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Commentary on Job 22 verses 15–20
Eliphaz, having endeavoured to convict Job, by setting his sins (as he thought) in order before him, here endeavours to awaken him to a sight and sense of his misery and danger by reason of sin; and this he does by comparing his case with that of the sinners of the old world; as if he had said, "Thy condition is bad now, but, unless thou repent, it will be worse, as theirs was - theirs who were overflown with a flood, as the old world (Job 22:16), and theirs the remnant of whom the fire consumed" (Job 22:20), namely, the Sodomites, who, in comparison of the old world, were but a remnant. And these two instances of the wrath of God against sin and sinners are more than once put together, for warning to a careless world, as by our Saviour (Luk 17:26, etc.) and the apostle, Pe2 2:5, Pe2 2:6. Eliphaz would have Job to mark the old way which wicked men have trodden (Job 22:15) and see what came of it, what the end of their way was. Note, There is an old way which wicked men have trodden. Religion had but newly entered when sin immediately followed it. But though it is an old way, a broad way, a tracked way, it is a dangerous way and it leads to destruction; and it is good for us to mark it, that we may not dare to walk in it. Eliphaz here puts Job in mind of it, perhaps in opposition to what he had said of the prosperity of the wicked; as if he had said, "Thou canst find out here and there a single instance, it may be, of a wicked man ending his days in peace; but what is that to those two great instances of the final perdition of ungodly men - the drowning of the whole world and the burning of Sodom?" destructions by wholesale, in which he thinks Job may, as in a glass, see his own face. Observe, 1. The ruin of those sinners (Job 22:16): They were cut down out of time; that is, they were cut off in the midst of their days, when, as man's time then went, many of them might, in the course of nature, have lived some hundreds of years longer, which made their immature extirpation the more grievous. They were cut down out of time, to be hurried into eternity. And their foundation, the earth on which they built themselves and all their hopes, was overflown with a flood, the flood which was brought in upon the world of the ungodly, Pe2 2:5. Note, Those who build upon the sand choose a foundation which will be overflown when the rains descend and the floods come (Mat 7:27), and then their building must needs fall and they perish in the ruins of it, and repent of their folly when it is too late. 2. The sin of those sinners, which brought that ruin (Job 22:17): They said unto God, Depart from us. Job had spoken of some who said so and yet prospered, Job 21:14. "But these did not (says Eliphaz); they found to their cost what it was to set God at defiance. Those who were resolved to lay the reins on the neck of their appetites and passions began with this; they said unto God, Depart; they abandoned all religion, hated the thoughts of it, and desired to live without God in the world; they shunned his word, and silenced conscience, his deputy. And what can the Almighty do for them?" Some make this to denote the justness of their punishment. They said to God, Depart from us; and then what could the Almighty do with them but cut them off? Those who will not submit to God's golden sceptre must expect to be broken to pieces with his iron rod. Others make it to denote the injustice of their sin: But what hath the Almighty done against them? What iniquity have they found in him, or wherein has he wearied them? Mic 6:3; Jer 2:5. Others make it to denote the reason of their sin: They say unto God, Depart, asking what the Almighty can do to them. "What has he done to oblige us? What can he do in a way of wrath to make us miserable, or in a way of favour to make us happy?" As they argue, Zep 1:12. The Lord will not do good, neither will he do evil. Eliphaz shows the absurdity of this in one word, and that is, calling God the Almighty; for, if he be so, what cannot he do? But it is not strange if those cast off all religion who neither dread God's wrath nor desire his favour. 3. The aggravation of this sin: Yet he had filled their houses with good things, Job 22:18. Both those of the old world and those of Sodom had great plenty of all the delights of sense; for they ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, etc. (Luk 17:27), so that they had no reason to ask what the Almighty could do for them, for they lived upon his bounty, no reason to bid him depart from them who had been so kind to them. Many have their houses full of goods but their hearts empty of grace, and thereby are marked for ruin. 4. The protestation which Eliphaz makes against the principles and practices of those wicked people: But the counsel of the wicked is far from me. Job had said so (Job 21:16) and Eliphaz will not be behind him. If they cannot agree in their own principles concerning God, yet they agree in renouncing the principles of those that live without God in the world. Note, Those that differ from each other in some matters of religion, and are engaged in disputes about them, yet ought unanimously and vigorously to appear against atheism and irreligion, and to take care that their disputes do not hinder either their vigour or unanimity in that common cause of God, that righteous cause. 