CLARITY EDITION · OLD TESTAMENT
Job 15
Chapter 15 of 42
Chapter Overview
What happens in Job 15
Eliphaz speaks for the second time, and he is much harsher now. He accuses Job of undermining the fear of God and using crafty words. He paints a terrifying picture of the fate that awaits the wicked, clearly implying it applies to Job.
Scripture
Job 15
Eliphaz Accuses Job of Arrogance
Study note
Eliphaz drops his earlier gentleness. He accuses Job of speaking empty, useless words and of undermining devotion to God. He asks if Job thinks he was the first person ever born or if he sat in God's secret council. He insists that their group includes elders older than Job's own father. He says Job's own mouth condemns him, not them. His point is that no human being can be pure before God.
1 Then Eliphaz from Teman spoke again and said, Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said,
2 'Should someone who claims to be wise give answers that are nothing but empty air? Should he things himself full of hot wind from the east?' Should a wise man utter vain knowledge, and fill his belly with the east wind?
3 'Should he waste time arguing with pointless talk and words that do nothing at all?' Should he reason with unprofitable talk? or with speeches wherewith he can do no good?
4 'You are tearing down respect for God. You are making people not want to pray to him.' Yea, thou castest off fear, and restrainest prayer before God.
5 'The sin in your heart is the thing putting words in your mouth. You are choosing to use tricky, slippery language.' For thy mouth uttereth thine iniquity, and thou choosest the tongue of the crafty.
6 'I do not even need to say you are wrong -- your own mouth is proving it. Your own lips are speaking against you.' Thine own mouth condemneth thee, and not I: yea, thine own lips testify against thee.
7 'Were you the very first human being ever born? Did you show up before the hills were formed?' Art thou the first man that was born? or wast thou made before the hills?
8 'Were you invited into God's private meetings? Have you hoarded all the wisdom in the world for yourself?' Hast thou heard the secret of God? and dost thou restrain wisdom to thyself?
9 'What do you know that the rest of us have missed? What do you understand that has gone right over our heads?' What knowest thou, that we know not? what understandest thou, which is not in us?
10 'There are people with white hair on our side -- men who are even older than your own father.' With us are both the grayheaded and very aged men, much elder than thy father.
11 'Is the comfort God offers not enough for you? Are his kind and gentle words too small?' Are the consolations of God small with thee? is there any secret thing with thee?
12 'What has gotten into you? Why do your eyes burn with anger?' Why doth thine heart carry thee away? and what do thy eyes wink at,
13 'How can you turn your frustration against God and let words like that fly out of your mouth?' That thou turnest thy spirit against God, and lettest such words go out of thy mouth?
14 'What are human beings, that they could ever be completely pure? What is anyone born into this world, that they could be totally righteous?' What is man, that he should be clean? and he which is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?
15 'God does not even fully trust his holy angels. Even the heavens are not spotless in his view.' Behold, he putteth no trust in his saints; yea, the heavens are not clean in his sight.
16 'So how much less pure is a person who laps up wickedness the way someone gulps down a drink of water?' How much more abominable and filthy is man, which drinketh iniquity like water?
The Terrible Fate of the Wicked
Study note
Eliphaz describes the fate of the wicked in vivid detail. The wicked person writhes in pain all their days. Terrifying sounds fill their ears. They wander looking for bread. Trouble and anguish overwhelm them. They shake their fist at God and charge at him. Their homes become desolate ruins. They will not grow rich, and their possessions will not last. Eliphaz is clearly suggesting that this is Job's future if he does not repent.
17 'Let me explain something to you. Listen while I describe what I have personally seen --' I will shew thee, hear me; and that which I have seen I will declare;
18 'These are truths that wise people have passed down through the ages. They held nothing back.' Which wise men have told from their fathers, and have not hid it:
19 'These were people who had the land all to themselves. No outsider had come in to mix things up.' Unto whom alone the earth was given, and no stranger passed among them.
20 'A wicked person spends every day of their life in agony. The years handed to a cruel person are few and full of pain.' The wicked man travaileth with pain all his days, and the number of years is hidden to the oppressor.
21 'Scary sounds ring in their ears all the time. Even when everything seems safe, they are sure an attacker is on the way.' A dreadful sound is in his ears: in prosperity the destroyer shall come upon him.
22 'They have given up any hope of ever getting out of the darkness. Somewhere, a sword is waiting for them.' He believeth not that he shall return out of darkness, and he is waited for of the sword.
23 'They roam around searching for something to eat, wondering, "Where can I find bread?" They know deep down that a dark day is coming.' He wandereth abroad for bread, saying, Where is it? he knoweth that the day of darkness is ready at his hand.
24 'Trouble and worry terrify them. It overwhelms them like an army charging into battle.' Trouble and anguish shall make him afraid; they shall prevail against him, as a king ready to the battle.
25 'This happens because they dared to shake their fist at God and stand up against the Almighty,' For he stretcheth out his hand against God, and strengtheneth himself against the Almighty.
26 'running at him stubbornly, hidden behind a thick, heavy shield.' He runneth upon him, even on his neck, upon the thick bosses of his bucklers:
27 'Even though their face is padded with fat and their body is plump and well-fed,' Because he covereth his face with his fatness, and maketh collops of fat on his flanks.
28 'they will end up living in wrecked cities, in houses no one else would want, in places falling to pieces.' And he dwelleth in desolate cities, and in houses which no man inhabiteth, which are ready to become heaps.
29 'They will not stay rich. Their money will not last. Everything they built up will not spread out across the land.' He shall not be rich, neither shall his substance continue, neither shall he prolong the perfection thereof upon the earth.
30 'They will never get free from the darkness. A flame will scorch their branches, and a single breath from God will blow them away.' He shall not depart out of darkness; the flame shall dry up his branches, and by the breath of his mouth shall he go away.
31 'They should not kid themselves by trusting in worthless things, because worthlessness is all they will get back.' Let not him that is deceived trust in vanity: for vanity shall be his recompence.
32 'Their end will come before their time is up. Whatever looked green and alive about them will dry out and die.' It shall be accomplished before his time, and his branch shall not be green.
33 'They will be like a vine whose unripe grapes get knocked off, like an olive tree that drops all its flowers before they can become fruit.' He shall shake off his unripe grape as the vine, and shall cast off his flower as the olive.
34 'A group of godless people will be left with nothing. Fire will burn up every home that was built with dirty money.' For the congregation of hypocrites shall be desolate, and fire shall consume the tabernacles of bribery.
35 'They dream up trouble and produce evil. The only thing growing inside them is lies.' They conceive mischief, and bring forth vanity, and their belly prepareth deceit.
Key Themes
Themes in Job 15
The escalation of accusation among friendsThe fate of the wicked as a warningPride and arrogance in theological debateThe danger of weaponizing religion
Apply This Today
Living Job 15
When people feel threatened by questions they cannot answer, they sometimes get harsher rather than more compassionate. Eliphaz's second speech shows how easily religious certainty can become a weapon. Guard your heart against using theology to wound rather than heal.
Go Deeper
Study Job in Covenant Path
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