JOB 5 Eliphaz Explanation: Job Is Being Punished By God Eliphaz’ Merciless & Relentless Exhortations to Job

Introduction : In this chapter Eliphaz continues his initial discourse in which he is adamant that Job is being punished by God. He admits that the wicked may prosper for a while, but asserts that (1) their foolish anger and envy will kill them { v.2}, (2) the foolish are established but their habitation will be suddenly cursed { v.3 }, (3) their children are never safe and they are crushed in the gate with no one to deliver them { v.4 }, and (4) they are ensnared and their own substance [property] which is snatched away {v.5 }. He does not explicitly apply this to Job, but it’s implicit that he leaves no doubt that these words are intended for him. Eliphaz then advises Job even now he should turn to God and assures him that he may yet find happiness; and come to the grave in an honored old age { v.26 }.

vv. 1-7 ELIPHAZ IMPLIES THAT JOB ’S BEHAVIOR HAS BEEN FOOLISH [1 “ Call out now; Is there anyone who will answer you? And to which of the holy ones will you turn? 2 For wrath kills a foolish man, And envy slays a simple one. 3 I have seen the foolish taking root, But suddenly I cursed his dwelling place. 4 His sons are far from safety, They are crushed in the gate, And there is no deliverer. 5 Because the hungry eat up his harvest, Taking it even from the thorns, And a snare snatches their substance. 6 For affliction does not come from the dust, Nor does trouble spring from the ground; 7 Yet man is born to trouble, As the sparks fly upward .”] Eliphaz continues his merciless criticism of Job by challenging him to go ahead and call out for someone to help him. It’s almost a dare—I dare you to cry out now. The two questions Eliphaz asks have a tinge of sarcasm because he had already concluded that Job would not be suffering this way unless he had committed some terrible sin {ref. Job 4:7-9}. Eliphaz is implying that if Job does cry out, no one will answer him because his pleas are without just cause. Although that can be true, it was not true in Job’s case 1. Others have cried out to God with questions about things they didn’t understand and they were not considered “fools” {ref. Hab. 1:2-4; Ps. 13:1-6; 22:1-2; Lam. 3:1-18; Rev. 6:9- 11 }. So Eliphaz is “barking up the wrong tree” in this case and it’s actually his folly that is on display as we read on.

1 If a person was not told the purpose of and the reasons for which Jesus suffered, bleed and died on a cross they would be incredulous over the crucifixion of Jesus. They would become angry as they wonder and frustrate themselves trying to figure out why did this holy, innocent, good and decent man have to die such a torturous death on the cross. By Eliphaz’ reckoning Jesus must have done something really evil to deserve such a fate. But of course that is the wrong conclusion—so it is in Job’s case. The wrong conclusions proliferate into more errors of judgment and useless counsel.

1 Job Chapter 5 Klaus G. Schiessel Copyright © March 2014 First he asks “ Is there anyone who will answer you ?” with the implication that there is no one to answer him in a way that would please Job. He then asks, “And to which of the holy ones 2 will you turn?” which implies that even angels won’t be able to give him a satisfactory answer to his suffering and pain; again because Job is justly suffering the consequences of some grievous sin. These questions are really rhetorical and meant to have obvious, negative, answers. They are intended to drive home the point that no one will answer you Job because you’re acting as a fool and angels certainly aren’t going to help you if God is not answering you. Besides, God even has the power and authority to charge angels with error { Job 4:18 }. The word translated “ wrath ” in v.2 can also be translated 3 as “ grief ”, “ sorrow ”, “provocation ” or “ indignation ”. The NASB translates this word as “ vexation ”. The idea is “provocation to the point of anger or grief ”. Eliphaz is saying that, because [as he ‘sees it’] Job has no just cause 4 to complain {cf. Job 4:7-9}, (a) Job has allowed his calamity and affliction to foolishly provoke him to anger and indignation and (b) that which has been aroused in him will eventually “kill” him. Note the spiritual parallel: “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, in that I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply”…….“I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; that you may love the LORD your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days”.—Deut. 30:15-16, 19-20 “For whoever finds me finds life, and obtains favor from the LORD; but he who sins against me wrongs his own soul; all those who hate me love death”.—Prov. 8:35-36 Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs.—Jonah 2:8 The ultimate, and spiritual, application of letting one’s foolish pride lead to death is given by Jesus: And He said to them, “You are from beneath; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins”.—John 8:23-24 The word translated “ envy ” in v.2 can also be translated as “ jealously ” or ”zeal ”. Paul refers to this aspect of zeal or jealously when he says about those who trust in religion to save them, “ Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God , but not according to knowledge ” { Rom. 10:1-2}. This kind of zeal will “ slay the simple one ”. The Hebrew word for ‘simple ’ one literally means “ to open ” or “ make roomy ” and here it is speaking of one who is gullible and easily enticed or deceived; thus one who is “simple” or naïve in his thinking process.