5. The pleasure and satisfaction which the righteous shall have in this. (1.) In seeing the wicked destroyed, Job 22:19. They shall see it, that is, observe it, and take notice of it (Hos 14:9); and they shall be glad, not to see their fellow-creatures miserable, or any secular turn of their own served, or point gained, but to see God glorified, the word of God fulfilled, the power of oppressors broken, and thereby the oppressed relieved - to see sin shamed, atheists and infidels confounded, and fair warning given to all others to shun such wicked courses. Nay, they shall laugh them to scorn, that is, they justly might do it, they shall do it, as God does it, in a holy manner, Psa 2:4; Pro 1:26. They shall take occasion thence to expose the folly of sinners and show how ridiculous their principles are, though they call themselves wits. Lo, this is the man that made not God his strength; and see what comes of it, Psa 52:7. Some understand this of righteous Noah and his family, who beheld the destruction of the old world and rejoiced in it, as he had grieved for their impiety. Lot, who saw the ruin of Sodom, had the same reason to rejoice, Pe2 2:7, Pe2 2:8. (2.) In seeing themselves distinguished (Job 22:20): "Whereas our substance is not cut down, as theirs was, and as thine is; we continue to prosper, which is a sign that we are the favourites of Heaven, and in the right." The same rule that served him to condemn Job by served him to magnify himself and his companions by. His substance is cut down; therefore he is a wicked man; ours is not; therefore we are righteous. But it is a deceitful rule to judge by; for none knows love or hatred by all that is before him. If others be consumed, and we be not, instead of censuring them and lifting up ourselves, as Eliphaz does here, we ought to be thankful to God and take it for a warning to ourselves to prepare for similar calamities.
17. The Lord ‘filleth the houses of the wicked with good things,’ in that even to the unthankful He refuses not His gifts, that either they may blush at the loving-kindness of their Creator and be brought back to goodness, or altogether despising to return thereto, may from the same cause be there worse punished, that here they rendered an evil return for God’s more bounteous good, so that severer woes should there chastise those whose wickedness here not even gifts overcame. It goes on;
But let their sentence be far from me.
This too was expressed by blessed Job. For he says, Whose counsel be far from me. [Job 21, 16] Though ‘sentence’ may be taken for one thing and ‘counsel’ for another; for ‘sentence’ is in the mouth, ‘counsel’ in the thoughts. And so whereas Eliphaz wished himself far from the ‘sentence’ of the wicked, and blessed Job from the ‘counsel,’ it is plain without denial, that the first desires to be unlike the words of the wicked, but the other unlike their way of thinking even.
These words mean, “You imitate the actions of the ancestors.” [The author] is alluding to the Cainites, those who lived at the time of the deluge, to the Sodomites, etc.; these are those whom he calls “the way of the world.”
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SUMMARY
Job 22:18, a declaration by Eliphaz the Temanite, encapsulates a central tension within the book of Job: the observed prosperity of the wicked juxtaposed with the suffering of the righteous. Eliphaz concedes that God "filled their houses with good [things]" for some ungodly individuals, yet he immediately and self-righteously distances himself from their ways, stating, "but the counsel of the wicked is far from me." This assertion, while containing a biblically sound principle of separation from evil, is ironically misapplied by Eliphaz as an accusation against Job, revealing the rigid and ultimately flawed theological framework held by Job's friends, which directly equates suffering with sin.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Job 22:18 masterfully employs several literary devices to convey its complex meaning and contribute to the overarching narrative. Irony is exceptionally prominent, as Eliphaz, while condemning "the counsel of the wicked," paradoxically offers misguided, ungodly, and ultimately false counsel to Job, which God later explicitly rebukes (Job 42:7). His declaration of moral purity is thus deeply undermined by his own judgmental, accusatory, and uncharitable stance towards Job. A clear Contrast is also established within the verse itself, juxtaposing the outward, visible prosperity ("filled their houses with good things") with the inward, spiritual corruption ("counsel of the wicked"). This highlights a recurring biblical theme that external circumstances do not always accurately reflect internal spiritual standing or divine favor. Furthermore, the verse functions as a Rhetorical Assertion, where Eliphaz's seemingly personal statement about his own moral separation implicitly serves as a thinly veiled accusation against Job, framing Job's suffering as undeniable evidence that his "counsel" and conduct are indeed aligned with the wicked.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Job 22:18, despite being uttered by a character whose theological understanding is ultimately proven flawed, touches upon profound theological questions that resonate throughout the entire biblical narrative. It directly grapples with the perennial problem of theodicy – how a just and good God can permit the wicked to prosper, at least temporarily, while the righteous endure profound suffering. Eliphaz's observation that God "filled their houses with good [things]" acknowledges this perplexing reality, even if his subsequent self-righteous distancing reveals his inability to fully reconcile it with his rigid, simplistic understanding of divine justice. The verse also underscores the vital biblical emphasis on the importance of discerning and actively rejecting ungodly influence and counsel, a principle fundamental for maintaining spiritual integrity and living a life pleasing to God. While Eliphaz misapplies this principle to Job, the call to separate oneself from wicked ways, thoughts, and associations remains a consistent and crucial theme in wisdom literature, highlighting the profound spiritual danger of aligning with those whose plans, purposes, and worldviews are contrary to God's revealed will.