The widow and fatherless especially cared for by God (Psa_68:5). The same required by Him of others, both under the law (Exo_22:22) and under the Gospel (Jas_1:27).
These charges exhibit—
(1) The wrong done to Job by his friends;
(2) The trial thus endured by himself. The open expression of what had been their secret thoughts from the first of their visit (ch. Job_21:27). False charges both a grievous wrong against men and a heinous sin against God. An aggravation when, as in this case, laid against a good man and a friend.
The multiplicity and magnitude of Job’s offences only inferred by Eliphaz from his extraordinary sufferings. His false and uncharitable charges the result of a false philosophy and mistaken views of the Divine government. Errors in religion no less condemnable in themselves or injurious in their consequences from being sincerely held and earnestly defended. Christ’s followers often put to cruel deaths under the impression of doing God service (Joh_16:2). No new thing for God’s faithful servants to have things laid to their charge, of which they not only are innocent, but which they utterly abhor. Innocence itself no security against false and abominable charges. Christ put to death under a charge of blasphemy. Stigmatized as a drunkard and a glutton, a deceiver of the people and exciter of sedition.
III. Imputes Job’s calamities directly to his sins (Job_22:9). “Therefore snares are round about thee, and sudden fear troubleth thee; or darkness that thou canst not see [any way of escape] and abundance of waters (—overwhelming troubles) cover thee.” Refers—
(1) To his sudden and multiplied calamities;
(2) To his inward darkness and distress;
(3) To his perplexity and confusion of mind, both as to the cause of his troubles and any way of escape out of them. Fear and consternation the natural result of great, unlooked for, and successive calamities. Job’s present experience. His case an apparent contravention of the promise: “He shall not be afraid of evil tidings (Psa_112:7). Calmness and fearlessness in reference to calamity and trouble the believer’s duty and privilege (Php_1:29). Christ in the midst of the storm: “It is I, be not afraid.”—Job’s great troubles, according to Eliphaz, due to great sins. No sins likely to be more severely visited than those falsely charged upon him—unmercifulness to and oppression of the poor and needy. He shall have judgment without mercy that hath shewed no mercy (Jas_2:13). No louder cry than that of wrong done to the widow, the fatherless and the poor (Jas_5:4).
IV. Charges Job with infidel principles (Job_22:11-14). “Is not God in the height of heaven? And behold the height of the stars how high they are!” As spoken by Eliphaz himself, expresses the Divine supremacy over all—even the highest created beings—and the ability of God to take full cognizance of the affairs of men. As possibly ascribed by him to Job expressed the supposed distance of God from this lower world, and the consequent unlikelihood of his taking any notice of human affairs. “And (‘yet’ or ‘therefore’) thou sayest [in effect, if not in so many words]. How (Margin, what) doth God know? Can he judge (—rule in the affairs of men) through the thick cloud? Thick clouds are a covering to him that He seeth not; and He walketh in the circuit of heaven.” The sentiment here falsely ascribed to Job that of a heart blinded by sin and alienated from God,—God too far off and too much occupied with higher things than to care for or take cognizance of human affairs (Psa_10:11; Psa_73:11). Finite man thinks of God as finite and imperfect like himself. Perhaps in this case the wish the father to the thought. The fool hath said in his heart, “There is no God”—to take cognizance of earthly things (Psa_14:1). God’s omnipresence and omniscience little realized because little loved. Hence—
(1) Indulgence in a course of sin and oppression such as is here falsely ascribed to Job;
(2) Murmuring under trouble and oppression as if God took no heed either of man’s doings or sufferings. Even a child of God, under deep and accumulated afflictions, tempted with such unbelieving and God-dishonouring thoughts. Faith in God’s omnipresence, omniscience, and all-superintending Providence, our comfort in trouble and our guard in temptation. The worst sentiments often falsely ascribed to the children of God. “Blessed are ye when man shall say all manner of evil against you for my sake” (Mat_5:11).
The immense height or distance of the stars impressive even to ordinary observers. That distance, however, probably much greater than could be dreamt of in the days of Eliphaz. The nearest fixed star thousands of millions of miles distant. Millions of stars thousands of times more distant still. The Milky Way, “powdered with stars,” an immense cluster of stars too distant to be distinguished as such by the naked eye. Stars so distant that their light travelling at the same rate as that of the sun only reaches us so as to render them visible after thousands of years. A false and foolish conclusion that because God is present with and governs those distant worlds or suns, he cannot be supposed to superintend or care for the affairs of this minor planet. God necessarily equally present in, and equally cognisant of, every part of his boundless dominions. The most distant and the most minute of His creatures equally and at once observed by His eye and supported by His hand. The same omniscience that numbers the stars numbers also the hairs of our head. Divinely enlightened reason sees everywhere
“The unambiguous footsteps of the God
Who gives its lustre to an insect’s wing,
And wheels His throne upon the rolling worlds.”
