Bible Commentaries
Job 5

Introduction

Job Chapter 5

Job 5:1 "Call now, if there be any that will answer thee; and to which of the saints wilt thou turn?" If God did not help Job, there was surely no help available to him through any of the saints.

and to which: Job 15:8-10, Job 15:15, Isaiah 41:1, Isaiah 41:21-23, Hebrews 12:1

the saints: Job 4:18, Job 15:15, Deuteronomy 33:2, Deuteronomy 33:3, Psalms 16:3, Psalms 106:16, Ephesians 1:1

turn: or, look

Job 5:2 "For wrath killeth the foolish man, and envy slayeth the silly one." Eliphaz believed that Job had placed his trust in something, or someone, other than God. He couldn’t figure out with his mind what was happening to Job, and he was seeking reasons that were logical. We find that with many of the people who study the book of Job, they are so busy trying to figure out what Job did to cause this calamity, that they miss the whole meaning of the book. Job did not do anything to bring this problem on. The fact that he was righteous in the sight of God caused this.

wrath: Job 18:4, Jonah 4:9

the foolish: Psalms 14:1, Psalms 75:4, Psalms 92:6, Psalms 107:17, Proverbs 1:22, Proverbs 1:23, Proverbs 8:5, Ecclesiastes 7:9

envy: or, indignation, Genesis 30:1, 1 Samuel 18:8, 1 Samuel 18:9, Romans 2:8

one: Hosea 7:11, 2 Timothy 3:6

Job 5:3 "I have seen the foolish taking root: but suddenly I cursed his habitation." Eliphaz was saying that he had seen people who dealt foolishly with God, and were destroyed. He still believed that something that Job did caused God to turn on him.

taking: Job 27:8, Psalms 37:35, Psalms 37:36, Psalms 73:3-9, Psalms 73:18-20, Psalms 92:7, Jeremiah 12:1-3

cursed: Deuteronomy 27:15-26, Psalms 69:25, Acts 1:20

Job 5:4 "His children are far from safety, and they are crushed in the gate, neither [is there] any to deliver [them]." We see Eliphaz blaming Job for the death of his children. He was saying, the sins of the father had fallen upon his children.

children: Job 4:10, Job 4:11, Job 8:4, Job 18:16-19, Job 27:14, Exodus 20:5, Psalms 109:9-15, Psalms 119:155, Psalms 127:5

they are crushed: Job 1:19, Luke 13:4, Luke 13:5

neither: Job 10:7, Psalms 7:2

Job 5:5 "Whose harvest the hungry eateth up, and taketh it even out of the thorns, and the robber swalloweth up their substance." We see that Job’s land had been over-run by those who would steal his crops. His servants were dead, and could not keep them away. There were not even enough servants to tend the crop, and it was over-run with thorns.

harvest: Deuteronomy 28:33, Deuteronomy 28:51, Judges 6:3-6, Isaiah 62:8

the thorns: Judges 6:11, 2 Chronicles 33:11

the robber: Job 1:15, Job 1:17, Job 12:6, Job 18:9, Hosea 8:7

swalloweth: Job 2:3, Job 20:15, Jeremiah 51:34, Jeremiah 51:44, Lamentations 2:5, Lamentations 2:16

Job 5:6 "Although affliction cometh not forth of the dust, neither doth trouble spring out of the ground;" Eliphaz was still trying to say that the evil that Job had done was like a seed that brought in a crop of affliction.

affliction: or, iniquity

trouble: Job 34:29, Deuteronomy 32:27, 1 Samuel 6:9, Psalms 90:7, Isaiah 45:7, Lamentations 3:38, Amos 3:6

spring out: Hosea 10:4, Hebrews 12:15

Job 5:7 "Yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward." Eliphaz was telling Job that man was evil, and that it was inevitable for trouble to come. Just as sure as a spark of a fire goes up, and not down, the troubles come to all.

man: Job 14:1, Genesis 3:17-19, Psalms 90:8, Psalms 90:9, 1 Corinthians 10:13

trouble: or, labour, Ecclesiastes 1:8, Ecclesiastes 2:22, Ecclesiastes 5:15-17

sparks fly upward: Heb. sons of the burning coal lift up to fly

Job 5:8 "I would seek unto God, and unto God would I commit my cause:" Eliphaz was telling Job, if this was him, he would repent and seek God’s help.

