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

¶ Call now, if there be any that will answer thee; and to which of the saints wilt thou turn?

For wrath killeth the foolish man, and envy slayeth the silly one.

I have seen the foolish taking root: but suddenly I cursed his habitation.

His children are far from safety, and they are crushed in the gate, neither is there any to deliver them.

Whose harvest the hungry eateth up, and taketh it even out of the thorns, and the robber swalloweth up their substance.

¶ Although affliction cometh not forth of the dust, neither doth trouble spring out of the ground;

Yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward.

Eliphaz Counsels Seeking God

I would seek unto God, and unto God would I commit my cause:

Which doeth great things and unsearchable; marvellous things without number:

Who giveth rain upon the earth, and sendeth waters upon the fields:

To set up on high those that be low; that those which mourn may be exalted to safety.

He disappointeth the devices of the crafty, so that their hands cannot perform their enterprise.

He taketh the wise in their own craftiness: and the counsel of the froward is carried headlong.

They meet with darkness in the daytime, and grope in the noonday as in the night.

But he saveth the poor from the sword, from their mouth, and from the hand of the mighty.

So the poor hath hope, and iniquity stoppeth her mouth.

The Blessings of Divine Discipline

¶ Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty:

For he maketh sore, and bindeth up: he woundeth, and his hands make whole.

He shall deliver thee in six troubles: yea, in seven there shall no evil touch thee.

In famine he shall redeem thee from death: and in war from the power of the sword.

Thou shalt be hid from the scourge of the tongue: neither shalt thou be afraid of destruction when it cometh.

At destruction and famine thou shalt laugh: neither shalt thou be afraid of the beasts of the earth.

For thou shalt be in league with the stones of the field: and the beasts of the field shall be at peace with thee.

And thou shalt know that thy tabernacle shall be in peace; and thou shalt visit thy habitation, and shalt not sin.

Thou shalt know also that thy seed shall be great, and thine offspring as the grass of the earth.

Thou shalt come to thy grave in a full age, like as a shock of corn cometh in in his season.

Lo this, we have searched it, so it is; hear it, and know thou it for thy good.

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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Job5

The Consequences of Folly and Wrath

Eliphaz Counsels Seeking God

The Blessings of Divine Discipline

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