Job 22

THIRD SERIES.

Job 22:1-30.

AS

BEFORE,

ELIPHAZ

BEGINS.

1. Eliphaz shows that man's goodness does not add to, or man's badness

take from, the happiness of God; therefore it cannot be that God sends

prosperity to some and calamities on others for His own advantage; the

cause of the goods and ills sent must lie in the men themselves

(Ps 16:2;

Lu 17:10;

Ac 17:25;

1Ch 29:14).

So Job's calamities must arise from guilt. Eliphaz, instead of meeting

the facts, tries to show that it could not be so.

2. as he that is wise--rather, yea the pious man profiteth

himself. So "understanding" or "wise"--pious

(Da 12:3, 10;

Ps 14:2)

[MICHAELIS].

3. pleasure--accession of happiness; God has pleasure in man's

righteousness

(Ps 45:7),

but He is not dependent on man's character for His happiness.

4. Is the punishment inflicted on thee from fear of thee, in order

to disarm thee? as Job had implied

(see on

Job 7:12;

Job 7:20;

and

Job 10:17).

will he enter . . . into judgment?--Job had desired this

(Job 13:3, 21).

He ought rather to have spoken as in

Ps 143:2.

5. Heretofore Eliphaz had only insinuated, now he plainly asserts

Job's guilt, merely on the ground of his sufferings.

6. The crimes alleged, on a harsh inference, by Eliphaz against Job

are such as he would think likely to be committed by a rich man. The

Mosaic law

(Ex 22:26;

De 24:10)

subsequently embodied the feeling that existed among the godly in Job's

time against oppression of debtors as to their pledges. Here the case

is not quite the same; Job is charged with taking a pledge where he had

no just claim to it; and in the second clause, that pledge (the

outer garment which served the poor as a covering by day and a bed by

night) is represented as taken from one who had not "changes of

raiment" (a common constituent of wealth in the East), but was poorly

clad--"naked"

(Mt 25:36;

Jas 2:15);

a sin the more heinous in a rich man like Job.

7. Hospitality to the weary traveller is regarded in the East as a

primary duty

(Isa 21:14).

8. mighty--Hebrew, "man of arm"

(Ps 10:15;

namely, Job).

honourable--Hebrew, "eminent, or, accepted for countenance"

(Isa 3:3;

2Ki 5:1);

that is, possessing authority. Eliphaz repeats his charge

(Job 15:28;

so Zophar,

Job 20:19),

that it was by violence Job wrung houses and lands from the poor, to

whom now he refused relief

(Job 22:7, 9)

[MICHAELIS].

9. empty--without their wants being relieved

(Ge 31:42).

The Mosaic law especially protected the widow and fatherless

(Ex 22:22);

the violation of it in their case by the great is a complaint of the

prophets

(Isa 1:17).

arms--supports, helps, on which one leans

(Ho 7:15).

Thou hast robbed them of their only stay. Job replies in

Job 29:11-16.

10. snares--alluding to Job's admission

(Job 19:6;

compare

Job 18:10;

Pr 22:5).

11. that--so that thou.

abundance--floods. Danger by floods is a less frequent image in

this book than in the rest of the Old Testament

(Job 11:16; 27:20).

12. Eliphaz says this to prove that God can from His height behold

all things; gratuitously inferring that Job denied it, because he

denied that the wicked are punished here.

height--Hebrew, "head of the stars"; that is, "elevation"

(Job 11:8).

13. Rather, And yet thou sayest, God does not

concern Himself with ("know") human affairs

(Ps 73:11).

14. in the circuit of heaven--only, not taking any part in earthly

affairs. Job is alleged as holding this Epicurean sentiment

(La 3:44;

Isa 29:15; 40:27;

Jer 23:24;

Eze 8:12;

Ps 139:12).

15. marked--Rather, Dost thou keep to? that is, wish to follow

(so Hebrew,

2Sa 22:22).

If so, beware of sharing their end.

the old way--the degenerate ways of the world before the flood

(Ge 6:5).

16. cut down--rather, "fettered," as in

Job 16:8;

that is, arrested by death.

out of time--prematurely, suddenly

(Job 15:32;

Ec 7:17);

literally, "whose foundation was poured out (so as to become) a stream

or flood." The solid earth passed from beneath their feet into a flood

(Ge 7:11).

17. Eliphaz designedly uses Job's own words

(Job 21:14, 15).

do for them--They think they can do everything for themselves.

18. "Yet" you say

(see on

Job 21:16)

that it is "He who filled their houses with good"--"their good

is not in their hand," but comes from God.

but the counsel . . . is--rather, "may the counsel

be," &c. Eliphaz sarcastically quotes in continuation Job's words

(Job 21:16).

Yet, after uttering this godless sentiment, thou dost hypocritically

add, "May the counsel," &c.