seek: Job 8:5, Job 22:21, Job 22:27, Genesis 32:7-12, 2 Chronicles 33:12, 2 Chronicles 33:13, Psalms 50:15, Psalms 77:1, Psalms 77:2, Jonah 2:1-7

unto God: Psalms 37:5, 2 Timothy 1:12, 1 Peter 2:23, 1 Peter 4:19

Job 5:9 "Which doeth great things and unsearchable; marvelous things without number:" Eliphaz seemed to be a man who knew a great deal about God. His real mistake was in judging his friend. Sometimes, people who mean well, say cruel things to those they love. We know that God does do great and wonderful things. In the next few verses, we will see the things Eliphaz listed as some of these great and wonderful things of God.

doeth: Job 9:10, Job 11:7-9, Job 37:5, Psalms 40:5, Psalms 72:18, Psalms 86:10, Romans 11:33

unsearchable: Heb. there is no search, Isaiah 40:28

marvellous: Job 26:5-14

without number: Heb. till there be no number, Psalms 40:5, Psalms 139:18

Job 5:10 "Who giveth rain upon the earth, and sendeth waters upon the fields:" God had promised to give rain in due season for those who loved him. Eliphaz reminded Job that God would do this for him, if he would repent and return to God. The truth was, Job had never wandered from God.

giveth: Job 28:26, Psalms 65:9-11, Psalms 147:8, Jeremiah 5:24, Jeremiah 10:13, Jeremiah 14:22, Amos 4:7, Acts 14:17

fields: Heb. outplaces, Job 38:26-28

Job 5:11 "To set up on high those that be low; that those which mourn may be exalted to safety." God is no respecter of persons. He would be the One to raise the lowly. Those who mourned God would bring joy.

set up: 1 Samuel 2:7, 1 Samuel 2:8, Psalms 91:14, Psalms 107:41, Ezekiel 17:24, Luke 1:52, Luke 1:53

those: Luke 6:21, James 1:9, James 4:6-10, 1 Peter 5:10

exalted: Deuteronomy 33:27, 1 Peter 1:3

Job 5:12 "He disappointeth the devices of the crafty, so that their hands cannot perform [their] enterprise." Eliphaz was, possibly, saying that Job’s wisdom was not wisdom at all. That he was crafty and scheming to get where he was. God would tear down such an enterprise, but Job did not do that.

disappointeth: Job 12:16, Job 12:17, Nehemiah 4:15, Psalms 33:10, Psalms 33:11, Psalms 37:17, Proverbs 21:30, Isaiah 8:10, Isaiah 19:3

their hands: Psalms 21:11, Isaiah 37:36, Acts 12:11, Acts 23:12-22

their enterprise: or, anything

Job 5:13 "He taketh the wise in their own craftiness: and the counsel of the froward is carried headlong." Eliphaz, again, was warning Job that the wicked were caught in the trap they had laid for others. He was even saying, that the counsel that Job had given others was of no use at all.

taketh: 2 Samuel 15:31, 2 Samuel 15:34, 2 Samuel 17:23, Esther 6:4-11, Esther 7:10, Esther 9:25, Psalms 7:15, Psalms 7:16, Psalms 9:15, Psalms 9:16, Psalms 35:7, Psalms 35:8, Luke 1:51, 1 Corinthians 1:19, 1 Corinthians 1:20

of the froward: Psalms 18:26, Proverbs 3:32

Job 5:14 "They meet with darkness in the daytime, and grope in the noonday as in the night." Eliphaz said that Job’s light had gone out, and that he was groping around in the dark even though the sun was up outside.

meet with: or, run into

darkness: Job 12:25, Deuteronomy 28:29, Proverbs 4:19, Isaiah 59:10, Amos 8:9

Job 5:15 "But he saveth the poor from the sword, from their mouth, and from the hand of the mighty." God truly does save the poor from the oppressor. He not only saves them from being destroyed by their actions, but by their words, as well. Job knew this was true, but he knew that he was not the oppressor, which he was being accused of being, either.

