Job15

Eliphaz begins his second discourse by rebuking Job's words as vain and unprofitable, accusing him of casting off the fear of God. He challenges Job's perceived wisdom, asserting the inherent impurity of all humanity before God. Eliphaz then describes the inevitable suffering and destruction that befall the wicked, emphasizing that their defiance of God leads to a desolate end.
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Eliphaz's Second Speech: Job's Vain Talk

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Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied:
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“Does a wise man answer with empty counsel or fill his belly with the hot east wind? ​
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Should he argue with useless words or speeches that serve no purpose?
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But you even undermine the fear of God and hinder meditation before Him. ​
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For your iniquity instructs your mouth, and you choose the language of the crafty.
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Your own mouth, not mine, condemns you; your own lips testify against you.

The Frailty of Human Wisdom

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Were you the first man ever born? Were you brought forth before the hills? ​
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Do you listen in on the council of God or limit wisdom to yourself? ​
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What do you know that we do not? What do you understand that is not clear to us?
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Both the gray-haired and the aged are on our side— men much older than your father. ​
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Are the consolations of God not enough for you, even words spoken gently to you?
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Why has your heart carried you away, and why do your eyes flash,
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as you turn your spirit against God and pour such words from your mouth?
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What is man, that he should be pure, or one born of woman, that he should be righteous? ​
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If God puts no trust in His holy ones, if even the heavens are not pure in His eyes, ​
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how much less man, who is vile and corrupt, who drinks injustice like water? ​

The Inevitable Fate of the Wicked

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Listen to me and I will inform you. I will describe what I have seen,
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what was declared by wise men and was not concealed from their fathers, ​
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to whom alone the land was given when no foreigner passed among them.
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A wicked man writhes in pain all his days; only a few years are reserved for the ruthless. ​
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Sounds of terror fill his ears; in his prosperity the destroyer attacks him.
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He despairs of his return from darkness; he is marked for the sword.
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He wanders about as food for vultures; he knows the day of darkness is at hand.
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Distress and anguish terrify him, overwhelming him like a king poised to attack.
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For he has stretched out his hand against God and has vaunted himself against the Almighty, ​
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rushing headlong at Him with a thick, studded shield. ​
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Though his face is covered with fat and his waistline bulges with flesh, ​
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he will dwell in ruined cities, in abandoned houses destined to become rubble.
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He will no longer be rich; his wealth will not endure. His possessions will not overspread the land.
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He will not escape from the darkness; the flame will wither his shoots, and the breath of God’s mouth will carry him away.
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Let him not deceive himself with trust in emptiness, for emptiness will be his reward. ​
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It will be paid in full before his time, and his branch will not flourish.
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He will be like a vine stripped of its unripe grapes, like an olive tree that sheds its blossoms.
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For the company of the godless will be barren, and fire will consume the tents of bribery. ​
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They conceive trouble and give birth to evil; their womb is pregnant with deceit.”

Study Notes for Job 15

Verse 2

Eliphaz dismisses Job’s arguments as 'vain knowledge' and 'east wind,' a metaphor for hot, destructive, and ultimately worthless speech (cf. Hosea 12:1).

Verse 4

Eliphaz accuses Job of abandoning 'fear' (piety and reverence for God) and undermining true worship, suggesting that Job’s complaints are evidence of moral decay.

Verse 7

This rhetorical question challenges Job’s perceived antiquity and authority, mocking him for speaking as if he possessed primordial wisdom or predated creation.

Verse 8

The 'secret of God' (sod) refers to the divine council or hidden decrees. Eliphaz mocks Job’s claim to insight, suggesting Job acts like a privy counselor to the Almighty.

Verse 10

Eliphaz appeals to the authority of age and tradition ('grayheaded and very aged men') to validate his own position against Job, claiming his wisdom is superior due to its source.

Verse 14

This verse presents a classic statement on universal sinfulness, asserting that no human, being 'born of a woman,' can attain absolute cleanness or righteousness before God.

Verse 15

Eliphaz argues that divine purity is so absolute that even heavenly beings ('saints' or angels) are considered imperfect in God’s sight, emphasizing the vast gulf between creature and Creator.

Verse 16

If celestial beings are impure, how much more so is humanity, which is described vividly as 'drinking iniquity like water,' suggesting a natural, habitual indulgence in sin.

Verse 18

Eliphaz grounds his ensuing discourse in the established wisdom tradition passed down through generations, claiming universal and undeniable authority for his doctrine of retribution.

Verse 20

This verse begins the detailed description of the wicked man’s constant torment. Eliphaz asserts that the unrighteous live in perpetual pain and fear of impending doom.

Verse 25

The ultimate cause of the wicked man’s suffering is his overt rebellion against God, characterized by intentional defiance and self-assertion against the Almighty.

Verse 26

This vivid imagery—rushing violently against God, using the bosses (knobs) of a shield—presents the wicked man as a foolhardy warrior attacking the divine presence.

Verse 27

Covering the face with fatness signifies arrogance, prosperity, and self-indulgence, which in wisdom literature often precedes a swift and devastating fall from power.

Verse 31

Eliphaz warns against trusting in 'vanity' (false hopes or empty wealth), emphasizing that the wicked man’s reward will ultimately be emptiness and delusion.

Verse 34

The 'hypocrites' (Heb. *chanef*) here refers to the godless or profane. Eliphaz concludes his argument by stating that the community of the irreligious will be consumed by divine judgment.

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