Job 5:6

KJV

¶ Although affliction cometh not forth of the dust, neither doth trouble spring out of the ground;

KJV (with Strong's)

Although affliction {H205} cometh not forth {H3318} of the dust {H6083}, neither doth trouble {H5999} spring out {H6779} of the ground {H127};

Complete Jewish Bible

For misery does not come from the dust or trouble spring from the ground.

Berean Standard Bible

For distress does not spring from the dust, and trouble does not sprout from the ground.

American Standard Version

For affliction cometh not forth from the dust, Neither doth trouble spring out of the ground;

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Job 5:6, spoken by Eliphaz, asserts that human affliction and trouble do not arise spontaneously from the earth, like plants from the dust or ground. This vivid imagery conveys Eliphaz's foundational theological premise that suffering is not random or accidental but has a definitive, underlying cause. For Eliphaz, this cause is invariably sin, leading to divine judgment, a simplistic view that the book of Job ultimately challenges as it explores the complex nature of suffering and God's sovereignty.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** This verse is a pivotal statement within Eliphaz's first speech, found in [Job 4](/job/4 "Job 4 - Eliphaz's First Speech") and [Job 5](/job/5 "Job 5 - Eliphaz Continues His Argument"). It immediately follows Job's profound lamentation in [Job 3](/job/3 "Job 3 - Job's Lament"), where he curses the day of his birth. Eliphaz, the first of Job's three friends to speak, attempts to comfort Job by appealing to traditional wisdom. His argument is rooted in the belief that God is just and always punishes the wicked while blessing the righteous. Thus, Eliphaz's assertion in [Job 5:6](/job/5-6 "Job 5:6 - Eliphaz on the Source of Affliction") serves as a logical precursor to his implication that Job's immense suffering must be a direct consequence of unconfessed sin, as trouble does not simply appear without cause. This sets up the central theological debate of the book regarding the nature of suffering and divine justice.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** In the ancient Near East (ANE), a prevalent theological framework, often termed "retribution theology" or "Deuteronomic theology," posited a direct and observable correlation between one's moral conduct and one's material well-being. Righteousness was believed to lead to prosperity and health, while wickedness inevitably resulted in suffering, poverty, and calamity. This view was deeply ingrained in the cultural understanding of divine justice. Eliphaz's words in [Job 5:6](/job/5-6 "Job 5:6 - Eliphaz on the Source of Affliction") reflect this common cultural assumption: if trouble isn't random, it must be a direct, divinely administered consequence of human action, specifically sin. The book of Job, however, profoundly challenges this simplistic and rigid application of retribution theology, demonstrating that suffering can occur for reasons beyond direct personal sin, as seen in [John 9:3](/john/9-3 "John 9:3 - Jesus on Suffering and Sin").
* **Key Themes:** [Job 5:6](/job/5-6 "Job 5:6 - Eliphaz on the Source of Affliction") contributes to several major themes in the book of Job. Firstly, it grapples with **The Origin of Suffering**, with Eliphaz asserting that suffering is not accidental but purposeful, stemming from a divine cause related to human actions. While he correctly identifies that trouble isn't random, his conclusion about its direct cause (always sin) is flawed. Secondly, it highlights the theme of **Divine Justice and Human Responsibility**, emphasizing a direct correlation between righteousness and prosperity, and wickedness and affliction—a perspective deeply rooted in the prevailing wisdom tradition. This view is central to the friends' arguments. Thirdly, the verse, ironically, serves to underscore the book's overarching theme of **Challenging Simplistic Explanations** for suffering. While Eliphaz uses this verse to present a straightforward, albeit mistaken, explanation for Job's suffering, the entire narrative of Job ultimately serves to complicate and refute this very notion, showcasing God's sovereignty and Job's steadfastness even in the face of inexplicable pain, as exemplified by Job's initial response in [Job 1:21](/job/1-21 "Job 1:21 - Job's Response to Loss").

