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Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Job 22:5–14. His three-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
Eliphaz and his companions had condemned Job, in general, as a wicked man and a hypocrite; but none of them had descended to particulars, nor drawn up any articles of impeachment against him, until Eliphaz did so here, where he positively and expressly charges him with many high crimes and misdemeanours, which, if he had really been guilty of them, might well have justified them in their harsh censures of him. "Come," says Eliphaz, "we have been too long beating about the bush, too tender of Job and afraid of grieving him, which has but confirmed him in his self-justification. It is high time to deal plainly with him. We have condemned him by parables, but that does not answer the end; he is not prevailed with to condemn himself. We must therefore plainly tell him, Thou art the man, the tyrant, the oppressor, the atheist, we have been speaking of all this while. Is not thy wickedness great? Certainly it is, or else thy troubles would not be so great. I appeal to thyself, and thy own conscience; are not thy iniquities infinite, both in number and heinousness?" Strictly taken, nothing is infinite but God; but he means this, that his sins were more than could be counted and more heinous than could be conceived. Sin, being committed against Infinite Majesty, has in it a kind of infinite malignity. But when Eliphaz charges Job thus highly, and ventures to descend to particulars too, laying to his charge that which he knew not, we may take occasion hence, 1. To be angry at those who unjustly censure and condemn their brethren. For aught I know, Eliphaz, in accusing Job falsely, as he does here, was guilty of as great a sin and as great a wrong to Job as the Sabeans and Chaldeans that robbed him; for a man's good name is more precious and valuable than his wealth. It is against all the laws of justice, charity, and friendship, either to raise or receive calumnies, jealousies, and evil surmises, concerning others; and it is the more base and disingenuous if we thus vex those that are in distress and add to their affliction. Eliphaz could produce no instances of Job's guilt in any of the particulars that follow here, but seems resolved to calumniate boldly, and throw all the reproach he could on Job, not doubting but that some would cleave to him. 2. To pity those who are thus censured and condemned. Innocency itself will be no security against a false and foul tongue. Job, whom God himself praised as the best man in the world, is here represented by one of his friends, and he a wise and good man too, as one of the greatest villains in nature. Let us not think it strange if at any time we be thus blackened, but learn how to pass by evil report as well as good, and commit our cause, as Job did his, to him that judgeth righteously.
Let us see the particular articles of this charge.
I.He charged him with oppression and injustice, that, when he was in prosperity, he not only did no good with his wealth and power, but did a great deal of hurt with them. This was utterly false, as appears by the account Job gives of himself (Job 29:12, etc.) and the character God gave of him, ch. 1. And yet,
1.Eliphaz branches out this charge into divers particulars, with as much assurance as if he could call witnesses to prove upon oath every article of it. He tells him, (1.) That he had been cruel and unmerciful to the poor. As a magistrate he ought to have protected them and seen them provided for; but Eliphaz suspects that he never did them any kindness, but all the mischief his power enabled him to do, - that, for an inconsiderable debt, he demanded, and carried away by violence, a pawn of great value, even from his brother, whose honesty and sufficiency he could not but know (Job 22:6), Thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother for nought, or, as the Septuagint reads it, Thou hast taken thy brethren for pledges, and that for nought, imprisoned them, enslaved them, because they had nothing to pay, - that he had taken the very clothes of his insolvent tenants and debtors, so that he had stripped them naked, and left them so (the law of Moses forbade this, Exo 22:26, Deu 24:13), - he had not been charitable to the poor, no, not to poor travellers, and poor widows: "Thou hast not given so much as a cup of cold water (which would have cost thee nothing) to the weary to drink, when he begged for it (Job 22:7) and was ready to perish for want of it, nay, thou hast withholden bread from the hungry in their extremity, hast not only not given it, but hast forbidden the giving of it, which is withholding good from those to whom it is really due, Pro 3:27. Poor widows, who while their husbands were living troubled nobody, but now were forced to seek relief, thou hast sent away empty from thy doors with a sad heart, Job 22:9. Those who came to thee for justice, thou didst send away unheard, unhelped; nay, though they came to thee full, thou didst squeeze them, and send them away empty; and, worst of all, the arms of the fatherless have been broken; those that could help themselves but little thou hast quite disabled to help themselves." This which is the blackest part of the charge, is but insinuated: The arms of the fatherless have been broken. He does not say, "Thou has broken them," but he would have it understood so, and if they be broken, and those who have power do not relieve them, they are chargeable with it. "They have been broken by those under thee, and thou hast connived at it, which brings thee under the guilt." (2.) That he had been partial to the rich and great (Job 22:8): "As for the mighty man, if he was guilty of any crime, he was never questioned for it: he had the earth; he dwelt in it. If he brought an action ever so unjustly, or if an action were ever so justly brought against him, yet he was sure to carry his cause in thy courts. The poor were not fed at thy door, while the rich were feasted at thy table." Contrary to this is Christ's rule for hospitality (Luk 14:12-14); and Solomon says, He that gives to the rich shall come to poverty.
