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Commentary on Job 4 verses 7–11
Eliphaz here advances another argument to prove Job a hypocrite, and will have not only his impatience under his afflictions to be evidence against him but even his afflictions themselves, being so very great and extraordinary, and there being no prospect at all of his deliverance out of them. To strengthen his argument he here lays down these two principles, which seem plausible enough: -
I. That good men were never thus ruined. For the proof of this he appeals to Job's own observation (Job 4:7): "Remember, I pray thee; recollect all that thou hast seen, heard, or read, and give me an instance of any one that was innocent and righteous, and yet perished as thou dost, and was cut off as thou art." If we understand it of a final and eternal destruction, his principle is true. None that are innocent and righteous perish for ever: it is only a man of sin that is a son of perdition, Th2 2:3. But then it is ill applied to Job; he did not thus perish, nor was he cut off: a man is never undone till he is in hell. But, if we understand it of any temporal calamity, his principle is not true. The righteous perish (Isa 57:1): there is one event both to the righteous and to the wicked (Ecc 9:2), both in life and death; the great and certain difference is after death. Even before Job's time (as early as it was) there were instances sufficient to contradict this principle. Did not righteous Abel perish being innocent? and was he not cut off in the beginning of his days? Was not righteous Lot burnt out of house and harbour, and forced to retire to a melancholy cave? Was not righteous Jacob a Syrian ready to perish? Deu 26:5. Other such instances, no doubt, there were, which are not on record.
II. That wicked men were often thus ruined. For the proof of this he vouches his own observation (Job 4:8): "Even as I have seen, many a time, those that plough iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap accordingly; by the blast of God they perish, Job 4:9. We have daily instances of that; and therefore, since thou dost thus perish and art consumed, we have reason to think that, whatever profession of religion thou hast made, thou hast but ploughed iniquity and sown wickedness. Even as I have seen in others, so do I see in thee."
1.He speaks of sinners in general, politic busy sinners, that take pains in sin, for they plough iniquity; and expect gain by sin, for they sow wickedness. Those that plough plough in hope, but what is the issue? They reap the same. They shall of the flesh reap corruption and ruin, Gal 6:7, Gal 6:8. The harvest will be a heap in the day of grief and desperate sorrow, Isa 17:11. He shall reap the same, that is, the proper product of that seedness. That which the sinner sows, he sows not that body that shall be, but God will give it a body, a body of death, the end of those things, Rom 6:21. Some, by iniquity and wickedness, understand wrong and injury done to others. Those who plough and sow them shall reap the same, that is, they shall be paid in their own coin. Those who are troublesome shall be troubled, Th2 1:6; Jos 7:25. The spoilers shall be spoiled (Isa 33:1), and those that led captive shall go captive, Rev 13:10. He further describes their destruction (Job 4:9): By the blast of God they perish. The projects they take so much pains in are defeated; God cuts asunder the cords of those ploughers, Psa 129:3, Psa 129:4. They themselves are destroyed, which is the just punishment of their iniquity. They perish, that is, they are destroyed utterly; they are consumed, that is, they are destroyed gradually; and this by the blast and breath of God, that is, (1.) By his wrath. His anger is the ruin of sinners, who are therefore called vessels of wrath, and his breath is said to kindle Tophet, Isa 30:33. Who knows the power of his anger? Psa 90:11. (2.) By his word. He speaks and it is done, easily and effectually. The Spirit of God, in the word, consumes sinners; with that he slays them, Hos 6:5. Saying and doing are not two things with God. The man of sin is said to be consumed with the breath of Christ's mouth, Th2 2:8. Compare Isa 11:4; Rev 19:21. Some think that in attributing the destruction of sinners to the blast of God, and the breath of his nostrils, he refers to the wind which blew the house down upon Job's children, as if they were therefore sinners above all men because they suffered such things. Luk 13:2.
