Eliphaz’s Third Speech

¹Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered:

²“Is it to God that a strong man is of benefit?

Is it to him that even a wise man is profitable?

³Is it of any special benefit to the Almighty[#tn The word חֵפֶץ (khefets) in this passage has the nuance of “special benefit; favor.” It does not just express the desire for something or the interest in it, but the profit one derives from it.]

that you should be righteous,

or is it any gain to him

that you make your ways blameless?

⁴Is it because of your piety that he rebukes you[#tn The word “your fear” or “your piety” refers to Job’s reverence – it is his fear of God (thus a subjective genitive). When “fear” is used of religion, it includes faith and adoration on the positive side, fear and obedience on the negative.]

and goes to judgment with you?

⁵Is not your wickedness great[#tn The adjective רַבָּה (rabbah) normally has the idea of “great” in quantity (“abundant,” ESV) rather than “great” in quality.]

and is there no end to your iniquity?

⁶“For you took pledges from your brothers[#tn The verb חָבַל (khaval) means “to take pledges.” In this verse Eliphaz says that Job not only took as pledge things the poor need, like clothing, but he did it for no reason.]

for no reason,

and you stripped the clothing from the naked.

⁷You gave the weary no water to drink[#tn The term עָיֵף (’ayef) can be translated “weary,” “faint,” “exhausted,” or “tired.” Here it may refer to the fainting because of thirst – that would make a good parallel to the second part.]

and from the hungry you withheld food.

⁸Although you were a powerful man, owning land,[#tn The idiom is “a man of arm” (= “powerful”; see Ps 10:15). This is in comparison to the next line, “man of face” (= “dignity; high rank”; see Isa 3:5).; #tn Heb “and a man of arm, to whom [was] land.” The line is in contrast to the preceding one, and so the vav here introduces a concessive clause.]

an honored man living on it,

⁹you sent widows away empty-handed,

and the arms of the orphans you crushed.

¹⁰That is why snares surround you,

and why sudden fear terrifies you,

¹¹why it is so dark you cannot see,[#tn Heb “or dark you cannot see.” Some commentators and the RSV follow the LXX in reading אוֹ (’o, “or”) as אוֹר (’or, “light”) and translate it “The light has become dark” or “Your light has become dark.” A. B. Davidson suggests the reading “Or seest thou not the darkness.” This would mean Job does not understand the true meaning of the darkness and the calamities.]

and why a flood of water covers you.

¹²“Is not God on high in heaven?[#tn This reading preserves the text as it is. The nouns “high” and “heavens” would then be taken as adverbial accusatives of place (see GKC 373-74 §118.g).]

And see the lofty stars, how high they are!

¹³But you have said, ‘What does God know?

Does he judge through such deep darkness?

¹⁴Thick clouds are a veil for him, so he does not see us,[#tn Heb “and he does not see.” The implied object is “us.”]

as he goes back and forth

in the vault of heaven.’

¹⁵Will you keep to the old path[#tn The “old path” here is the way of defiance to God. The text in these two verses is no doubt making reference to the flood in Genesis, one of the perennial examples of divine judgment.]

that evil men have walked –

¹⁶men who were carried off before their time,[#tn The word “men” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied to clarify the relative pronoun “who.”; #tn The verb קָמַט (qamat) basically means “to seize; to tie together to make a bundle.” So the Pual will mean “to be bundled away; to be carried off.”; #tn The clause has “and [it was] not the time.” It may be used adverbially here.]

when the flood was poured out

on their foundations?

¹⁷They were saying to God, ‘Turn away from us,’

and ‘What can the Almighty do to us?’

¹⁸But it was he who filled their houses[#tn The pronoun is added for this emphasis; it has “but he” before the verb.]

with good things –

yet the counsel of the wicked

was far from me.