he saveth: Psalms 10:14, Psalms 10:17, Psalms 35:10, Psalms 72:4, Psalms 72:12, Psalms 72:13, Psalms 107:41, Psalms 109:31, Psalms 140:12

Job 5:16 "So the poor hath hope, and iniquity stoppeth her mouth." This was a reprimand of Job for complaining of his plight. Eliphaz said that God had stopped the mouth of Job.

the poor: 1 Samuel 2:8, 1 Samuel 2:9, Psalms 9:18, Isaiah 14:32, Zechariah 9:12

and: Exodus 11:7, Psalms 63:11, Psalms 107:42, Romans 3:19

Job 5:17 "Behold, happy [is] the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty:" This was a true statement which did not apply to Job. It was not God who was chastening Job, it was Satan. We know, and I am sure that Job knew, that God chastens those he loves.

happy: Psalms 94:12, Proverbs 3:11, Proverbs 3:12, Jeremiah 31:18, Hebrews 12:5-11, James 1:12, James 5:11, Revelation 3:19

Job 5:18 "For he maketh sore, and bindeth up: he woundeth, and his hands make whole." By the grace of God, we are healed, or we are sick. It is God who decides the circumstances that we live in. God controls His creation.

Deuteronomy 32:39, 1 Samuel 2:6, Psalms 147:3, Isaiah 30:26

Job 5:19 "He shall deliver thee in six troubles: yea, in seven there shall no evil touch thee." We see some encouragement here. Eliphaz was telling Job that, possibly, after 7 troubles came upon him, the LORD would help him. He believed the 7 troubles to be justified punishment for the sins of Job.

deliver thee: Psalms 34:19, Psalms 91:3-7, Proverbs 24:16, 1 Corinthians 10:13, 2 Corinthians 1:8, 2 Peter 2:9

no evil: Psalms 91:7-10

Job 5:20 "In famine he shall redeem thee from death: and in war from the power of the sword." Throughout the Bible, we see famine as a severe punishment from God on the unfaithful. War is another punishment we have seen, that God sends on those who are unfaithful. God did eventually remove them both, and turned and blessed His people.

famine: Genesis 45:7, 1 Kings 17:6, Psalms 33:19, Proverbs 10:3, Isaiah 33:16, Habakkuk 3:17

redeem: Psalms 49:7, Hosea 13:14

in war: Psalms 27:3, Matthew 24:6

the power: Heb. hands

Job 5:21 "Thou shalt be hid from the scourge of the tongue: neither shalt thou be afraid of destruction when it cometh." God will protect those of His own from the destruction of the evil tongue. He will keep them from destruction. Those who are truly of God have no need to fear these things. Job would be delivered too, even though his friend did not believe he would. He had done nothing to cause this problem. Job was persecuted without a cause. This, perhaps, could be a type of the suffering of the righteous One on the cross. Jesus was without sin, and yet was persecuted.

be hid: Psalms 31:20, Psalms 55:21, Psalms 57:4, Proverbs 12:18, Isaiah 54:17, Jeremiah 18:18, James 3:5-8

from the scourge: or, when the tongue scourgeth

neither: Psalms 91:5-7

Job 5:22 "At destruction and famine thou shalt laugh: neither shalt thou be afraid of the beasts of the earth." The LORD afflicts His own, to cause them to return to Him. Those who belong to God should not fear famine, or wild beasts. God is our very present help in trouble. This friend of Job’s was trying to convince Job that he had to be a sinner, or else God would be His protector in all of this.

laugh: 2 Kings 19:21

afraid: Isaiah 35:9, Isaiah 65:25, Ezekiel 34:25

Job 5:23 "For thou shalt be in league with the stones of the field: and the beasts of the field shall be at peace with thee." This is a description of the condition of those who are in fellowship with God. They will not even dash their foot against a stone. It appears, that they would be in harmony with all of God’s creation.

thou: Psalms 91:12, Psalms 91:13, Hosea 2:18, Romans 8:38, Romans 8:39

beasts: Leviticus 26:6, Ezekiel 14:15, Ezekiel 14:16, Isaiah 11:9, Daniel 6:22

Job 5:24 "And thou shalt know that thy tabernacle [shall be] in peace; and thou shalt visit thy habitation, and shalt not sin." These promises from God to those who love Him, were spoken by Eliphaz to cause Job to repent and get back in right standing. Again, I say they are futile, Job was already in right standing with God. The only one angry with Job was Satan, because he could not get Job to curse God.