Universal government no burden to an infinite God. An animalcule shares His attention with a sun, a worm with a seraph. God higher than the highest star, yet nearer to both reader and writer than his nearest friend. Hence:—
1. God infinitely glorious and worthy of all adoration. “The heavens declare the glory of God” (Psa_19:1).
2. Submission to God in all circumstances the creature’s duty.
3. Trust in God, under the severest trials, the believer’s privilege.
4. Awful infidelity of the heart to ignore God and expel Him from His own world.
5. Dreadful nature of sin that despises and rebels against a God at once so infinitely great and good.
V. Adduces as a warning to Job the example of the antediluvian world (Job_22:15-20). “Hast thou marked the old way which wicked men have trodden? Which were cut down out of time (or prematurely), whose foundation was overflown with a flood (Margin, ‘a flood was poured upon their foundations;’ or, ‘a river poured forth was their foundation,’ i.e., their dwelling which seemed most secure, or all they trusted in); which said unto God, Depart from us, and what can the Almighty do for them (or, ‘for us,’ or ‘to us’)? Yet he filled their houses with good things: but the counsel of the wicked is far from me (either the protest of Eliphaz himself against the principles and practice of those antediluvian sinners, and others like them, or perhaps the words of Job repeated in irony). The righteous see it (viz., the destruction of the ungodly) and are glad, and the innocent laugh them to scorn (Psa_52:6; Psa_58:10-11). Whereas our substance is not cut down (or, ‘verily our adversary is destroyed’); but (or ‘and’) the remnant of them (Margin, ‘their excellency’) the fire devoureth.” Possible allusion to the destruction of the cities of the Plain, with a cruel side-glance at Job’s own losses and the occasion of one of them. Observe:—
1. Some dealt with by God in judgment for the warning of others (2Pe_2:6).
2. Sin an “old way,” older than the world itself, trodden by the angels that fell, and then by the world before the Flood (Gen_6:5.)
3. A course of sin sooner or later ends in suffering. Sin, though an old and well-trodden way, as dangerous and disastrous as ever (Rom_6:23).
4. The conduct of sinners and its fatal consequences to be carefully “marked” and avoided.
5. The firmest earthly possession easily swept away by the judgments of God; “whose foundation,” &c.
6. Dislike of God the essence of sin and the root of a sinful life; “Which said unto God, Depart from us.”
7. God and sin unable to dwell together at peace in the same heart.
8. The unrenewed heart unable to get God far enough; the renewed one unable to get Him near enough.
9. The baseness and blindness of sin. Like the man who turns his best friend and benefactor out of doors.
10. The ungodly often the most prosperous in this world. “He filled their houses,” &c.
11. The part of the impenitent to despise God’s goodness as well as defy His power (Rom_2:4).
12. God’s multiplied favours a fearful aggravation of a sinful life. “Yet He filled their houses,” &c. Sad when a house full of good things is not accompanied with a heart full of grace.
13. A constant protest to be entered against an ungodly life, however prosperous. The “counsel of the wicked,” however fair and flattering, to be kept far from us.
14. Prosperous wickedness and suffering piety only for a time. A day cometh when the tables will be turned. “Blessed are ye that weep now, for ye shall laugh; woe unto you that laugh now, for ye shall mourn and weep” (Luk_6:21-25). Abraham’s—“Son, remember” (Luk_16:25).
15. The righteous glad, not at the sinner’s calamity itself, but at the holiness and justice of God appearing in it. The Creator’s character dearer to holy men and angels than the creature’s comfort.
16. Proud and presumptuous sinners at last put to shame (Dan_12:2).
17. Happy when we can truly rank ourselves with the godly. “Whereas our substance,” &c, i.e. that of the righteous; or, “Truly our adversary,” &c. God’s saints regard His adversaries as their own.
VI. Exhorts to repentance and piety (Job_22:21-23).
1. Exhortation to submission and reconciliation with God (Job_22:21). “Acquaint now thyself (or, ‘Submit thyself, and cultivate friendship and fellowship’) with Him, and be at peace; thereby good shall come unto thee” (or, “thine increase shall be good”). Precious exhortation, but unjustly addressed to Job, as if still estranged from God. Contains:
First, the Exhortation proper. Two parts. Part First.
“Acquaint thyself with God.”
Acquaintance or friendship with God our first duty and highest interest. Implies—
(1) Knowledge of God. Knowledge necessary to acquaintanceship. To have friendship with God we must know Him,—as far as He is pleased to reveal Himself, and as far as creatures can know Him, in His nature, His attributes and His relations. God to be known as a Spirit, and as a Unity in Three Persons,—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. To be known as infinite, eternal, and unchanging; as omnipresent, omniscient, and omnipotent; as holy, just, wise, and good. To be known as our Creator, Preserver, Governor, and through the incarnation, obedience, and death of His Son, our Redeemer. To be known in part from His works, but most from His Word. Only rightly and savingly known through the inward illumination and revelation of His Holy Spirit. To be known as revealed in His Son Jesus Christ (Joh_14:9). Power given to Christ by the Father to communicate the saving knowledge of Himself to men (Mat_11:27; Joh_17:2-3). The Son’s mission to reveal the Father (Joh_1:18). Knowledge of God to be obtained—(i.) Through attention to and faith in the Word that reveals Him. The Scriptures testify of Christ; therefore to be searched (Joh_5:39). (ii.) Through earnest prayer for Divine illumination and teaching (Pro_2:3-5). Wisdom, including the true knowledge of God, given by God Himself in answer to believing prayer (Jas_1:4). (iii.) Through application to and acceptance of Christ as a Saviour. One part of His work as a Saviour, to teach, enlighten, and communicate the saving knowledge of God (Mat_11:27-29; Joh_17:2-3). Christ Himself made wisdom to those who receive and trust in Him (1Co_1:30).—
