Job 22: Eliphaz charges Job and calls him back to the Almighty
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What happens?
Eliphaz the Temanite asks whether a man can be of use to God, then says Job's evil is great and says Job has taken pledges, held back water and bread, and sent widows away empty. He says snares and darkness are around Job, speaks of the old way that wicked men trod, and tells Job to return to the Almighty. If Job returns, he says, Job will be built up, the Almighty will hear him, and light will shine on his ways.
Who is speaking?
God does not speak in this chapter, so nothing is in gold. Eliphaz the Temanite speaks the whole chapter (verses 2 to 30); verse 1 is the narrator. The charges in verses 5 to 9 are Eliphaz's words. In verses 13 and 14 he gives words to the person he is speaking to ("You say, 'What does God know?'"), in verses 17 and 20 he tells what wicked men and the innocent said, and in verse 29 he says what the one he speaks to will say. God's own words are printed in gold, and those verses are marked God speaks
1Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered,
In plain English: Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered.
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2“Can a man be profitable to God? Surely he who is wise is profitable to himself.
In plain English: "Can a man be of use to God? Surely a wise man is of use to himself.
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3Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that you are righteous? Or does it benefit him that you make your ways perfect?
In plain English: Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that you are righteous? Or is it a profit to him that you make your ways blameless?
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4Is it for your piety that he reproves you, that he enters with you into judgment?
In plain English: Is it for your piety (the Hebrew says: your fear) that he reproves you, that he goes with you into judgment?
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5Isn’t your wickedness great? Neither is there any end to your iniquities.
In plain English: Is your evil not great? Is there no end to your iniquities?
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6For you have taken pledges from your brother for nothing, and stripped the naked of their clothing.
In plain English: For you have taken pledges from your brother (or: brothers) for nothing, and stripped the clothing off the naked.
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7You haven’t given water to the weary to drink, and you have withheld bread from the hungry.
In plain English: You have not given water to the weary to drink, and you have held back bread from the hungry.
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8But as for the mighty man, he had the earth. The honorable man, he lived in it.
In plain English: But as for the mighty man (the Hebrew says: the man of the arm), the land was his. The honorable man (the one lifted up in face) lived in it.
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9You have sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.
In plain English: You have sent widows away empty-handed, and the arms of the fatherless have been crushed.
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10Therefore snares are around you. Sudden fear troubles you,
In plain English: So snares are all around you, and sudden dread troubles you,
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11or darkness, so that you can not see, and floods of waters cover you.
In plain English: or darkness, so that you cannot see, and a flood of water covers you.
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12“Isn’t God in the heights of heaven? See the height of the stars, how high they are!
In plain English: Is God not in the height of heaven? Look at the top of the stars, how high they are!
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13You say, ‘What does God know? Can he judge through the thick darkness?
In plain English: And you say, 'What does God know? Can he judge through thick darkness?
Good to know: "You say" begins words that Eliphaz gives to the person he is speaking to: "What does God know?" These are the words Eliphaz says that person speaks, as Eliphaz tells them. They are not God's words.
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14Thick clouds are a covering to him, so that he doesn’t see. He walks on the vault of the sky.’
In plain English: Clouds are a hiding place for him, so that he does not see. He walks about on the circle (or: vault) of heaven.'
The Hebrew word: "Vault" is chug, which the dictionary gives as "a circle". It is in 3 verses of the Bible. The WEB says "vault" here and "circle" in the other two: ("the circle of the earth") and ("a circle on the surface of the deep").
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15Will you keep the old way, which wicked men have trodden,
In plain English: Will you keep the old path that wicked men have trodden,
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16who were snatched away before their time, whose foundation was poured out as a stream,
In plain English: who were snatched away before their time, whose foundation was poured out like a river,
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17who said to God, ‘Depart from us!’ and, ‘What can the Almighty do for us?’
In plain English: who said to God, 'Depart from us!' and, 'What can the Almighty do for us?'
Good to know: Eliphaz tells what the wicked men of the old path said to God. The words "Depart from us" are the same words that Job gives the wicked in . Here they are Eliphaz's report.
The Hebrew words: The last words of the verse are "for them" in the Hebrew, where the WEB says "for us".
