Job5

Eliphaz begins by challenging Job to find anyone who agrees with him, asserting that foolishness leads to destruction and that man is born to trouble. He then advises Job to seek God, who performs great and unsearchable works, exalting the humble and frustrating the wicked. Eliphaz concludes by proclaiming that happy is the man whom God corrects, promising deliverance, peace, and prosperity for those who accept divine chastening.
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The Consequences of Folly and Wrath

1
“Call out if you please, but who will answer? To which of the holy ones will you turn? ​
2
For resentment kills a fool, and envy slays the simple. ​
3
I have seen a fool taking root, but suddenly his house was cursed. ​
4
His sons are far from safety, crushed in court without a defender. ​
5
The hungry consume his harvest, taking it even from the thorns, and the thirsty pant after his wealth.
6
For distress does not spring from the dust, and trouble does not sprout from the ground. ​
7
Yet man is born to trouble as surely as sparks fly upward. ​

Eliphaz Counsels Seeking God

8
However, if I were you, I would appeal to God and lay my cause before Him— ​
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the One who does great and unsearchable things, wonders without number. ​
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He gives rain to the earth and sends water upon the fields.
11
He sets the lowly on high, so that mourners are lifted to safety.
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He thwarts the schemes of the crafty, so that their hands find no success.
13
He catches the wise in their craftiness, and sweeps away the plans of the cunning. ​
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They encounter darkness by day and grope at noon as in the night.
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He saves the needy from the sword in their mouth and from the clutches of the powerful.
16
So the poor have hope, and injustice shuts its mouth.

The Blessings of Divine Discipline

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Blessed indeed is the man whom God corrects; so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty. ​
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For He wounds, but He also binds; He strikes, but His hands also heal.
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He will rescue you from six calamities; no harm will touch you in seven. ​
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In famine He will redeem you from death, and in battle from the stroke of the sword.
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You will be hidden from the scourge of the tongue, and will not fear havoc when it comes.
22
You will laugh at destruction and famine, and need not fear the beasts of the earth.
23
For you will have a covenant with the stones of the field, and the wild animals will be at peace with you. ​
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You will know that your tent is secure, and find nothing amiss when inspecting your home.
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You will know that your offspring will be many, your descendants like the grass of the earth.
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You will come to the grave in full vigor, like a sheaf of grain gathered in season. ​
27
Indeed, we have investigated, and it is true! So hear it and know for yourself.” ​

Study Notes for Job 5

Verse 1

Eliphaz challenges Job to find any 'saints' (holy ones, perhaps angels or righteous men) who would agree with his complaints. This sets the stage for Eliphaz’s argument that Job’s suffering is unique because he is standing against accepted wisdom.

Verse 2

This is classic wisdom literature: uncontrolled emotion, whether wrath or envy, leads to self-destruction. Eliphaz applies this general truth to Job, implying that Job’s anguish comes from his own foolish reaction to his troubles.

Verse 3

Eliphaz uses a personal observation to support his theological claim: the seemingly prosperous wicked man is swiftly judged by God. This reinforces the principle of immediate divine retribution.

Verse 4

To be 'crushed in the gate' refers to legal or social ruin. The city gate was the place where legal judgments were rendered, suggesting the wicked man’s lack of divine protection extends to his whole family and reputation.

Verse 6

Eliphaz acknowledges that suffering is not random or accidental. It has a cause, which he will immediately link to the inherent nature of humanity and, implicitly, human sin.

Verse 7

This famous simile asserts that trouble is intrinsic to the human condition, as inevitable as fire sparks rising. While true, Eliphaz uses this universal truth to sidestep the question of *why* Job specifically is suffering so intensely.

Verse 8

Eliphaz transitions from critique to prescription. His advice is sound theology—to appeal to the sovereign God—but it is based on the flawed premise that Job must first confess a great sin.

Verse 9

Eliphaz begins a hymn of praise, emphasizing God’s transcendence and inscrutable power. This serves to humble Job and remind him that human suffering must be viewed in light of God’s absolute sovereignty.

Verse 13

This proverb highlights God’s ability to overturn human schemes. It is later quoted by the Apostle Paul (1 Cor. 3:19) to illustrate that God’s wisdom always triumphs over worldly cleverness.

Verse 17

Eliphaz introduces the concept of suffering as divine correction (chastening) rather than pure punishment. This theological principle, later central to Proverbs and the New Testament (Heb. 12), offers hope if Job accepts the discipline.

Verse 19

The parallelism 'six troubles, yea, in seven' is a common ancient Near Eastern literary device (numerical sequence) meaning 'complete deliverance' or 'from every imaginable trouble.'

Verse 23

To be 'in league with the stones of the field' is a poetic hyperbole symbolizing absolute peace and security. Nature itself will not hinder or harm the righteous man, reversing the conditions of the curse in Genesis 3.

Verse 26

This verse promises a long life culminating in a peaceful death. The image of the 'shock of corn' (sheaf of grain) gathered in season symbolizes a life that has reached its full maturity and is ready for harvest.

Verse 27

Eliphaz concludes his speech by asserting the veracity of his traditional wisdom, claiming it has been thoroughly 'searched' and proven true. He presents this advice as the definitive path to Job’s recovery and well-being.

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