ELIPHAZ REBUKES JOB
Key verse: 21
NIV
Eliphaz
22 Then Eliphaz the Temanite(A) replied:
2 “Can a man be of benefit to God?(B)
Can even a wise person benefit him?(C)
3 What pleasure(D) would it give the Almighty if you were righteous?(E)
What would he gain if your ways were blameless?(F)
4 “Is it for your piety that he rebukes you
and brings charges against you?(G)
5 Is not your wickedness great?
Are not your sins(H) endless?(I)
6 You demanded security(J) from your relatives for no reason;(K)
you stripped people of their clothing, leaving them naked.(L)
7 You gave no water(M) to the weary
and you withheld food from the hungry,(N)
8 though you were a powerful man, owning land(O)—
an honored man,(P) living on it.(Q)
9 And you sent widows(R) away empty-handed(S)
and broke the strength of the fatherless.(T)
10 That is why snares(U) are all around you,(V)
why sudden peril terrifies you,(W)
11 why it is so dark(X) you cannot see,
and why a flood of water covers you.(Y)
12 “Is not God in the heights of heaven?(Z)
And see how lofty are the highest stars!
13 Yet you say, ‘What does God know?(AA)
Does he judge through such darkness?(AB)
14 Thick clouds(AC) veil him, so he does not see us(AD)
as he goes about in the vaulted heavens.’(AE)
15 Will you keep to the old path
that the wicked(AF) have trod?(AG)
16 They were carried off before their time,(AH)
their foundations(AI) washed away by a flood.(AJ)
17 They said to God, ‘Leave us alone!
What can the Almighty do to us?’(AK)
18 Yet it was he who filled their houses with good things,(AL)
so I stand aloof from the plans of the wicked.(AM)
19 The righteous see their ruin and rejoice;(AN)
the innocent mock(AO) them, saying,
20 ‘Surely our foes are destroyed,(AP)
and fire(AQ) devours their wealth.’
21 “Submit to God and be at peace(AR) with him;(AS)
in this way prosperity will come to you.(AT)
22 Accept instruction from his mouth(AU)
and lay up his words(AV) in your heart.(AW)
23 If you return(AX) to the Almighty, you will be restored:(AY)
If you remove wickedness far from your tent(AZ)
24 and assign your nuggets(BA) to the dust,
your gold(BB) of Ophir(BC) to the rocks in the ravines,(BD)
25 then the Almighty will be your gold,(BE)
the choicest silver for you.(BF)
26 Surely then you will find delight in the Almighty(BG)
and will lift up your face(BH) to God.(BI)
27 You will pray to him,(BJ) and he will hear you,(BK)
and you will fulfill your vows.(BL)
28 What you decide on will be done,(BM)
and light(BN) will shine on your ways.(BO)
29 When people are brought low(BP) and you say, ‘Lift them up!’
then he will save the downcast.(BQ)
30 He will deliver even one who is not innocent,(BR)
who will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands.”(BS)
Cross references
- Job 22:1 : S Job 4:1
- Job 22:2 : Lk 17:10
- Job 22:2 : S Job 7:17
- Job 22:3 : Isa 1:11; Hag 1:8
- Job 22:3 : Ps 143:2
- Job 22:3 : Job 35:7; Pr 9:12
- Job 22:4 : S Job 9:3; 19:29; Ps 143:2; Isa 3:14; Eze 20:35
- Job 22:5 : S Ezr 9:13; S Job 15:5
- Job 22:5 : S Job 15:13; S 20:29; 29:17
- Job 22:6 : S Ex 22:26
- Job 22:6 : S 2Ki 4:1
- Job 22:6 : S Ex 22:27; Dt 24:12-13
- Job 22:7 : Mt 10:42
- Job 22:7 : ver 9; Job 29:12; 31:17, 21, 31; Isa 58:7, 10; Eze 18:7; Mt 25:42
- Job 22:8 : S Job 15:19
- Job 22:8 : Isa 3:3; 5:13; 9:15
- Job 22:8 : S Job 12:19
- Job 22:9 : Job 29:13; 31:16; Ps 146:9
- Job 22:9 : Job 24:3, 21; Isa 10:2; Lk 1:53
- Job 22:9 : S ver 7; S Job 6:27; S Isa 1:17
- Job 22:10 : S Job 18:9
- Job 22:10 : S Job 10:3
- Job 22:10 : S Job 15:21
- Job 22:11 : S Job 5:14
- Job 22:11 : S Ge 7:23; Job 36:28; 38:34, 37; Ps 69:1-2; 124:4-5; Isa 58:10-11; La 3:54
- Job 22:12 : S Job 11:8; S 16:19
