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Commentary on Job 5 verses 1–5
A very warm dispute being begun between Job and his friends, Eliphaz here makes a fair motion to put the matter to a reference. In all debates perhaps the sooner this is done the better if the contenders cannot end it between themselves. So well assured is Eliphaz of the goodness of his own cause that he moves Job himself to choose the arbitrators (Job 5:1): Call now, if there be any that will answer thee; that is, 1. "If there be any that suffer as thou sufferest. Canst thou produce an instance of any one that was really a saint that was reduced to such an extremity as thou art now reduced to? God never dealt with any that love his name as he deals with thee, and therefore surely thou art none of them." 2. "If there be any that say as thou sayest. Did ever any good man curse his day as thou dost? Or will any of the saints justify thee in these heats or passions, or say that these are the spots of God's children? Thou wilt find none of the saints that will be either thy advocates or my antagonists. To which of the saints wilt thou turn? Turn to which thou wilt, and thou wilt find they are all of my mind. I have the communis sensus fidelium - the unanimous vote of the faithful on my side; they will all subscribe to what I am going to say." Observe, (1.) Good people are called saints even in the Old Testament; and therefore I know not why we should, in common speaking (unless because we must loqui cum vulgo - speak as our neighbours), appropriate the title to those of the New Testament, and not say St. Abraham, St. Moses, and St. Isaiah, as well as St. Matthew and St. Mark; and St. David the psalmist, as well as St. David the British bishop. Aaron is expressly called the saint of the Lord. (2.) All that are themselves saints will turn to those that are so, will choose them for their friends and converse with them, will choose them for their judges and consult them. See Psa 119:79. The saints shall judge the world, Co1 6:1, Co1 6:2. Walk in the way of good men (Pro 2:20), the old way, the footsteps of the flock. Every one chooses some sort of people or other to whom he studies to recommend himself, and whose sentiments are to him the test of honour and dishonour. Now all true saints endeavour to recommend themselves to those that are such, and to stand right in their opinion. (3.) There are some truths so plain, and so universally known and believed, that one may venture to appeal to any of the saints concerning them. However there are some things about which they unhappily differ, there are many more, and more considerable, in which they are agreed; as the evil of sin, the vanity of the world, the worth of the soul, the necessity of a holy life, and the like. Though they do not all live up, as they should, to their belief of these truths, yet they are all ready to bear their testimony to them.
Now there are two things which Eliphaz here maintains, and in which he doubts not but all the saints concur with him: -
I. That the sin of sinners directly tends to their own ruin (Job 5:2): Wrath kills the foolish man, his own wrath, and therefore he is foolish for indulging it; it is a fire in his bones, in his blood, enough to put him into a fever. Envy is the rottenness of the bones, and so slays the silly one that frets himself with it. "So it is with thee," says Eliphaz, "while thou quarrellest with God thou doest thyself the greatest mischief; thy anger at thy own troubles, and thy envy at our prosperity, do but add to thy pain and misery: turn to the saints, and thou wilt find they understand their interest better." Job had told his wife she spoke as the foolish women; now Eliphaz tells him he acted as the foolish men, the silly ones. Or it may be meant thus: "If men are ruined and undone, it is always their own folly that ruins and undoes them. They kill themselves by some lust or other; therefore, no doubt, Job, thou hast done some foolish thing, by which thou hast brought thyself into this calamitous condition." Many understand it of God's wrath and jealousy. Job needed not be uneasy at the prosperity of the wicked, for the world's smiles can never shelter them from God's frowns; they are foolish and silly if they think they will. God's anger will be the death, the eternal death, of those on whom it fastens. What is hell but God's anger without mixture or period?
II. That their prosperity is short and their destruction certain, Job 5:3-5. He seems here to parallel Job's case with that which is commonly the case of wicked people. 1. Job had prospered for a time, seemed confirmed, and was secure in his prosperity; and it is common for foolish wicked men to do so: I have seen them taking root - planted, and, in their own and others' apprehension, fixed, and likely to continue. See Jer 12:2; Psa 37:35, Psa 37:36. We see worldly men taking root in the earth; on earthly things they fix the standing of their hopes, and from them they draw the sap of their comforts. The outward estate may be flourishing, but the soul cannot prosper that takes root in the earth. 2. Job's prosperity was now at an end, and so has the prosperity of other wicked people quickly been. (1.) Eliphaz foresaw their ruin with an eye of faith. Those who looked only at present things blessed their habitation, and thought them happy, blessed it long, and wished themselves in their condition. But Eliphaz cursed it, suddenly cursed it, as soon as he saw them begin to take root, that is, he plainly foresaw and foretold their ruin; not that he prayed for it (I have not desired the woeful day), but he prognosticated it. He went into the sanctuary, and there understood their end and heard their doom read (Psa 73:17, Psa 73:18), that the prosperity of fools will destroy them, Pro 1:32. Those who believe the word of God can see a curse in the house of the wicked (Pro 3:33), though it be ever so finely and firmly built, and ever so full of all good things; and they can foresee that the curse will, in time, infallibly consume it with the timber thereof, and the stones thereof, Zac 5:4. (2.) He saw, at length, what he had foreseen. He was not disappointed in his expectation concerning him; the event answered it; his family was undone, and his estate ruined. In these particulars he plainly and very invidiously reflects on Job's calamities. [1.] His children were crushed, Job 5:4. They thought themselves safe in their eldest brother's house, but were far from safety, for they were crushed in the gate. Perhaps the door or gate of the house was highest built, and fell heaviest upon them, and there was none to deliver them from perishing in the ruins. This is commonly understood of the destruction of the families of wicked men, by the execution of justice upon them, to oblige them to restore what they have ill-gotten. They leave it to their children; but the descent shall not bar the entry of the rightful owners, who will crush their children, and cast them by due course of law (and there shall be none to help them), or perhaps by oppression, Psa 109:9, etc. [2.] His estate was plundered, Job 5:5. Job's was so. The hungry robbers, the Sabeans and Chaldeans, ran away with it, and swallowed it; and this, says he, I have often observed in others. What has been got by spoil and rapine has been lost in the same way. The careful owner hedged it about with thorns, and then thought it safe; but the fence proved insignificant against the greediness of the spoilers (if hunger will break through the stone walls, much more through thorn hedges), and against the divine curse, which will go through the thorns and briers, and burn them together, Isa 27:4.
