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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 5:17–27. His four-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
Eliphaz, in this concluding paragraph of his discourse, gives Job (what he himself knew not how to take) a comfortable prospect of the issue of his afflictions, if he did but recover his temper and accommodate himself to them. Observe,
I.The seasonable word of caution and exhortation that he gives him (Job 5:17):
"Despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty. Call it a chastening, which comes from the father's love and is designed for the child's good. Call it the chastening of the Almighty, with whom it is madness to contend, to whom it is wisdom and duty to submit, and who will be a God all-sufficient (for so the word signifies) to all those that trust in him. Do not despise it;" it is a copious word in the original. 1. "Be not averse to it. Let grace conquer the antipathy which nature has to suffering, and reconcile thyself to the will of God in it." We need the rod and we deserve it; and therefore we ought not to think it either strange or hard if we feel the smart of it. Let not the heart rise against a bitter pill or potion, when it is prescribed for our good. 2. "Do not think ill of it; do not put it from thee (as that which is either hurtful or at least not useful, which there is not occasion for nor advantage by) only because for the present it is not joyous, but grievous." We must never scorn to stoop to God, nor think it a thing below us to come under his discipline, but reckon, on the contrary, that God really magnifies man when he thus visits and tries him, Job 7:17, Job 7:18. 3. "Do not overlook and disregard it, as if it were only a chance, and the production of second causes, but take great notice of it as the voice of God and a messenger from heaven." More is implied than is expressed: "Reverence the chastening of the Lord; have a humble awful regard to this correcting hand, and tremble when the lion roars, Amo 3:8. Submit to the chastening, and study to answer the call, to answer the end of it, and then you reverence it." When God by an affliction draws upon us for some of the effects he has entrusted us with we must honour his bill by accepting it, and subscribing it, resigning him his own when he calls for it.
II.The comfortable words of encouragement which he gives him thus to accommodate himself to his condition, and (as he himself had expressed it) to receive evil at the hand of God, and not despise it as a gift not worth the accepting.
1.If his affliction was thus borne,
(1.)The nature and property of it would be altered. Though it looked like a man's misery, it would really be his bliss: Happy is the man whom God correcteth if he make but a due improvement of the correction. A good man is happy though he be afflicted, for, whatever he has lost, he has not lost his enjoyment of God nor his title to heaven. Nay, he is happy because he is afflicted; correction is an evidence of his sonship and a means of his sanctification; it mortifies his corruptions, weans his heart from the world, draws him nearer to God, brings him to his Bible, brings him to his knees, works him for, and so is working for him, a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. Happy therefore is the man whom God correcteth, Jam 1:12.
(2.)The issue and consequence of it would be very good, Job 5:18.
[1.]Though he makes sore the body with sore boils, the mind with sad thoughts, yet he binds up at the same time, as the skilful tender surgeon binds up the wounds he had occasion to make with his incision-knife. When God makes sores by the rebukes of his providence he binds up by the consolations of his Spirit, which oftentimes abound most as afflictions do abound, and counterbalance them, to the unspeakable satisfaction of the patient sufferers.
[2.]Though he wounds, yet his hands make whole in due time; as he supports his people, and makes them easy under their afflictions, so in due time he delivers them, and makes a way for them to escape. All is well again; and he comforts them according to the time wherein he afflicted them. God's usual method is first to wound and then to heal, first to convince and then to comfort, first to humble and then to exalt; and (as Mr. Caryl observes) he never makes a wound too great, too deep, for his own cure. Una eademque manus vulnus opemque tulit - The hand that inflicts the wound applies the cure. God tears the wicked and goes away; let those heal that will, if they can (Hos 5:14); but the humble and penitent may say, He has torn and he will heal us, Hos 6:1. This is general, but,
2.In the following verses Eliphaz addresses himself directly to Job, and gives him many precious promises of great and kind things which God would do for him if he did but humble himself under his hand. Though then they had no Bibles that we know of, yet Eliphaz had sufficient warrant to give Job these assurances, from the general discoveries God had made of his good will to his people. And, though in every thing which Job's friends said they were not directed by the Spirit of God (for they spoke both of God and Job some things that were not right), yet the general doctrines they laid down expressed the pious sense of the patriarchal age, and as St. Paul quoted Job 5:13 for canonical scripture, and as the command Job 5:17 is no doubt binding on us, so these promises here may be, and must be, received and applied as divine promises, and we may through patience and comfort of this part of scripture have hope. Let us therefore give diligence to make sure our interest in these promises, and then view the particulars of them and take the comfort of them.