thou shalt know: Job 18:6, Job 18:15, Job 18:21, Job 21:7-9, 1 Samuel 30:3, Isaiah 4:5, Isaiah 4:6

thy tabernacle: etc. or, peace is thy tabernacle, Psalms 25:13

thou shalt visit: Deuteronomy 28:6, Psalms 91:10, Psalms 121:7, Psalms 121:8

sin: or, err, Psalms 107:4, Psalms 107:40

Job 5:25 "Thou shalt know also that thy seed [shall be] great, and thine offspring as the grass of the earth." Job was aware of the promises of God to bless his offspring if he remained faithful to God. Job was a man who knew and understood the promises of God. Eliphaz tried to say that Job rejected the chastisement of God, and all of this had been taken from him.

thy seed: Job 42:13-16, Genesis 15:5, Leviticus 26:9, Deuteronomy 28:4, Psalms 112:2, Psalms 127:3-5, Psalms 128:3-6

great: or, much.

as the grass: Psalms 72:16

Job 5:26 "Thou shalt come to [thy] grave in a full age, like as a shock of corn cometh in in his season." In the pain and suffering that Job had endured, he had no desire to live a long life. He had even wished he had never been born.

in a full age: Job 42:16, Job 42:17, Genesis 15:15, Genesis 25:8, Psalms 91:16, Proverbs 9:11, Proverbs 10:27

cometh: Heb. ascendeth

Job 5:27 "Lo this, we have searched it, so it [is]; hear it, and know thou [it] for thy good." Eliphaz said to Job, that he had said all of this for his own good. He tried to tell Job that he should listen and repent. Job was in right standing with God. He knew all of these things and believed them, except he knew in his own heart, that he had not turned away from God.

we have searched: Job 8:8-10, Job 12:2, Job 15:9, Job 15:10, Job 15:17, Job 32:11, Job 32:12, Psalms 111:2, Proverbs 2:3-5

for thy good: Heb. for thyself, Job 22:2, Deuteronomy 10:13, Proverbs 9:12

Job 5 Questions

1. If God did not help Job, who would?

2. For ________ killeth the foolish man.

3. What did Eliphaz believe that Job had done?

4. Why do many people overlook the meaning of the book of ?Job 5. What caused the trouble of Job?

6. What was Eliphaz saying in Job 5:3?

7. In Job 5:4, he was blaming Job for the __________ of his children.

8. Why could the robbers come in and take Job’s crops?

9. What terrible thing was Eliphaz still trying to say about Job in Job 5:6?

10. Just as sure as ________ fly upward, man is born to trouble in this life.

11. Eliphaz told Job, if this were him, he would do what?

12. What was Eliphaz’s mistake?

13. Who sends the rain?

14. God is no ___________ of persons.

15. What was Eliphaz saying about Job’s wisdom?

16. What did he say about the counsel Job had given others?

17. Eliphaz said that Job was _________ around in darkness.

18. Happy is the man whom God _____________.

19. Despise not the _________ of the Almighty.

20. It is _______ who decides the circumstances we live in.

21. Throughout the Bible, __________ is used as a severe punishment from God.

22. Job was persecuted without a __________.

23. Who was Job a type of?

24. God is our very present _______ in trouble.

25. Eliphaz was trying to convince Job of what?

26. In Job 5:23, it is speaking of being in harmony with all of God’s ___________.

27. Why would Job not want to live to old age?

28. What did Job know in his heart?

Verses 1-7

Job 5:1-7

Introduction

THE CONCLUSION OF ELPIHAZ’ FIRST SPEECH

Eliphaz’ speech revealed some good qualities in him. He no doubt believed that Job had been a righteous man; and in spite of the fact that he even suggested that the terrible misfortunes that came upon Job might have been in the category of `chastening’ rather than as punishment, his smug and erroneous belief that such calamities were usually if not always the proof and punishment of wickedness must have been quite painful to Job.

