Job 5:24

KJV

And thou shalt know that thy tabernacle [shall be] in peace; and thou shalt visit thy habitation, and shalt not sin.

KJV (with Strong's)

And thou shalt know {H3045} that thy tabernacle {H168} shall be in peace {H7965}; and thou shalt visit {H6485} thy habitation {H5116}, and shalt not sin {H2398}.

Complete Jewish Bible

You will know that your tent is safe; you will look round your home and miss nothing.

Berean Standard Bible

You will know that your tent is secure, and find nothing amiss when inspecting your home.

American Standard Version

And thou shalt know that thy tent is in peace; And thou shalt visit thy fold, and shalt miss nothing.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Job 5:24, spoken by Eliphaz the Temanite, offers Job a conditional promise of peace and security for his home and possessions. It suggests that if Job would accept God's correction and repent, he would experience undisturbed tranquility within his domestic sphere and find all his affairs in order, free from loss or disappointment. This verse reflects Eliphaz's rigid theology of retribution, where righteousness is directly linked to prosperity and divine protection.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** This verse concludes Eliphaz's first discourse to Job, found in [Job 4-5](/job/4 "Job 4-5 - Eliphaz's First Discourse"). Eliphaz is the first of Job's three friends to speak, responding to Job's lament in [Job 3](/job/3 "Job 3 - Job's Lament"). His primary argument is that suffering is a consequence of sin, and God is just in His dealings with humanity. He urges Job to acknowledge his sin, accept God's "chastening" ([Job 5:17](/job/5-17 "Job 5:17 - Eliphaz's Call to Correction")), and return to the Almighty, promising restoration and blessing. Job 5:24, therefore, serves as a hopeful, albeit conditional, vision of the peace and security Job could regain if he were to follow Eliphaz's counsel and repent. It is part of Eliphaz's attempt to explain Job's inexplicable suffering through a conventional theological framework.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** The book of Job is set in the ancient Near East (ANE), where a common wisdom tradition linked moral conduct directly to material outcomes. This "retribution theology" posited that the righteous would prosper, and the wicked would suffer. Eliphaz's counsel is deeply rooted in this widely accepted cultural and theological understanding. The terms "tabernacle" and "habitation" reflect a society where one's dwelling, whether a tent or a more permanent structure, was central to identity, security, and wealth. "Peace" (Hebrew: *shalom*) in this context is a comprehensive concept, encompassing not just the absence of conflict but also wholeness, prosperity, well-being, and security in all aspects of life, including one's family and possessions. The idea of "visiting" one's habitation implies a regular inspection of one's property and livestock, which were crucial assets in an agrarian or pastoral society.
* **Key Themes:** This verse contributes to several key themes within the book of Job and the broader Old Testament. Firstly, it highlights the theme of **Retribution Theology**, which is central to the friends' arguments: the belief that God rewards the righteous with prosperity and punishes the wicked with suffering. Eliphaz presents this as an immutable divine principle. Secondly, the verse emphasizes **Conditional Blessing**, where the promise of peace and security is explicitly contingent upon Job's repentance and alignment with God's perceived will. Thirdly, it touches upon **Divine Providence and Protection**, as Eliphaz asserts that God actively oversees and safeguards the homes and possessions of the righteous. Finally, while not directly stated, the verse's context contributes to the overarching theme of **The Nature of Suffering**, as Eliphaz's explanation of Job's calamities through the lens of sin and retribution is ultimately challenged and found insufficient by the book's narrative.

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **Tabernacle (Hebrew, _'ohel'_):** This word primarily refers to a tent or, by extension, a dwelling or home. In the context of Job, it emphasizes the domestic sphere, one's personal space, and family life. It signifies the core of one's private existence and security.
* **Habitation (Hebrew, _naveh'_):** Similar to "tabernacle," *naveh* denotes a dwelling place, a pasture, or a homestead. It conveys a sense of settled security, belonging, and often includes one's livestock and cultivated land, representing one's entire property and livelihood.
* **Sin (Hebrew, _chata'_):** While commonly understood as moral transgression ("to miss the mark," "to go astray"), in this specific context, particularly with "and thou shalt visit thy habitation," *chata'* carries a nuanced meaning. It implies "to suffer loss," "to fail," "to find something amiss," or "to be disappointed." Therefore, "shalt not sin" here means that upon inspecting one's property, one will find everything in order, secure, and intact, without any "failure" or "loss" having occurred.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"And thou shalt know that thy tabernacle [shall be] in peace":** This clause promises Job an experiential, undeniable certainty of security and well-being within his home and domestic life. The term "peace" (Hebrew: *shalom*) signifies a holistic state of undisturbed tranquility, wholeness, and completeness, free from external threats, internal anxieties, or any form of disruption. It implies a settled and harmonious existence.
* **"and thou shalt visit thy habitation":** This phrase suggests a regular act of returning to or inspecting one's property. In the ancient world, one's "habitation" (home, land, livestock) represented their primary assets and source of security. To "visit" it implies a careful check, a survey of one's possessions and dwelling.
* **"and shalt not sin":** In this specific context, this phrase means that upon visiting or inspecting his property, Job would find nothing amiss, lost, or damaged. It is a promise of material preservation and the absence of disappointment or loss concerning his possessions, rather than a moral injunction. It assures that his expectations of finding his property intact and secure would be met.

