Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary
Job 22:22

Bridgeway Bible Commentary

22:1-26:14 THIRD ROUND OF ARGUMENT

Eliphaz speaks (22:1-30)

In the first two rounds Eliphaz had not been as severe on Job as the others. Now, however, he attacks Job with specific accusations. He argues that since a person can add nothing to God, God would not make Job suffer in the hope of gaining some benefit for himself. The reason for Job’s suffering must lie with Job, not with God (22:1-3. Note how once again Eliphaz refers back to the main part of his dream; cf. 4:17-19). And since God would not punish Job for his reverence, he must be punishing him for his sin (4-5). Eliphaz’s accusation is that Job has heartlessly oppressed others to make himself rich (6-9), and that is why God is now punishing him (10-11).
According to Eliphaz, Job practises all this evil because he thinks God is so far away that he cannot see him and will not punish him (12-14). This was the way wicked people in former ages thought and behaved. They ignored God in spite of the benefits they received from his gracious blessings (15-18). The godly rightly rejoice when they see such people consumed in fiery judgment (19-20).
In view of the certain punishment of the wicked, Eliphaz urges Job to submit humbly to God and repent (21-23). Job must learn to look for his satisfaction in God, not in wealth (24-26). Then God will answer his prayers and give him all that he desires (27-30).

Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible

"Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: Thereby good shall come unto thee. Receive, I pray thee, the law from his mouth, And lay up his words in thy heart. If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, If thou put away unrighteousness far from thy tents. And lay thou thy treasure in the dust, And the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks. And the Almighty will be thy treasure, And precious silver unto thee. For then shalt thou delight thyself in the Almighty, And shalt lift up thy face unto God. Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he will hear thee; And thou shalt pay thy vows. Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee; And light shall shine upon thy ways. When they cast thee down, thou shalt say, There is lifting up; And the humble person he will save. He will deliver even him that is not innocent: Yea, he shall be delivered through the cleanness of thy hands."

This final shot from Eliphaz was loaded with the most slanderous insinuations against Job. Exactly as some rabble-rouser will preach "non violence," in such a manner as to cause violence, Eliphaz pretended to be talking about repentance, forgiveness and blessings, but what he was really doing was heaping charge after charge upon the head of Job.

Job 22:21 stated that Job did not know God.

Job 22:22 stated that Job rejected God's law.

Job 22:23 stated that he had left God, and that he dwelt in unrighteousness.

Job 22:24 stated that gold was his treasure.

Job 22:25 implied that he loved silver, not God.

Job 22:26 stated that he did not delight in God.

Job 22:27 stated that his prayers were not heard, and that he was not paying his vows.

Job 22:28 stated that Job was in darkness.

Job 22:29 stated that he was soon to be cast down.

Job 22:30 stated that Job was not innocent, and that his dirty hands needed cleaning!

May God deliver all of us from that kind of "consolation" and "comforting" from our friends!

Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

Receive, I pray thee, the law from his mouth - Listen to his commands, and obey his precepts.

And lay up his words in thine heart - Embrace his truth, and do not forget it. Let it abide with you, and let it influence your secret feelings and the purposes of the soul.

Smith's Bible Commentary

Chapter 22

So Eliphaz takes up the argument now. And the same old story: he accuses Job of being wicked and he actually makes many bad accusations. He said,

Can a man be profitable unto God, as he that is wise may be profitable to himself? Is there any pleasure to the Almighty, that you are righteous? or is it any gain to him, that you make your ways perfect? Will he reprove thee for the fear of thee? or will he enter into thee with judgment? ( Job 22:2-4 )

In other words, "Job, do you think that you're adding anything to God? Is it anything to God if you are good? If you justify yourself? It's no gain to God." But,

Is not thy wickedness great? and your iniquities infinite? For you have taken a pledge from the brother for nothing, you've stripped the naked of their clothing. You have not given water to the weary to drink, and you have withheld bread from the hungry. But as for the mighty man, he had the earth; and the honorable man dwelt in it. Thou hast sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken ( Job 22:5-9 ).