(2) Submission to God. Submission to God the first duty of a creature. Necessary to acquaintance and friendly intercourse with God. God’s gracious regard directed to the humble and submissive (Isa_66:2). Submission the first lesson in the school of Christ, and the first step to the enjoyment of the Divine favour and friendship (Mat_11:27-29).—
(3) Reconciliation with God. Man, through sin, in a state of enmity with God. As a transgressor of His law, is under condemnation. Sin to be forgiven, and man reconciled to God before any enjoyment of acquaintanceship or friendly intercourse. Reconciliation with God the object of the Son’s incarnation and vicarious death. Sin a separating element between God and His creatures. The sword of justice between God and the sinner. To be sheathed before any friendly fellowship can exist. Only sheathed when satisfaction has been made to law and justice for transgression. To be first stained with the blood of a substitute. Hence the oblation of sacrifices. Christ the only true Sacrifice and Substitute. Men reconciled to God by His blood (Eph_2:13-16; Col_1:21-22; Rom_5:10).—
(4) Conformity to God’s will and character. Agreement in spirit and principles necessary to friendship and fellowship (Amo_3:3). Conformity to God’s will and ways a creature’s highest duty and interest. Without it man’s spirit a troubled sea that cannot rest.—
(5) Friendly walk and fellowship with God. The end of all the preceding. The highest happiness of a creature. Our privilege in this life, our blessedness in the next (Rev_3:4). The testimony borne to Enoch and Noah before the Flood: they “walked with God.” The third duty required of man (Mic_6:8). Abraham the friend of God. God’s friendship and fellowship man’s highest happiness in Paradise (Gen_2:8). Lost by the Fall, but restored in Christ (Joh_14:23). The secret of happiness in a suffering world and of contentment in every lot. He cannot be unhappy who has the Almighty for his friend. Observe—(i.) Our honour to be made capable of acquaintance and fellowship with God. Heaven, its endless enjoyment; hell, its irrecoverable loss, (ii.) Ever increasing acquaintance with God, in and through Jesus Christ, our precious privilege.
Second part of exhortation:
“Be at peace.”
Peace the sweetest word in any language. Includes all good. God’s best gift. God the God of peace. True peace the “peace of God.” Peace on earth the object and result of the Saviour’s incarnation (Luk_2:14). Peace the purchase of His blood. Christ Himself our peace. His title ‘the Prince of Peace.’ Peace His legacy and gift to His followers. Imparts His own peace (Joh_14:27). Gives it not in word as a mere salutation, but in reality and experience. Peace either external or internal. The former precious; the latter still more so. In this world, the believers enjoy the latter without the former (Joh_16:33). In the next, they enjoy both. Acquaintance with God the only way to peace. The world without peace because without God. Sometimes an external peace enjoyed without the internal. True peace only to be found in Him who is our peace. No peace without pardon, no pardon without Christ. Peace with God before peace in ourselves. Peace offered by God through the death of His Son. The Gospel an ambassage of peace from the King of kings. God in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, and now beseeching men to be reconciled to Him (2Co_5:19-21). Peace with God the immediate result of crediting the message and accepting the offer (Rom_5:1). Followed by internal peace (Php_4:6-7). Preserved by trust in Christ, and obedience as its fruit. Christ trusted in, as our Surety and Substitute, our peace as sinners; Christ followed as our Master and Pattern, our peace as saints.
Second. The Promise attached to the exhortation proper: “Thereby good shall come unto thee.” Peace with God brings every blessing in its train (Rom_5:1), &c. No good withheld “from them that walk uprightly,” as His reconciled and obedient children (Psa_84:11). All things made to work together for good to them that love God (Rom_8:28). Afflictions and trials converted into blessings (Heb_12:11). To the submissive and believing, good comes in this life; still more in the life to come, Present good to believers only a foretaste of the future. Suffering with Christ here, glorified with Him hereafter. Death separates them from all evil, and introduces them into all good. Peace on earth crowned with glory in heaven.
2. Exhortation to a cordial acceptance of and attention to Divine teaching and admonition (Job_22:22). “Receive, I pray thee, the law at His mouth, and lay up Hiswords in thineheart.” The enjoyment of peace to be followed by a life of purity. Friendship with God inseparable from obedience to Him. Christ’s yoke accepted with rest imparted (Mat_11:28-29). The rest continued as the yoke is carried. Mary at peace sits down at the Master’s feet and hears His words. God a King as well as a Father and Friend. Christ a Master as well as a Saviour. With Christ, the law given as a directory of conduct, not as a covenant of life. At first given with—“Do this and live;” now given with,—“Live and do this.” Our happiness, that the law is to be received at the hands of Him who has Himself fulfilled its commands and endured its curse as our Surety. The same pierced hands that purchased peace for our enjoyment, presents the law for our obedience. The peace of the Gospel preserved by obedience to the law.
The law from God’s “mouth,”—spoken and given by Himself. At first given to man at his creation; afterwards on various occasions, and in different ways. God spake to the fathers at sundry times and in divers manners (Heb_1:1). The “law” here probably equivalent to “His words” in the next clause. The directory not only of our conduct but of our faith. Taken in a general sense as including both law and Gospel, precept and promise.—God’s Law, not our own will or reason, or the maxims and customs of the world to be the guide of our practice and opinions.—God’s law to be “received,”—
(1) By reverent attention;
(2) Thankful receptance;
(3) Cordial faith;
(4) Cheerful obedience;
(5) Humble submission. To be not merely read but “received.” God’s law one of His most precious gifts (Hos_8:12; Psa_147:19-20). His law, properly so called, as much a gift as his Gospel.
