4:1ffEliphaz claimed to have been given secret knowledge through a special revelation from God (4:12-16), and that he had learned much from personal experience (4:8). He argued that suffering is a direct result of sin, so if Job would only confess his sin, his suffering would end. Eliphaz saw suffering as God's punishment, which should be welcomed in order to bring a person back to God. In some cases, of course, this may be true (Galatians 6:7, 8), but it was not true with Job. Although Eliphaz had many good and true comments, he made three wrong assumptions: {1} A good and innocent person never suffers; (2) those who suffer are being punished for their past sins; and
Life Application Study BibleJobChapter 4
Job 4
New Living Translation · Life Application Study Bible · Original pages: 790, 791, 792
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4Job 4
Eliphaz’s First Response to Job
14 Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied to Job:
2“ will you be patient and let me say a word?For who could keep from speaking out?
3“In the past you have encouraged many people; you have strengthened those who were weak. 4Your words have supported those who were falling; you encouraged those with shaky knees. 5But now when trouble strikes, you lose heart. You are terrified when it touches you. 6Doesn't your reverence for God give you confidence? Doesn't your life of integrity give you hope? 7“Stop and think! Do the innocent die? When have the upright been destroyed? 8My experience shows that those who plant trouble and cultivate evil will harvest the same. 9A breath from God destroys them. They vanish in a blast of his anger. 10The lion roars and the wildcat snarls, but the teeth of strong lions will be broken. 11The fierce lion will starve for lack of prey, and the cubs of the lioness will be scattered.
12“This truth was given to me in secret,as though whispered in my ear.
13It came to me ina disturbing vision at night,when people are in a deep sleep.
14Fear gripped me,and my bones trembled.
15A spirit* swept past my face,and my hair stood on end.*
16The spirit stopped, but I couldn't see its shape.There was a form before my eyes.In the silence I heard a voice say,
17‘Can a mortal be innocent before God?Can anyone be pure before the Creator?’
18“If God does not trust his own angels and has charged his messengers with foolishness, 19 how much less will he trust people made of clay! They are made of dust, crushed as easily as a moth. 20They are alive in the morning but dead by evening, gone forever without a trace. 21Their tent-cords are pulled and the tent collapses, and they die in ignorance.
Eliphaz’s Response Continues
5 1“Cry for help, but will anyone answer you?
Textual footnotes
- 4:15a Or wind; also in 4:16.
- 4:15b Or its wind sent shivers up my spine.
Life Application Notes 4 notes
4:7,8Part of what Eliphaz said is true, and part is false. It is true that those who promote sin and trouble eventually will be punished; it is false that anyone who is good and innocent will never suffer. All the material recorded and quoted in the Bible is here by
4:12,13Although Eliphaz claimed that his vision was divinely inspired, it is doubtful that it came from God because later God criticized Eliphaz for misrepresenting him (42:7). Whatever the vision’s source, it is summarized in 4:17. On the surface, this statement is completely ttue—a mere mortal cannot compare to God and should not try to question God’s motives and actions. Eliphaz, however, took this thought and expounded on it later, expressing his own opinions. His conclusion (5:8) reveals a very shallow understanding of Job and his suffering. It is easy for teachers, counselors, and well-meaning friends to begin with a portion of God’s truth but then go off on a tangent. Don't limit God to your perspective and finite understanding of life.
4:18,19Do angels really make errors? Remember that Eliphaz was speaking, not God, so we must be careful about building our knowledge of the spiritual world from Eliphaz’s opinions. in addition, the word translated “foolishness” is used only here, and its meaning is unclear. We could save Elipitaz's credibility by saying he meant fallen angels, but this passage is not meant to teach about angels. Eliphaz was saying that sinful human beings are far beneath God and the angels. Eliphaz was right about God’s greatness, but he did not understand God’s greater purposes concerning suffering.
Charts, profiles & sidebars from the printed pages
Study feature · page 791
ADVICE FROM JOB’S FRIENDS Who They Were Eliphaz the Temanite Bildad the Shuhite
Overwhelmed by suffering, Job was not comforted but condemned by his friends. Each of their views represents a well-known way to understand suffering. God proves that each explanation given by Job’s friends has less than the whole answer. Reference How They Their Their Advice Job's God's Helped Reasoning Response Response Job 4-5; Job is Go to God Stop God 15; 22 suffering and present assuming because he your case my guilt. rebukes has sinned. to him. (5:8) — (6:29) Job’s Job 8; They sat Job won't How long I will say
18; 25. admit he will you go to God,... friends. in silence sinned, on like this? = Tell me the 42-7) . so he’s still (8:2) charge you: with Job suffering. are bringing against me. for seven (10:2) Job days. Job’s sin Get rid of I will be 11; 20 deserves even your sins. proved (2:11-13) more suffering (11:13, 14) innocent. than he’s (13:18) experienced. Job Confronted Godis using Keep silent No God does 32-37 Job with the suffering to and I will response not directly need to be mold and train teach you address Elihu. _} contenteven Job. wisdom. — though he (33:33) Job aan how Did not Do you I was talking 38~41 w' 4 in was explain the __ still want about things I suitering reason for the to argue did not under- pain with the stand. Almighty? (42:3-5) (40:2)
Zophar the Naamathite
Elihu the Buzite
God
God’s choice. Some is a record of what people said and did but is not an example to follow. The sins, the defeats, the evil thoughts, and misconceptions about God are all recorded in God’s divinely inspired Word, but we should not follow those wrong examples just because they are in the Bible. The Bible gives us teachings and examples of what we sould do as well as what we should not do. Eliphaz’s comments are an example of what we should try to avoid—making false assumptions about others based on our own experiences.
(3) Job, because he was suffering, had done something wrong in God's eyes. (For more about Eliphaz, see the chart in chapter 28, p. 819. Terman was a trading city in Edom, noted as a place of wisdom; see Jeremiah 49:7.)
Study feature · page 792
5:1 Hebrew the holy ones.