2.He speaks particularly of tyrants and cruel oppressors, under the similitude of lions, Job 4:10, Job 4:11. Observe, (1.) How he describes their cruelty and oppression. The Hebrew tongue has five several names for lions, and they are all here used to set forth the terrible tearing power, fierceness, and cruelty, of proud oppressors. They roar, and rend, and prey upon all about them, and bring up their young ones to do so too, Eze 19:3. The devil is a roaring lion; and they partake of his nature, and do his lusts. They are strong as lions, and subtle (Psa 10:9; Psa 17:12); and, as far as they prevail, they lay all desolate about them. (2.) How he describes their destruction, the destruction both of their power and of their persons. They shall be restrained from doing further hurt and reckoned with for the hurt they have done. An effectual course shall be taken, [1.] That they shall not terrify. The voice of their roaring shall be stopped. [2.] That they shall not tear. God will disarm them, will take away their power to do hurt: The teeth of the young lions are broken. See Psa 3:7. Thus shall the remainder of wrath be restrained. [3.] That they shall not enrich themselves with the spoil of their neighbours. Even the old lion is famished, and perishes for lack of prey. Those that have surfeited on spoil and rapine are perhaps reduced to such straits as to die of hunger at last. [4.] That they shall not, as they promise themselves, leave a succession: The stout lion's whelps are scattered abroad, to seek for food themselves, which the old ones used to bring in for them, Nah 2:12. The lion did tear in pieces for his whelps, but now they must shift for themselves. Perhaps Eliphaz intended, in this, to reflect upon Job, as if he, being the greatest of all the men of the east, had got his estate by spoil and used his power in oppressing his neighbours, but now his power and estate were gone, and his family was scattered: if so, it was a pity that a man whom God praised should be thus abused.
The writer mentions natural things, that is, nothing that is new or unusual. Certain laws regulate everything, and nothing has changed. Indeed, if what concerns wild beasts remains the same, even more so what concerns us remains unchanged. If it is not possible to restrain “the strength of the lion,” then the righteous also cannot be prevented from talking frankly. In fact, as the wild beast naturally possesses strength, so also the righteous person possesses a natural power and force. Actually it is more likely for a lion to become weak than for a righteous person to allow others to manipulate him.
43. By the title of a ‘tiger’ he again represents him, whom he formerly designated by the name of a ‘lion.’ For Satan both for his cruelty is called ‘a lion,’ and for the variousness of his manifold cunning he is not unsuitably designated ‘a tiger.’ For one while he presents himself to man's senses lost as he is, one while he exhibits himself as an Angel of light, Now by caressing he works upon the minds of the foolish sort, now by striking terror he forces them to commit sin. At one time he labours to win men to evil ways without disguise, at another time he cloaks himself in his promptings under the garb of virtue. This beast, then, which is so variously spotted, is rightly called ‘a tiger,’ being with the LXX called an ‘Ant-lion,’ as we have said above. Which same creature, as we have before shown, hiding itself in the dust kills the ants carrying their corn, in that the Apostate Angel, being cast out of heaven upon the earth, in the very pathway of their practice besets the minds of the righteous, providing for themselves the provender of good works, and whilst he overcomes them by his snares, he as it were kills by surprise the ants carrying their grains. And he is rightly called ‘Ant-lion,’ i.e. ‘a lion and ant.’ For as we have said, to the ants he is ‘a lion,’ but to the birds of the air, ‘an ant,’ in that our old enemy, as he is strong to encounter those that yield to him, is weak against such as resist him. For if consent be yielded to his persuasions, like a lion he can never be sustained, but if resistance be offered, like an ant he is ground in the dust. Therefore to some he is ‘a lion,’ to others ‘an ant,’ in that carnal minds sustain his cruel assaults with difficulty, but spiritual minds trample upon his weakness with virtue's foot. Heretics then, because they are full of pride by pretension to sanctity, say as it were in exultation, The Ant-lion, or probably, the tiger perisheth for lack of prey. As though the words were plainly expressed, ‘The old foe has no prey in us, in that, as far as regards our purposes, he already lies defeated.’ Now it is for this reason that he is again mentioned under the title of ‘an Ant lion,’ or of ‘a tiger,’ who had been already set forth by the ‘roaring of the lion broken,’ because whatever is said in joy, is repeated over and over. For when the mind is full of exultation, it redoubles the expressions. And hence the Psalmist, from true joy, frequently repeats this, that he was assured that he had been heard, saying, the Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping. The Lord hath heard my supplications. The Lord hath received my prayer. [Ps. 6, 8. 9.]