God’s “words” to be “laid up in our heart,”—for remembrance, meditation, and use. To be laid up as our most precious treasure. To be laid up, not in our chest or our chamber, but in our heart. To be hidden in the heart that we may not sin (Psa_119:11). So treasured by Christ, and ready for use in the hour of temptation (Psa_40:8; Mat_4:4). To be laid up in the heart,—
(1) By deep attention;
(2) Frequent reading or hearing;
(3) Serious reflection. Not only to be learned but “laid up.” The mark of a loving child to prize, ponder, and preserve the words of an absent parent. God’s words laid up for us in the Scripture, and to be laid up by us in our heart. Worthy to be so laid up as our choicest treasure (Psa_19:10). God’s words both words of promise and precept, wooing, and warning. Given both for direction and comfort. Found both in the Old and New Testaments.
VII. Holds forth various promises with conditions (Job_22:23-30).
“If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up (more especially in a family, with a new and numerous race of children); thou shalt (rather, ‘if thou shalt’) put away iniquity (or wrong doing) far from thy tabernacles (plural,—Job addressed as a chief or emir); then shalt thou lay up gold as the dust (or, as Margin, ‘and lay the precious metals on the dust,’ as things of no value and only to be trodden on), and the gold of Ophir (a place in Arabia distinguished for its gold) as (or ‘on’) the stones of the brooks; then shall the Almighty be thy defence (Margin, ‘thy gold’), and thou shalt have plenty of silver (or, ‘and [he shall be] treasures of silver unto thee’). For (or ‘yea,’—a still greater blessing) thou shalt have thy delight in the Almighty, and shall lift up thy face unto God. Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him (as incense), and he shall hear thee, and thou shalt perform thy vows [on thy prayer being answered]. Thou shalt also decree (or purpose) a thing and it shall be established unto thee, and the light [of prosperity and the Divine blessing] shall shine upon thy ways. When men are cast down (or ‘shall cast [thee] down’; or, ‘shall humble themselves’), then thou shalt say [in confident assurance], there is (or ‘shall be’) lifting up; and he shall save the humble person. He (i.e. God) shall deliver the island (or ‘the country’ or ‘dwelling’) of the innocent (or, ‘He shall deliver him that is not innocent’, viz., at thy intercession), and it is delivered (or, ‘he shall be delivered’) by the pureness of thy hands.” Three conditions—
1. Returning to God. “If thou return to the Almighty,—return home to Him as a prodigal to his father, so as again to be united to him and to the family,—return to Him in submission, obedience and love. Job unjustly regarded as having forsaken God and cast off his fear (ch. Job_15:4.) Always true that the first step to a sinner’s happiness is returning to God: “I will arise and go to my Father.” All we like sheep have gone astray. God’s constant call to the unconverted: Turn ye, turn ye; for why will ye die? “To the Almighty.” “To” emphatic, even or quite to Him; not only in good inclinations and beginnings, but fully and thoroughly. “He arose and went to His father.” Not enough to turn from sin, but to return to God (Jer_4:1; Hos_7:16). Christ the way back to the Father (Joh_14:6). Returning to God a necessary condition of God returning to us (Mal_3:7). Important prayer (Jer_31:18).
2. Putting iniquity far from us and from our dwelling. “Thou shalt put iniquity far from thy tabernacles.” No true returning to God without turning from sin. God and sin at opposite poles; the face to the one, the back to the other. No friendship with God without a falling out with sin. Sin the abominable thing which God hates (Jer_44:4).—To be put away not only from ourselves but from our dwelling. A man responsible for what is done in his house. David’s resolution (Psa_101:3-7). Joshua’s (Jos_24:15). Much of a man’s sin committed in his own house. A man to purify his house as well as his heart. Job’s piety seen in his care about his children’s conduct as well as his own (ch. Job_1:6).—Iniquity not only to be put away but far away (ch. Job_21:16).—Sin represented here as “iniquity.” Sin many-sided. Here especially its relation to our neighbour. Injustice, oppression, wrong, retention of dishonest gain, inconsistent with the enjoyment of the Divine favour and blessing.
3. Ceasing to love and trust in riches. “Lay gold on the dust,” (Margin). The heart to be withdrawn from covetousness. Love to the world incompatible with love to God. Trust in riches, heart idolatry. No man able to serve two masters. God not to be served with a divided heart (Hos_10:2). Trust in riches the worship of Mammon. Solemnly repudiated by Job (ch. Job_31:24-25).
Promises
1. Upbuilding (Job_22:23). “Thou shalt built up.” God, who pulls down, able also to build up. Allusion to Job’s calamities, both as to fortune and family. Building up both external and internal. Here probably rather the former; temporal prosperity, and more especially in relation to offspring. Upbuilding in spiritual blessing, and soul-prosperity the New Testament promise (Act_9:31). Implies growth in grace, comfort, spiritual strength. Upbuilding in Christ (Col_2:7); in faith (Jud_1:20); in love (Eph_4:16). Spiritual growth dependent on consistent walk (Isa_58:9-12).
2. Enjoyment of God as our portion and defence (Job_22:25). “The Almighty shall be thy defence” (or treasure). The believer’s place of defence is the munition of rocks. Underneath are the everlasting arms. God Himself the portion of His people (Deu_22:9; Psa_16:5). He is safe who has the Almighty for his defence, and rich who has God for his treasure.