2 Holy ones : The Hebrew word used here [qadowsh] means holy or scared ones and usually refers to believers [“saints”] or to God Himself [“the Holy One”]. However in the context used here Eliphaz is probably referring to the holy angels. 3 In Job this word is used three other times; Job 6:2 , "anguish"; 10:17 , "anger"; and 17:7 , "grief." 4 That is, a legitimate reason, based on the “law of circumstantial justice”.

2 Job Chapter 5 Klaus G. Schiessel Copyright © March 2014 Here is what Solomon has to say about this kind of anger, indignation and jealously. A fool's anger is known at once, but a prudent man conceals dishonor.—Prov. 12:16 A stone is heavy and the sand weighty, but the provocation of a fool is heavier than both of them. Wrath is fierce and anger is a flood, but who can stand before jealousy?— Prov. 27:3-4 Eliphaz is basically saying, “Look Job, I realize you have great indignation and zeal over your condition—but it’s not credible, it’s without knowledge”. However, this admonishment is invalid Job because Job is not naïve nor is he gullible and he is definitely not a “fool”. In vv.3-7 Eliphaz describes the life of a man who is behaving foolishly. Although he is not addressing Job directly , it is evident that he is speaking of Job indirectly . Eliphaz mercilessly spoke of Job as a fool who had begun to prosper [‘ taking root ’] but was suddenly…..cursed by God {cf. Job 4:9, 19-21 }. This is supposedly evident by the fact that Job has suddenly lost all his wealth [“ a snare snatches their substance ”] and children [“ his sons are far from safety ”…..“ crushed in the gate ”]—a harsh and cruel reminder of Job's calamities [“ there is no deliverer ”]. Eliphaz says that man is born for “trouble ”; a Hebrew word that is also translated “ mischief, labor, travail or sorrow ” {Job 3:10 }. According to Eliphaz, the source of these kinds of afflictions do not grow out of the soil or the ground like weeds. Affliction is rather established in the divine order of the world, as surely as it’s a naturally established fact that sparks of fire will always fly upward . The Hebrew translated “sparks ” in v.7 is literally two words; “ bene-resheph ” or “sons of resheph”. [OT:7565: resheph ; from OT:8313= “ to set on fire ”]; a live coal ; by analogy, a lightning bolt ; figuratively, an arrow [as flashing through the air] or a fever [as from an illness]. This word variously translated as shown in Table 5-1.

Table 5-1. Various English Translations of the Hebrew Word “Resheph”. Bible Version English Translation KJV “burning heat”, “burning coals”, “coals of fire”, “hot lightening bolts”. NKJV “pestilence”, “fiery lightening”, “flames”, “flames of fire”, “fever” NASB “plague”, “flaming arrows”, “blots of lightening”, “flashes of fire” “consuming pestilence”, “flashing arrows”, “bolts of lightening”, “blazing NIV fire”, “pestilence” ASV “burning heat”, “the arrows of”, “flashes of fire”, “fiery bolts”

Therefore, Eliphaz may have been poetically alluding 5 to the affliction a man goes through makes him seem like he’s the “son of a hot coal ”.

