1Call out now. Is there anyone who will answer you? And to which of the holy ones will you turn? 2For anger kills a foolish man, and jealousy slays a simple one. 3I have seen the foolish taking root, but suddenly I cursed his dwelling place. 4His sons are far from safety, they are crushed in the gate, and there is no one to rescue them. 5The hungry eat up his harvest, taking it even from the thorns, and a snare snatches their wealth. 6For affliction does not come forth from the dust, nor does trouble spring up out of the ground; 7yet man is born to trouble, as the sparks fly upward. 8But indeed, I would seek the Mighty God, and before God I would lay out my case; 9who does great things, and unsearchable, marvelous things without number: 10He gives rain upon the face of the earth, and sends waters abroad; 11He sets the lowly on high, and those who mourn are exalted to safety; 12He frustrates the devices of the crafty, so that their hands cannot bring about their success; 13He catches the wise in their own craftiness, and the counsel of the twisted is precipitated. 14They meet with darkness by day, and grope at midday as in the night. 15But He saves the needy from the sword, from the mouth of the mighty, and from their hand. 16So the poor have hope, and injustice shuts her mouth. 17Behold, blessed is the man whom God corrects; therefore do not despise the chastening of the Almighty. 18For He bruises, but He binds up; He shatters, but His hands heal. 19He will deliver you in six troubles; yea, in seven no evil shall touch you: 20In famine He shall redeem you from death, and in war from the power of the sword. 21You shall be hidden from the scourge of the tongue, and you shall not be afraid of devastation when it comes. 22You shall laugh at devastation and famine, and you shall not be afraid of the beasts of the earth. 23For you shall have a covenant with the stones of the field, and the beasts of the field shall be at peace with you. 24You shall know that your tent is in peace; you shall visit your dwelling and find nothing amiss. 25You shall also know that your seed shall be many, and your offspring like the grass of the earth. 26You shall come to the grave in full vigor, as a sheaf of grain springs up in its season. 27Behold, this we have searched out; it is true. Hear and know it for yourself.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 ELIPHAZ' CONCLUSION FROM THE VISION. (Job 5:1-27)
if there be any, &c.--Rather, "will He (God) reply to thee?" Job, after the revelation just given, cannot be so presumptuous as to think God or any of the holy ones (
Dan 4:17, "angels") round His throne, will vouchsafe a reply (a judicial expression) to his rebellious complaint.
2 wrath . . . envy--fretful and passionate complaints, such as Eliphaz charged Job with (
Job 4:5; so
Pro 14:30). Not, the wrath of God killeth the foolish, and His envy, &c.
3 the foolish--the wicked. I have seen the sinner spread his "root" wide in prosperity, yet circumstances "suddenly" occurred which gave occasion for his once prosperous dwelling being "cursed" as desolate (
Ps 37:35-
Ps 37:36;
Jer 17:8).
4 His children . . . crushed in the gate--A judicial formula. The gate was the place of judgment and of other public proceedings (
Ps 127:5;
Pro 22:22;
Gen 23:10;
Deut 21:19). Such propylća have been found in the Assyrian remains. Eliphaz obliquely alludes to the calamity which cut off Job's children.
5 even out of the thorns--Even when part of the grain remains hanging on the thorn bushes (or, "is growing among thorns,"
Matt 13:7), the hungry gleaner does not grudge the trouble of even taking it away, so clean swept away is the harvest of the wicked.
the robber--as the Sabeans, who robbed Job. Rather, translate "the thirsty," as the antithesis in the parallelism, "the hungry," proves.
6 Although--rather, "for truly" [UMBREIT].
affliction cometh not forth of the dust--like a weed, of its own accord. Eliphaz hints that the cause of it lay with Job himself.
7 Yet--rather, "Truly," or, But affliction does not come from chance, but is the appointment of God for sin; that is, the original birth-sin of man. Eliphaz passes from the particular sin and consequent suffering of Job to the universal sin and suffering of mankind. Troubles spring from man's common sin by as necessary a law of natural consequences as sparks (Hebrew, "sons of coal") fly upward. Troubles are many and fiery, as sparks (
1Pet 4:12;
Isa 43:2). UMBREIT for "sparks" has "birds of prey;" literally, "sons of lightning," not so well.
8 Therefore (as affliction is ordered by God, on account of sin), "I would" have you to "seek unto God" (
Isa 8:19;
Amos 5:8;
Jer 5:24).
11 Connected with
Job 5:9. His "unsearchable" dealings are with a view to raise the humble and abase the proud (
Luke 1:52). Therefore Job ought to turn humbly to Him.
12 enterprise--literally, "realization." The Hebrew combines in the one word the two ideas, wisdom and happiness, "enduring existence" being the etymological and philosophical root of the combined notion [UMBREIT].