Job 5:1-7

ELIPHAZ’ WORD THAT JOB’S CASE WAS HOPELESS

"Call now; is there any that will answer thee?

And to which of the holy ones wilt thou turn?

For vexation killeth the foolish man,

And jealousy slayeth the silly one.

I have seen the foolish taking root:

But suddenly I cursed his habitation..

His children are far from safety,

And they are crushed in the gate,

Neither is there any to deliver them:

Whose harvest the hungry eateth up,

And taketh it even out of the thorns;

And the snare gapeth for their substance.

For affliction cometh not forth from the dust,

Neither doth trouble spring out of the ground:

But man is born unto trouble,

As the sparks fly upward."

"Is there any that will answer thee" (Job 5:1)? Such a question in Hebrew was an emphatic negative, with the meaning that, "Not even any of the angels would hear Job’s prayer." "What he says is that, `it is futile to call out in prayer,’ for no one will answer." Eliphaz himself had just claimed that God heard him in prayer; so, "It is Job himself who is disqualified to pray."

"Vexation killeth the foolish man" (Job 5:2). Eliphaz has concluded that Job’s vexation and jealousy show that Job has become a fool. In his description of what happens to the fool, "Eliphaz deliberately goes through a whole roll of disasters corresponding so exactly to what had happened to Job, that each word is a poisoned arrow."

"His children are far from safety" (Job 5:4). The implication of this is that Job’s sins have also brought sorrow to his children. Of course, it is true that sin injures others besides the sinner. It is against God, against the sinner’s family, against society, and against the sinner himself; "It is inevitable that when a man disgraces himself that his family share in it." However. the tragedy of Eliphaz’ observation here is that it had no application whatever to Job.

"Eliphaz and the other friends of Job were like men who close their eyes to the real facts, rock back on their heels, and speak of general principles, every one of which is contradicted by the indisputable facts before them."

"And taketh it even out of the thorns" (Job 5:5). The imagery here is that of ancient harvests which were protected from raiders and vandals, "by thorn hedges."

"Affliction cometh not forth from the dust ... Man is born unto trouble, as sparks fly upward" (Job 5:6-7). "Here Eliphaz says that trouble comes naturally to man; but he had just said the opposite," that trouble did not just rise up out of the dust, but it came as a consequence of wickedness.

Eliphaz’ idea that disasters and calamities were invariably due to the sin of those who suffered such things was generally received throughout the ancient world. Even the Twelve asked Jesus, concerning the man born blind, "Who sinned? This man or his parents that he should have been born blind"? (John 9:2). Jesus put that old lie to rest with the declaration that neither the blind man nor his parents had sinned, but, "That the glory of God should be manifested in him."

It is true, of course that sin is the root and cause of all the sorrow and suffering of mankind; but that cannot mean that an individual sufferer of this or that misfortune is suffering because of his personal sin. David, Jeremiah, Jacob, Tamar, Uriah, - call the roll of Old Testament heroes; they all suffered from the sins of others, not from their own wickedness. "And what about Our Saviour himself?. He did no wrong, in fact, committed no sin whatever, yet he suffered the agony of the Cross. The argument of Eliphaz does not hold water."

"As the sparks fly upward" (Job 5:7). In the Hebrew, this reads, "As the sons of Reseph, an old Canaanite god. Here Eliphaz has given up his attempt at a moral explanation of Job’s disasters, offering dismal comfort."

E.M. Zerr:

Job 5:1. Eliphaz challenged Job to appeal to some righteous person to see if he could obtain any help. The argument was that if he had not done something wrong, the saint would come to his rescue upon his appeal to him.

Job 5:2. It is true that wrath will kill a foolish man, but it likewise will kill a righteous one who happens to be a victim. See the comments at Job 4:1,

Job 5:3. Taking root is a figure of speech referring to the former good estate of Job. Cursed means he thought little of it because of its reversed condition; even so, Job’s good situation was made low through the effects of his own folly according to the argument of the speaker.

Job 5:4. The gates of cities were the places where the citizens came and went, and if all was prosperous the happiness of the children was assured. However, if a man became unworthy his children would have to suffer for it when they attempted to return through the usual channel at the entrance to the city.