So these are accusations now that he is making against Job. They're not proved. He is assuming these things now, but there is absolutely no proof to them at all, and Job doesn't answer them immediately, but in a couple of chapters Job will answer these accusations. When we get to chapter 29, he answers the accusations that are made against him, or chapter 30.

But it's interesting how that hospitality was considered really a... well, not to be hospitable was actually a great wickedness. In other words, if you didn't give a cup of water, if you didn't give bread, if you didn't seek to help the poor, the widows, the fatherless and all, then that was considered a great wickedness. I think that one of the tragic things about our culture today is that we are so much into ourselves that we really aren't even aware of the needs of those around us. I have great difficulty with people who can spend lavish amounts of money for their own luxuries and their own pleasure but do not take any concern or any care for the poor. They think nothing at all of spending fabulous sums to adorn their own bodies, and yet, if someone comes up who is really destitute, they are annoyed. "Go away, go ask someone else." It was considered a great wickedness in the time of the Bible, and I think that it is still a great wickedness. I do not believe that we can justify a luxurious lifestyle for ourselves when people are hurting, when people are hungry, when people are in great need. I think that we need to become more sensitive to the needs of others around us. There is a movement in England of what they are calling communal-type living. I do not agree with it, because I think that they are exerting too much pressure. But they are encouraging the people who have, say, a $15,000 car to sell it and to buy a $2,000 car and give the $13,000 to the poor. If you're living in a $50,000 house and you only need a $20,000 house, sell your house and give the remainder to the poor. And it is quite a movement in England right now. John Stout is involved in this, or was at least a while back. I don't know if they still are or not. But, as I say, I don't necessarily agree with it, but yet, I do feel very strongly that if God has blessed us, it isn't that we would use the financial blessings to heap up unto ourselves gold and silver while others are around us in real need, hungering and hurting.

James said, "Go to now, ye rich, weep and howl for the miseries that have come upon you. Because you have laid up your gold and silver for the last days, but it's going to corrupt. It's going to be rotten, and the laborer that you have defrauded is crying out for his pay and all" ( James 5:1-4 ). Jesus said, "How hard it is for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven; easier for a camel to go through an eye of a needle than a rich man" ( Matthew 19:24 ). Why? Because they that are rich fall into different, many different temptations which damn men's souls. If God has blessed us, it is that we might use those blessings of God to share with others that are in need. And if we close up our hearts, if we close up ourselves to the needy world around us, to the needy brothers and sisters in Christ while we are just spending foolishly for ourselves in luxuries that really are just nothing, then surely God will judge us.

They're accusing Job of these kind of things. As far as they are concerned, they are horrible accusations declaring the wickedness of Job. And because you have done these things, he declares, verse Job 22:10 :

Snares are round about you, sudden fear troubles you; Darkness, that you cannot see; waters are covering you. Is not God in the height of heaven? and behold the height of the stars, how high they are! And you say, How does God know? how can he judge through the dark cloud? ( Job 22:10-13 )

He is now falsely accusing Job, he is saying, "Job, you're saying how can God see you when it is a cloudy day?" You know, God's up there in heaven, He can't see through the clouds. Job didn't say that, but this guy is just really laying one on Job. You say that,

Thick clouds are a covering, then he can't see through them; and he walks in the circuit of heaven. Have you marked the old way which wicked men have trodden? Which were cut down out of time, whose foundation was overflown with a flood: Which said unto God, Depart from us: and what can the Almighty do for them? Yet he filled their houses with good things: but the counsel of the wicked is far from me. The righteous see it, and are glad: the innocent laugh them to scorn. Whereas our substance is not cut down, but the remnant of them the fire consumes. [Now Job,] acquaint yourself with God, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto you. Receive, I pray thee, the law from his mouth, and lay up his words in your heart ( Job 22:14-22 ).

So his advice to Job is, "Just get right. Find God, Job. Just find God. And be at peace. Listen to His words. Follow Him."

And then thou shalt lay up gold as the dust, of the gold of Ophir, as the stones of brooks. Yea, the Almighty shall be your defense, and you will have plenty of silver. For then shall you have the delight in the Almighty, and you will lift up your face unto God. Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he will hear you, and you shall pay your vows ( Job 22:24-27 ). "

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

1. Eliphaz’s third speech ch. 22

In his third speech Eliphaz was even more discourteous than he had been previously.