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Job 22:18 serves as a potent and enduring reminder that our human understanding of God's justice, and the intricate reasons behind both human suffering and prosperity, is inherently limited and often prone to significant error. Eliphaz's earnest but ultimately misguided attempt to reconcile the observed prosperity of the wicked with his rigid theological framework leads him down a path of false accusations and a deeply flawed, self-righteous stance. For believers today, this verse issues a profound caution against adopting simplistic theological frameworks that reduce God's complex dealings with humanity to a direct, easily observable cause-and-effect relationship between sin and suffering, or righteousness and prosperity. It compels us to cultivate a posture of profound humility, acknowledging that God's ways are infinitely higher than our ways and His thoughts transcend our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9). Furthermore, Eliphaz's declaration, despite its ironic misapplication, illuminates the timeless spiritual discipline of discerning and actively rejecting counsel that is contrary to God's truth. We are called to vigilantly guard our hearts and minds against influences that would lead us astray, diligently seeking wisdom from God's infallible Word and from godly mentors, rather than succumbing to the "counsel of the wicked" in its myriad forms, whether overtly malicious or subtly deceptive.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Does this verse contradict the idea that God blesses the righteous and punishes the wicked?
Answer: This verse does not necessarily present a contradiction but rather introduces a crucial nuance to our understanding of divine justice. While the Bible consistently teaches that God ultimately blesses righteousness and judges wickedness, Job 22:18, like other passages (e.g., Psalm 73, Jeremiah 12:1), acknowledges the observable reality that the wicked sometimes experience material prosperity and apparent success in this life, at least for a time. Eliphaz's statement reflects his attempt to reconcile this empirical reality with his rigid theological system, which expects immediate and visible retribution. The book of Job, in its entirety, profoundly challenges the simplistic application of this principle, demonstrating that God's ways are not always predictable by human logic and that His justice often operates on a larger, eternal timeline, not always in immediate, visible earthly rewards or punishments. It points to a deeper, more mysterious understanding of God's sovereignty and His ultimate, perfect justice.
How does Eliphaz's statement relate to the overall message of Job?
Answer: Eliphaz's statement in Job 22:18 serves as a microcosm of the flawed and limited theology espoused by Job's friends throughout the book. They operate under the unwavering assumption that all suffering is a direct and proportional result of sin; therefore, Job's immense suffering must indicate hidden, unconfessed wickedness. Eliphaz's acknowledgment that God "filled their houses with good [things]" for some wicked individuals reveals a slight, momentary crack in their otherwise rigid theological framework. However, he quickly reasserts his self-righteousness ("the counsel of the wicked is far from me") to maintain his foundational premise that Job must be wicked and deserving of his plight. The overall message of Job, particularly as revealed in God's climactic speeches at the end of the book (Job 38-41), powerfully refutes this simplistic cause-and-effect theology. Instead, the book asserts God's unfathomable sovereignty, wisdom, and justice beyond human comprehension, ultimately affirming Job's righteousness despite his suffering and challenging readers to trust in God's character even amidst unanswered questions.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
While Job 22:18 highlights humanity's persistent struggle to reconcile the prosperity of the wicked with divine justice, its ultimate Christ-centered fulfillment lies in how Jesus perfectly embodies true righteousness and counsel, and how His suffering completely redefines our understanding of prosperity, justice, and judgment. Eliphaz's self-righteous declaration, "the counsel of the wicked is far from me," pales in comparison to Christ, who truly "knew no sin" (2 Corinthians 5:21) and whose very being is the embodiment of divine wisdom and perfect counsel (1 Corinthians 1:30 and Colossians 2:3). Jesus, the perfectly righteous one, did not experience earthly prosperity or comfort; instead, He endured immense suffering, culminating in His agonizing death on a cross, not for His own sin, but as the ultimate, substitutionary sacrifice for the sins of humanity (1 Peter 2:21-24). His suffering, therefore, shatters the simplistic retribution theology that Job's friends clung to, revealing a God who suffers with and for His people, and whose justice is ultimately and profoundly revealed in the cross and resurrection. In Christ, the "counsel of the wicked" is utterly defeated and rendered powerless, and true blessing and prosperity are found not in temporal earthly abundance but in spiritual union with Him, participation in His righteous life, and the promise of His eternal kingdom (John 16:33 and Matthew 6:33).