©1997 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
The Script
The Script 1. Job Job 3; 6–7; 9–10; 12–14; 16–17; 19; 21; 23–24; 26–31; 40:3–5; 42:1–6 2. Eliphaz Job 4–5; 15; 22 3. Bildad Job 8; 18; 25 4. Zophar Job 11; 20 5. Elihu Job 32–37 6. God Job 38:1–40:2; 40:6–41:34 ©1997 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
JOB—NOTE ON 3:23 hedged in. Satan spoke of a hedge of protection and blessing (1:10), whereas Job spoke of this hedge as a prison of living death.
JOB—NOTE ON 3:24 sighing . . . groanings. These destroyed any appetite he might have had.
JOB—NOTE ON 3:25–26 that I fear. Not a particular thing but a generic classification of suffering. The very worst fear that anyone could have was coming to pass in Job's life, and he is experiencing severe anxiety, fearing more.
JOB—NOTE ON 4:1–5:27 Eliphaz. Eliphaz's first speech. See chs. 15 and 22 for Eliphaz's other speeches. He spoke profoundly and gently, but knew nothing of the scene in heaven that had produced the suffering of Job.
JOB—NOTE ON 4:2–6 Job's friend finally spoke after seven days of silence and began kindly by acknowledging that Job was recognized for being a wise man. Unfortunately, with the opening of their mouths for the first speech, all the wisdom of their silence departed.
JOB—NOTE ON 4:7 who that was innocent ever perished? Eliphaz, recognizing Job's "fear of God" and "integrity" (v. 6), was likely encouraging Job at the outset by saying he wouldn't die because he was innocent of any deadly iniquity, but must be guilty of some serious sin because he was reaping such anger from God. This was a moral universe and moral order was at work, he thought. He had oversimplified God's pattern of retribution. This simple axiom, "the righteous will prosper and the wicked will suffer," does not always hold up in human experience. It is true that plowing and sowing iniquity reaps judgment, so Eliphaz was partially right (cf. Gal. 6:7–9; 1 Pet. 3:12), but not everything we
reap in life is the result of something we have sown (see notes on 2 Cor. 12:7– 10). Eliphaz was replacing theology with simplistic logic. To say that wherever there is suffering, it is the result of sowing sin is wrong (cf. Ex. 4:11; John 9:1– 3).
JOB—NOTE ON 4:10–11 Wanting to demonstrate that wicked men experience calamities in spite of their strength and resources, Eliphaz illustrated his point by the destruction that comes on lions in spite of their prowess. Five Hebrew words were used here for lion, emphasizing the various characters of wicked people, all of whom can be broken and perish.
JOB—NOTE ON 4:12–16 a word was brought to me stealthily. Eliphaz spoke of a mysterious messenger in a vision, eerie fantasy, or a dream. He claimed to have had divine revelation to bolster his viewpoint.
JOB—NOTE ON 4:17 Here is the conclusion of Eliphaz's revelation—that Job suffered because he was not holy enough, not righteous enough.
JOB—NOTE ON 4:17–21 This is the content of the message, which is, in effect, that God judges sin and sinners among men (described in v. 19 as "houses of clay") as he did among angels (v. 18; cf. Rev. 12:3–4).
JOB—NOTE ON 5:1 holy ones. Angelic beings (cf. 4:18) are in view. Job was told that not even the angels could help him. He must recognize his mortality and sin if he would be healed.
JOB—NOTE ON 5:2–6 Job was told not to be a fool or simpleton, but to recognize that sin is judged, wrath kills, envy slays, foolishness is cursed (vv. 2–5), and this wasn't merely a physical matter (v. 6), but came from man's sin. Sin is inevitable in man; so is trouble (v. 7).
JOB—NOTE ON 5:7 sparks. Lit., "the sons of Resheph," an expression which describes all sorts of fire-like movement (cf. Deut. 32:24; Ps. 78:48; Song 8:6).
JOB—NOTE ON 5:8 Job's solution was to go to God and repent, his friend thought.
JOB—NOTE ON 5:9–16 The whole of Eliphaz's argument is based on the moral perfection of God, so he extolled God's greatness and goodness.
JOB—NOTE ON 5:13 Paul used this line from Eliphaz in 1 Cor. 3:19 to prove the
foolishness of man's wisdom before God.
JOB—NOTE ON 5:17 blessed is the one whom God reproves. Eliphaz put a positive spin on his advice by telling Job that enviable or desirable is the situation of the one God cares enough to chasten. "If only Job admitted his sin, he could be happy again" was the advice.
JOB—NOTE ON 5:18–27 The language of this section promising blessing for penitence was strongly reminiscent of Lev. 26, which elaborated the blessing of a faithful covenant relationship with God. If Job confessed, he would have prosperity, security, a family, and a rich life.
JOB—NOTE ON 5:23 in league . . . at peace. Even the created order will be in harmony with the man whose relationship with God is corrected through God's disciplinary process.
JOB—NOTE ON 6:1–7:21 Job's response to Eliphaz was recorded. On top of his physical misery and his tempting wife, he had to respond to ignorance and insensitivity from his friend, by expressing his frustration.
JOB—NOTE ON 6:2–3 The heaviness of his burden caused the rashness of his words.
JOB—NOTE ON 6:4 the arrows of the Almighty . . . terrors of God. Here are figures of speech picturing the trials as coming from God, indicating that Job believed these were God's judgments.
JOB—NOTE ON 6:5–7 These are all illustrations of the fact that Job complained because he had reason. Even animals expect palatable food.
JOB—NOTE ON 6:8–9 my request. Job's request was that God would finish whatever process he began. Death was desirable for no other reason than it would be relief from the inevitable course of events (see ch. 3).
JOB—NOTE ON 6:9 cut me off. This is a metaphor from a weaver, who cuts off the excess thread on the loom (cf. Isa. 38:12).
JOB—NOTE ON 6:10 the words of the Holy One. Job had not been avoiding the revelation of God that he had received. The commands of the Holy One were precious to him and he had lived by them. This was confusing to him, as he