"He [Eliphaz] made three serious accusations against Job: he is a sinner (Job 22:1-11), he is hiding his sins (Job 22:12-20), and he must confess his sins and repent before God can help him (Job 22:21-30)." [Note: Wiersbe, p. 47.]

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

Job’s need to repent 22:21-30

This appeal sounds almost tender. However, Eliphaz had been very condemning in what he had just accused Job of doing and thinking. Job did not need to repent, as Eliphaz suggested (Job 22:23). He was not suffering because he had sinned greatly.

We should not use this type of approach when appealing to the unsaved today because God does not require reformation before He will accept a sinner. Furthermore, He does not promise physical prosperity to those who repent. Again, Eliphaz’s basic retribution theology led him to misrepresent God and misunderstand life.

Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

Receive, I pray thee, the law from his mouth,.... Not the law of Moses; for it is a question whether that was as yet, or could come to the knowledge of Job; rather any doctrine, as the word signifies, any revelation of the mind and will of God, made unto the patriarchs in former times, and which was handed down from one to another, and was to be received as coming from the mouth of God, not as the word of man, but as the word of God; and as such to be received with meekness and reverence, with readiness, cheerfulness, and gladness; and not only to be attended to but obeyed:

and lay up his words in thine heart: as a rich treasure, very valuable, and preferable to gold, silver, and precious stones, laid up in chests and cabinets because of their value, and that they might not be lost, but be preserved safe and sure, and that they might be come at, and made use of on proper occasions; as the words of God and doctrines of the Scriptures may be, against the temptations of Satan, the lusts of the flesh, and for the instruction of ourselves and others; and therefore should be retained in our minds, hid in our hearts, and dwell richly in us; and, unless they are in the heart, and have a place there, they will be of little avail to have them in the head or on the tongue; but if they come with power into the heart, and have a place there, they work effectually, and influence the life and conversation: these Job had, and had a great value for them; see Job 6:10.

Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible

      21 Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee.   22 Receive, I pray thee, the law from his mouth, and lay up his words in thine heart.   23 If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacles.   24 Then shalt thou lay up gold as dust, and the gold of Ophir as the stones of the brooks.   25 Yea, the Almighty shall be thy defence, and thou shalt have plenty of silver.   26 For then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face unto God.   27 Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he shall hear thee, and thou shalt pay thy vows.   28 Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: and the light shall shine upon thy ways.   29 When men are cast down, then thou shalt say, There is lifting up; and he shall save the humble person.   30 He shall deliver the island of the innocent: and it is delivered by the pureness of thine hands.

      Methinks I can almost forgive Eliphaz his hard censures of Job, which we had in the beginning of the chapter, though they were very unjust and unkind, for this good counsel and encouragement which he gives him in these verses with which he closes his discourse, and than which nothing could be better said, nor more to the purpose. Though he thought him a bad man, yet he saw reason to have hopes concerning him, that, for all this, he would be both pious and prosperous. But it is strange that out of the same mouth, and almost in the same breath, both sweet waters and bitter should proceed. Good men, though they may perhaps be put into a heat, yet sometimes will talk themselves into a better temper, and, it may be, sooner than another could talk them into it. Eliphaz had laid before Job the miserable condition of a wicked man, that he might frighten him into repentance. Here, on the other hand, he shows him the happiness which those may be sure of that do repent, that he might allure and encourage him to it. Ministers must try both ways in dealing with people, must speak to them from Mount Sinai by the terrors of the law, and from Mount Sion by the comforts of the gospel, must set before them both life and death, good and evil, the blessing and the curse. Now here observe,

