Bible Commentaries
Job 22

Verses 1-22

JOB - CHAPTER 22

THIRD DISCOURSE OF ELIPHAZ

Verses 1-30:

ELIPHAZ STILL CHARGES JOB WITH HIDDEN SIN

Verses 1, 2 recount Eliphaz’s third accusatory speech against Job. He opened his remarks with seven rhetoric questions. Each was designed for the purpose of entrapment of Job as an obstinate, wicked man. He argued that Job was in error on the position that God sends prosperity to some and calamities to others for His own glory. He then supposes that Job’s covert sin had brought all his suffering, loss and afflictions. He proceeded to argue that a wise man can be profitable to himself, but not profitable toward God, Job 35:7; Psalms 16:2; Luke 17:10; Acts 17:25.

Verse 3 inquires of Job if it was of any pleasure to God that he was righteous, implying that it was not. He then added that God did not gain anything from Job’s contention that he was a perfect or mature man, did He? Though God is not dependent upon the character of men for His happiness, He takes pleasure in the righteous deportment of His people, Psalms 45:7.

Verse 4 inquires of Job whether or not this affliction was sent on him because God was afraid of him and wanted to disarm him, Job 7, 12, 20; Job 10:17. He further inquired whether or not Job thought the Lord would enter into a judgment hall to hear his pleadings, a thing Job had requested. He would not, would he? Job 13:3; Job 13:21-22; Psalms 143:2.

Verse 5 is a direct charge, not just an insinuation, that Job’s wickedness was great and his lawless deeds were infinite, meaning too many to count. Though it was a naked assumption, without any evident fact, to sustain his bleak charge that this calamity was a fruit of Job’s own sin, Job 1:1; Job 1:8; Job 2:3.

Verse 6 relates that Eliphaz accused Job of taking a security pledge from a brother, without a just cause to do so. The pledge was an oriental outer garment that served the poor as a covering by day and a bed by night. When one took such a security pledge he was to return it to the poor by nightfall, as it was often the covering by night to keep him warm, Exodus 22:26-27; Deuteronomy 24:10; Matthew 25:36; James 3:15.

Verse 7 further charges Job with being inhospitable, by refusing to give a drink of water to a weary traveler, or a crumb of bread to the hungry who passed by. Hospitality toward a traveler was considered to be a primary duty in the East, Job 31:16-17; Isaiah 21:14; Matthew 25:42; Hebrews 13:1-2.

Verses 8, 9 state that the mighty man (man of strong arm) had the earth under control, and the honorable man, possessing authority had sent widows away empty-handed, without food and water, and he had broken the arms (the strength) of orphans; The Mosaic Law provided for the widows and the fatherless, Genesis 31:42; Exodus 22:22. Job, Eliphaz insinuated, was thus a wealthy man who had gotten riches in an immoral and an unethical manner, like a robber, bandit, or plunderer of the weak; Job 29:11-16 is Job’s reply to these untrue and harsh accusations against him.

Verses 10, 11 conclude that because of Job’s lack of hospitality to travelers, and his making the poor naked, and refusing to give bread to widows and orphans, these terrible body afflictions had been divinely sent down upon him. A flood of dark judgment from God, had now descended upon Job, bringing the calamities under which he now suffered, Eliphaz assured Job, Job 11:16; Job 27:20; Psalms 18:16; Psalms 32:6.

Verse 12 inquires of Job if he does not believe that there is a true God in heaven who beheld and observed all things. He inferred that Job did not really believe in God, else he would not be living as he had; And he would not argue that God reserved primary punishment of the wicked to a time beyond death, did not punish the wicked completely in this life, John 5:28-29; Psalms 115:3; Psalms 115:16; Ecclesiastes 5:2; Isaiah 66:1.

Verse 13 accuses Job of doubting that God even knew about the judgments that had come upon him, or that God could or would not concern himself with man and his activities in human affairs. This too seems to be a false charge against Job, Psalms 73:11.