Through these words Eliphaz shows the excellence of God. Since it was natural for Job to examine his own situation on the ground of his personal reflections, observe what Eliphaz says: “Do not speak so.” God is great. He does many things that we don’t understand. Our lowliness is profound.… Whatever God might do, he does well.
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SUMMARY
Eliphaz the Temanite, in his initial response to Job's profound lament, rhetorically challenges Job in Job 5:1 to identify anyone, human or divine, who would validate his suffering or intercede on his behalf. This verse encapsulates Eliphaz's flawed theological premise that Job's profound distress must be a direct consequence of hidden sin, implying that no righteous entity would support an unrighteous man, thereby isolating Job further in his anguish and reinforcing the conventional wisdom that suffering is always a sign of divine displeasure.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Eliphaz employs Rhetorical Question to challenge Job's perceived innocence and underscore his own flawed theological premise. The questions are not asked to elicit information but to make a point, implying that the answer is self-evident and unfavorable to Job. There is also an element of Sarcasm in Eliphaz's invitation to "Call now," suggesting the futility of Job's appeals and Job's isolation. Furthermore, the use of "saints" (q'doshim) functions as Synecdoche or Metonymy, representing the broader concept of divine favor, righteous support, or even heavenly intercession. The entire verse serves as a form of Ad Hominem attack, subtly shifting the focus from Job's suffering to his presumed character flaws rather than addressing the mystery of his pain.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Job 5:1, though spoken from a flawed theological perspective, touches upon profound biblical themes concerning suffering, divine justice, and intercession. Eliphaz's challenge, rooted in a simplistic retribution theology, highlights the human tendency to seek easy answers for complex suffering, often leading to judgmentalism. While his premise is incorrect, the verse inadvertently raises the question of who can truly answer and intercede for humanity in its suffering. The book of Job ultimately reveals that God's ways are inscrutable and that suffering is not always a direct punishment for sin, challenging the very foundation of Eliphaz's argument. This verse sets the stage for the unfolding theological debate, where the limitations of human wisdom are starkly contrasted with the mysterious sovereignty of God, whose wisdom is unfathomable.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Eliphaz's words in Job 5:1 serve as a powerful cautionary tale for believers today. When confronted with the suffering of others, our natural inclination might be to search for a cause, often resorting to a simplistic "sin-equals-suffering" equation. However, the book of Job profoundly challenges this notion, revealing that God's purposes in allowing suffering are often far deeper and more complex than human comprehension can grasp. This verse calls us to cultivate profound empathy and humility when encountering those in pain, resisting the urge to offer quick, judgmental explanations or to imply guilt where none is evident. Instead of asking, "What did they do wrong?", we are invited to ask, "How can I genuinely comfort and support them?" Furthermore, Eliphaz's challenge to find a "saint" to intercede for Job points us to the ultimate Intercessor. While we are called to bear one another's burdens and pray for each other, our ultimate hope and advocacy rest not in human or angelic "saints," but in the perfect, divine Mediator who truly understands our pain and stands in the gap for us. This passage encourages us to trust in God's sovereign wisdom, even when His ways are mysterious, and to offer grace rather than judgment to those enduring trials, remembering that true comfort often comes simply from presence and prayer.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Who are the "saints" Eliphaz refers to in Job 5:1?
Answer: The Hebrew word qâdôwsh (קָדֹשׁ) or q'doshim (plural) literally means "holy ones" or "sacred ones." In the context of the Old Testament, this term can refer to several possibilities, and Eliphaz likely intends a broad, rhetorical challenge. It could refer to:
Regardless of the precise interpretation, Eliphaz uses the term to highlight Job's perceived isolation from any truly righteous or divinely favored entity, reinforcing his belief that Job's suffering is proof of his sin and that no one, human or angelic, would "answer" his call for vindication.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Eliphaz's challenge in Job 5:1, "to which of the saints wilt thou turn?", though rooted in a flawed understanding of suffering, inadvertently points to humanity's deepest need for a true and perfect intercessor. Job, in his profound anguish, yearned for an arbiter, a mediator between himself and God (Job 9:33), someone who could lay a hand on both. The "saints" Eliphaz refers to, whether human or angelic, are ultimately insufficient to bridge the infinite chasm between a sinful humanity and a holy God. This longing for a perfect advocate finds its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ. He is the one true "Holy One" (Mark 1:24) who can truly answer our cries and intercede on our behalf. Unlike the "saints" Eliphaz imagined, Christ is not only perfectly righteous but also fully human, having experienced suffering in every way (Hebrews 4:15). He is the one Mediator between God and mankind (1 Timothy 2:5), who ever lives to make intercession for us (Hebrews 7:25). Thus, Eliphaz's rhetorical question, intended to condemn Job, ultimately foreshadows the glorious reality of Christ, the only one to whom we can truly turn for salvation, comfort, and advocacy, for He is the "Amen, the faithful and true witness" (Revelation 3:14) who always answers.