¹⁹The righteous see their destruction and rejoice;[#tn The line is talking about the rejoicing of the righteous when judgment falls on the wicked. An object (“destruction”) has to be supplied here to clarify this (see Pss 52:6 [8]; 69:32 [33]; 107:42).]

the innocent mock them scornfully, saying,

²⁰‘Surely our enemies are destroyed,[#tc The word translated “our enemies” is found only here. The word means “hostility,” but used here as a collective for those who are hostile – “enemies.” Some commentators follow the LXX and read “possessions,” explaining its meaning and derivation in different ways. Gordis simply takes the word in the text and affirms that this is the meaning. On the other hand, to get this, E. Dhorme (Job, 336) repoints קִימָנוּ (qimanu) of the MT to יְקוּמַם (yÿqumam), arguing that יְקוּם (yÿqum) means “what exists [or has substance]” (although that is used of animals). He translates: “have not their possessions been destroyed.”]

and fire consumes their wealth.’

²¹“Reconcile yourself with God,[#tn The verb סָכַן (sakhan) meant “to be useful; to be profitable” in v. 2. Now, in the Hiphil it means “to be accustomed to” or “to have experience with.” Joined by the preposition “with” it means “to be reconciled with him.” W. B. Bishai cites Arabic and Ugaritic words to support a meaning “acquiesce” (“Notes on hskn in Job 22:21,” JNES 20 [1961]: 258-59).; #tn Heb “him”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.]

and be at peace with him;

in this way your prosperity will be good.

²²Accept instruction from his mouth[#tn The Hebrew word here is תּוֹרָה (torah), its only occurrence in the book of Job.]

and store up his words in your heart.

²³If you return to the Almighty, you will be built up;[#tc The MT has “you will be built up” (תִּבָּנֶה, tibbaneh). But the LXX has “humble yourself” (reading תְּעַנֶּה [tÿ’anneh] apparently). Many commentators read this; Dahood has “you will be healed.”]

if you remove wicked behavior far from your tent,

²⁴and throw your gold in the dust –[#tc The form is the imperative. Eliphaz is telling Job to get rid of his gold as evidence of his repentance. Many commentators think that this is too improbable for Eliphaz to have said, and that Job has lost everything anyway, and so they make proposals for the text. Most would follow Theodotion and the Syriac to read וְשָׁתָּ (vÿshatta, “and you will esteem….”). This would mean that he is promising Job restoration of his wealth.tn Heb “place.”; #tn The word for “gold” is the rare בֶּצֶר (betser), which may be derived from a cognate of Arabic basara, “to see; to examine.” If this is the case, the word here would refer to refined gold. The word also forms a fine wordplay with בְצוּר (bÿtsur, “in the rock”).]

your gold of Ophir

among the rocks in the ravines –

²⁵then the Almighty himself will be your gold,[#tn The form for “gold” here is plural, which could be a plural of extension. The LXX and Latin versions have “The Almighty will be your helper against your enemies.”]

and the choicest silver for you.

²⁶Surely then you will delight yourself in the Almighty,[#tc This is the same verb as in Ps 37:4. G. R. Driver suggests the word comes from another root that means “abandon oneself to, depend on” (“Problems in the Hebrew text of Job,” VTSup 3 [1955]: 84).]

and will lift up your face toward God.

²⁷You will pray to him and he will hear you,

and you will fulfill your vows to him.

²⁸Whatever you decide on a matter,[#tn The word is גָּזַר (gazar, “to cut”), in the sense of deciding a matter.]

it will be established for you,

and light will shine on your ways.

²⁹When people are brought low and you say[#tn There is no expressed subject here, and so the verb is taken as a passive voice again.]

‘Lift them up!’

then he will save the downcast;

³⁰he will deliver even someone who is not innocent,[#tc The Hebrew has אִי־נָקִי (’i naqi), which could be taken as “island of the innocent” (so Ibn-Ezra), or “him that is not innocent” (so Rashi). But some have changed אִי (’i) to אִישׁ (’ish, “the innocent man”). Others differ: A. Guillaume links אִי (’i) to Arabic ‘ayya “whosoever,” and so leaves the text alone. M. Dahood secures the same idea from Ugaritic, but reads it אֵי (’e).]

who will escape through the cleanness of your hands.”