(1.)It is here promised that as afflictions and troubles recur supports and deliverances shall be graciously repeated, be it ever so often: In six troubles he shall be ready to deliver thee; yea, and in seven, Job 5:19. This intimates that, as long as we are here in this world, we must expect a succession of troubles, that the clouds will return after the rain. After six troubles may come a seventh; after many, look for more; but out of them all will God deliver those that are his, Ti2 3:11; Psa 34:19. Former deliverances are not, as among men, excuses from further deliverances, but earnests of them, Pro 19:19.
(2.)That, whatever troubles good men may be in, there shall no evil touch them; they shall do them no real harm; the malignity of them, the sting, shall be taken out; they may hiss, but they cannot hurt, Psa 91:10. The evil one toucheth not God's children, Jo1 5:18. Being kept from sin, they are kept from the evil of every trouble.
(3.)That, when desolating judgments are abroad, they shall be taken under special protection, Job 5:20. Do many perish about them for want of the necessary supports of life? They shall be supplied. "In famine he shall redeem thee from death; whatever becomes of others, thou shalt be kept alive, Psa 33:19. Verily, thou shalt be fed, nay, even in the days of famine thou shalt be satisfied, Psa 37:3, Psa 37:19. In time of war, when thousands fall on the right and left hand, he shall redeem thee from the power of the sword. If God please, it shall not touch thee; or if it wound thee, if it kill thee, it shall not hurt thee; it can but kill the body, nor has it power to do that unless it be given from above."
(4.)That, whatever is maliciously said against them, it shall not affect them to do them any hurt, Job 5:21. "Thou shalt not only be protected from the killing sword of war, but shalt be hidden from the scourge of the tongue, which, like a scourge, is vexing and painful, though not mortal." The best men, and the most inoffensive, cannot, even in their innocency, secure themselves from calumny, reproach, and false accusation. From these a man cannot hide himself, but God can hide him, so that the most malicious slanders shall be so little heeded by him as not to disturb his peace, and so little heeded by others as not to blemish his reputation: and the remainder of wrath God can and does restrain, for it is owing to the hold he has of the consciences of bad men that the scourge of the tongue is not the ruin of all the comforts of good men in this world.
(5.)That they shall have a holy security and serenity of mind, arising from their hope and confidence in God, even in the worst of times. When dangers are most threatening they shall be easy, believing themselves safe; and they shall not be afraid of destruction, no, not when they see it coming (Job 5:21), nor of the beasts of the field when they set upon them, nor of men as cruel as beasts; nay, at destruction and famine thou shalt laugh (Job 5:22), not so as to despise any of God's chastenings or make a jest of his judgments, but so as to triumph in God, in his power and goodness, and therein to triumph over the world and all its grievances, to be not only easy, but cheerful and joyful, in tribulation. Blessed Paul laughed at destruction when he said, O death! where is thy sting? when, in the name of all the saints, he defied all the calamities of this present time to separate us from the love of God, concluding that in all these things we are more than conquerors, Rom 8:35, etc. See Isa 37:22.
(6.)That, being at peace with God, there shall be a covenant of friendship between them and the whole creation, Job 5:23. "When thou walkest over thy grounds thou shalt not need to fear stumbling, for thou shalt be at league with the stones of the field, not to dash thy foot against any of them, nor shalt thou be in danger from the beasts of the field, for they shall all be at peace with thee;" compare Hos 2:18, I will make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field. This implies that while man is at enmity with his Maker the inferior creatures are at war with him; but tranquillus Deus tranquillat omnia - a reconciled God reconciles all things. Our covenant with God is a covenant with all the creatures that they shall do us no hurt but be ready to serve us and do us good.