      I. The good counsel which Eliphaz gives to Job; and good counsel it is to us all, though, as to Job, it was built upon a false supposition that he was a wicked man and now a stranger and enemy to God. 1. Acquaint now thyself with God. Acquiesce in God; so some. It is our duty at all times, especially when we are in affliction, to accommodate ourselves to, and quiet ourselves in, all the disposals of the divine Providence. Join thyself to him (so some); fall in with his interests, and act no longer in opposition to him. Our translators render it well, "Acquaint thyself with him; be not such a stranger to him as thou hast made thyself by casting off the fear of him and restraining prayer before him." It is the duty and interest of every one of us to acquaint himself with God. We must get the knowledge of him, fix our affections on him, join ourselves to him in a covenant of friendship, and then set up, and keep up, a constant correspondence with him in the ways he has appointed. It is our honour that we are made capable of this acquaintance, our misery that by sin we have lost it, our privilege that through Christ we are invited to return to it; and it will be our unspeakable happiness to contract and cultivate this acquaintance. 2. "Be at peace, at peace with thyself, not fretful, uneasy, and in confusion; let not thy heart be troubled, but be quiet and calm, and well composed. Be at peace with thy God; be reconciled to him. Do not carry on this unholy war. Thou complainest that God is thy enemy; be thou his friend." It is the great concern of every one of us to make our peace with God, and it is necessary in order to our comfortable acquaintance with him; for how can two walk together except they be agreed?Amos 3:3. This we must do quickly, now, before it be too late. Agree with thy adversary while thou art in the way. This we are earnestly urged to do. Some read it, "Acquaint thyself, I pray thee, with him, and be at peace." God himself beseeches us; ministers, in Christ's stead, pray us to be reconciled. Can we gainsay such entreaties? 3. Receive the law from his mouth,Job 22:22; Job 22:22. "Having made thy peace with God, submit to his government, and resolve to be ruled by him, that thou mayest keep thyself in his love." We receive our being and maintenance from God. From him we hope to receive our bliss, and from him we must receive law. Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?Acts 9:6. Which way soever we receive the intimations of his will we must have our eye to him; whether he speaks by scripture, ministers, conscience, or Providence, we must take the word as from his mouth and bow our souls to it. Though, in Job's time, we do not know that there was any written word, yet there was a revelation of God's will to be received. Eliphaz looked upon Job as a wicked man, and was pressing him to repent and reform. Herein consists the conversion of a sinner--his receiving the law from God's mouth and no longer from the world and the flesh. Eliphaz, being now in contest with Job, appeals to the word of God for the ending of the controversy. "Receive that, and be determined by it." To the law and to the testimony. 4. Lay up his word in thy heart. It is not enough to receive it, but we must retain it, Proverbs 3:18. We must lay it up as a thing of great value, that it may be safe; and we must lay it up in our hearts, as a thing of great use, that it may be ready to us when there is occasion and we may neither lose it wholly nor be at a loss for it in a time of need. 5. Return to the Almighty,Job 22:23; Job 22:23. "Do not only turn from sin, but turn to God and thy duty. Do not only turn towards the Almighty in some good inclinations and good beginnings, but return to him; return home to him, quite to him, so as to reach to the Almighty, by a universal reformation, an effectual thorough change of thy heart and life, and a firm resolution to cleave to him;" so Mr. Poole. 6. Put away iniquity far from thy tabernacle. This was the advice Zophar gave him, Job 11:14; Job 11:14. "Let not wickedness dwell in thy tabernacle. Put iniquity far off, the further the better, not only from thy heart and hand, but from thy house. Thou must not only not be wicked thyself, but must reprove and restrain sin in those that are under thy charge." Note, Family reformation is needful reformation; we and our house must serve the Lord.

      II. The good encouragement which Eliphaz gives Job, that he shall be very happy, if he will but take this good counsel. In general, "Thereby good shall come unto thee (Job 22:21; Job 22:21); the good that has now departed from thee, all the good thy heart can desire, temporal, spiritual, eternal good, shall come to thee. God shall come to thee, into covenant and communion with thee; and he brings all good with him, all good in him. Thou art now ruined and brought down, but, if thou return to God, thou shalt be built up again, and thy present ruins shall be repaired. Thy family shall be built up in children, thy estate in wealth, and thy soul in holiness and comfort." The promises which Eliphaz here encourages Job with are reducible to three heads:--