- Job 22:13 : ver 14; Ps 10:11; 59:7; 64:5; 73:11; 94:7; Isa 29:15; Eze 9:9; Zep 1:12
- Job 22:13 : Ps 139:11; Eze 8:12; Eph 6:12
- Job 22:14 : Job 26:9; Ps 97:2; 105:39
- Job 22:14 : S ver 13; S 2Ki 21:16
- Job 22:14 : Job 37:18; Ps 18:11; Pr 8:27; Isa 40:22; Jer 23:23-24
- Job 22:15 : Job 23:10; 34:36
- Job 22:15 : Job 34:8; Ps 1:1; 50:18
- Job 22:16 : S Job 15:32
- Job 22:16 : S Job 4:19
- Job 22:16 : S Ge 7:23; Mt 7:26-27
- Job 22:17 : Job 21:15
- Job 22:18 : S Job 12:6
- Job 22:18 : S Job 21:16
- Job 22:19 : Ps 5:11; 9:2; 32:11; 58:10; 64:10; 97:12; 107:42
- Job 22:19 : Job 21:3; Ps 52:6
- Job 22:20 : Ps 18:39
- Job 22:20 : S Job 15:30
- Job 22:21 : Isa 26:3, 12; 27:5; Ro 5:1
- Job 22:21 : S Ge 17:1; Jer 9:24
- Job 22:21 : S Job 8:7; Ps 34:8-10; Pr 3:10; 1Pe 5:6
- Job 22:22 : S Dt 8:3
- Job 22:22 : S Job 6:10
- Job 22:22 : S Job 15:11; 28:23; Ps 37:31; 40:8; Pr 2:6; Eze 3:10
- Job 22:23 : Isa 31:6; 44:22; 55:7; 59:20; Jer 3:14, 22; Eze 18:32; Zec 1:3; Mal 3:7
- Job 22:23 : S Job 5:24; Isa 19:22; Ac 20:32
- Job 22:23 : Job 11:14
- Job 22:24 : Job 28:6
- Job 22:24 : Ps 19:10
- Job 22:24 : S Ge 10:29
- Job 22:24 : S Job 1:10; 31:25; Isa 2:20; 30:22; 31:7; 40:19-20; Mt 6:19
- Job 22:25 : Job 31:24; Ps 49:6; 52:7; Pr 11:28
- Job 22:25 : 2Ki 18:7; Isa 33:6; Mt 6:20-21
- Job 22:26 : Job 27:10; Ps 2:8; 16:6; 37:4; Isa 58:14; 61:10
- Job 22:26 : Job 11:15
- Job 22:26 : Job 11:17; 33:26; Ps 27:6; 100:1
- Job 22:27 : S Job 5:27
- Job 22:27 : S Job 5:15; S Ps 86:7; S Isa 30:19
- Job 22:27 : S Nu 30:2
- Job 22:28 : Ps 103:11; 145:19
- Job 22:28 : Job 33:28; Ps 97:11; Pr 4:18
- Job 22:28 : S Job 11:17
- Job 22:29 : S Est 5:12
- Job 22:29 : Ps 18:27; S Mt 23:12
- Job 22:30 : Isa 1:18; Ro 4:5
- Job 22:30 : S 2Sa 22:21
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway
ESV
Eliphaz Speaks: Job's Wickedness Is Great
22 Then (A)Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said:
2 (B)“Can a man be profitable to God?
Surely he who is wise is profitable to himself.
3 Is it any pleasure to the Almighty if you are in the right,
or is it gain to him if you (C)make your ways blameless?
4 Is it for your fear of him that he reproves you
and (D)enters into judgment with you?
5 Is not your evil abundant?
There is no end to your iniquities.
6 For you have (E)exacted pledges of your brothers for nothing
(F)and stripped the naked of their clothing.
7 You have given no water to the weary to drink,
and you have (G)withheld bread from the hungry.
8 (H)The man with power possessed the land,
and (I)the favored man lived in it.
9 You have (J)sent widows away empty,
and (K)the arms of (L)the fatherless were crushed.
10 Therefore (M)snares are all around you,
and sudden terror overwhelms you,
11 or (N)darkness, so that you cannot see,
and a (O)flood of (P)water covers you.
12 “Is not God high in the heavens?
See (Q)the highest stars, how lofty they are!
13 But you say, (R)‘What does God know?
Can he judge through (S)the deep darkness?
14 (T)Thick clouds veil him, so that he does not see,
and he walks on the vault of heaven.’
15 Will you keep to the old way
that wicked men have trod?
16 They were snatched away (U)before their time;
their foundation was washed away.[a]
17 They said to God, (V)‘Depart from us,’
and (W)‘What can the Almighty do to us?’[b]
18 Yet he filled their houses with good things—
but (X)the counsel of the wicked is far from me.
19 (Y)The righteous see it and are glad;
the innocent one (Z)mocks at them,
20 saying, ‘Surely our adversaries are cut off,
and what they left (AA)the fire has consumed.’
21 (AB)“Agree with God, and (AC)be at peace;
thereby good will come to you.
22 Receive instruction from (AD)his mouth,
and (AE)lay up his words in your heart.