2.He attributes all his present troubles to these supposed sins (Job 22:10, Job 22:11): "Those that are guilty of such practices as these commonly bring themselves into just such a condition as thou art now in; and therefore we conclude thou hast been thus guilty." (1.) "The providence of God usually crosses and embarrasses such; and snares are, accordingly, round about thee, so that, which way soever thou steppest or lookest, thou findest thyself in distress; and others are as hard upon thee as thou hast been upon the poor." (2.) "Their consciences may be expected to terrify and accuse them. No sin makes a louder cry there than unmercifulness; and, accordingly, sudden fear troubles thee; and, though thou wilt not own it, it is guilt of this kind that creates thee all this terror." Zophar had insinuated this, Job 20:19, Job 20:20. (3.) "They are brought to their wits' end, so amazed and bewildered that they know not what to do, and that also is thy case; for thou art in darkness that thou canst not see wherefore God contends with thee nor what is the best course for thee to take, for abundance of waters cover thee," that is, "thou art in a mist, in the midst of dark waters, in the thick clouds of the sky." Note, Those that have not shown mercy may justly be denied the comfortable hope that they shall find mercy; and then what can they expect but snares, and darkness, and continual fear?
II.He charged him with atheism, infidelity, and gross impiety, and thought this was at the bottom of his injustice and oppressiveness:
he that did not fear God did not regard man. He would have it thought that Job was an Epicurean, who did indeed own the being of God, but denied his providence, and fancied that he confined himself to the entertainments of the upper world and never concerned himself in the inhabitants and affairs of this.
1.Eliphaz referred to an important truth, which he thought, if Job had duly considered it, would have prevented him from being so passionate in his complaints and bold in justifying himself (Job 22:12): Is not God in the height of heaven? Yes, no doubt he is. No heaven so high but God is there; and in the highest heavens, the heavens of the blessed, the residence of his glory, he is present in a special manner. There he is pleased to manifest himself in a way peculiar to the upper world, and thence he is pleased to manifest himself in a way suited to this lower world. There is his throne; there is his court: he is called the Heavens, Dan 4:26. Thus Eliphaz proves that a man cannot be profitable to God (Job 22:2), that he ought not to contend with God (it is his folly if he does), and that we ought always to address ourselves to God with very great reverence; for when we behold the height of the stars, how high they are, we should, at the same time, also consider the transcendent majesty of God, who is above the stars, and how high he is.
2.He charged it upon Job that he made a bad use of this doctrine, which he might have made so good a use of, Job 22:13. "This is holding the truth in unrighteousness, fighting against religion with its own weapons, and turning its own artillery upon itself: thou art willing to own that God is in the height of heaven but thence thou inferrest, How doth God know?" Bad men expel the fear of God out of their hearts by banishing the eye of God out of the world (Eze 8:12), and care not what they do if they can but persuade themselves that God does not know. Eliphaz suspected that Job had such a notion of God as this, that, because he is in the height of heaven,
(1.)It is therefore impossible for him to see and hear what is done at so great a distance as this earth, especially since there is a dark cloud (Job 22:13), many thick clouds (Job 22:14), that come between him and us, and are a covering to him, so that he cannot see, much less can he judge of, the affairs of this lower world; as if God had eyes of flesh, Job 10:4. The interposing firmament is to him as transparent crystal, Eze 1:22. Distance of place creates no difficulty to him who fills immensity, any more than distance of time to him who is eternal. Or,
(2.)That it is therefore below him, and a diminution to his glory, to take cognizance of this inferior part of the creation: He walks in the circuit of heaven, and has enough to do to enjoy himself and his own perfections and glory in that bright and quiet world; why should he trouble himself about us? This is gross absurdity, as well as gross impiety, which Eliphaz here fathers upon Job; for it supposes that the administration of government is a burden and disparagement to the supreme governor and that the acts of justice and mercy are a toil to a mind infinitely wise, holy, and good. If the sun, a creature, and inanimate, can with his light and influence reach this earth, and every part of it (Psa 19:6), even from that vast height of the visible heavens in which he is, and in the circuit of which he walks, and that through many a thick and dark cloud, shall we question it concerning the Creator?
Historical interpretation
Historical Reception
One surviving comment on this verse from the historical church.
As if he said in plain words, ‘Whereas thou didst take possession of the earth every where in thy preaching, it was the power of might, and not the reasonableness of truth. For whereas they see that Christian princes hold fast her preaching, all the credit which is given to her by the people, they look upon not as the efficacy of righteousness, but the account of secular power.