      1. That his estate should prosper, and temporal blessings should be bestowed abundantly on him; for godliness has the promise of the life that now is. It is promised,

      (1.) That he shall be very rich (Job 22:24; Job 22:24): "Thou shalt lay up gold as dust, in such great abundance, and shalt have plenty of silver (Job 22:25; Job 22:25), whereas now thou art poor and stripped of all." Job had been rich. Eliphaz suspected he got his riches by fraud and oppression, and therefore they were taken from him: but if he would return to God and his duty, [1.] He should have more wealth than ever he had, not only thousands of sheep and oxen, the wealth of farmers, but thousands of gold and silver, the wealth of princes, Job 3:15; Job 3:15. Abundantly more riches, true riches, are to be got by the service of God than by the service of the world. [2.] He should have it more sure to him: "Thou shalt lay it up in good hands, and hold that which is got by thy piety by a surer tenure than that which thou didst get by thy iniquity." Thou shalt have silver of strength (for so the word is), which, being honestly got, will wear well--silver like steel. [3.] He should, by the grace of God, be kept from setting his heart so much upon it as Eliphaz thought he had done; and then wealth is a blessing indeed when we are not ensnared with the love of it. Thou shalt lay up gold; but how? Not as thy treasure and portion, but as dust, and as the stones of the brooks. So little shalt thou value it or expect from it that thou shalt lay it at thy feet (Acts 4:35), not in thy bosom.

      (2.) That yet he shall be very safe. Whereas men's riches usually expose them to danger, and he had owned that in his prosperity he was not in safety (Job 3:26; Job 3:26), now he might be secure; for the Almighty shall be thy defender; nay, he shall be thy defence,Job 22:25; Job 22:25. He shall be thy gold; so it is in the margin, and it is the same word that is used (Job 22:24; Job 22:24) for gold, but it signifies also a strong-hold, because money is a defence,Ecclesiastes 7:12. Worldlings make gold their god, saints make God their gold; and those that are enriched with his favour and grace may truly be said to have abundance of the best gold, and best laid up. We read it, "He shall be thy defence against the incursions of neighbouring spoilers: thy wealth shall not then lie exposed as it did to Sabeans and Chaldeans," which, some think, is the meaning of that, Thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacle, taking it as a promise. "The iniquity or wrong designed against thee shall be put off and shall not reach thee." Note, Those must needs be safe that have Omnipotence itself for their defence, Psalms 91:1-3.

      2. That his soul should prosper, and he should be enriched with spiritual blessings, which are the best blessings.

      (1.) That he should live a life of complacency in God (Job 22:26; Job 22:26): "For then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty; and thus the Almighty comes to be thy gold by thy delighting in him, as worldly people delight in their money. He shall be thy wealth, thy defence, thy dignity; for he shall be thy delight." The way to have our heart's desire is to make God our heart's delight, Psalms 37:4. If God give us himself to be our joy, he will deny us nothing that is good for us. "Now, God is a terror to thee; he is so by thy own confession (Job 6:4; Job 16:9; Job 19:11); but, if thou wilt return to him, then, and not till then, he will be thy delight; and it shall be as much a pleasure to thee to think of him as ever it was a pain." No delight is comparable to the delight which gracious souls have in the Almighty; and those that acquaint themselves with him, and submit themselves entirely to him, shall find his favour to be, not only their strength, but their song.

      (2.) That he should have a humble holy confidence towards God, such as those are said to have whose hearts condemn them not, 1 John 3:21. "Then shalt thou lift up thy face to God with boldness, and not be afraid, as thou now art, to draw near to him. Thy countenance is now fallen, and thou lookest dejected; but, when thou hast made thy peace with God, thou shalt blush no more, tremble no more, and hang thy head no more, as thou dost now, but shalt cheerfully, and with a gracious assurance, show thyself to him, pray before him, and expect blessings from him."

