Job 22:1-9

Eliphaz Accuses and Exhorts Job

1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite responded *,
2 "Can a vigorous 1man be of use to God, Or a wise man be useful to himself?
3 "Is there any pleasure to the Almighty if you are righteous, Or profit if you make your ways perfect?
4 "Is it because of your reverence that He reproves you, That He 2enters into judgment against you?
5 "Is not 3your wickedness great, And your iniquities without end?
6 "For you have 4taken pledges of your brothers without cause, And 5stripped men naked.
7 "To the weary you have 6given no water to drink, And from the hungry you have 7withheld bread.
8 "But the earth 8belongs to the 9mighty man, And 10the honorable * man dwells in it.
9 "You have sent 11widows away empty, And the strength of the 12orphans has been crushed.

Job 22:1-9 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JOB 22

This chapter contains the third and last reply of Eliphaz to Job, in which he charges him with having too high an opinion of himself, of his holiness and righteousness, as if God was profited by it, and laid thereby under obligation to him, whereas he was not, Job 22:1-3; and as if he reproved and chastised him, because of his fear of him, whereas it was because of his sins, Job 22:4,5; an enumeration of which he gives, as of injustice, oppression, cruelty to the poor, and even of atheism and infidelity, for which snares and fears were around him, and various calamities, Job 22:6-14; and compares his way and course of life to that of the men of the old world, and the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah, and suggests that his end would be like theirs, unless he repented, Job 22:15-20; and then concludes with an exhortation to him to return to God by repentance, and to reform, when he should see happy times again, and enjoy much outward and inward prosperity, and be an instrument of doing much good to many, Job 22:21-30.

Cross References 12

  • 1. Job 35:7; Luke 17:10
  • 2. Job 14:3; Job 19:29
  • 3. Job 11:6; Job 15:5
  • 4. Exodus 22:26; Deuteronomy 24:6, 17; Job 24:3, 9; Ezekiel 18:16
  • 5. Job 31:19, 20
  • 6. Job 31:16, 17
  • 7. Job 31:31
  • 8. Job 9:24
  • 9. Job 12:19
  • 10. Isaiah 3:3; Isaiah 9:15
  • 11. Job 24:3, 21; Job 29:13; Job 31:16, 18
  • 12. Job 6:27

Footnotes 5

New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, California.  All rights reserved.