Job 5:5. The children of the wicked will even be deprived of the necessities of life at the hands of evil persons. There will be no relief for them because their father has gone wrong and thrown himself outside of the help of God.

Job 5:6. The gist of this verse is the same as if he had said: "Affliction and trouble do not came from just nowhere or without a cause."

Job 5:7. The argument of Eliphaz is as follows: "All natural effects come from natural causes, so Job’s afflictions are the logical effect of something." The argument is correct but misapplied; just because there can be no effect without a cause is no reason for referring to Job’s case. There could be numerous causes for the effects that were present, therefore it cannot be claimed that the particular cause designated by Eliphaz was the true one.

Verses 8-16

Job 5:8-16

Job 5:8-16

SOME MORE GENERALITIES IN THE SPEECH OF ELIPHAZ

"But as for me, I would seek unto God,

And unto God would I commit my cause;

Who doeth great things, and unsearchable,

Marvelous things without number:

Who giveth rain upon the earth,

And sendeth waters upon the fields;

So that he setteth upon on high those that are low,

And those that mourn are exalted to safety.

He frustrateth the devices of the crafty,

So that their hands cannot perform their enterprise.

He taketh the wise in their own craftiness;

And the counsel of the cunning is carried headlong.

They meet with darkness in the daytime,

And grope at noonday as in the night.

But he saveth from the sword of their mouth,

Even the needy from the hand of the mighty.

So the poor have hope,

And iniquity stoppeth her mouth."

"Unto God would I commit my cause" (Job 5:8). We like Dilday’s paraphrase here: "If I were you Job, I would quit complaining and humbly trust God to help me. He thinks that Job should rejoice in sufferings because they open the way to richer blessings." Eliphaz, however, was mistaken. "Suffering does not come to men in proportion to their sins, and neither is prosperity granted in proportion to one’s piety. Everything depends upon the will of God." Indeed God did, at a later time, bless Job superlatively, "But not upon the conditions which Eliphaz here imagined."

"He setteth up on high those that are low" (Job 5:11). Barnes pointed out that the Virgin Mary very beautifully expressed much the same thought in Luke 1:52-53.

"He taketh the wise in their own craftiness" (Job 5:13). Also, it appears that Eliphaz’ remarks here prompted the apostle Paul to write 1 Corinthians 3:19; but our own opinion is that no New Testament writer quoted from the Book of Job. Some scholars think that Paul did so in the verse cited; but Driver and Gray pointed out that, "If Paul here quoted from Job, he either translated from the Hebrew himself, or quoted from some other than any of the known versions." We learned in our New Testament studies that Paul often used the language of Old Testament passages to formulate his own inspired writings, and that in a number of passages where Paul is sometimes alleged to have "misquoted" or garbled some Old Testament Scripture, he was by no means `quoting’ Scripture; he was `writing’ Scripture. Heavenor stated that 1 Corinthians 3:19 is the only clear case of a quotation from Job to be found in the New Testament; and, in the light of Driver’s analysis, this writer does not believe that even that reference qualifies as a bona fide quotation.

Eliphaz’ message to Job in this speech is, "Repent, confess your sins to God, and he will bless you." "Good old orthodox, conceited prosperous Eliphaz; he thinks he is a prophet; but, if he had been tried like Job, he would have been just as unreasonable, just as perplexed, just as eager for death and just as wild and passionate as was Job," perhaps more so.

"He taketh the wise in their craftiness" (Job 5:13). DeHoff reminds us that Sanballat, Ahithophel and Haman are Old Testament examples of instances when God did that very thing. But what comfort is there in such information for one who is not wicked, and who is not planning some crafty deception against another?

"He saveth from the sword of their mouth" (Job 5:15). What an eloquent description we have here of a slanderous tongue. It is the `mouth-sword’ of evil men.

E.M. Zerr:

Job 5:8. This verse gave some advice to Job. The speaker assumed that Job had turned from God and that it would be well for him to return. The claim had not been proved and therefore the advice was out of place.

Job 5:9-12. Everything asserted in the paragraph was true, but still there was the missing link in the argument of Eliphaz. Job would have agreed to all the claims made for the greatness of God, but that would have had nothing to do with his afflictions. The greatness of God would not necessarily require that any man whosoever should be afflicted unless some cause existed for such punishment to be administered.

