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Commentary on Job 5 verses 17–27
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.
Again Eliphaz says this about the one who has been rebuked by the Lord, whereby he follows his own principle. Not even what Eliphaz says is stringent. Too often many righteous people have been vilified. Among them are Joseph, whom the Egyptian woman charged with excess in spite of his modesty, and Susanna, who suffered as a hostage the humiliations from the “lawless elders.” Consequently, if he understands by “hidden from the scourge of the tongue” that one is neither humiliated nor vilified, this word is unfounded. It is more accurate to say that the one who lives after the will of God cannot be harmed by humiliation or vilification, called “scourge of the tongue.” Virtue protects him from being found guilty of the false allegations. Nor does such a person fear expected destruction, since he says with Saint Paul, “Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril or sword?” Over all this he prevails through virtue’s abundance. Likewise, he is protected from the intrigues of false wisdom, since God “takes the wise in their own craftiness.” … The same meaning as “you shall not fear destruction when it comes” has the following word from the prophet: “The calamity will come from far away.” This must be understood like this: The good comes from us. For it is said, “The kingdom of God is within you.” Thus we have an inclination toward virtue that Christ called “kingdom.” But the punishment and damage and dishonor of sin come from the outside. For the human, who is created “after God’s image,” carries the seed of the good within. But if he deviates from the right path, he encounters evil, without having received such an inclination from God.
He will hide you from the evil tongue, which knows how to persecute unjustly. In fact, they call “scourge” the malice and slander of the tongue. Moreover, you will end up in complete safety.
45. ‘The scourge of the tongue’ is the taunting of insults offered. They strike the righteous ‘with the scourge of the tongue,’ who pursue their deeds with mockery. For oftentimes the tongue, while it utters jibes, recalls from a good deed, and puts itself out like a scourge, in that it cuts the back of the cowardly soul. Which ‘scourge of the tongue,’ the Prophet had seen plotting against the elect soul, when He said, promising the aid that is above, Surely He shall deliver thee from the snare of the hunter, and from the rough word. [Ps. 91, 3. Vulg.] For ‘hunters’ seek nothing else than flesh, but we are ‘delivered from the snare of the hunters and from the rough word,’ when we overcome both the snare of carnal persons, and the reproaches of sneers, by setting them at nought. For their words are ‘rough,’ which are arrayed against our righteous ways. And to ‘escape the roughness of words,’ is to trample down the mockings of calumniators by shutting our eyes to them, the holy soul then is hidden from ‘the scourge of tongues,’ in that whilst in this world it never seeks the honour of applause, neither does it feel the insults of calumny. But there be some that already set at nought the words of the scornful, already care nothing for their jeers, yet they still stand in dread of the pains and tortures of the body. For our old adversary, in order to withdraw us from a right bent of mind, assaults us in diverse modes, and prosecutes the tempting of us one while by a famine of the word, another while by the conflict of the flesh, now by the scourge of talk, now by the distress of persecution. But because every perfect person, when once he has overcome the evil habits in himself, straightway goes on to brace his mind to meet the inflictions of suffering, it is properly subjoined,
Neither shalt thou be afraid of calamity when it cometh.
46. For holy men, for that they see that they are engaged with an adversary of manifold form, equip themselves variously in their conflict. For against a famine, they have the sustenance of God's word; against the sword of war, they have the shield of continency; against the scourge of the tongue, the defence of patience; against the hurt of outward misfortune, they have the aid of inward love. Hence in a marvellous method it is brought to pass, that the more manifold the temptations which the craft of the enemy brings upon them, so much the richer in virtues are the wary soldiers of God rendered. And forasmuch as all the Elect severally, whilst they bear with courageous hearts the conflicts of the present life, are providing for themselves security under the terrors of the future Judgment.