(7.)That their houses and families shall be comfortable to them, Job 5:24. Peace and piety in the family will make it so. "Thou shalt know and be assured that thy tabernacle is and shall be in peace; thou mayest be confident both of its present and its future prosperity." That peace is thy tabernacle (so the word is); peace is the house in which those dwell who dwell in God, and are at home in him. "Thou shalt visit" (that is, enquire into the affairs of) "thy habitation, and take a review of them, and shalt not sin." [1.] God will provide a settlement for his people, mean perhaps and movable, a cottage, a tabernacle, but a fixed and quiet habitation. "Thou shalt not sin," or wander; that is, as some understand it, "thou shalt not be a fugitive and a vagabond" (Cain's curse), "but shalt dwell in the land, and verily, not uncertainly as vagrants, shalt thou be fed." [2.] Their families shall be taken under the special protection of the divine Providence, and shall prosper as far as is for their good. [3.] They shall be assured of peace, and of the continuance and entail of it. "Thou shalt know, to thy unspeakable satisfaction, that peace is sure to thee and thine, having the word of God for it." Providence may change, but the promise cannot. [4.] They shall have wisdom to govern their families aright, to order their affairs with discretion, and to look well to the ways of their household, which is here called visiting their habitation. Masters of families must not be strangers at home, but must have a watchful eye over what they have and what their servants do. [5.] They shall have grace to manage the concerns of their families after a godly sort, and not to sin in the management of them. They shall call their servants to account without passion, pride, covetousness, worldliness, or the like; they shall look into their affairs without discontent at what is or distrust of what shall be. Family piety crowns family peace and prosperity. The greatest blessing, both in our employments and in our enjoyments, is to be kept from sin in them. When we are abroad it is comfortable to hear that our tabernacle is in peace; and when we return home it is comfortable to visit our habitation with satisfaction in our success, that we have not failed in our business, and with a good conscience, that we have not offended God.
(8.)That their posterity shall be numerous and prosperous. Job had lost all his children; "but," says Eliphaz, "if thou return to God, he will again build up thy family, and thy seed shall be many and as great as ever, and thy offspring increasing and flourishing as the grass of the earth (Job 5:25), and thou shalt know it." God has blessings in store for the seed of the faithful, which they shall have if they do not stand in their own light and forfeit them by their folly. It is a comfort to parents to see the prosperity, especially the spiritual prosperity, of their children; if they are truly good, they are truly great, how small a figure soever they may make in the world.
(9.)That their death shall be seasonable, and they shall finish their course, at length, with joy and honour, Job 5:26. It is a great mercy,
[1.]To live to a full age, and not to have the number of our months cut off in the midst. If the providence of God do not give us long life, yet, if the grace of God give us to be satisfied with the time allotted us, we may be said to come to a full age. That man lives long enough that has done his work and is fit for another world.
[2.]To be willing to die, to come cheerfully to the grave, and not to be forced thither, as he whose soul was required of him.
[3.]To die seasonably, as the corn is cut and housed when it is fully ripe; not till then, but then not suffered to stand a day longer, lest it shed. Our times are in God's hand; it is well they are so, for he will take care that those who are his shall die in the best time: however their death may seem to us untimely, it will be found not unseasonable.
3.In the last verse he recommends these promises to Job,
(1.)As faithful sayings, which he might be confident of the truth of: "Lo, this we have searched, and so it is. We have indeed received these things by tradition from our fathers, but we have not taken them upon trust; we have carefully searched them, have compared spiritual things with spiritual, have diligently studied them, and been confirmed in our belief of them from our own observation and experience; and we are all of a mind that so it is." Truth is a treasure that is well worth digging for, diving for; and then we shall know both how to value it ourselves and how to communicate it to others when we have taken pains in searching for it.
(2.)As well worthy of all acceptation, which he might improve to his great advantage: Hear it, and know thou it for thy good. It is not enough to hear and know the truth, but we must improve it, and be made wiser and better by it, receive the impressions of it, and submit to the commanding power of it. Know it for thyself (so the word is), with application to thyself, and thy own case; not only "This is true," but "this is true concerning me." That which we thus hear and know for ourselves we hear and know for our good, as we are nourished by the meat which we digest. That is indeed a good sermon to us which does us good.