5 In later Canaanite history Resheph becomes the name of the deity of plague and war . Job was certainly plagued by a grievous illness and he was at war with himself through the inner turmoil he was struggling with. In Egyptian iconography Resheph is depicted wearing the White Crown of Upper Egypt surmounted in front by the head of a gazelle. The ancient coastal town of Arsuf, located about 10 miles north of Tel Aviv, Israel, still incorporates the name “Resheph” thousands of years after his worship ceased.

3 Job Chapter 5 Klaus G. Schiessel Copyright © March 2014 APPLICATION : So what is Job to do? He must wait patiently to be vindicated . So must all those who are afflicted and suffer in like-manner, those whose afflictions are misunderstood and who are falsely accused of sin or misconduct.

vv. 8-13 GOD ’S AWESOME POWER & SOVEREIGNTY OVER THE PRIDEFUL [8 “ But as for me, I would seek God, and to God I would commit my cause—9 Who does great things, and unsearchable, Marvelous things without number. 10 He gives rain on the earth, And sends waters on the fields. 11 He sets on high those who are lowly, And those who mourn are lifted to safety. 12 He frustrates the devices of the crafty, So that their hands cannot carry out their plans. 13 He catches the wise in their own craftiness, And the counsel of the cunning comes quickly upon them . 14 They meet with darkness in the daytime, And grope at noontime as in the night. ”] In light of the fact that “ man is born to trouble, as the sparks fly upward ” Eliphaz now basically says, “If I were in your shoes I would seek God to help me, I would appeal to Him”. That’s easy for a person to say but when you’re suffering like Job was it’s easier said then done. Again, this doesn’t really help Job where’s he’s at. He has been trusting God and God doesn’t seem to be answering him and Job is struggling with that. He knows he hasn’t done anything overtly wrong to deserve what’s happened to him. Eliphaz does however give some great reasons for appealing to God and trusting Him alone: God does great things that are past figuring out God does marvelous things that cannot be counted God created the rain cycle, which not only waters the earth to cause plants and trees to grow but the rain water absorbs nitrogen from the air which is also put into the ground to keep it fertile. God also created springs so that fields of crops can be watered. God exalts the humble and lowly. God comforts those who mourn and lifts them to safety. God frustrates the strategies and plans of the crafty so their plans are thwarted. God catches the wise in their own craftiness (the proud in their own conceit). God causes the counsel of the cunning to backfire on them . In v.13 he says that God “catches the ‘wise’ in their own craftiness ”, which is a central theme of scripture. This verse is quoted by Paul in 1 Cor. 3:19 in the context of denouncing the best wisdom this world has to offer as foolishness compared with God’s wisdom. Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their own craftiness"; and again, “The LORD knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile 6”. Therefore let no one boast in men. For all things are yours: whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas, or the world or life or death, or things present or things to come—all are yours. And you are Christ's, and Christ is God's.—1 Cor. 3:18-23

6 A quote from Psalms 94:11 .

4 Job Chapter 5 Klaus G. Schiessel Copyright © March 2014 Eliphaz goes on to say that those who are “ wise in their own conceit ” [i.e., those who think they are clever and invincible] will “ meet with darkness in the daytime and grope at noontime as in the night ”. Those that are “tricky” will be trapped by their own tricks. In other words they will be in the dark, at a loss for understanding, when light is all around them. They will be powerless and confused as they fumble about for answers with bright light all around them—God will confound them for being so foolish as to think they “can go it alone”. They won’t be able to “see the forest for the trees”. The point is that God embarrasses the cunning, the crafty, and the artful, but gives success to those who are upright. “Whoever digs a pit will fall into it, and he who rolls a stone will have it roll back on him”. —Prov. 26:27 See also Esther 7; Pslm. 7:15-16; 9:15-16; 10:2; 57:6; Prov. 28:10; Eccl. 10:8 .