“Give what Thou canst, without Thee we are poor;
And with Thee rich, take what Thou wilt away.”
3. Delight in God (Job_22:26). “Thou shalt have thy delight in the Almighty.” God the fountain of joy and ocean of delights. more than enough in Him to fill all hearts with pleasure. God a sun to gladden, while a shield to guard. Giving up the unsatisfying short-lived pleasures of sin, we receive those which are perfect and enduring. Only a penitennt and renewed heart capable of delighting in the Almighty. The pure in heart see God (Mat_5:8).
4. Access to, and confidence in, God as a reconciled Father (Job_22:26). “Thou shalt lift up thy face unto God.” Implies conscious acceptance, delight, and confidence. The experience of one conscious of forgiveness and acceptance “in the Beloved.” The face “lifted up” in prayer and communion with God. The spirit of adoption, crying, Abba, Father. Boldness of access to a father the privilege of a child. The believer’s privilege in relation to God (Eph_3:12). Enjoyed in Christ. Boldness to enter into the holiest of all by the blood of Jesus (Heb_10:19). Believers to come boldly to the throne of grace, having Jesus there as their High Priest (Heb_4:16). Confidence towards God connected with consciousness of obeying Him (1Jn_3:21-22). Abiding in Christ now gives confidence before Him at His appearing hereafter (1Jn_2:28). A loving heart gives boldness in the day of judgment (1Jn_4:18).
5. The spirit of prayer and acceptance of our petitions (Job_22:27). “Thou shalt make thy prayer to him, and he shall hear thee.” Ability to pray, and to pray with acceptance, the gift of God. Children, not slaves, free to bring their requests to the master. The spirit of prayer connected with a state of acceptance. Answers to prayer given to believers along with the spirit of prayer (1Jn_5:14-16). Answers to prayer the privilege of the upright (Psa_66:18; Psa_16:8). The Lord fulfils the desire of them that fear Him (Psa_145:6). Prayer as incense, from the Saviour’s merits and the Spirit’s grace (Psa_141:2; Rev_8:3-4). Answered for the sake of the Elder Brother (Joh_16:23). God never weary of blessing His people, because never weary of loving His Son. Universal promise made to prayer offered believingly in the Saviour’s name (Joh_15:7; 1Jn_5:15; Mar_11:24).
6. The grace of thanksgiving with answers to prayer (Job_22:27). “And thou shalt perform thy vows.” Grace to render thanks for mercies received no less a mercy than the mercies themselves. Thanksgiving both our duty and our privilege. When God graciously fulfils our prayers we ought faithfully to fulfil our vows. Thanksgiving for answers to prayer and performance of vows practised by the heathen themselves (Jon_1:16).
7. Success in undertakings (Job_22:28). “Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee, and the light shall shine upon thy ways.” Prosperity and success in our undertakings dependent upon God (Rom_1:8). Promised to the confiding and consistent believer (2Ch_20:20; Psa_1:3; Psa_37:5). Promised to Joshua (Jos_1:8). Afforded to Joseph (Gen_39:3; Gen_39:23); and to Daniel (Dan_6:28). The prayer of Abraham’s servant (Gen_24:12); and of Nehemiah (Neh_1:11).
8. Comfort, hope, and deliverance in time of trouble and depression (Job_22:29). “When men are cast down (or, ‘when they shall cast thee down,’ or, ‘when thou art depressed’) then thou shalt say [to thyself, or to others], there is (or, ‘shall be’) lifting up; and he shall save the humble person.” Comfort and confidence of help and deliverance in time of common as well as personal danger and depression, with encouragement to others. Realized by Paul in the ship (Act_27:21-25. The Lord a light to His people in time of darkness (Mic_7:8). Confidence, joy, and hope, in seasons of trouble and adversity, the fruit of faith and obedience (Hab_3:17-19). Job’s own experience at times (ch. Job_23:10).
8. Usefulness to others (Job_22:30). “He shall deliver the island (country or dwelling) of the innocent (or, “shall deliver Him that is not innocent, i.e., that is guilty); and it (or he) is delivered by the pureness of thy hands.” God honours His faithful and confiding people by not only blessing themselves, but making them blessings to others. So Abraham, Joseph, Daniel, Paul. Not only makes them grow themselves, but brings others to sit under their shadow (Hos_14:6-7). Saves them, and gives them to share with Himself the joy of saving others (Jas_5:20; Jud_1:23; 1Ti_4:16). The accepted and faithful believer’s prayers made efficacious even for the ungoldly (1Jn_5:16). So Abraham’s would have been in the care of Sodom (Gen_18:24). A community, company, or family, often saved for the sake of the godly in it (Act_27:24). Pureness of hands, both in practice and prayer, necessary to real usefulness to others. The promises in the text realized in Job’s case in a way not anticipated by Eliphaz (ch. Job_42:7-9). A praying man a public good.