44. But when holy men are glad of heart that they have been rescued from some evil habits, they possess [Lit. ‘shake’] themselves with great fear even in that very gladness. For though they be now rescued from the commotion of any single storm, yet they call to mind that they are still tossing in the treacherous waves of an uncertain sea, and they so exult in hope that they tremble in fear, and so tremble in fear that they exult in confidence of hope. Whence it is said by the same Psalmist, Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. [Ps. 2, 11] But on the other hand, they, whom a specious show of sanctity fills with big thoughts, when they get the better of any one evil habit, immediately erect their heart in pride, and as it were glory in the perfection of their lives, and for this, that perchance they have been once snatched from the perils of the storm, they already forget that they are still at sea, they look upon themselves as great in all things, and imagine that they have wholly overcome their old adversary; they regard all men below them, in that they believe that their wisdom places them above all. Whence it is added;
Now a secret word was spoken to me.
45. ‘A secret word,’ heretics pretend to hear, that they may bring a certain reverence for their preaching over their hearers' minds. And hence they preach with a secret meaning, that their preaching may seem to be holy, in proportion as it is at the same time hidden. Now they are loath to have a common sort of knowledge, lest they should be placed on a par with the rest of their fellow-creatures, and they are ever making out new things, which whilst others know nothing of, they plume their own selves on the preeminence of their knowledge before inexperienced minds. And this knowledge, as we have said, they teach is occult; for, that they may be able to show it to be wonderful, they affirm that they obtained it by secret means. Hence with Solomon the woman, bearing the semblance of heretics, says, Stolen waters are [Vulg.] sweeter, and bread eaten in secret is more pleasant. [Prov. 9, 17] Whence in this place too it is added;
And mine ear as it were by stealth received the veins [Vulg.] of the whispering thereof.
They ‘receive the veins of whispers by stealth,’ in that abandoning the grace of knowledge in fellowship, they do not enter thereinto by the door, as the Lord witnesses, Who saith, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber; But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. [John 10, 1. 2.] Therefore he ‘receives the veins of divine whispers by stealth,’ who, whilst the door of public preaching for receiving the knowledge of His excellency is forsaken, searches out the gaps and chinks of a froward understanding. But because the thief and robber, who enters by another way, both loves the darkness, and abhors the clearness of the light.
39. For whom does he denote by the name of ‘tiger’ but blessed Job, marked with the stamp of changeableness or covered with the spots of dissimulation? For every dissembler, in that he desires to appear righteous, can never show himself pure in all things; for while he assumes some virtues in hypocrisy, and secretly gives way to vicious habits, some concealed vices speedily break out upon the surface, and exhibit the hide of overlaid hypocrisy, like a coat for sight, varied with their admixture, so that it is very often a marvel how one, who is seen to be master of such great virtues, should be at the same time stained with such damnable deeds. But truly every hypocrite is a tiger, in that while he derives a pure colour from pretence, it is striped with the intermediate blackness of vicious habits. For it often happens that while he is extolled for pureness of chastity, he renders himself foul by the stain of avarice. Often while he makes a fair show by the good quality of bountifulness, he is stained with spots of lust. Often while he is clad in the bright array of bountifulness and chastity, he is blackened by ferociousness in cruelty, as if from a zealous sense of justice. Often he is arrayed in bounty, chastity, pitifulness, in a fair outside, but is marked with the interspersed darkness of pride. And thus it comes to pass, that whereas by the intermixture of vicious habits, the hypocrite does not present an unstained appearance in himself, the tiger, as it were, cannot be of one colour. And this same ‘tiger’ seizes the prey, in that he usurps to himself the glory of human applause. For he, that is lifted up by usurped praise, is as it were glutted with the prey. And it is well that the applause that hypocrites have is called ‘prey.’ For it is nought else than a prey, when the things of another are taken away by violence. Now every hypocrite, in that by counterfeiting the life of righteousness he seizes for himself the praise that belongs to the righteous, does in truth carry off what is another's. Thus Eliphaz, who knew that blessed Job had walked in ways worthy to be praised in the period of his wellbeing, concluded from the stroke that came after that he had maintained these in hypocrisy, saying, The tiger perisheth for lack of prey. As if he had said plainly, ‘The shifting of thine hypocrisy is at end, because the homage of applause is also taken from thee, and thine hypocrisy is in ‘lack of prey,’ in that being stricken by the hand of God, it lacks the favourable regards of man.’