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Summary
Job 22:8, "But [as for] the mighty man, he had the earth; and the honourable man dwelt in it," functions as a foundational premise in Eliphaz's third and most severe indictment of Job. Within his rigid framework of retribution theology, Eliphaz presents this observation as an undeniable truth: those who wield power and possess high social standing often acquire wealth and land through unrighteous means. He implicitly applies this general principle to Job, suggesting that Job's former prosperity and current suffering are direct consequences of hidden sins, particularly the exploitation of the vulnerable, which Eliphaz proceeds to detail in the verses that follow.
Context
Literary Context
Job 22 marks Eliphaz's final and most aggressive speech, abandoning the earlier pretense of sympathy to deliver direct accusations against Job's character. Verse 8 serves as a general, cynical observation that Eliphaz believes underpins Job's situation. He posits that powerful individuals unjustly accumulate wealth and land, thereby setting the stage for his subsequent, explicit charges against Job regarding his alleged oppression of the poor, widows, and orphans, specifically mentioned in Job 22:9 and continuing through Job 22:11. This verse is crucial for understanding the escalating tension in the dialogue and Eliphaz's profound misunderstanding of Job's integrity and the true nature of God's justice.
Historical & Cultural Context
In the ancient Near East, land ownership was the primary indicator of wealth, status, and divine favor. "The earth" or "the land" often carried connotations of inheritance and blessing. However, ancient Near Eastern societies, including Israel, also placed a strong ethical emphasis on justice, particularly the protection of the vulnerable (widows, orphans, sojourners). The "mighty man" and "honourable man" would have been recognized figures of authority and influence, often tribal leaders or wealthy landowners. Eliphaz's accusation taps into a societal concern about the potential for those in power to abuse their position, dispossessing the weak or denying them justice. His worldview reflects a common, albeit simplistic, retribution theology prevalent in the ancient world, where prosperity was seen as a direct reward for righteousness and suffering as punishment for sin.
Key Themes
This verse encapsulates several key themes central to the book of Job and the broader Old Testament wisdom tradition. Firstly, it highlights the misguided judgment of Eliphaz, who, like his friends, operates under a rigid retribution theology—the belief that God always punishes sin directly with suffering and rewards righteousness with prosperity. This flawed premise leads him to accuse Job, despite God's own testimony to Job's blamelessness in Job 1 and Job 2. Secondly, the verse touches upon the prosperity of the wicked, a perplexing issue frequently addressed in wisdom literature. While Eliphaz uses this observation to condemn Job, other biblical texts, such as Psalm 73, grapple with the apparent injustice of the unrighteous flourishing, ultimately finding solace in God's ultimate justice. Finally, it addresses the theme of abuse of power and wealth, warning against the exploitation of the vulnerable by those in positions of influence, a concern echoed throughout the Law and Prophets.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
While literally meaning "arm" or "foreleg," this term is used figuratively here to denote "force," "power," or "strength." In this context, it refers to an individual who possesses considerable might or influence, often implying the ability to exert control or dominance. Eliphaz uses it to describe someone who has the capacity to acquire and hold onto resources, subtly hinting at the potential for such power to be used for selfish gain rather than for justice.
This general term refers to a male person or an individual. In conjunction with "mighty," it specifies the type of person Eliphaz is describing—a powerful, influential individual within society. It is a neutral term in itself, but its meaning is shaped by the surrounding context and Eliphaz's accusatory tone, pointing to a specific kind of person who, in his view, is prone to exploiting their position.
This phrase literally translates to "one lifted up in face" or "one whose face is lifted." It refers to someone of high standing, prominence, or respect within society, signifying a person whose status commands deference. However, the phrase can also carry a negative connotation, implying partiality or favoritism ("lifting up the face" of one person over another in judgment). Eliphaz employs this term with a critical edge, suggesting that such "honourable" individuals, like Job, might exploit their elevated position for personal advantage or to show undue favoritism, leading to injustice.
Verse Breakdown
"But [as for] the mighty man, he had the earth;"
Eliphaz asserts a general principle, presenting it as an undeniable truth. He claims that individuals possessing great strength and influence ("the mighty man") are those who acquire and possess "the earth" (or "the land"). In this context, "the earth" symbolizes not just physical territory but also wealth, resources, and dominion. Eliphaz implies that such acquisition by the "mighty" is often achieved through unjust means, exploitation, or the abuse of power, rather than through righteous labor or divine blessing. This sets the stage for his accusation that Job, being a man of great wealth and land, must have acquired it similarly.
"and the honourable man dwelt in it."
This clause parallels the first, reinforcing the idea. The "honourable man"—one of high social standing and respect—is described as dwelling in or inhabiting this very "earth" that the mighty man has acquired. This suggests a complicity or direct involvement of those in positions of social prominence in the unjust accumulation of wealth and power. Eliphaz is subtly linking Job's former status and prosperity to this pattern of unrighteous acquisition, thereby justifying his subsequent direct accusations of Job's specific sins.