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SUMMARY
Job 5:21, delivered by Eliphaz to Job, offers a promise of comprehensive divine protection and inner tranquility for the individual who, in Eliphaz's traditional theological framework, aligns with God through repentance and submission to His discipline. This verse encapsulates a vision of peace and security that follows a return to divine favor, encompassing safeguarding from both the destructive power of malicious speech and the widespread devastation of general calamities.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Job 5:21 effectively employs several Literary Devices to convey its message of divine protection and inner peace. The most prominent is Metaphor, powerfully illustrated in the phrase "scourge of the tongue." By likening malicious speech to a "scourge" or whip, the text vividly communicates the severe pain, deep damage, and public humiliation that verbal assaults can inflict, transforming the abstract concept of slander into something tangible and visceral. This metaphor profoundly underscores the destructive potential of words. Additionally, the verse utilizes a form of Parallelism, specifically a loose synthetic parallelism, where the second clause expands upon or complements the first. It presents two distinct but related aspects of divine protection: being hidden from verbal harm and not fearing physical or general calamity. This structural choice reinforces the comprehensive nature of the promised security. There is also an element of Hyperbole within Eliphaz's broader discourse, as his promises of unmitigated prosperity and protection for the righteous, while containing general biblical truths, are presented with an absolute certainty that the unfolding narrative of Job's suffering ultimately challenges and refines, demonstrating that God's ways are often more complex than human wisdom can fully grasp.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
While Eliphaz's theological framework for understanding Job's suffering was ultimately flawed in its application, the underlying principle of God's protective care for those who trust Him remains a profound and consistent truth woven throughout the fabric of Scripture. This verse speaks powerfully to the divine attribute of being a refuge and shield, offering both external protection from specific harms and an internal, abiding peace amidst general chaos. It highlights God's deep concern for His people's reputation, their inner well-being, and not solely their physical safety. Ultimately, it points to a divine sovereignty that can either avert calamity entirely or, when trials are permitted, grant steadfastness and inner fearlessness through them, fostering a spirit of unwavering confidence rooted in faith.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Job 5:21, despite its origin within a flawed theological argument, offers enduring principles that resonate profoundly with believers today. In our increasingly interconnected and often volatile world, the "scourge of the tongue" has taken on new and insidious forms, manifesting as cyberbullying, online slander, the rapid spread of misinformation, character assassination, and pervasive malicious gossip. This verse serves as a powerful reminder that God is fully capable of shielding His children from the damaging effects of such verbal assaults, offering profound comfort and hope that our peace of mind, our reputation, and our ultimate well-being are securely held in His sovereign hands. Furthermore, in an age frequently marked by economic volatility, devastating natural disasters, global pandemics, and pervasive social unrest, the assurance of "neither shalt thou be afraid of destruction when it cometh" is profoundly relevant and deeply comforting. It calls us to cultivate a deep-seated, unwavering trust in God's sovereign care, enabling us to face uncertainty and adversity not with paralyzing panic, but with a quiet, resilient confidence. This confidence is not a naive denial of hardship or suffering, but rather a profound affirmation that our ultimate security and peace rest solely in God, who remains our unfailing refuge and strength, even when the world around us appears to crumble into chaos. It encourages us to earnestly pray for divine protection, to diligently guard our own tongues from destructive speech, and to find our deepest peace and security in Him, regardless of the tumultuous external circumstances that may arise.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Does "scourge of the tongue" only refer to physical verbal abuse, or does it apply to modern forms of communication?
Answer: While the ancient context primarily involved direct verbal assaults, public shaming, or false witness within a community, the profound principle of the "scourge of the tongue" extends powerfully and relevantly to modern forms of communication. It comprehensively encompasses any malicious, damaging, or deceptive speech, including online slander, cyberbullying, the rapid spread of false rumors, character assassination through media, and even manipulative or deceptive rhetoric in public discourse. The core meaning is the infliction of pain, damage, or ruin through words, regardless of the specific medium through which they are conveyed. Therefore, Job 5:21 offers enduring comfort and a profound promise of divine protection against the destructive power of words in all their manifestations, from the ancient marketplaces to contemporary digital platforms and social media.
Is the promise of Job 5:21 an absolute guarantee that believers will never experience verbal attacks or destruction?
Answer: The book of Job itself, particularly Job's own profound and unjust experience of suffering, demonstrates that Eliphaz's promises, while containing elements of general truth about God's character and His care for the righteous, are not absolute guarantees of a life entirely free from all suffering, calamity, or verbal attacks for believers. Job, despite his blamelessness and integrity, endured immense destruction and relentless verbal condemnation from his friends. This verse, therefore, should be understood not as a blanket promise of immunity from all harm, but rather as a profound assurance of God's protective presence and the divine gift of inner peace amidst trials. It points to a spiritual security that transcends external circumstances, where God either shields His people from the full impact of harm or, more profoundly, grants them the spiritual strength, resilience, and fearlessness to endure it without being ultimately overcome. The ultimate and perfect fulfillment of this promise is found in Christ, who enables believers to face even the greatest destruction (death itself) without ultimate fear, because He has already conquered it.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
While spoken by Eliphaz and ultimately misapplied to Job's unique situation, the profound truths embedded within Job 5:21 find their ultimate and perfect fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. He is the one who truly endured the "scourge of the tongue" in its most venomous and concentrated forms—false accusations, blasphemous charges, relentless mocking, and slander from both religious leaders and the very crowds who once hailed Him, culminating in the chilling cries of "Crucify him!" (Luke 23:21). Yet, in His suffering, He remained silent, undefiled, and perfectly submitted, demonstrating a divine resilience and inner peace that no human could ever perfectly achieve. Furthermore, Jesus faced ultimate "destruction" in His crucifixion and death, bearing the full, crushing weight of sin and its eternal consequences. However, His glorious resurrection from the dead decisively conquered death and destruction, demonstrating that for all who are united with Him, ultimate ruin has no lasting power (1 Corinthians 15:54-57). Through His finished work on the cross and His resurrection, believers are truly "hid" with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3), eternally protected from the ultimate power of evil, the fear of condemnation, and the sting of death. He is our perfect peace, enabling us to face any earthly "destruction" or calamity without being overcome by fear, for He has definitively overcome the world and its trials (John 16:33) and graciously promises a profound peace that the world itself cannot give or take away (John 14:27). In Christ, we discover true, unwavering security and the courageous ability to live fearlessly, knowing with absolute certainty that nothing, absolutely nothing, can separate us from the boundless love of God found in Him (Romans 8:38-39).