Historical interpretation
Two Centuries of Reception
2 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
Select a marker to jump to its quote. Markers stagger vertically where authors wrote within a few decades of each other.
If God brings evils to an end and transforms them into their opposite, causing mortals to enjoy a profound peace, it is the same thought, not a different one, that guides God in his present attitude.
42. In two ways Almighty God wounds those, whom He is minded to bring back to saving health; for sometimes He smites the flesh, and consumes the hardness of the heart by the fear of Him. Thus He recalls to saving health, by dealing wounds, when He afflicts His own Elect outwardly, that they be quickened with inward life. Whence He also says by Moses, I will kill and I will make alive, I will wound and I will heal [Deut. 32, 39]; for He ‘kills,’ that He may ‘make alive,’ He ‘wounds,’ that He may ‘heal;’ in that He for this reason applies stripes without, in order that He may heal the wounds of sin within. But sometimes, even if strokes without should seem to have ceased, He inflicts wounds within, in that He strikes the hardness of the heart with the desire of Himself; yet in wounding He heals, in that when we are pierced with the dart of His dread, He recalls us to a right sense. For our hearts are not well sound, when they are wounded by no love of God, when they feel not the wofulness of their pilgrimage, when they do not go sorrowing with the least degree of feeling for the infirmity of their neighbour. But they are ‘wounded,’ that they may be ‘healed,’ in that God strikes unfeeling souls with the darts of His love, and straightway makes them full of feeling, through the burning heat of charity, and hence the spouse saith in the Song of Songs, For I am wounded with love. [Cant. 2, 5. LXX] For the diseased soul, laid prone upon the litter of this place of banishment in blind self-security, neither beheld the Lord, nor sought to see Him. But on being struck with the darts of His love, it is wounded in its innermost parts with a feeling of pious affection, burns with the desire of contemplation; and in a marvellous manner she is made alive by wounding, who aforetime lay dead in a state of health: she glows, she pants, and yearns to see Him already, from Whom she turned. By being smitten, then, she is brought back to a state of soundness, who is recalled to a secure state of inward repose by the disturbing of her self-love. But when the wounded soul begins to pant after God, when, setting at nought all the alluring arts of the world, it stretches forth in desire to the land above, all is forthwith turned to its trial, whatsoever aforetime was accounted pleasing and alluring in this world. For they that had a fond affection for him living in sin, cruelly assault him when he lives aright. The soul that is raised up toward God, is subject to rude assaults from the flesh, wherein it formerly lay grovelling in enjoyment, the slave of evil habits; former pleasures recur to the mind, and push hard the resisting soul with a grievous conflict. But because that, while we are afflicted with transitory labour, we are rescued from everlasting pain.
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Summary
Job 5:18, articulated by Eliphaz the Temanite, encapsulates a profound theological truth regarding God's comprehensive sovereignty: "For he maketh sore, and bindeth up: he woundeth, and his hands make whole." This verse powerfully asserts God's ultimate authority over both affliction and restoration, demonstrating His unique power to permit or inflict pain and, concurrently, to bring about complete healing and wholeness, even if Eliphaz's application of this truth to Job's specific situation was flawed.
Context
Literary Context
This verse is situated within Eliphaz's first discourse to Job, specifically in Job 5. Eliphaz, one of Job's three friends, attempts to explain Job's inexplicable suffering by appealing to traditional wisdom, which posited a direct correlation between sin and suffering. He urges Job to seek God, implying that if Job repents, God, who both wounds and heals, will restore him. While Eliphaz's overall counsel to Job was rooted in a flawed understanding of suffering as direct retribution for sin, the theological statement itself regarding God's power to both afflict and restore holds true as a general principle of divine sovereignty. His words here are meant to offer a path to reconciliation and healing, albeit through a misdiagnosis of Job's plight. The immediate verses leading up to Job 5:18 speak of God's discipline and the blessedness of those whom He corrects, setting the stage for Eliphaz's assertion of God's dual capacity.