      (3.) That he should maintain a constant communion with God, "The correspondence, once settled, shall be kept up to thy unspeakable satisfaction. Letters shall be both statedly and occasionally interchanged between thee and heaven," Job 22:27; Job 22:27. [1.] "Thou shalt by prayer send letters to God: Thou shalt make thy prayer" (the word is, Thou shalt multiply thy prayers) "unto him, and he will not think thy letters troublesome, though many and long. The oftener we come to the throne of grace the more welcome. Under all thy burdens, in all thy wants, cares, and fears, thou shalt send to heaven for guidance and strength, wisdom, and comfort, and good success." [2.] "He shall, by his providence and grace, answer those letters, and give thee what thou askest of him, either in kind or kindness: He shall hear thee, and make it to appear he does so by what he does for thee and in thee." [3.] "Then thou shalt by thy praises reply to the gracious answers which he sent thee: Thou shalt pay thy vows, and that shall be acceptable to him and fetch in further mercy." Note, When God performs that which in our distress we prayed for we must make conscience of performing that which we then promised, else we do not deal honestly. If we promised nothing else we promised to be thankful, and that is enough, for it includes all, Psalms 116:14.

      (4.) That he should have inward satisfaction in the management of all his outward affairs (Job 22:28; Job 22:28): "Thou shalt decree a thing and it shall be established unto thee," that is, "Thou shalt frame all thy projects and purposes with so much wisdom, and grace, and resignation to the will of God, that the issue of them shall be to thy heart's content, just as thou wouldst have it to be. Thou shalt commit thy works unto the Lord by faith and prayer, and then thy thoughts shall be established; thou shalt be easy and pleased, whatever occurs, Proverbs 16:3. This the grace of God shall work in thee; nay, sometimes the providence of God shall give thee the very thing thou didst desire and pray for, and give it thee in thy own way, and manner, and time. Be it unto thee even as thou wilt." When at any time an affair succeeds just according to the scheme we laid, and our measures are in nothing broken, nor are we put upon new counsels, then we must own the performance of this promise, Thou shalt decree a thing and it shall be established unto thee. "Whereas now thou complainest of darkness round about thee, then the light shall shine on thy ways;" that is, "God shall guide and direct thee, and then it will follow, of course, that he shall prosper and succeed thee in all thy undertakings. God's wisdom shall be thy guide, his favour thy comfort, and thy ways shall be so under both those lights that thou shalt have a comfortable enjoyment of what is present and a comfortable prospect of what is future," Psalms 90:17.

      (5.) That even in times of common calamity and danger he should have abundance of joy and hope (Job 22:29; Job 22:29): "When men are cast down round about thee, cast down in their affairs, cast down in their spirits, sinking, desponding, and ready to despair, then shalt thou say, There is lifting up. Thou shalt find that in thyself which will not only bear thee up under thy troubles, and keep thee from fainting, but lift thee up above thy troubles and enable thee to rejoice evermore." When men's hearts fail them for fear, then shall Christ's disciples lift up their heads for joy,Luke 21:26-28. Thus are they made to ride upon the high places of the earth (Isaiah 58:14), and that which will lift them up is the belief of this, that God will save the humble person. Those that humble themselves shall be exalted, not only in honour, but in comfort.

      3. That he should be a blessing to his country and an instrument of good to many (Job 22:30; Job 22:30): God shall, in answer to thy prayers, deliver the island of the innocent, and have a regard therein to the pureness of thy hands, which is necessary to the acceptableness of our prayers, 1 Timothy 2:8. But, because we may suppose the innocent not to need deliverance (it was guilty Sodom that wanted the benefit of Abraham's intercession), I incline to the marginal reading, The innocent shall deliver the island, by their advice (Ecclesiastes 9:14; Ecclesiastes 9:15) and by their prayers and their interest in heaven, Acts 27:24. Or, He shall deliver those that are not innocent, and they are delivered by the pureness of thy hands; as it may be read, and most probably. Note, A good man is a public good. Sinners fare the better for saints, whether they are aware of it or no. If Eliphaz intended hereby (as some think he did) to insinuate that Job's prayers were not prevailing, nor his hands pure (for then he would have relieved others, much more himself), he was afterwards made to see his error, when it appeared that Job had a better interest in heaven than he had; for he and his three friends, who in this matter were not innocent, were delivered by the pureness of Job's hands,Job 42:8; Job 42:8.