Verse 14 accuses Job of holding the Epicurean philosophy that God veiled himself off from man and the earth, having nothing to do with the affairs of man on earth, but amused Himself in heaven only, La 3:44; Isaiah 29:15; Isaiah 40:27; Jeremiah 23:24; Ezekiel 8:12; Psalms 139:12.

Verse 15 inquires whether or not Job had considered the "old ways," the wicked ways of men before the flood; 2 Samuel 22:22; Genesis 6:5; Genesis 6:11-13. Job is cautioned to beware lest he share their end.

Verses 16, 17 assert that those wicked who were cut down, or fettered out of time by death, in the flood, should be considered as an object lesson for Job that he too was about to be suddenly taken by death because of his sins, Job 15:32; Job 16:8; Ecclesiastes 7:17; Genesis 7:11. Eliphaz uses Job’s own words, Job 21:14-15, to assure him that the wicked who put God away from them do not prosper; They think they can do everything for themselves, without God.

Verse 18 declares that in spite of this, God filled their houses with good things. Eliphaz then sarcastically says that Job had declared that the counsel of the wicked was far from him, Job 21:16; Yet, Eliphaz considered Job’s claim to be an hypocritical one, Psalms 17:13-14.

Verse 19 states that the righteous see the wicked cut down and are glad at God’s vindication of His ways, Psalms 107:42; They, the innocent, laugh the wicked to scorn, when judgment falls, Proverbs 1:21-31; Revelation 15:3; Revelation 16:7; Revelation 19:1-2; 2 Thessalonians 1:6-10.

Verses 20, 21 ask Job to observe substance of the righteous was not cut down, was preserved, but the remnant of the wicked the fire of God’s judgment consumed, Job 20:26; See also Job 1:16; Job 15:34; Job 18:15. Destruction is first mentioned by water and second by fire, v. 16; 2 Peter 3:5-7. Eliphaz takes it for granted, simply presumed that Job was not acquainted with God. He called on Job to turn to God and find peace and good will come to him by doing good, Psalms 37:27; Romans 5:1; Colossians 1:29; 1 Timothy 4:8; Isaiah 27:5.

Verse 22 calls on Job to receive the law of the Lord from Eliphaz and lay up God’s word in his heart.

Verses 23, 24 assure Job that if he would return to the Almighty God he would be built up, renewed, restored to his former health and prosperity, if he put away iniquity out of his earthly tabernacle. He was assured by Eliphaz that if he would only turn back to God he would lay up gold dust, count it of no more value than dust under his feet, or the gold of Ophir as stones of the brooks, wealth would mean little to Job, Eliphaz contends, when he is right with God, 2 Chronicles 1:15.

Verses 25, 26 declare that the living God, the Almighty, would come to Job’s rescue and defense and he would have plenty of gold and silver when or if he would but confess his wickedness and turn back to God; He would then hold delight in the Almighty, and lift up his face to praise Him, Job 11:15; Isaiah 58:9; Isaiah 58:14.

Verse 27 calls Job to make his prayer to God, and he will be heard, if he will pay his vows to the Lord with all honesty, Psalms 145:18; Ecclesiastes 5:4-5.

Verse 28 pledges that Job should decree, purpose, or resolve concerning a thing, and it will be granted, when his life is right with God, Proverbs 16:3.

Verse 29 asserts that when men are cast down, brought down to humanity, for a time, they will then have occasion to declare that there is hope in being lifted up, but only after they have humbled themselves, James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5. Pride casts one down, but humility is the way up. For the Lord will save the humble person, Psalms 138:6; Proverbs 3:34.

Verse 30 concludes that God will deliver the island, isolated state of the innocent, by the pureness of His own hands, He not only delivered Job through his sorrows, loss and calamities, but also delivered the three proud and arrogant feigned foreign friends of Job. This He did, however, only after they had gone to Job, and offered up for themselves, in Job’s presence, a burnt offering, acknowledging their accusatory sins that they had committed against him, before the Lord, Job 42:7-9; Genesis 18:26; See also Luke 18:10-14.