vv. 15-16 GOD ’S WILLINGNESS TO CARE FOR & HELP THE POOR & NEEDY [15 But He saves the needy from the sword, From the mouth of the mighty, And from their hand. 16 So the poor have hope, And injustice shuts her mouth .”] Perhaps in an attempt to provide some comfort Job, Eliphaz reminds him that God is not far from helping the needy—and Job is certainly in need of help at this point. God helps the needy even to the point of saving them from those who have the power to kill them by the sword and preserve them from those who would destroy them by their words. The weak and powerless always will have hope in God who stifles injustice and vindicates the humble. Perhaps Job was facing these potential threats in his own life now that he is completely devastated and made vulnerable by the calamites and personal affliction that has befallen him. Job does need to hear a good word at this point. The irony is that Job had been doing the same things Eliphaz says that God does! See especially Job 29:7-17 . Job must also have been in anguish over the fact that his righteous influence over society was lost.

vv. 17-19 THE LORD ’S CORRECTION IS A BLESSING [17 “ Behold, happy is the man whom God corrects; Therefore do not despise the chastening of the Almighty. 18 For He bruises, but He binds up; He wounds, but His hands make whole. 19 He shall deliver you in six troubles, Yes; in seven no evil shall touch you .”] Eliphaz says to consider the man whom God corrects [disciplines by rebuking/reproving] because when he does he will find that man “happy”, that is, “ blessed ”. Furthermore, those who are being instructed by the Lord are admonished not to despise, that is ‘ cast it away ’ or ‘reject ’ it. However, this comes with a caveat: This is only true for those who already love the Lord and desire to serve Him—God disciplines and instructs His children, He chastens them if necessary but He never condemns, judges them or destroys them. In making these statements, Eliphaz is stating a fundamental truth that is attested to by other scriptures: “My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD , nor detest His correction; For whom the LORD loves He corrects, Just as a father the son in whom he delights.”—Prov. 3:11-12 He who withholds his rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him diligently.—Prov. 13:24

5 Job Chapter 5 Klaus G. Schiessel Copyright © March 2014 If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.”—Heb. 12:7-11 “Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.”—James 1:12-15 Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the Judge is standing at the door! My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience. Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful. But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your “Yes” be “Yes”, and your “No”, “No”, lest you fall into judgment.—James 5:9-12

TO LAODICEA : “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne”.—Rev. 3:19-21 As a GOOD SHEPHERD God sometimes bruises but he also binds up so healing can take place. God also wounds but His actions also restore and make whole. Whom the LORD loves He disciplines { Prov. 3:12 }. Prov. 27:6 tells that, “ Faithful are the wounds of a friend …..” The Psalmist tells us { Ps. 23:1 } that “ The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want …..” Loving shepherds are known to break the leg of a wayward lamb or sheep, bind up the leg and then carry the animal on their shoulders until the leg was healed. This way when the lamb was healed it would not stray again. This is the intent of our loving Savior and LORD. Eliphaz uses a common grammatical structure to emphasize a critical point related to God being able to deliver us from troubles: Not only six , but, yes, also seven . Note this usage elsewhere in scripture: “These six things the LORD hates, yes, seven are an abomination to Him”: [A proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift in running to evil, a false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among brethren”]. —Prov. 6:16-19 The number ‘seven’ is the number of completion, therefore by using this phrase Eliphaz is saying that God will deliver a person completely; not partially. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all.—Ps. 34:19 For a righteous man may fall seven times and rise again, but the wicked shall fall by calamity. —Prov. 24:16 See also Prov. 30:18-19, 21-31; Amos 1:3, 6, 9, 11, 13; 2:1, 4, 6 .

6 Job Chapter 5 Klaus G. Schiessel Copyright © March 2014 vv. 20-23 ELIPHAZ EXTOLS THE VIRTUES OF GOD ’S CHARACTER [20 “In famine He shall redeem you from death, And in war from the power of the sword. 21 You shall be hidden from the scourge of the tongue, And you shall not be afraid of destruction when it comes. 22 You shall laugh at destruction and famine, And you shall not be afraid of the beasts of the earth. 23 For you shall have a covenant with the stones of the field, And the beasts of the field shall be at peace with you .”] Eliphaz continues to extol the attributes of God: In famine God shall rescue you from death In war God delivers from the power of the sword. God will hide you from the scourge of the tongue