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18Yet he filled their houses with good things, but the counsel of the wicked is far from me.
In plain English: Yet he filled their houses with good things, but the counsel of the wicked is far from me.
Good to know: The words "the counsel of the wicked is far from me" are also in . There they are Job's line and here they are Eliphaz's line.
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19The righteous see it, and are glad. The innocent ridicule them,
In plain English: The righteous see it and are glad. The innocent mock them,
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20saying, ‘Surely those who rose up against us are cut off. The fire has consumed their remnant.’
In plain English: saying, 'Surely those who rose up against us are cut off, and fire has consumed what was left of them.'
The Hebrew words: "Those who rose up against us" is qiym with "our", which the dictionary gives as "an opponent (as rising against one)". It is found in 1 verse of the Bible, this one. The Hebrew reads "our adversary" (or: "our opponent"). The verse also begins with the Hebrew words "if not", which the WEB gives as "Surely".
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21“Acquaint yourself with him now, and be at peace. By it, good will come to you.
In plain English: Acquaint yourself with him now, and be at peace. By it, good will come to you.
The Hebrew word: "Acquaint yourself" is sakan, which the dictionary gives as "to be familiar with; by implication, to minister to, be serviceable to, be customary". It is in 10 verses of the Bible, one of them , where the WEB says "profitable". Here the WEB says "acquaint".
What changes: With "be serviceable to" the line can read "be of service to him" instead of "acquaint yourself with him". The text does not rule between the readings.
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22Please receive instruction from his mouth, and lay up his words in your heart.
In plain English: Please receive instruction from his mouth, and put his words in your heart.
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23If you return to the Almighty, you will be built up, if you put away unrighteousness far from your tents.
In plain English: If you return to the Almighty, you will be built up, if you put injustice far from your tent.
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24Lay your treasure in the dust, the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks.
In plain English: Lay your treasure in the dust, and the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks.
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25The Almighty will be your treasure, and precious silver to you.
In plain English: The Almighty will be your treasure, and precious silver to you.
The Hebrew words: "Treasure" here and in is betser, which the dictionary gives as "strictly a clipping, i.e. gold (as dug out)". It is found in 2 verses of the Bible, these two, and the WEB says "treasure" in both. "Precious" is toafot, which the dictionary gives as "weariness, i.e. (by implication) toil (treasure so obtained) or speed". It is in 4 verses of the Bible, and the WEB says "precious" in 1 of them, this one.
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26For then you will delight yourself in the Almighty, and will lift up your face to God.
In plain English: For then you will delight yourself in the Almighty, and you will lift up your face to God.
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27You will make your prayer to him, and he will hear you. You will pay your vows.
In plain English: You will pray to him, and he will hear you. You will pay your vows.
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28You will also decree a thing, and it will be established to you. Light will shine on your ways.
In plain English: You will decide a matter, and it will be established for you. Light will shine on your ways.
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29When they cast down, you will say, ‘be lifted up.’ He will save the humble person.
In plain English: When people are brought low, you will say, 'Up!' (or: you will speak of pride), and he will save the one with lowly eyes.
The Hebrew words: The first half of the verse is short in the Hebrew: "they were brought low, and you said, gevah". Gevah is given by the dictionary as "exaltation; (figuratively) arrogance". It is in 3 verses of the Bible, and the WEB says "pride" in 2 of them and "lifted up" here.
What changes: With "exaltation" the line reads that you will say "Exaltation!" when they are brought low. With "arrogance" it reads that you will speak of pride. The text does not rule between the readings.
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30He will even deliver him who is not innocent. Yes, he will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands.”
In plain English: He will deliver the one who is not innocent (or: the island of the innocent). Yes, he will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands."
The Hebrew words: "Not" in "not innocent" is iy, which the dictionary gives as "not". It is found in 1 verse of the Bible, this one. It is spelled like another word iy, which the dictionary gives as "properly, a habitable spot (as desirable); dry land, a coast, an island" and which is in 35 verses of the Bible.
What changes: With "island" the first half reads "he will deliver the island of the innocent". The text does not rule between the readings.
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