Job 22:3-13

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 1enters into judgment against you?
5 "Is not 2your wickedness great, And your iniquities without end?
6 "For you have 3taken pledges of your brothers without cause, And 4stripped men naked.
7 "To the weary you have 5given no water to drink, And from the hungry you have 6withheld bread.
8 "But the earth 7belongs to the 8mighty man, And 9the honorable * man dwells in it.
9 "You have sent 10widows away empty, And the strength of the 11orphans has been crushed.
10 "Therefore * 12snares surround you, And sudden 13dread terrifies you,
11 Or 14darkness, so that you cannot see, And an 15abundance of water covers you.
12 "Is not God 16in the height of heaven? Look also at the distant stars, how high they are!
13 "You say, '17What does God know? Can He judge through the thick darkness?

Job 22:3-13 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 17

  • 1. Job 14:3; Job 19:29
  • 2. Job 11:6; Job 15:5
  • 3. Exodus 22:26; Deuteronomy 24:6, 17; Job 24:3, 9; Ezekiel 18:16
  • 4. Job 31:19, 20
  • 5. Job 31:16, 17
  • 6. Job 31:31
  • 7. Job 9:24
  • 8. Job 12:19
  • 9. Isaiah 3:3; Isaiah 9:15
  • 10. Job 24:3, 21; Job 29:13; Job 31:16, 18
  • 11. Job 6:27
  • 12. Job 18:8
  • 13. Job 15:21
  • 14. Job 5:14
  • 15. Job 38:34; Psalms 69:2; Psalms 124:5; Lamentations 3:54
  • 16. Job 11:7-9
  • 17. Psalms 10:11; Psalms 59:7; Psalms 64:5; Psalms 94:7; Isaiah 29:15; Ezekiel 8:12

Footnotes 5

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