Job 5:19

Context of Job 5:19

Job 5:19 is part of the first speech delivered by Eliphaz the Temanite, one of Job's three friends who came to comfort him in his immense suffering. In chapters 4 and 5, Eliphaz attempts to explain Job's calamities through the lens of traditional ancient Near Eastern wisdom, which often posited a direct correlation between sin and suffering, and righteousness and prosperity. Here, Eliphaz assures Job that if he were to accept God's discipline and return to Him, God would deliver him from all troubles. This verse, therefore, reflects Eliphaz's perspective, which, while containing elements of truth about God's power, ultimately misrepresents God's character and Job's specific situation, as later revealed by God Himself (Job 42:7).

Key Themes and Messages

• Divine Deliverance and Protection: The core message of the verse is a promise of God's comprehensive protection. Eliphaz asserts that God will deliver from "six troubles" and that "in seven there shall no evil touch thee," implying a complete and certain safeguard against all forms of harm and affliction.
• Completeness and Certainty: The phrase "six troubles: yea, in seven" is a common Hebrew literary device, known as an ascending numerical parallelism (e.g., "three, yea, four"). It emphasizes not just many troubles, but all troubles, indicating a full and absolute deliverance. It's a way of saying "however many troubles you face, even beyond what you can count, God will protect you."
• Eliphaz's Conditional Theology: While the promise of God's deliverance is a biblical truth, Eliphaz presents it conditionally, implying that Job's current suffering is due to his sin and that deliverance would come only upon repentance. This aligns with a simplistic retribution theology that doesn't fully account for the complexities of suffering, as seen in Job's case.

Linguistic Insights

The numerical sequence "six... in seven" (Hebrew: shesh... shiv'ah) is a poetic structure used to convey a sense of totality or completeness, often found in prophetic and wisdom literature (e.g., Proverbs 6:16; Amos 1:3). It signifies that God's protection extends to every conceivable trouble, leaving no room for harm. The word "evil" (Hebrew: ra') here refers broadly to calamity, disaster, or affliction, rather than strictly moral wickedness.

Practical Application and Reflection

While spoken by Eliphaz and later shown to be an incomplete understanding of God's ways with Job, this verse still points to a profound truth about God's character: He is indeed a Deliverer and a Protector. Believers can find comfort in the assurance that God is sovereign over all circumstances and has the power to bring them through trials.

However, it also serves as a reminder to approach suffering with nuanced understanding, knowing that not all affliction is a direct result of personal sin. God's deliverance may not always mean the immediate removal of trouble, but rather His presence and strength within it, or a greater good brought forth from it (Romans 8:28). We are called to trust in God's unfailing care, knowing that He is our refuge and strength (Psalm 46:1), and that ultimately, no evil can separate us from His love (Romans 8:38-39).