Eliphaz Accuses Job of Specific Sins
Study note
Eliphaz argues that a person's righteousness does not benefit God -- God gains nothing from it. So the reason God is punishing Job cannot be because of Job's piety. It must be because of real sin. He then invents specific charges: Job took pledges from the poor for no reason, refused water and bread to the needy, sent widows away empty-handed, and crushed orphans. These accusations are completely false, but Eliphaz is so committed to his theology that he must find sins to explain Job's suffering.
1 Then Eliphaz from Teman spoke again and said, Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,
2 'Can a person truly be of any use to God? Does even a wise person benefit the Almighty?' Can a man be profitable unto God, as he that is wise may be profitable unto himself?
3 'What does the Almighty gain if you live right? Does it help him in any way if your life is blameless?' Is it any pleasure to the Almighty, that thou art righteous? or is it gain to him, that thou makest thy ways perfect?
4 'Do you think he is punishing you because you respect him too much? Is that why he is taking you to court?' Will he reprove thee for fear of thee? will he enter with thee into judgment?
5 'Not a chance! Your wickedness is enormous, and there is no end to the wrong things you have done!' Is not thy wickedness great? and thine iniquities infinite?
6 'For no good reason, you took collateral from your own family members. You stripped the clothes off people who had nothing.' For thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother for nought, and stripped the naked of their clothing.
7 'You turned away thirsty people without giving them a drink. You refused bread to people who were starving.' Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink, and thou hast withholden bread from the hungry.
8 'You handed the land over to the wealthy and powerful. Only the privileged were welcome to stay.' But as for the mighty man, he had the earth; and the honourable man dwelt in it.
9 'You sent widows away empty-handed. You crushed the life out of orphans.' Thou hast sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.
10 'Therefore traps are set up all around you and sudden terror grabs hold of you.' Therefore snares are round about thee, and sudden fear troubleth thee;
11 'Therefore darkness surrounds you until you cannot see a thing, and a tidal wave of water crashes over you.' Or darkness, that thou canst not see; and abundance of waters cover thee.
Do You Think God Cannot See?
Study note
Eliphaz accuses Job of thinking God is too high up to see what happens on earth. He compares Job to the wicked of ancient times who were swept away by a flood. The righteous, he says, see the destruction of the wicked and rejoice.
12 'Does God not live in the highest heavens? Look up and see how far away the stars are!' Is not God in the height of heaven? and behold the height of the stars, how high they are!
13 'But you say, "What could God possibly know? Can he truly see through those thick, dark clouds to judge anything?"' And thou sayest, How doth God know? can he judge through the dark cloud?
14 'You say, "Dense clouds block his view. He strolls around on top of the sky and cannot see us."' Thick clouds are a covering to him, that he seeth not; and he walketh in the circuit of heaven.
15 'Are you going to walk down the same old road that wicked people have always traveled?' Hast thou marked the old way which wicked men have trodden?
16 'Those people were snatched away before their time. Their very foundations got washed out by a flood.' Which were cut down out of time, whose foundation was overflown with a flood:
17 'They were the ones who told God, "Leave us alone! What can the Almighty possibly do to us?"' Which said unto God, Depart from us: and what can the Almighty do for them?
18 'And yet it was God who had filled their homes with good things. The way those wicked people think is something I refuse to go along with.' Yet he filled their houses with good things: but the counsel of the wicked is far from me.
19 'Good people see the downfall of the wicked and are glad. Innocent people watch and laugh, saying,' The righteous see it, and are glad: and the innocent laugh them to scorn.
20 '"Our enemies have been completely wiped out! Fire has gobbled up everything they had!"' Whereas our substance is not cut down, but the remnant of them the fire consumeth.
Return to the Almighty
Study note
Despite his harsh accusations, Eliphaz closes with a beautiful appeal. He tells Job to make peace with God, to receive instruction from God's mouth, and to store up God's words in his heart. If Job returns to God and puts away sin, God will be his treasure. Job will pray and God will hear. While these promises are beautiful, they are based on the false assumption that Job has committed great sins.
21 'Make peace with God and stop fighting him. That is how good things will start coming your way again.' Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee.
22 'Take his teaching to heart and hold onto his words deep inside you.' Receive, I pray thee, the law from his mouth, and lay up his words in thine heart.
23 'If you come back to the Almighty, he will build you back up. Get rid of anything sinful in your life.' If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacles.
24 'Toss your gold nuggets into the dirt. Throw your finest gold among the rocks in the stream.' Then shalt thou lay up gold as dust, and the gold of Ophir as the stones of the brooks.
25 'And then the Almighty himself will become your treasure. He will be worth more than the finest silver to you.' Yea, the Almighty shall be thy defence, and thou shalt have plenty of silver.
26 'Then you will find real delight in the Almighty. You will be able to look up to God with confidence.' For then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face unto God.
27 'When you pray, he will hear you. And you will keep every promise you make to him.' Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he shall hear thee, and thou shalt pay thy vows.
28 'Whatever you set out to do will go well for you, and light will shine all along your path.' Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: and the light shall shine upon thy ways.
29 'When people get knocked down, you will say, "Lift them up!" because God rescues those who are humble.' When men are cast down, then thou shalt say, There is lifting up; and he shall save the humble person.
30 'He will even save people who are not innocent. They will be saved because your hands are clean.' He shall deliver the island of the innocent: and it is delivered by the pureness of thine hands.