13 Paul (
1Cor 3:19) quoted this clause with the formula establishing its inspiration, "it is written." He cites the exact Hebrew words, not as he usually does the Septuagint, Greek version (
Ps 9:15). Haman was hanged on the gallows he prepared for Mordecai (
Esth 5:14;
Esth 7:10).
the wise--that is, "the cunning."
is carried headlong--Their scheme is precipitated before it is ripe.
14 Judicial blindness often is sent upon keen men of the world (
Deut 28:29;
Isa 59:10;
John 9:39).
15 "From the sword" which proceedeth "from their mouth" (
Ps 59:7;
Ps 57:4).
16 the poor hath hope--of the interposition of God.
iniquity stoppeth her mouth-- (
Ps 107:42;
Mic 7:9-
Mic 7:10;
Isa 52:15). Especially at the last day, through shame (
Jude 1:15;
Matt 22:12). The "mouth" was the offender (
Job 5:15), and the mouth shall then be stopped (
Isa 25:8) at the end.
17 happy--not that the actual suffering is joyous; but the consideration of the righteousness of Him who sends it, and the end for which it is sent, make it a cause for thankfulness, not for complaints, such as Job had uttered (
Heb 12:11). Eliphaz implies that the end in this case is to call back Job from the particular sin of which he takes for granted that Job is guilty. Paul seems to allude to this passage in
Heb 12:5; so
Jas 1:12;
Pro 3:12. Eliphaz does not give due prominence to this truth, but rather to Job's sin. It is Elihu alone (Job 32:1-37:24) who fully dwells upon the truth, that affliction is mercy and justice in disguise, for the good of the sufferer.
18 he maketh sore, and bindeth up-- (
Deut 32:39;
Hos 6:1;
1Sam 2:6). An image from binding up a wound. The healing art consisted much at that time in external applications.
19 in six . . . yea, in seven-- (
Pro 6:16;
Amos 1:3). The Hebrew idiom fixes on a certain number (here "six"), in order to call attention as to a thing of importance; then increases the force by adding, with a "yea, nay seven," the next higher number; here "seven," the sacred and perfect number. In all possible troubles; not merely in the precise number "seven."
20 power-- (
Jer 5:12). Hebrew, "hands."
of the sword-- (
Ezek 35:5, Margin). Hands are given to the sword personified as a living agent.
21 (
Ps 31:20;
Jer 18:18). Smite (Psalm 73. 9).
22 famine thou shalt laugh--Not, in spite of destruction and famine, which is true (
Hab 3:17-
Hab 3:18), though not the truth meant by Eliphaz, but because those calamities shall not come upon thee. A different Hebrew word from that in
Job 5:20; there, famine in general; here, the languid state of those wanting proper nutriment [BARNES].
23 in league with the stones of the field--They shall not hurt the fertility of thy soil; nor the wild beasts thy fruits; spoken in Arabia-Deserta, where stones abounded. Arabia, derived from Arabah--a desert plain. The first clause of this verse answers to the first clause of
Job 5:22; and the last of this verse to the last of that verse. The full realization of this is yet future (
Isa 65:23,
Isa 65:25;
Hos 2:18).
24 know--"Thou shalt rest in the assurance, that thine habitation is the abode of peace; and (if) thou numberest thine herd, thine expectations prove not fallacious" [UMBREIT]. "Sin" does not agree with the context. The Hebrew word--"to miss" a mark, said of archers (
Judg 20:16). The Hebrew for "habitation" primarily means "the fold for cattle"; and for "visit," often to "take an account of, to number." "Peace" is the common Eastern salutation; including inward and outward prosperity.
25 as the grass-- (
Ps 72:16). Properly, "herb-bearing seed" (
Gen 1:11-
Gen 1:12).
26 in a full age--So "full of days" (
Job 42:17;
Gen 35:29). Not mere length of years, but ripeness for death, one's inward and outward full development not being prematurely cut short, is denoted (
Isa 65:22).
Thou shalt come--not literally, but expressing willingness to die. Eliphaz speaks from the Old Testament point of view, which made full years a reward of the righteous (
Ps 91:16;
Exod 20:12), and premature death the lot of the wicked (
Ps 55:23). The righteous are immortal till their work is done. To keep them longer would be to render them less fit to die. God takes them at their best (
Isa 57:1). The good are compared to wheat (
Matt 13:30).
cometh in--literally, "ascends." The corn is lifted up off the earth and carried home; so the good man "is raised into the heap of sheaves" [UMBREIT].
27 searched it . . . for thy good--literally, "for thyself" (
Ps 111:2;
Pro 2:4;
Pro 9:12).