Job 5:18

KJV

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

KJV (with Strong's)

For he maketh sore {H3510}, and bindeth up {H2280}: he woundeth {H4272}, and his hands {H3027} make whole {H7495}.

Complete Jewish Bible

For he wounds, but he bandages the sore; his hands may strike, but they also heal.

Berean Standard Bible

For He wounds, but He also binds; He strikes, but His hands also heal.

American Standard Version

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

Commentary

### 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](/job/5 "Job 5 - Eliphaz's First Speech"). 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](/job/5-18 "Job 5:18 - God Wounds and Heals") 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](/job/5-18 "Job 5:18 - God Wounds and Heals"), 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](/job/5-18 "Job 5:18 - God Wounds and Heals") 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](/deuteronomy/32-39 "Deuteronomy 32:39 - God Wounds and Heals"). 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](/psalms/147-3 "Psalm 147:3 - Healing the Brokenhearted").

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

#### Key Word Analysis
* **Maketh sore (Hebrew, _kâʼab'_):** 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](/job/5-18 "Job 5:18 - God Wounds and Heals"), 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.
* **Bindeth up (Hebrew, _châbash'_):** 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.
* **Make whole (Hebrew, _râphâʼ'_):** 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](/job/5-18 "Job 5:18 - God Wounds and Heals") 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](/job/5-18 "Job 5:18 - God Wounds and Heals") 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.

* [Deuteronomy 32:39](/deuteronomy/32-39 "Deuteronomy 32:39 - God Wounds and Heals")
* [1 Samuel 2:6](/1_samuel/2-6 "1 Samuel 2:6 - The Lord Kills and Makes Alive")
* [Hosea 6:1](/hosea/6-1 "Hosea 6:1 - He Has Torn, But He Will Heal Us")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
[Job 5:18](/job/5-18 "Job 5:18 - God Wounds and Heals") 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
* **How does understanding God's sovereignty over both wounding and healing change your perspective on personal suffering or the suffering of others?**
* **In what specific ways have you experienced God's "binding up" or "making whole" after a period of affliction, whether physical, emotional, or spiritual?**
* **How can we maintain trust in God's good intentions and ultimate restorative power even when His hand appears to "make sore" or when healing seems delayed?**

### FAQ

**Does this verse mean God directly causes all suffering in the world?**

Answer: [Job 5:18](/job/5-18 "Job 5:18 - God Wounds and Heals") 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](/romans/8-28 "Romans 8:28 - All Things Work for Good").

**If God wounds, why should I trust Him for healing?**

Answer: 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](/psalms/34-18 "Psalm 34:18 - The Lord is Near to the Brokenhearted") and exemplified in His discipline in [Hebrews 12:5-11](/hebrews/12-5-11 "Hebrews 12:5-11 - God's Discipline").

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
[Job 5:18](/job/5-18 "Job 5:18 - God Wounds and Heals") 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](/john/1-29 "John 1:29 - Jesus, the Lamb of God"). 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](/isaiah/53-5 "Isaiah 53:5 - By His Wounds We Are Healed") prophesied and [1 Peter 2:24](/1_peter/2-24 "1 Peter 2:24 - By His Wounds You Have Been Healed") 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](/isaiah/61-1 "Isaiah 61:1 - Binding 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](/revelation/21-4 "Revelation 21:4 - No More Death or Mourning").

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Hosea 6:1

¶ Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up.

Deuteronomy 32:39

¶ See now that I, [even] I, [am] he, and [there is] no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither [is there any] that can deliver out of my hand.

Isaiah 30:26

Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day that the LORD bindeth up the breach of his people, and healeth the stroke of their wound.

Psalms 147:3

He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.

1 Samuel 2:6

The LORD killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up.