Historical & Cultural Context
The Book of Job is set in a patriarchal society, likely in the land of Uz, and reflects ancient Near Eastern (ANE) wisdom traditions. In this cultural milieu, a common understanding of divine justice prevailed: the righteous prospered, and the wicked suffered. This "retribution theology" formed the bedrock of Eliphaz's arguments. Suffering was almost universally interpreted as a sign of divine displeasure or punishment for sin. The role of "friends" was to offer counsel and comfort, often by helping the afflicted discern their sin. Job 5:18, therefore, would have resonated with the audience's understanding of a powerful deity who actively intervenes in human affairs, dispensing both judgment and mercy, pain and healing, as part of a just cosmic order. This understanding was deeply ingrained in their worldview, shaping their responses to both prosperity and adversity.
Key Themes
Job 5:18 powerfully contributes to several overarching themes within the book and broader biblical theology. Foremost is Divine Sovereignty, emphasizing God's absolute control over all circumstances, including the permission or infliction of suffering and the subsequent process of recovery. This verse highlights that nothing, not even pain, is outside of God's purview, echoing the comprehensive power described in Deuteronomy 32:39. Secondly, it underscores God's Restorative Power and Compassion. Despite the initial "wounding," the ultimate emphasis is on God's capacity and desire to "bind up" and "make whole," revealing a compassionate nature that seeks wholeness even through affliction. This speaks to the redemptive potential of suffering when viewed through a divine lens, as God often uses trials to refine and draw His people closer, ultimately leading to a deeper healing than mere physical restoration. Finally, it offers a paradoxical Hope in Adversity, suggesting that if God is the one who permits or inflicts the wound, He is also the only one capable of true, complete healing, encouraging a profound reliance on Him even in the darkest valleys, as seen in Psalm 147:3.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
The Hebrew verb כָּאַב (kâʼab) primarily means "to feel pain" or "to grieve." By implication, it can mean "to cause pain" or "to make sad/sore." In Job 5:18, it signifies God's active role in bringing about or allowing distress and affliction. This term highlights the deep, internal suffering that can be experienced, whether physical, emotional, or spiritual, emphasizing that such experiences are not random but fall under God's sovereign oversight.
The Hebrew verb חָבַשׁ (châbash) means "to wrap firmly," especially in the context of binding up a wound, applying a compress, or providing first aid. It conveys a sense of tender care, mending, and compassionate intervention. In direct contrast to the pain caused, this word signifies God's active involvement in the healing process, providing comfort, stability, and the necessary steps toward recovery, demonstrating His restorative and nurturing nature.
The Hebrew verb רָפָא (râphâʼ) means "to mend (by stitching)," and figuratively, "to cure" or "to heal." This word signifies a complete and thorough recovery, not merely an alleviation of symptoms but a return to full health, integrity, and well-being. It highlights God's power to bring about comprehensive restoration, encompassing physical, emotional, and spiritual wholeness, demonstrating His ultimate goal of full flourishing for those He attends to.
Verse Breakdown
"For he maketh sore"
This clause establishes God's active role in the experience of pain or affliction. It asserts divine agency in the allowing or bringing about of hardship, implying that suffering is not outside of God's control or knowledge, but rather part of His sovereign plan, even if its immediate cause is not always His direct infliction.
"and bindeth up"
Immediately following the infliction of pain, this clause reveals God's compassionate and restorative nature. It signifies His tender care in tending to the wounds He has permitted or caused, offering solace, comfort, and the beginning of recovery, much like a physician carefully bandages a wound.
"he woundeth"
This phrase reiterates and reinforces the initial assertion of God's power to inflict or allow suffering. The synonymous parallelism emphasizes the certainty and directness of divine involvement in the experience of pain, underscoring the depth and impact of the affliction.
"and his hands make whole"
This final clause provides the ultimate resolution and hope. The mention of "his hands" anthropomorphically emphasizes God's personal, direct, and powerful engagement in the process of complete healing and restoration. It assures that God's work of making whole is thorough and efficacious, bringing about complete well-being and demonstrating His ultimate desire for the flourishing of His creation.