Job 5:13. While the statement of this verse has nothing to do with Job, it is a true one and has been quoted for many generations. It is even quoted by Paul in 1 Corinthians 3:19. However, that does not prove that it was inspired when Eliphaz uttered it. Paul even quoted from the literature of the heathen (Acts 17:28), but that only shows that the apostle accepted the statement as being true and he gave it his endorsement. The meaning of the present statement is that just when a man of worldly wisdom thinks he has a scheme arranged for his own advantage, the Lord will use that as a trap to capture the "wise" man.

Job 5:14-16. Eliphaz said so many things that were true but they had nothing to do with Job. Had he been guilty of some special sin he would have needed the exhortations spoken to him, but he was as sure of all these truths as was the one speaking to him.

Verses 17-27

Job 5:17-27

Job 5:17-27

CONCLUSION OF ELIPHAZ’ FIRST SPEECH

"Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth:

Therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty.

For he taketh sore, and bindeth up;

He woundeth, and his hands make whole.

He will deliver thee in six troubles;

Yea, in seven there shall no evil touch thee.

In famine he will redeem thee from death;

And in war from the power of the sword.

Thou shalt be hid from the scourge of the tongue;

Neither shalt thou be afraid of destruction when it cometh.

At destruction and dearth thou shalt laugh;

Neither shalt thou be afraid of the beasts of the earth.

For thou shalt be in league with the beasts of the field;

And the beasts of the field shall be in league with thee.

And thou shalt know that thy tent is in peace;

And thou shalt visit thy fold, and shalt miss nothing.

Thou shalt know also that thy seed shall be great,

And thine offspring as the grass of the earth.

Thou shalt come to thy grave in a full age,

Like a shock of grain cometh in its season.

Lo this, we have searched it, so it is;

Hear it, and know thou it for thy good."

"Despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty" (Job 5:17). "It is true, of course, that God chastens those whom he loves; but it is not true that we can know every time one suffers that he is being chastened of the Lord."

One of the most offensive elements of Eliphaz’ ineffective and futile efforts to comfort Job was his conceited assumption that he knew all the answers. How often must all of us ministers of the gospel have fallen into the same error! "Eliphaz had not yet learned that reverent humility exhibited by the apostle Paul in his words, `We now see through a glass darkly, but then face to face.’ How often must we find a place for this confession in our religious thinking"!

In the last few verses of this chapter, Eliphaz enumerates all of the blessings that may come to Job, if only he will confess his wickedness and ask God to help. Perhaps the most tasteless and tactless blunder of all is that which he stated in Job 5:25.

"Thy seed shall be great, and thine offspring as the grass of the earth" (Job 5:25). Imagine saying that to a man whose children have all been killed in a tragic accident! To say to a man in the clutches of a mortal illness that he shall attain to a ripe old age, and that his children shall multiply as the grass (when, as a matter of fact, his children were all dead) was an almost unforgivable insult. "Oh yes, it actually came to pass, but that did not altar the situation. Here, as elsewhere, Eliphaz was not speaking that `which was right’ (Job 42:7). His overconfident and arrogant conclusion (Job 5:27) did not comfort Job, but only added to his irritation." "What Job needed here was love and understanding, not theological doctrine and criticism."

E.M. Zerr:

Job 5:17. See my remarks on Job 5:13 regarding quotations from uninspired sources; this idea will need to be kept in mind or confusion will result. The mere reference to a statement does not prove it to have been written by inspiration since the Bible makes frequent mention of heathen writers with approval of the statements quoted. However, if an inspired man quotes an utterance with his approval, then it becomes inspired. The present verse should be considered in the light of these remarks.

Job 5:18-22. This paragraph says some very good things about the doings of God, but Job did not need the instruction, for he was already aware of them.

Job 5:23. These are figures of speech since a stone could not form nor break a league. A beast would know notbing about being at peace with a man, and so the whole passage means that a man would prosper if he trusted in God.

Job 5:24-27. The paragraph as a whole pictures the success of a man who is true to God. Job did not need the information and we shall see that he does not notice any of these remarks when it comes his turn to speak.