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **Affliction (Hebrew, _'amal'_):** This term broadly refers to toil, trouble, sorrow, misery, or mischief. It often denotes suffering that arises from human effort, labor, or the consequences of actions, whether one's own or others'. In this context, Eliphaz uses it to describe the distress and hardship that Job is experiencing, implying it is not a natural occurrence but a result of a specific cause.
* **Trouble (Hebrew, _'aven'_):** This word carries a rich semantic range, encompassing wickedness, iniquity, sorrow, calamity, and vanity. While it can refer to the suffering itself, it often carries a connotation of the moral evil or futility that *causes* the suffering. Eliphaz's choice of this word reinforces his belief that Job's calamity is rooted in some form of moral transgression or spiritual emptiness.
* **Dust (Hebrew, _'aphar'_)/Ground (Hebrew, _'adamah'_):** These terms are used metaphorically to represent the natural, spontaneous, or random emergence of something from the earth. "Dust" often signifies commonness, mortality, or the base elements of creation. "Ground" refers to the fertile earth from which plants grow. By denying that affliction and trouble come from these, Eliphaz emphasizes that suffering is not an organic, uncaused phenomenon, like weeds sprouting from the soil, but rather a deliberate outcome with a specific origin.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"Although affliction cometh not forth of the dust":** This clause establishes Eliphaz's initial premise: human suffering and misery are not random occurrences. They do not spontaneously arise from the common elements of the earth, implying that they are not accidents of nature or mere happenstance. Instead, they must have a distinct source, a deliberate cause.
* **"neither doth trouble spring out of the ground":** This second clause functions as a synonymous parallel to the first, reinforcing the same idea with different but related imagery. Just as trouble does not "spring" or grow organically from the soil like vegetation, it is not an uncaused, natural phenomenon. Both clauses together emphatically state that suffering has a specific origin, which Eliphaz will then proceed to attribute to human sin and divine judgment.

#### Literary Devices
Job 5:6 employs several literary devices to convey Eliphaz's argument. The most prominent is **Parallelism**, specifically **Synonymous Parallelism**, where the second clause ("neither doth trouble spring out of the ground") echoes and reinforces the meaning of the first clause ("Although affliction cometh not forth of the dust") using different but analogous terms. This repetition adds emphasis and rhetorical force to Eliphaz's assertion. The verse also utilizes **Metaphor**, comparing affliction and trouble to vegetation that might sprout spontaneously from the earth. By denying this comparison, Eliphaz creates a powerful image that suffering is not a natural, uncaused growth. Furthermore, the verse functions as a **Rhetorical Assertion**, setting up an implicit logical conclusion. Eliphaz states what suffering *is not* (random, natural) to lead his audience (and Job) to infer what it *must be* (divinely ordained consequence of sin).

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Job 5:6, while spoken from a flawed theological perspective, touches upon a profound truth: human suffering, though often mysterious, is not ultimately random or meaningless in the grand scheme of God's sovereignty. Eliphaz rightly perceives that trouble has a source, but he errs in rigidly attributing that source exclusively to personal sin. The broader biblical narrative reveals a more complex understanding: suffering can arise from sin ([Galatians 6:7](/galatians/6-7 "Galatians 6:7 - Sowing and Reaping")), but also from living in a fallen world ([Romans 8:22](/romans/8-22 "Romans 8:22 - Creation Groans")), from spiritual warfare ([Ephesians 6:12](/ephesians/6-12 "Ephesians 6:12 - Spiritual Warfare")), or even for God's glory and the refinement of faith ([John 9:3](/john/9-3 "John 9:3 - Jesus on Suffering and Sin"); [1 Peter 1:6-7](/1_peter/1-6 "1 Peter 1:6-7 - Testing of Faith")). Theologically, the verse prompts us to look beyond mere chance and to seek wisdom and understanding in the face of adversity, recognizing that God has a purpose, known or unknown to us, even in pain.

* [Psalm 90:10](/psalms/90-10 "Psalm 90:10 - The Brevity and Toil of Life")
* [Romans 5:3-4](/romans/5-3 "Romans 5:3-4 - Suffering Produces Perseverance")
* [1 Peter 4:12](/1_peter/4-12 "1 Peter 4:12 - Suffering for Christ's Sake")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Eliphaz's statement in Job 5:6, though part of a flawed argument, serves as a powerful reminder that suffering is never outside the realm of divine knowledge or ultimate purpose. For us today, it challenges us to move beyond simplistic explanations for hardship. While we must carefully avoid adopting Eliphaz's rigid and often uncompassionate theology that directly attributes all suffering to personal sin, the verse does prompt us to consider the deeper origins of our difficulties. It encourages us to look beyond mere chance and to seek wisdom and understanding in the face of adversity, recognizing that God has a purpose even in pain. For believers, this often leads to a deeper reliance on God's sovereignty and a search for His will amidst trials, trusting that He works all things for good for those who love Him ([Romans 8:28](/romans/8-28 "Romans 8:28 - God Works for Good")). Our response to suffering should be marked by humility, seeking God's perspective, and extending compassion to others rather than judgment.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **How does Eliphaz's view of suffering, that it does not come "forth of the dust," challenge or confirm your own assumptions about hardship?**
* **In what ways might we, like Eliphaz, be tempted to offer simplistic explanations for complex suffering in our own lives or the lives of others?**
* **How does recognizing that suffering has a deeper source (though not always personal sin) influence your approach to trials and your understanding of God's role in them?**
* **What is the danger of attributing all suffering directly to personal sin, and how does the broader message of the book of Job correct this tendency?**