Literary Devices
Job 5:18 is rich in Parallelism, specifically employing both synonymous and antithetical forms. The phrases "he maketh sore" and "he woundeth" demonstrate Synonymous Parallelism, repeating the same idea of divine affliction for emphasis and intensity. In stark contrast, the pairs "maketh sore" and "bindeth up," and "woundeth" and "his hands make whole," exhibit strong Antithetical Parallelism. This Juxtaposition of wounding and healing, affliction and restoration, powerfully highlights God's comprehensive sovereignty and His dual capacity to bring both pain and ultimate wholeness. The phrase "his hands" is an example of Anthropomorphism, attributing human characteristics (hands) to God to convey His direct, personal, and active involvement in the process of healing and restoration, making His power relatable and tangible to human understanding and emphasizing His intimate care.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Job 5:18 presents a profound theological statement on divine sovereignty, asserting that God is the ultimate orchestrator of all circumstances, including those that bring pain and those that bring healing. This verse challenges any notion of a passive or limited deity, instead portraying God as intimately involved in the human experience, capable of both inflicting and alleviating suffering. It suggests that even in moments of profound distress, God's hand is at work, and His ultimate intention is often restorative, transforming what "makes sore" into an opportunity for "making whole." This comprehensive control implies that suffering, when permitted by God, is never without purpose, often serving to refine, humble, or draw individuals closer to Him, ultimately leading to a deeper, more complete healing than mere physical restoration. It is a testament to God's power to bring good out of perceived evil, demonstrating His unwavering commitment to His creation and His redemptive purposes.
Reflection and Application
Job 5:18 offers a profound source of comfort and a call to trust for believers navigating the complexities of suffering. In a world where pain often feels random or meaningless, this verse assures us that our afflictions are not outside the purview of a sovereign God. Instead, it invites us to see God's hand even in the "wounding," knowing that He is also the ultimate source of healing and restoration. This perspective shifts our focus from the "why" of suffering to the "who" – the all-powerful and compassionate God who is capable of mending what is broken. It encourages patience and perseverance, reminding us that God's ultimate purpose is often redemptive, using trials to refine our faith, deepen our character, and lead us to a greater wholeness that transcends mere physical well-being. To truly embrace this truth is to cultivate a posture of humble submission and unwavering hope, trusting that even when life "makes sore," God's hands are poised to "make whole," transforming our deepest wounds into testimonies of His grace.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Does this verse mean God directly causes all suffering in the world?
Job 5:18 asserts God's ultimate sovereignty over all things, including the permission and orchestration of suffering, but it does not necessarily mean God directly causes every instance of pain or evil. God's "making sore" can refer to His allowing suffering, His use of natural consequences, or even His divine discipline, rather than always being a direct, malicious infliction. The text emphasizes that no suffering is outside of His control or His capacity to redeem. God's ultimate purpose is often redemptive, using trials to refine, teach, or draw people closer to Him, as seen in Romans 8:28.
If God wounds, why should I trust Him for healing?
This verse highlights a paradox that is central to biblical theology: God's power encompasses both affliction and restoration. You should trust Him for healing precisely because He is the one who "makes sore" and "wounds." This implies that He is intimately aware of your pain, and He alone possesses the power and the ultimate purpose to bring about true and complete healing. His "wounding" is often for a greater, redemptive purpose—to humble, to purify, to teach dependence, or to bring about spiritual growth. Therefore, His healing is not arbitrary but flows from His character as a compassionate and sovereign God who desires wholeness for His children, as promised in Psalm 34:18 and exemplified in His discipline in Hebrews 12:5-11.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Job 5:18 finds its ultimate and most profound fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. He is the divine Physician who perfectly embodies the truth that God "maketh sore, and bindeth up: he woundeth, and his hands make whole." While God permitted the ultimate "wounding" of humanity through sin, it was Christ who bore that wound on the cross, becoming the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. His crucifixion was the ultimate act of God "making sore" in a redemptive sense, allowing His Son to suffer the full weight of humanity's sin and brokenness. Yet, it was through this very "wounding" that ultimate healing and wholeness became possible for all who believe. As Isaiah 53:5 prophesied and 1 Peter 2:24 affirmed, "by His wounds you have been healed." Furthermore, Christ's resurrection is the supreme demonstration of God's power to "make whole" even from death itself, offering eternal life and complete restoration to those who are brokenhearted. He is the one who came to bind up the brokenhearted, bringing spiritual, emotional, and eventually physical wholeness to a world wounded by sin and offering the promise of a glorious future where every tear will be wiped away.