The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary (gen. ed. Joseph S. Exell; Funk & Wagnalls, c. 1892) — public domain (pre-1929). A full-Bible homiletical/sermon-outline anthology covering 65 of 66 books (2 John is absent from the source module). Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Sermon Bible 1900 · Public Domain I. Consider of what sort our knowledge of God…
Job 22:21
I. Consider of what sort our knowledge of God must be. It is a knowledge, not of comprehension, but of acquaintanceship. There are three stages to be observed in a man’s knowledge of God. (1) Certain true notions respecting the Divine Being and His character must be presupposed before we can approach Him with that personal approach which is the basis of acquaintanceship. (2) The man must not suffer sin to hold him back from moral intercourse with God, else his knowledge will be only a knowledge about God, not a knowing of God. To worship, to love, to obey, is the road to real acquaintanceship with Him. (3) Such a moral acquaintanceship with God ekes out even the imperfection of our intellectual notions regarding Him. Out into the darkness which bounds on every side our small illumined spot of knowledge, faith and love can venture hand in hand without alarm, sure that He whom they know will be no other in the dark where we cannot watch Him than He has been in the things we see.
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II. Consider, by two or three instances, how God’s growing revelation of Himself to men has been followed by a corresponding increase of peace in their souls. (1) The fundamental truth, which it took nearly a thousand years to teach to the chosen nation of the old world, is the unity of God. Prepared in a corner of Syria through a millennium, this doctrine of the unity of God brought a beginning of peace to the world’s heart. (2) What may be called God’s absolute integrity, embracing, first, His truth or faithfulness; next, His justice; and third, His unchangeableness—this is the grand moral discovery of the Old Testament. On this, as on a rock, men’s souls can repose themselves. (3) Until God was pleased to make through Christ a further disclosure of Himself we could never be at peace. Through all pre-Christian religions, as in the religion of every man still who has not acquainted himself with the Gospel of Christ, there ran, and there runs, some unquiet effort to solve the problem of atonement. The idea which rules them all is that man has to work on God through some means or other so as to change repulsion or aversion into favour. This notion brings no peace. Expiation is God’s own act, dictated by His sole charity, wrought by His sole passion. Knowing Him in His Son, rest shall be imposed on the disquietudes of a wounded conscience. (4) As the discovery of the Second Divine Person, the Expiator and Reconciler, has allayed in those who acquaint themselves with Him the unrest and alarm of a conscience goaded by guilt to pacify, if it can, Divine displeasure, so we are led still nearer to perfect peace by a more recent revelation: that of the Third Person. God the Third Person broods like a dove of peace over the tumultuous chaos of a passionate heart, glimmers like a star of hope in our blackest night. With Him let us acquaint ourselves. Then shall we have more peace, increase of peace, even unto the full repose which follows conquest.
J. Oswald Dykes, Sermons, p. 191.
Job 22:21
I. Is there such a thing among men as peace, a deep and true peace, without any acquaintance with God? (1) Suppose the case of one possessing high intelligence allied with all the ordinary virtues of human life, but who lacks entirely any personal faith in God as a Person. If you ask if his nature is at peace, he answers, Yes; I have no fear, no trouble, except that which comes by ignorance or inattention to law. Life is not long; I shall soon be in the dust, and that will be the end of me. I am at peace. The peace of such a man may be calmness, indifference; but cannot be the same thing as comes into a soul and flows through it and down into its far depths as the result of acquaintance with God. (2) Imperfect and partial knowledge of God is practically more disturbing and alarming than complete scepticism. Once allow His existence, and it is impossible ever to put that existence anywhere but in the primary place. Those who are imperfectly acquainted with God look at some of His attributes separately, but never at the centre and essence of the character where all the attributes meet.
II. The words of the text, "Acquaint thyself with God," literally mean, "Dwell with God," dwell with Him as in the same tent or home. To come to God in Christ is to come home.
III. "Thereby good shall come unto thee," good of every kind, and especially of the best kind. No man is good who avoids the society of God. Every man is good who seeks it and enjoys it. This is the supreme criterion of goodness, and the pledge that all goodness, in abundance and variety, will come. The "good" that comes is nothing less than all the benefits and blessings of the Gospel.
A. Raleigh, The Way to the City, p. 229:
References: Job 22:21.—H. Melvill, Penny Pulpit, No. 2063; J. Natt, Posthumous Sermons, p. 184; Spurgeon, Evening by Evening, p. 129; Old Testament Outlines, p. 97; C. Girdlestone, A Course of Sermons for the Year, vol. ii., p. 69. Job 22:26.—G. Matheson, Moments on the Mount, p. 277. Job 22:29.—Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. xiii., No. 731. Job 22—S. Cox, Expositor, 1st series, vol. viii., p. 81; Ibid., Commentary on Job, p. 294. Job 22-28—A, W. Momerie, Defects of Modern Christianity, p. 128. Job 23:1-6.—W. Jay, Thursday Penny Pulpit, vol. ii., p. 157.