Literary Devices
Eliphaz's statement in Job 22:8 employs several literary devices to convey his accusatory message. There is clear Parallelism, specifically Synonymous Parallelism, where "the mighty man" and "the honourable man" function as parallel descriptors for individuals of power and status, and "had the earth" and "dwelt in it" similarly convey the idea of possessing wealth and land. This parallelism reinforces Eliphaz's central point about the unrighteous prosperity of the powerful. The verse also functions as a Rhetorical Premise, presented as an accepted truth to set up Eliphaz's subsequent, more direct accusations against Job. There's an underlying Irony in Eliphaz's confident assertion of this "truth," as the entire book of Job ultimately demonstrates the profound flaw in his understanding of divine justice and Job's character. His tone carries an element of Accusation by Implication, using a general statement to subtly indict Job without directly naming his alleged sins in this specific verse, though he does so shortly thereafter.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Eliphaz's assertion in Job 22:8 reflects a deeply flawed understanding of God's justice, equating earthly prosperity with righteousness and suffering with sin. While the Bible certainly teaches that God blesses the righteous and judges sin, it also presents a far more complex reality concerning suffering and the distribution of wealth. This verse highlights the danger of simplistic retribution theology, which fails to account for the mysterious ways of God, the reality of a fallen world, and the suffering of the innocent. True biblical theology emphasizes that God's favor is not solely measured by material possessions, nor is suffering always a direct consequence of personal transgression. Instead, it calls believers to a deeper trust in God's sovereignty and a commitment to justice and compassion, particularly for the vulnerable, regardless of their outward circumstances.
Reflection and Application
Job 22:8, viewed through the lens of Eliphaz's error, serves as a profound warning against hasty and judgmental conclusions about the spiritual state of others based solely on their outward circumstances. We are often tempted to attribute suffering to hidden sin or to equate material success with divine approval, mirroring Eliphaz's flawed theology. Instead, this verse calls us to cultivate humility in our assessments, recognizing that God's ways are often inscrutable and His justice far more nuanced than our human frameworks can grasp. For those of us who possess any form of "earth"—whether wealth, influence, talent, or position—it serves as a stark reminder of the ethical imperative to steward these resources righteously, not for personal aggrandizement or the oppression of others, but for the glory of God and the flourishing of humanity, especially the marginalized. Our call is to embody compassion, advocate for justice, and resist the temptation to condemn those who suffer or to envy those who prosper, focusing instead on cultivating a heart aligned with God's own justice and mercy.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What is Eliphaz's main point in Job 22?
Eliphaz's primary argument in Job 22 is a direct accusation that Job's immense suffering is a consequence of specific, unconfessed sins, particularly the abuse of his wealth and power to oppress the poor, widows, and orphans. He operates under a rigid retribution theology, believing that God always punishes sin directly and visibly, and therefore, Job's current state is irrefutable proof of his wickedness. Verse 8 sets the stage by establishing a general principle that powerful men often acquire wealth unjustly, which he then applies to Job.
How does Job 22:8 relate to Job's actual character?
Job 22:8, and Eliphaz's subsequent accusations, stand in stark contrast to Job's actual character as described at the beginning of the book and affirmed by God Himself. Job was introduced as "blameless and upright, a man who feared God and shunned evil" (Job 1:1). Furthermore, in his own defense, Job vividly recounts how he used his wealth and influence to champion the cause of the poor, the fatherless, and the widow, acting as eyes for the blind and feet for the lame (Job 29:12-17). Thus, Eliphaz's premise in verse 8 and the accusations that follow are entirely baseless and demonstrate his profound misunderstanding of Job's integrity and the true nature of God's justice.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
While Job 22:8 speaks of the "mighty man" and "honourable man" who unjustly acquire the earth, the ultimate "Honourable Man," Jesus Christ, radically redefined power, honor, and dominion. Unlike the earthly "mighty" who grasp for land and wealth, Christ, though "in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage" (Philippians 2:6). Instead, He emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, becoming obedient to death on a cross (Philippians 2:7-8). He did not come to acquire earthly dominion through force or exploitation, but to establish a spiritual kingdom not of this world (John 18:36). Moreover, while Eliphaz falsely accused Job, the truly innocent Son of God endured false accusations and unjust suffering, identifying with the very poor and vulnerable that Eliphaz accused Job of oppressing (Matthew 25:35-40). Christ, the righteous judge, sees the heart, unlike Eliphaz who judged by outward circumstance (John 5:22). In His life, death, and resurrection, Jesus perfectly embodies true righteousness, true honor, and the just use of ultimate power, providing the ultimate answer to the problem of suffering and the misuse of authority that Eliphaz so tragically misconstrued.