Job4

Eliphaz the Temanite begins his address to Job, questioning Job's reaction to suffering despite his past role as a comforter. He asserts that the innocent do not perish, implying Job's suffering is a consequence of sin, as those who sow wickedness reap destruction. Eliphaz then recounts a terrifying night vision where a spirit declared that no mortal man can be more just or pure than God, emphasizing humanity's frailty and God's absolute sovereignty.
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Eliphaz Begins His Counsel

1
Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said, ​
2
If we assay to commune with thee, wilt thou be grieved? but who can withhold himself from speaking? ​
3
Behold, thou hast instructed many, and thou hast strengthened the weak hands.
4
Thy words have upholden him that was falling, and thou hast strengthened the feeble knees.
5
But now it is come upon thee, and thou faintest; it toucheth thee, and thou art troubled. ​
6
Is not this thy fear, thy confidence, thy hope, and the uprightness of thy ways?

The Doctrine of Retribution

7
Remember, I pray thee, who ever perished, being innocent? or where were the righteous cut off? ​
8
Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same. ​
9
By the blast of God they perish, and by the breath of his nostrils are they consumed.
10
The roaring of the lion, and the voice of the fierce lion, and the teeth of the young lions, are broken. ​
11
The old lion perisheth for lack of prey, and the stout lion's whelps are scattered abroad.

Eliphaz’s Mystical Revelation

12
Now a thing was secretly brought to me, and mine ear received a little thereof. ​
13
In thoughts from the visions of the night, when deep sleep falleth on men,
14
Fear came upon me, and trembling, which made all my bones to shake.
15
Then a spirit passed before my face; the hair of my flesh stood up: ​
16
It stood still, but I could not discern the form thereof: an image was before mine eyes, there was silence, and I heard a voice, saying,
17
Shall mortal man be more just than God? shall a man be more pure than his maker? ​
18
Behold, he put no trust in his servants; and his angels he charged with folly:
19
How much less in them that dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, which are crushed before the moth? ​
20
They are destroyed from morning to evening: they perish for ever without any regarding it.
21
Doth not their excellency which is in them go away? they die, even without wisdom. ​

Study Notes for Job 4

Verse 1

Eliphaz the Temanite is the first and most diplomatic of Job’s three friends to speak. Teman was a region renowned for its wisdom tradition (Jer. 49:7).

Verse 2

Eliphaz justifies his intervention, suggesting that Job's despairing outburst (Chapter 3) is so grave that silence is impossible, even if speaking might cause Job further grief.

Verse 5

This verse marks the turning point in Eliphaz's opening. He contrasts Job's past strength and ministry (vv. 3–4) with his current collapse, subtly implying that Job’s faith lacked true foundation.

Verse 7

This is the central thesis of the friends' argument: suffering is always proportional to sin. Eliphaz challenges Job to recall any innocent person who has truly perished, ignoring the complexities of life.

Verse 8

A classic expression of the wisdom tradition’s principle of retribution, known as 'sowing and reaping.' This belief holds that God’s justice operates strictly through immediate, observable cause and effect.

Verse 10

The metaphor of the lion and its whelps represents the powerful, predatory wicked. Eliphaz asserts that God’s judgment (v. 9) inevitably breaks the strength and prosperity of the ruthless.

Verse 12

Eliphaz shifts his argument from tradition and observation (vv. 7–11) to personal, divine revelation, thereby attempting to lend irrefutable authority to his subsequent claims.

Verse 15

The description of the 'spirit' (or 'breath') creates a sense of terror and awe, emphasizing the overwhelming nature of the confrontation with the divine messenger.

Verse 17

This is the core message of the vision: no mortal can claim righteousness or purity when judged against God’s absolute holiness. This premise is designed to silence Job’s protests of innocence.

Verse 19

The phrase 'houses of clay' is a powerful metaphor for the physical body, stressing human frailty and mortality. Humans are easily 'crushed' like a garment eaten by a moth.

Verse 21

The conclusion of the vision insists that human life is fleeting and insignificant. They die 'without wisdom,' meaning they fail to grasp their own lowliness and the omnipotence of God before destruction.

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