The Sermon Bible, ed. William Robertson Nicoll (1888–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
J. R. Dummelow 1909 · Public Domain The Third Series of Speeches (Job 22-31)
The Third Series of Speeches (Job 22-31)
Having failed to convince Job by the argument derived from God's greatness and wisdom, and to make good their assertion that it fared ill with the wicked, the friends have only one new line of argument left. This is a downright accusation of Job as a high-handed tyrant. Eliphaz adopts this, though he softens its severity by a fervent exhortation to Job, and a description of the felicity that awaits him if he will but make peace with God. The rest of the debate on his side is difficult to appreciate, owing to the uncertainty attaching to the distribution of the speeches. According to the present arrangement Bildad utters only a few sentences reasserting the greatness of God, and the impossibility that man should be pure in His sight. Zophar does not come forward at all. Several scholars infer from this that the poet means to suggest that the friends have exhausted their case. But since in other instances Bildad and Zophar substantially repeat what Eliphaz has said, the poet could very well have made them follow on the same lines here. Moreover, the symmetry is spoiled if Zophar does not speak. Since we have in Job_27:13-23 a description of the fate of the wicked exactly repeating the sentiments of the friends, it is a probable conjecture that this is part of Zophar's missing speech. In that case, however, there is plausibility in the view that Bildad's speech was originally longer than the few verses at present assigned to him. Several attempts at reconstruction have been made, the most recent (that in the Century Bible) assigns Job_25:2-3; Job_26:5-14 to Bildad, Job_26:2-4; Job_27:2-6; Job 11, 12 to Job, Job_27:13-23 (with possibly Job_27:7-10) to Zophar. Job_25:4-6 is regarded as a gloss based on Job_15:14-16, and it is supposed that the greater part of Job's reply to Bildad, which stood between Job_27:11 and Job_27:12, has been struck out on account of its boldness. If this or a similar view is correct, Bildad repeats the theme of the friends in the first cycle of debate, Zophar that in the second.
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The Last Speech of Eliphaz
1-11. Eliphaz ignoring Job's last speech, perhaps because he could not answer it, argues that God's treatment of man must be impartial, since He has nothing to gain or lose at his hands. Job can therefore only be suffering for his sins, and Eliphaz suggests those of which he has been guilty.
2b. RV 'Surely he that is wise is profitable to himself': i.e. benefits himself only.
3. Pleasure] rather, 'advantage.'
4. RV 'Is it for thy fear of him that he reproveth thee, that he entereth with thee into judgment? 'Is it likely you are suffering as you do for your goodness?
5-9. The sins with which Eliphaz now definitely charges Job were the usual faults of Eastern rulers, such as oppression and injustice. There is no reason to suppose that there was any justification for these accusations, which indeed Job repudiates in Job 29, 31.
6. Cp. Exo_22:26; Deu_24:10-18, Deu_24:17.
8. The honourable man] RM 'Heb. he whose person is accepted.'
11a. LXX 'Thy light has become darkness.'
12-20. The distance of God's abode and His majesty do not prevent Him from seeing men's deeds, as sinners thought in the days of the Flood. Let not Job follow in their steps.
14. In the circuit] RM 'on the vault.'
15. Hast thou marked] RV 'wilt thou keep.'
16. Out of time] RV 'before their time.'
17. Do for them] RM 'do to us.' This and Job_22:18 are largely a repetition of parts of Job_21:14-16, and are regarded by some scholars as an insertion.
19. It] the sinner's downfall.
20. RV 'Saying, Surely they that did rise up against us are cut off.' The remnant of them] RM 'that which remained to them.'
21-30. Eliphaz advises Job to make his peace with God, assuring him of restoration and prosperity.
22. The law] RM 'instruction.'
23. Thou shalt put away] RV 'if thou put away.'
24. RV 'and lay thou thy treasure in the dust, and the gold of Ophir among the stones.' Fling thy earthly treasure away!
25. Render, 'Yea, the Almighty shall be thy treasure and precious silver unto thee!'
27. Thou shalt pay thy vows] Job should carry out the promises made to God in times of distress: cp. Psa_50:14
28. When he has repented, all his desires will be granted.
29. RM 'When they are made low,' i.e. Job's ways. If he should decline in prosperity he will assert with confidence that his ways will soon take an upward turn.
30. Render, 'He (God) shall even deliver him that is not innocent, (through Job's intercession). 'Yea, he shall be delivered through the cleanness of thy hands' (i.e. on account of Job's piety). This actually happens at the close of the book (Job_42:8-9).
J. R. Dummelow, A Commentary on the Holy Bible (Macmillan, 1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Arno C. Gaebelein 1922 · Public Domain The Third Series of Controversies
The Third Series of Controversies
CHAPTER 22 The Third Address of Eliphaz
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1. Is not thy wickedness great? (Job 22:1-5)
2. In what Job had sinned (Job 22:6-11)
3. The omniscience of God and the ways of the wicked (Job 22:12-20)
4. Eliphaz’s exhortation and promise (Job 22:21-30)
Job 22:1-5. The third cycle of addresses begins again with Eliphaz, the wise man from Teman. He tries to maintain his dignity and lofty conception, but he proves too well that Job’s accusation of insincerity is well-founded. He starts out with reminding Job of the majesty of God. Can then a man be profitable to God? Is it any pleasure to the Almighty when thou art righteous? Or does He gain anything by it if thou art perfect in thy ways? Since then God has no interest in man’s righteousness, and He cannot punish Job for his righteousness, he draws the conclusion that Job is a great sinner. Is not thy wickedness great? Neither is there an end to thine iniquities.
Job 22:6-11. And now having made the assertion, according to his logical conclusions, he attempts to show that Job not alone must have sinned, but in what his sin consists. He charges him with avarice, with cruelty, with dealing in a heartless way with widows and with the fatherless. Then he tells Job that is “why these snares are around thee and thou art covered with darkness and with the waters of affliction.” The astonishing thing is that every word of what Eliphaz says is a lying invention. Job later gives the most positive proof that all was a concoction of falsehoods. The Word of the Lord concerning Job shows up Eliphaz as a miserable liar, for the Lord had said concerning Job, “there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man.” Would the Lord have spoken this if Job had outraged the laws of humanitarianism and withheld water and bread from the destitute or stripped the naked of their clothing? But how could Eliphaz ever stoop so low? It was but the result of his iniquitous logic. Job must be a sinner; he is a wicked man and without any real facts he draws his conclusions that Job must have done these things and charges him positively with it. The same fatal logic is still with us. Evil, for instance, comes upon a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ; he passeth through affliction, sorrow upon sorrow comes upon him, then someone suggests that his life must be wrong and the slanderous tongue soon charges some specific evil.
