The Foolish Bring Trouble on Themselves
Study note
Eliphaz continues his argument by saying there is no heavenly being who will take Job's side. He claims that anger and jealousy destroy the foolish person. He says he has seen such people appear to prosper for a time, but their children end up in danger and their harvest is stolen. His key point comes in verse 7: human beings are born for trouble, just as sparks fly upward from a fire.
1 'Go ahead, call out for help. Will anyone answer you? Which heavenly being will you turn to?' Call now, if there be any that will answer thee; and to which of the saints wilt thou turn?
2 'Frustration and anger eat a foolish person alive. Jealousy destroys someone who does not think things through.' For wrath killeth the foolish man, and envy slayeth the silly one.
3 'I have watched fools who seemed to be doing well, but all of a sudden their entire household fell apart.' I have seen the foolish taking root: but suddenly I cursed his habitation.
4 'Their children have no one to protect them. They get trampled in court with nobody to stand up for them.' His children are far from safety, and they are crushed in the gate, neither is there any to deliver them.
5 'Hungry people gobble up everything those fools grew, grabbing it even from among the thorns. Greedy people swallow up all their wealth.' Whose harvest the hungry eateth up, and taketh it even out of the thorns, and the robber swalloweth up their substance.
6 'Trouble does not pop up out of the dirt. Hardship does not sprout from the ground on its own.' Although affliction cometh not forth of the dust, neither doth trouble spring out of the ground;
7 'No, people are born into trouble just as surely as sparks shoot upward from a fire.' Yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward.
Eliphaz Urges Job to Seek God
Study note
Eliphaz advises Job to take his case to God, praising God's great works. God sends rain, lifts up the lowly, and frustrates the plans of the crafty. Eliphaz speaks beautifully about God's care for the poor and helpless. While much of what he says about God is true in general, he is wrongly applying it to Job's situation by assuming Job must have done something to deserve his suffering.
8 'If I were in your shoes, I would turn straight to God. I would bring my whole situation before him.' I would seek unto God, and unto God would I commit my cause:
9 'He does amazing things that are beyond anything we can figure out. The incredible things he does are more than anyone could ever count.' Which doeth great things and unsearchable; marvellous things without number:
10 'He is the one who sends rain down on the land and water across the fields.' Who giveth rain upon the earth, and sendeth waters upon the fields:
11 'He takes people who are down and lifts them to a high place. He takes people who are mourning and brings them to safety.' To set up on high those that be low; that those which mourn may be exalted to safety.
12 'He wrecks the plans of sneaky people so that nothing they try works out.' He disappointeth the devices of the crafty, so that their hands cannot perform their enterprise.
13 'He traps clever people in their own tricks, and the schemes of dishonest people come crashing down in a hurry.' He taketh the wise in their own craftiness: and the counsel of the froward is carried headlong.
14 'They stumble around in broad daylight as though it were dark. Even at noon they grope around like it is the middle of the night.' They meet with darkness in the daytime, and grope in the noonday as in the night.
15 'But God rescues poor people from the sharp words and strong grip of those who are powerful.' But he saveth the poor from the sword, from their mouth, and from the hand of the mighty.
16 'Because of this, the poor have reason to hope, and cruelty has to shut its mouth.' So the poor hath hope, and iniquity stoppeth her mouth.
The Blessings of God's Correction
Study note
Eliphaz tells Job that he should consider himself blessed because God is correcting him. He promises that if Job accepts God's discipline, God will heal him, protect him from famine and war, and give him a long and prosperous life. Eliphaz is confident in his advice, saying they have studied this carefully and it is true. While God does sometimes discipline people, Eliphaz is wrong to assume that all of Job's suffering is punishment.
17 'The person that God corrects should count themselves blessed! So do not push away the Almighty's discipline.' Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty:
18 'He might cause a wound, but he also wraps it up. He might hurt, but his own hands will make it better.' For he maketh sore, and bindeth up: he woundeth, and his hands make whole.
19 'He will pull you out of six different disasters. Even when a seventh one comes, nothing will destroy you.' He shall deliver thee in six troubles: yea, in seven there shall no evil touch thee.
20 'When there is no food, he will keep you from dying. When there is war, he will keep the sword from reaching you.' In famine he shall redeem thee from death: and in war from the power of the sword.
21 'You will be sheltered from the sting of cruel words. When everything around you falls apart, you will not need to be afraid.' Thou shalt be hid from the scourge of the tongue: neither shalt thou be afraid of destruction when it cometh.
22 'You will be able to laugh at destruction and hunger. Wild animals will not scare you.' At destruction and famine thou shalt laugh: neither shalt thou be afraid of the beasts of the earth.
23 'The rocks in your fields will not ruin your crops, and wild animals will live peacefully alongside you.' For thou shalt be in league with the stones of the field: and the beasts of the field shall be at peace with thee.
24 'You will be confident that your home is secure. When you check on what you own, nothing will be missing.' And thou shalt know that thy tabernacle shall be in peace; and thou shalt visit thy habitation, and shalt not sin.
25 'You will watch your family grow large. Your descendants will be as plentiful as blades of grass covering the ground.' Thou shalt know also that thy seed shall be great, and thine offspring as the grass of the earth.
26 'You will live to a ripe old age, like grain that gets harvested at exactly the right time.' Thou shalt come to thy grave in a full age, like as a shock of corn cometh in in his season.
27 'We have looked into this very carefully, and it is all true. So take it to heart and learn from it.' Lo this, we have searched it, so it is; hear it, and know thou it for thy good.