Job 5:11

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

To set up {H7760} on high {H4791} those that be low {H8217}; that those which mourn {H6937} may be exalted {H7682} to safety {H3468}.

He raises the lowly on high and lifts mourners to safety.

He sets the lowly on high, so that mourners are lifted to safety.

So that he setteth up on high those that are low, And those that mourn are exalted to safety.

Job 5:11, spoken by Eliphaz the Temanite, is part of his initial counsel to Job during his immense suffering. While Eliphaz's overall theological framework was flawed in its application to Job's situation (assuming suffering was always a direct result of sin), this particular verse expresses a truth about God's character and His interaction with humanity. It speaks to God's tendency to uplift the downtrodden and provide solace and security for those who are grieving.

Context of Job 5:11

This verse is found within Eliphaz's first speech to Job, attempting to explain Job's calamities. Eliphaz argues that God punishes the wicked but ultimately shows favor to the righteous and humble. He encourages Job to seek God, implying that if Job repents of any hidden sin, God will restore him. Job 5:11 specifically highlights God's benevolent actions as part of Eliphaz's argument for divine justice and intervention, portraying God as one who actively works to reverse the fortunes of the suffering and bring them to safety.

Key Themes in Job 5:11

  • Divine Providence and Care: The verse emphasizes God's active involvement in human affairs, particularly His attentiveness to the humble and afflicted. It suggests a God who does not abandon those in their lowest moments but rather intervenes on their behalf.
  • Reversal of Fortunes: A prominent biblical theme is the idea that God often lifts up the humble and brings down the proud. This verse illustrates that principle, promising elevation and safety for those who are in a state of lowliness or mourning. This theme is also echoed in Mary's Magnificat in Luke 1:52.
  • Comfort for the Afflicted: The promise that "those which mourn may be exalted to safety" speaks directly to God's compassion for the sorrowful. It offers a message of hope and comfort, suggesting that grief is not a permanent state and that God provides a way to security and peace. This resonates with the beatitude, "Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted."

Linguistic Insights

The Hebrew phrase translated "to set up on high" (sagav, שָׂגַב) implies to be exalted, inaccessible, or placed in a secure, elevated position. It suggests not just a rise in status but also divine protection and security. "Those that be low" (shaphal, שָׁפָל) refers to the humble, abased, or lowly. The term "mourn" (qadar, קָדַר) often describes a darkened or gloomy state, indicative of deep sorrow or grief. The phrase "exalted to safety" (sagav yesha) reinforces the idea of being lifted to a place of deliverance and security, emphasizing God's role as a protector and deliverer of the distressed.

Practical Application

For believers today, Job 5:11 serves as a powerful reminder of God's character and His unwavering care for the suffering. It encourages us to:

  1. Find Hope in Adversity: Even in moments of profound sorrow or lowliness, we can trust that God sees our condition and has the power and desire to lift us up and provide safety.
  2. Embrace Humility: The verse suggests that God's favor rests on the humble. Cultivating a humble spirit positions us to receive God's grace and elevation.
  3. Trust God's Justice and Providence: While the full scope of God's ways may not always be clear (as Job discovered), this verse affirms that God is ultimately just and works to bring relief and security to those who are genuinely distressed.
Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

  • 1 Samuel 2:7

    The LORD maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up.

  • 1 Samuel 2:8

    He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, [and] lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set [them] among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth [are] the LORD'S, and he hath set the world upon them.

  • Luke 1:52

    He hath put down the mighty from [their] seats, and exalted them of low degree.

  • Luke 1:53

    He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.

  • Psalms 113:7

    He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, [and] lifteth the needy out of the dunghill;

  • Deuteronomy 33:27

    The eternal God [is thy] refuge, and underneath [are] the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy [them].

  • Psalms 107:41

    Yet setteth he the poor on high from affliction, and maketh [him] families like a flock.

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