### FAQ
**Question: Does Job 5:6 mean that suffering is never a consequence of sin?**

Answer: Not exactly. Eliphaz's point in [Job 5:6](/job/5-6 "Job 5:6 - Eliphaz on the Source of Affliction") is that suffering (affliction, trouble) does not arise randomly or spontaneously, like weeds from the ground. It has a definite source. His error, and the central theological flaw of Job's friends, is in assuming that this source is *always* and *only* personal sin, leading to divine punishment. The Bible certainly teaches that sin can lead to negative consequences ([Galatians 6:7](/galatians/6-7 "Galatians 6:7 - Sowing and Reaping")), and that disobedience can bring judgment. However, the book of Job itself, through Job's blamelessness and God's ultimate vindication of him, powerfully refutes the simplistic notion that all suffering is a direct result of personal transgression. It demonstrates that righteous individuals can suffer, and that God's purposes in allowing suffering are far more complex and multifaceted than human wisdom can often grasp ([Psalm 34:19](/psalms/34-19 "Psalm 34:19 - Many are the Afflictions of the Righteous")). So, while suffering isn't random, its causes are diverse, and it is not always a direct punitive response to individual sin.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
While Job 5:6 speaks of suffering not arising randomly from the dust, the ultimate fulfillment of this truth is found in Christ. The "affliction" and "trouble" that plague humanity are indeed not random; they are the direct consequences of sin, which entered the world through Adam and brought a curse upon creation, causing the ground to yield thorns and thistles ([Genesis 3:17-19](/genesis/3-17 "Genesis 3:17-19 - The Curse on the Ground")). Jesus, the Lamb of God, came precisely to bear the true source of human affliction—sin itself. He was the Suffering Servant of whom Isaiah prophesied, who "bore our griefs and carried our sorrows" ([Isaiah 53:4](/isaiah/53-4 "Isaiah 53:4 - The Suffering Servant")). His suffering on the cross was not for His own sin, for He knew no sin, but for ours, taking upon Himself the "trouble" and "affliction" that were due to humanity ([2 Corinthians 5:21](/2_corinthians/5-21 "2 Corinthians 5:21 - Christ Became Sin for Us")). Through His atoning sacrifice, Christ transforms the meaning of suffering for believers. He identifies with our pain as our sympathetic High Priest ([Hebrews 4:15](/hebrews/4-15 "Hebrews 4:15 - Jesus, Our Sympathetic High Priest")), and promises that in Him, even our deepest afflictions can be used for His glory and our good ([Romans 8:28](/romans/8-28 "Romans 8:28 - God Works for Good")). Thus, the non-random nature of suffering points ultimately to the deliberate, redemptive work of Christ, who conquered the root cause of all human trouble.

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

Isaiah 45:7

I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these [things].

1 Samuel 6:9

And see, if it goeth up by the way of his own coast to Bethshemesh, [then] he hath done us this great evil: but if not, then we shall know that [it is] not his hand [that] smote us: it [was] a chance [that] happened to us.

Psalms 90:7

¶ For we are consumed by thine anger, and by thy wrath are we troubled.

Hebrews 12:15

Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble [you], and thereby many be defiled;

Lamentations 3:38

Out of the mouth of the most High proceedeth not evil and good?

Deuteronomy 32:27

Were it not that I feared the wrath of the enemy, lest their adversaries should behave themselves strangely, [and] lest they should say, Our hand [is] high, and the LORD hath not done all this.

Amos 3:6

Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD hath not done [it]?