40. But in the translation of the Septuagint, it is not said ‘the tiger,’ but ‘the Myrmicoleon perisheth for lack of prey.’ For the Myrmicoleon is a very little creature, a foe to ants, which hides itself under the dust, and kills the ants laden with grains, and devours them thus destroyed. Now ‘Myrmicoleon’ is rendered in the Latin tongue either ‘the ants' lion,’ or indeed more exactly ‘an ant and lion at once.’ Now it is lightly called ‘an ant and lion;’ in that with reference to winged creatures, or to any other small-sized animals, it is an ant, but with reference to the ants themselves it is a lion. For it devours these like a lion, yet by the other sort it is devoured like an ant. When then Eliphaz says, the Ant-lion perisheth, what does he censure in blessed Job under the title of ‘Ant-lion’ but his fearfulness and audacity? As if he said to him in plain words, ‘Thou art not unjustly stricken, in that thou hast shown thyself a coward towards the lofty, a bully towards those beneath thee.’ As though he had said in plain terms, ‘Fear made thee crouch towards the crafty sort, hardihood swelled thee full towards the simple folk, but ‘the Ant-lion’ no longer hath prey,’ in that thy cowardly self elation, being beaten down with blows, is stayed from doing injury to others.’ But forasmuch as we have said that the friends of blessed Job contain a figure of Heretics, there is a pressing necessity to show how these same words of Eliphaz are to be understood in a typical sense likewise.
The author signifies by “the lion” those powerful men who inspire people with fear, as lions do. By “lioness” he means their wives, who were evil and inspired fear simply by speaking. In the same manner, their children were arrogant and quite cruel. All these have perished. They were extinguished instantly.
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SUMMARY
Job 4:11, spoken by Eliphaz the Temanite, employs a vivid metaphor of powerful lions to articulate a principle of divine justice as he understands it: that even the most formidable and seemingly unassailable wicked individuals and their progeny will ultimately face destruction and dispersion when deprived of their source of illicit sustenance. This statement functions as a subtle yet pointed implication within Eliphaz's initial discourse, suggesting that Job's profound suffering is a direct consequence of unrighteousness, aligning with a traditional retribution theology that posits God punishes the wicked and ensures their downfall.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Eliphaz's statement in Job 4:11 is rich in literary devices, primarily employing Metaphor. The "old lion" (H3918, layish) and "stout lion's whelps" (H3833, lâbîyʼ for stout lion, H1121, bên for whelps) serve as a powerful metaphorical representation of the wicked—those who are strong, fierce, and predatory in their actions, often at the expense of others. By depicting these formidable creatures as perishing and being scattered, Eliphaz vividly illustrates his theological point about the ultimate demise of the unrighteous. The verse also utilizes Parallelism, specifically a form of synthetic parallelism, where the second clause ("and the stout lion's whelps are scattered abroad") reinforces and expands upon the idea presented in the first ("The old lion perisheth for lack of prey"). While the first clause speaks to the individual's demise, the second extends this destruction to their progeny and legacy, emphasizing the completeness of the judgment. Furthermore, the verse relies heavily on Imagery, creating a strong visual of a once-powerful predator starving and its young dispersed, evoking a sense of desolation and finality that underscores Eliphaz's message of divine retribution.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