23 If you (AF)return to the Almighty you will be (AG)built up;
if you (AH)remove injustice far from your tents,
24 if you lay gold in (AI)the dust,
and gold of (AJ)Ophir among the stones of the torrent-bed,
25 then the Almighty will be your gold
and your precious silver.
26 For then you (AK)will delight yourself in the Almighty
and (AL)lift up your face to God.
27 You will (AM)make your prayer to him, and he will hear you,
and you will (AN)pay your vows.
28 You will decide on a matter, and it will be established for you,
and (AO)light will shine on your ways.
29 For when they are humbled you say, ‘It is because of pride’;[c]
but he saves (AP)the lowly.
30 He (AQ)delivers even the one who is not innocent,
who will be delivered through (AR)the cleanness of your hands.”
Footnotes
Cross references
- Job 22:1 : ch. 2:11
- Job 22:2 : See ch. 35:7
- Job 22:3 : See Ps. 18:32
- Job 22:4 : ch. 14:3; [Ps. 143:2]
- Job 22:6 : ch. 24:3, 9; Ex. 22:26; Deut. 24:6, 17; Ezek. 18:12, 16
- Job 22:6 : [ch. 31:16]
- Job 22:7 : [ch. 31:17; Isa. 58:7; Ezek. 18:7, 16; Matt. 25:42]
- Job 22:8 : [ch. 35:9]
- Job 22:8 : 2 Kgs. 5:1; Isa. 9:15
- Job 22:9 : [Luke 1:53]
- Job 22:9 : [ch. 38:15]
- Job 22:9 : ch. 31:21; Isa. 10:2; Ezek. 22:7
- Job 22:10 : ch. 18:8-10
- Job 22:11 : [Ex. 10:22, 23]
- Job 22:11 : ch. 38:34
- Job 22:11 : [ch. 27:20; Ps. 69:1, 2, 14, 15; 124:5; Lam. 3:54; Jonah 2:3, 5]
- Job 22:12 : [ch. 11:8]
- Job 22:13 : Ps. 73:11; [Ps. 10:11; 59:7; 64:5; 94:7; Isa. 29:15; Ezek. 8:12; 9:9]
- Job 22:13 : ch. 38:9
- Job 22:14 : [Ps. 139:11, 12]; [Prov. 8:27; Isa. 40:22]
- Job 22:16 : See ch. 15:32
- Job 22:17 : ch. 21:14
- Job 22:17 : [Ps. 4:6]
- Job 22:18 : ch. 21:16
- Job 22:19 : Ps. 52:6; 58:10; 107:42; [Ps. 64:10]
- Job 22:19 : Ps. 2:4
- Job 22:20 : ch. 1:16
- Job 22:21 : See Ps. 119:45
- Job 22:21 : [Prov. 3:2]
- Job 22:22 : Prov. 2:6; [Mal. 2:7]
- Job 22:22 : Ps. 119:11
- Job 22:23 : [ch. 8:5, 6; 11:13, 14; Mal. 3:7]
- Job 22:23 : Jer. 24:6; 33:7
- Job 22:23 : ch. 11:14
- Job 22:24 : ch. 20:11; 21:26
- Job 22:24 : See 1 Kgs. 9:28
- Job 22:26 : ch. 27:10; Ps. 37:4; Isa. 58:14
- Job 22:26 : See ch. 11:15
- Job 22:27 : ch. 33:26; Ps. 50:14, 15; Isa. 58:9
- Job 22:27 : Ps. 50:14
- Job 22:28 : Prov. 4:18
- Job 22:29 : Ps. 138:6; Prov. 3:34; 29:23; Matt. 23:12; Luke 1:52; James 4:6; 1 Pet. 5:5
- Job 22:30 : [Gen. 18:26]
- Job 22:30 : ch. 17:9; Ps. 18:20, 24; 24:4; 26:6; [ch. 9:30]
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway
Eliphaz had spoken to Job previously. At that time, he was patient. This time his words are harsh. He asks Job, “Is it for piety that he rebukes you?” Eliphaz accuses Job of wrongdoing. He assumed that Job had used his position and wealth to trample on the needs of the poor. He assumed that Job’s current suffering was the result of God’s judgment on his transgressions. Eliphaz looked at Job as if Job had lived assuming God does not see or will not judge. He saw Job’s misery and inferred that God was punishing Job for his unrighteousness.
Eliphaz then instructed Job to submit to God in repentance and accept his word. He encouraged Job to depend on God for his restoration and blessing. His words were meant to inspire Job to come to God who delivers. Eliphaz spoke truthfully, but he also spoke from ignorance. He had no idea who God was in the matter of Job, or what God was doing at this time. Eliphaz also needed to submit to God. Otherwise, his words are empty.
Prayer: Lord, help me not to speak empty words, but submit to you in every aspect of my life. Help me to know the depth of your work. Make me useful for revealing you to others.
One Word: Submit to God