Because of this you won’t be afraid of destruction, not if it comes, but when it comes. And because your confidence and trust in the LORD you will not be anxious during times of destruction or famine, you will be able to make light of the situation and not be fazed by it. The message is to always trust in God because He has the power to deliver you. God will even arrange for the wild beasts of the field to be at peace with so you don’t need to be afraid of them. This doesn’t mean you can go out of your way to confront a lion, for example, but simply if there are lions God will protect you from them so you need not worry. When you are on God’s side through faith in Him, the stones of the field [which are ubiquitous in that region of the world] would not be a hindrance to either traveling or farming—they would “be on your side”, “in your favor”. The idea is that God will give you a pass and will clear the path in the land before you. Every valley shall be exalted and every mountain and hill brought low; the crooked places shall be made straight and the rough places smooth”—Isa. 40:4

vv. 24-27 RESULTANT BLESSINGS OF DISCIPLINE & REPENTANCE [24 “You shall know that your tent is in peace; You shall visit your dwelling and find nothing amiss. 25 You shall also know that your descendants shall be many, And your offspring like the grass of the earth. 26 You shall come to the grave at a full age, As a sheaf of grain ripens in its season. 27 Behold, this we have searched out; It is true. Hear it, and know for yourself .”] Not all of Eliphaz’ counsel has been out of order. He has told Job two important things in this chapter that are true and if heeded will lead to blessing and peace. First, Eliphaz told Job that if he were in his shoes he would seek God and commit his cause to him. Why? Because God does great things that are past finding out and He does marvelous things that can’t be numbered. Second, Eliphaz told Job that the man whom God corrects, that is instructs and disciplines, will be happy—he’ll be blessed! Therefore don’t reject, or look down on, the instruction and discipline of Almighty God. Now he summarizes by saying that the man who submits to the sovereignty of God by seeking Him and accepting His instruction and discipline will find peace and security .

7 Job Chapter 5 Klaus G. Schiessel Copyright © March 2014 His home will be peaceful and protected from thieves coming in to ransack and steal his possessions—he will come home to his dwelling will not find anything stolen. Such a man’s posterity will enlarged and subsequently his legacy will be far reaching. His offspring, that is his children, his children’s children, and so on, will be fertile and healthy like the vegetation of the earth. Not only that, but the man who puts his faith and trust in the Lord and accepts and learns the lessons from Him, will die at a full old age, just as a sheaf of grain is expected to ripen in its due season. Eliphaz caps his dialogue off by giving it the “stamp of approval and authenticity” by personal experience of himself and his friends: “ Behold, this we have searched out; it is true .” [Hear it, and know for yourself ] In other words Eliphaz is saying, “Think about what I’ve said, contemplate it and you’ll come to know yourself that what I’m saying is true”.

A PPLICATION : Eliphaz was answering the words on Job’s lips but not the longing and pain in his heart. He has been pretty harsh on Job, relentlessly and mercilessly admonishing him and giving him advice and counsel. But the lesson for us is that we should judge others by their intentions and judge ourselves by our actions. We shouldn’t get hung up on what someone says or the things they do. Instead we need to communicate and find out what’s going on in a person’s heart. As we have opportunity to counsel with people, pray with them and give them advice, may we, unlike Eliphaz, be like those who hear what their heart is saying rather than what their lips are saying.

Bibliography (1) New Unger's Bible Dictionary , Moody Press of Chicago, Illinois. © 1988. (2) Nelson’s Bible Dictionary ; Thomas Nelson Publishers, © 1986. (3) Bible Knowledge Commentary/New Testament , Cook Communications Ministries; Copyright © 1983, 2000. (4) Barnes Notes , Albert Barnes ©1997, 2003, 2005 by Biblesoft Inc. (5) Thru the Bible Commentary: Poetry (Job) , Vol. 16 ; J. Vernon McGee, Thomas Nelson; Nashville. ©1991. (6) Vincent’s Word Studies of the New Testament , Hendrickson Publishers, Copyright © 1886. (7) Wycliffe Bible Commentary , edited by Charles F. Pfeiffer, Everett F. Harrison, Moody Publishers, Copyright ©1962. (8) New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary , International Bible Translators, Inc; Copyright © 1994, 2003.

8 Job Chapter 5 Klaus G. Schiessel Copyright © March 2014