While Eliphaz's specific application of retribution theology to Job's suffering is ultimately challenged and corrected by God in the book of Job, the verse nonetheless touches upon the broader biblical truth that God is indeed just and that wickedness does not ultimately triumph. The book of Job masterfully deconstructs the simplistic cause-and-effect understanding of suffering, yet it never denies God's sovereignty or His ultimate commitment to righteousness. Eliphaz's imagery powerfully conveys the idea that those who live by predatory means, relying on their own strength and ill-gotten gains, will eventually find their source of power cut off by divine decree. This serves as a cautionary tale against self-reliance and injustice, reminding us that true and lasting sustenance comes from God, not from earthly power or exploitation. The ultimate fate of the wicked, though not always immediate or simplistic in its manifestation, is indeed one of ruin and dispersal in the grand scheme of God's redemptive plan.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Eliphaz's words in Job 4:11, though part of a flawed argument against Job, still offer profound insights for reflection. They challenge us to consider the source of our own "sustenance" and "prey." Are we relying on our own strength, cunning, or even ill-gotten gains for our well-being, or are we trusting in God's faithful provision? The imagery of the perishing lion and scattered whelps serves as a stark reminder that any power or prosperity gained through unrighteousness is ultimately fleeting and unsustainable. It encourages us to examine our motivations and methods, ensuring that our lives are built on a foundation of righteousness and dependence on God, rather than on the predatory pursuit of worldly success. Furthermore, while we must be careful not to apply a simplistic retribution theology to others' suffering, we can certainly apply the principle to our own lives: pursuing justice and righteousness is the path to true and lasting spiritual flourishing, while choosing wickedness leads to ultimate spiritual destitution and scattering.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Does Job 4:11 imply that all suffering is a direct result of sin?
Answer: While Eliphaz, the speaker in Job 4:11, strongly believes this, the book of Job as a whole ultimately refutes this simplistic view. Eliphaz's argument is rooted in a traditional retribution theology, where all suffering is seen as punishment for specific sins. However, Job's experience demonstrates that righteous individuals can suffer immensely, and God Himself later rebukes Eliphaz and the other friends for not speaking what is right about Him (Job 42:7). The book teaches that suffering is complex and not always a direct consequence of sin, though it does affirm God's ultimate justice and sovereignty over all circumstances.
What does the "lion" metaphor signify in this verse?
Answer: In Job 4:11, the "old lion" and "stout lion's whelps" serve as a powerful metaphor for oppressive, predatory, and wicked individuals and their offspring. Lions in biblical imagery often represent strength, ferocity, and sometimes, destructive evil or tyrannical power. Eliphaz uses this imagery to depict the unrighteous as formidable and seemingly invincible, but ultimately subject to divine judgment. The perishing of the "old lion" and the scattering of its "whelps" symbolize the complete and inevitable destruction and dispersal of the wicked and their legacy when God's justice cuts off their illicit "prey" or source of power. This illustrates that no earthly might can withstand the righteous decree of God.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
While Eliphaz's words in Job 4:11 reflect a flawed understanding of divine justice in its immediate application to Job, they paradoxically point to the ultimate triumph of true justice found in Christ. The "old lion" that perishes for lack of prey, and its "whelps" scattered, can be seen as a shadow of the ultimate demise of sin and evil. The true "Lion" is not a predatory oppressor, but the Lion of the tribe of Judah, Jesus Christ, who conquers not by preying on others but by offering Himself as the ultimate sacrifice for sin. Through His death and resurrection, Christ disarms the powers of darkness (Colossians 2:15), effectively cutting off their "prey" and scattering their influence. He is the one who ultimately judges all unrighteousness, ensuring that the "way of the wicked will perish" (Psalm 1:6). Furthermore, where the wicked lion's offspring are scattered, Christ gathers His own, bringing them into His eternal kingdom, providing them with true and everlasting spiritual sustenance—His very self, the Bread of Life, and the Living Water. Thus, the perishing of the unrighteous lion foreshadows Christ's decisive victory over all that is predatory and evil, establishing a kingdom where perfect justice reigns and His people find abundant, eternal life.