Job 22:12-20. Eliphaz speaks next of God’s omniscience and then again brings in the favoured theme of himself and his friends, the wicked and their defiance of God. Then in self-righteousness he declares--”But the counsel of the wicked is far from me.” Strange it is this word which came from Job’s lips first (Job 21:16). Evidently Eliphaz repeats this phrase to mock and to insult Job.
Job 22:21-30. Once more as before he turns exhorter. Acquaint now thyself with Him and be at peace, thereby good shall come unto thee. He gives him instruction what he is to do, and what God will do for him if he acts upon his advice. But while the exhortations are all proper, they are altogether out of place with Job. For if Job acted upon this advice and would repent according to Eliphaz’s demand he would by doing so assent to the false and lying accusations of his three friends. He would acknowledge himself the wicked man they had made him out to be. What he says as to restoration is almost prophetic of what should come to Job in blessing at the close of his trial.
Arno C. Gaebelein, The Annotated Bible (1913–1922) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Paul E. Kretzmann 1924 · Public Domain Eliphaz Charges Job with Wickedness
Eliphaz Charges Job with Wickedness
v. 1. Then Eliphaz, the Temanite, answered and said, ignoring Job’s argument concerning the prosperity of the ungodly,
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v. 2. Can a man be profitable unto God, no matter how good or how great he may be in this world, as he that is wise may be profitable unto himself? This is really the answer to the first part of the verse: God, being absolutely wise, is not influenced by the wisdom of any man.
v. 3. Is it any pleasure to the Almighty, a gain or advantage to Him, who Himself is perfection, that thou art righteous? The most blameless life of men cannot add to His bliss; He is never actuated by selfish motives. Or is it gain to Him that thou makest thy ways perfect, striving to be absolutely righteous in his manner of living? God does not reward the pious because they bring Him any benefit by their piety, nor does He punish sinners because their transgressions diminish His blessedness.
v. 4. Will He reprove thee for fear of thee? Will He enter with thee into judgment? It must not enter one’s mind that God was sending this punishment upon Job on account of his godliness, since God never acts from selfish motives, and because the cause of Job’s calamity must lie in himself, as Eliphaz supposed.
v. 5. Is not thy wickedness great and thine iniquities infinite? Eliphaz here boldly draws the conclusion to which his first statements entitled him, as he thought: Because God sends such afflictions only as punishment for transgressions, and because He is never influenced and guided by any selfish motives and arbitrary notions, therefore it follows that Job is guilty. This accusation he now tries to back up by an enumeration of sins of which he supposed Job had become guilty.
v. 6. For thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother for naught, there being no need for Job, who had been wealthy, to be so exacting in collecting moneys due him from his relatives, and stripped the naked of their clothing, taking even the last piece of garment which they possessed, Exo 22:25-26; Deu 24:6 to Deu 10:11, against every sentiment of humanity.
v. 7. Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink, as they fainted in their thirst, and thou hast withholden bread from the hungry, thus setting aside the fundamental demands of charity.
v. 8. But as for the mighty man, literally, "the man of the arm or fist," he had the earth, and the honorable man dwelt in it, that is, the honored, influential one. Thus Eliphaz accused Job of selfishness and greed, of taking the whole land for himself and letting the poor suffer.
v. 9. Thou hast sent widows away empty, when they appealed to him for help, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken, they were treated with the most inhuman cruelty, deprived of all their rights and powers.
v. 10. Therefore, as a punishment of such sins, snares are round about thee, various forms of destruction besieged him, and sudden fear troubleth thee, a sudden deadly anguish overpowered him time and again,
v. 11. or darkness, that thou canst not see, the night of suffering admitting no ray of consoling light; and abundance of waters cover thee, bursting upon him with overwhelming misery. It was a bitter and unjust accusation which Eliphaz heaped upon Job.
Paul E. Kretzmann, Popular Commentary of the Bible (1921–1924) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 Eliphaz the Temanite
Eliphaz the Temanite
See how you translated this man's name in Job 2:11. (See: How to Translate Names)
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Can a man be useful to God? Can a wise man be useful to him?
Both questions mean basically the same thing. Eliphaz uses questions to emphasize that a person's actions and wisdom do not benefit God. AT: "A man cannot be useful to God. A wise man cannot be useful to him." (See: Parallelism and Rhetorical Question)
Is it any pleasure to the Almighty if you are righteous? Is it gain to him if you make your ways blameless?
Both of these statements mean the same thing. Eliphaz uses questions to emphasize that Job's actions do not help God. AT: "The Almighty does not receive any pleasure if you are righteous. He does not gain anything if you make your ways blameless." (See: Parallelism and Rhetorical Question)
translationWords
God
wise
Almighty
righteous
blameless
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 22:1–26:14 In this third round of speeches, Job’s friends…
22:1–26:14 In this third round of speeches, Job’s friends explicitly accuse Job of being among the wicked and sharing their fate.
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.