19. Triumph of the pious at the fall of the recent followers of the

antediluvian sinners. While in the act of denying that God can do them

any good or harm, they are cut off by Him. Eliphaz hereby justifies

himself and the friends for their conduct to Job: not derision of the

wretched, but joy at the vindication of God's ways

(Ps 107:42;

Re 15:3; 16:7; 19:1, 2).

20. The triumphant speech of the pious. If "substance" be

retained, translate, rather as the Septuagint, "Has not their

substance been taken away, and . . . ?" But the

Hebrew is rather, "Truly our adversary is cut down"

[GESENIUS]. The same opposition exists between the

godly and ungodly seed as between the unfallen and restored Adam and

Satan (adversary); this forms the groundwork of the book

(Job 1:1-2:13;

Ge 3:15).

remnant--all that "is left" of the sinner; repeated from

Job 20:26,

which makes UMBREIT'S rendering "glory"

(Margin), "excellency," less probable.

fire--alluding to Job

(Job 1:16; 15:34; 18:15).

First is mentioned destruction by water

(Job 22:16);

here, by fire

(2Pe 3:5-7).

21. Eliphaz takes it for granted, Job is not yet "acquainted" with

God; literally, "become a companion of God." Turn with familiar

confidence to God.

and be--So thou shalt be: the second imperatively expresses the consequence of obeying the first

(Ps 37:27).

peace--prosperity and restoration to Job; true spiritually also

to us

(Ro 5:1;

Col 1:20).

good--

(1Ti 4:8).

22. lay up--

(Ps 119:11).

23. Built up--anew, as a restored house.

thou shalt put away--rather, "If thou put away"

[MICHAELIS].

24. Rather, containing the protasis from the last clause of

Job 22:23,

"If thou regard the glittering metal as dust"; literally, "lay

it on on the dust"; to regard it of as little value as the dust on

which it lies. The apodosis is at

Job 22:25,

Then shall the Almighty be, &c. God will take the place of the

wealth, in which thou didst formerly trust.

gold--rather, "precious" or "glittering metal," parallel to "(gold)

of Ophir," in the second clause [UMBREIT and

MAURER].

Ophir--derived from a Hebrew word "dust," namely, gold dust.

HEEREN

thinks it a general name for the rich countries of the South, on

the African, Indian, and especially the Arabian coast (where was the

port Aphar. El Ophir, too, a city of Oman, was formerly the center of

Arabian commerce). It is curious that the natives of Malacca still

call their mines Ophirs.

stones of the brooks--If thou dost let the gold of Ophir remain in

its native valley among the stones of the brooks; that is, regard it as

of little worth as the stones, &c. The gold was washed down by

mountain torrents and lodged among the stones and sand of the valley.

25. Apodosis.

Yea--rather, Then shall the Almighty be, &c.

defence--rather, as the same Hebrew means in

Job 22:24

(see on

Job 22:24)

--Thy precious metals; God will be to thee in the place of

riches.

plenty of silver--rather, "And shall be to thee in the place of

laboriously-obtained treasures of silver"

[GESENIUS]. Elegantly

implying, it is less labor to find God than the hidden metals; at least

to the humble seeker

(Job 28:12-28).

But [MAURER] "the shining silver."

26. lift up . . . face, &c.--repeated from Zophar

(Job 11:15).

27.

(Isa 58:9, 14).

pay thy vows--which thou hast promised to God in the event of thy

prayers being heard: God will give thee occasion to pay the former, by

hearing the latter.

28. light--success.

29. Rather, When (thy ways; from

Job 22:28)

are cast down (for a time), thou shalt (soon again have joyful cause

to) say, There is lifting up (prosperity returns back to me) [MAURER].

he--God.

humble--Hebrew, "him that is of low eyes." Eliphaz implies that

Job is not so now in his affliction; therefore it continues: with this

he contrasts the blessed effect of being humble under it

(Jas 4:6;

1Pe 5:5

probably quote this passage). Therefore it is better, I think, to take

the first clause as referred to by "God resisteth the proud."

When (men) are cast down, thou shalt say (behold the effects of)

pride. Eliphaz hereby justifies himself for attributing Job's

calamities to his pride. "Giveth grace to the humble," answers

to the second clause.

30. island--that is, "dwelling." But the Hebrew expresses the

negative

(1Sa 4:21);

translate "Thus He (God) shall deliver him who was not

guiltless," namely, one, who like Job himself on conversion shall be

saved, but not because he was, as Job so constantly affirms of himself,

guiltless, but because he humbles himself

(Job 22:29);

an oblique attack on Job, even to the last.

and it--Rather, "he (the one not heretofore guiltless) shall

be delivered through the purity (acquired since conversion) of thy

hands"; by thy intercession (as

Ge 18:26,

&c.). [MAURER]. The irony is strikingly exhibited

in Eliphaz unconsciously uttering words which exactly answer to what

happened at last: he and the other two were "delivered" by God

accepting the intercession of Job for them

(Job 42:7, 8).