#### Literary Devices
The verse employs several literary techniques to convey Eliphaz's message. **Parallelism** is evident in the close relationship between "thy tabernacle" and "thy habitation," which function as **synonymous parallelism**, reinforcing the idea of one's dwelling place and domestic sphere. The two clauses also present a clear cause-and-effect relationship, where knowing peace in the home leads to visiting it without loss. The entire discourse of Eliphaz, and this verse within it, functions as a **conditional promise**, where the blessings offered are explicitly contingent upon Job's acceptance of correction and repentance. Furthermore, "tabernacle" and "habitation" can be seen as **metonymy** for one's entire domestic life, family, and possessions, representing the broader scope of one's well-being and security.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Eliphaz's theological framework, while ultimately challenged by the book of Job, reflects a common Old Testament theme that obedience to God often brings blessing and security. However, the book of Job ultimately challenges the simplistic cause-and-effect of retribution theology, demonstrating that suffering is not always a direct result of personal sin. True peace and security, as revealed throughout Scripture, come from a deeper, unconditional trust in God's sovereignty and goodness, even when circumstances are inexplicable. This verse, therefore, prompts us to consider the source of genuine peace—not merely the absence of trouble, but the presence of God's *shalom*, a holistic well-being that transcends external circumstances.

* [Psalm 34:14](/psalms/34-14 "Psalm 34:14 - Seek Peace and Pursue It")
* [Proverbs 3:33](/proverbs/3-33 "Proverbs 3:33 - The Lord's Curse and Blessing")
* [Isaiah 32:18](/isaiah/32-18 "Isaiah 32:18 - Dwelling in Peaceful Habitations")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
While Eliphaz's counsel was misdirected in its application to Job's unique suffering, the human desire for peace and security in our homes and lives remains universal. For believers today, this verse can serve as a reminder of God's desire to bless His people with peace, though not always in the simplistic, conditional terms Eliphaz proposed. We live in a fallen world where suffering is inevitable, regardless of our righteousness. However, we are called to seek a life of integrity and to trust in God's ultimate care and provision, knowing that true peace comes from a right relationship with Him. This peace, the *shalom* of God, can guard our hearts and minds even amidst trials, allowing us to cultivate an internal and external "habitation" that reflects order and God's blessing, trusting Him for protection and stability even when the world around us is chaotic.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **How do you define "peace" in the context of your home and personal life, beyond the absence of conflict?**
* **In what ways might our pursuit of material security sometimes distract us from trusting God's ultimate provision and sovereign care?**
* **How can we cultivate a sense of peace and order in our "habitation" that reflects God's blessing, even amidst challenges and uncertainties?**

### FAQ
**Was Eliphaz's advice completely wrong?**

Answer: While Eliphaz's theology of retribution was a common and often true understanding in the ancient world (that sin often has consequences), his application to Job was flawed. He failed to consider that suffering can occur for reasons other than personal sin, such as testing, refining, or for God's glory, as the book of Job ultimately reveals. His advice was well-intentioned but lacked the full scope of God's complex interaction with humanity. The book of Job challenges the simplistic notion that all suffering is directly proportional to sin, pointing instead to God's sovereign wisdom beyond human comprehension (see [Job 38](/job/38 "Job 38 - The Lord Answers Job")).

**What does "shalt not sin" mean in this specific verse?**

Answer: In Job 5:24, "shalt not sin" (Hebrew: *chata'*) is best understood not in a moral sense of committing a transgression, but in the sense of "not suffering loss," "not finding anything amiss," or "not being disappointed" upon inspecting one's property or "habitation." It's a promise that one's possessions and home will be secure and intact, free from damage, theft, or decay. This usage highlights the versatility of Hebrew vocabulary, where a word can have different nuances depending on the context.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Eliphaz's conditional promise of peace, based on human repentance and obedience, ultimately foreshadows the complete and unconditional peace offered through Christ. While Job sought peace through understanding and justification, true and lasting peace is found not in our perfect performance or the absence of suffering, but in the person of Jesus. He is our [peace](/ephesians/2-14 "Ephesians 2:14 - Christ Is Our Peace"), who reconciles us to God and breaks down the dividing wall of hostility. In Him, believers receive a [peace that surpasses all understanding](/philippians/4-7 "Philippians 4:7 - The Peace of God"), guarding their hearts and minds even amidst trials and tribulations. Our ultimate "habitation" is secure in Christ, who has overcome the world and promises us eternal dwelling with God. He is the [Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world](/john/1-29 "John 1:29 - Jesus, the Lamb of God"), addressing the root of all human "sin" and loss, and guaranteeing a future where there will be [no more sorrow, crying, or pain](/revelation/21-4 "Revelation 21:4 - No More Death or Mourning"), and where our true home is found in His presence forever.

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.