Job 5:4-14

4 "His 1sons are far from safety, They are even oppressed in the gate, And there is no deliverer.
5 "His harvest the hungry devour And take it to a place of thorns, And the 2schemer is eager for their wealth.
6 "For 3affliction does not come from the dust, Nor does trouble sprout from the ground,
7 For 4man is born for trouble, As sparks * fly upward.
8 "But as for me, I would 5seek God, And I would place my cause before God;
9 Who 6does great and unsearchable * things, Wonders without * number.
10 "He 7gives rain on the earth And sends water on the fields,
11 So that 8He sets on high those who are lowly, And those who mourn are lifted to safety.
12 "He 9frustrates the plotting of the shrewd, So that their hands cannot attain success.
13 "He 10captures the wise by their own shrewdness, And the advice of the cunning is quickly thwarted.
14 "By day they 11meet with darkness, And grope at noon as in the night.

Job 5:4-14 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JOB 5

In this chapter Eliphaz goes on to prove, and further confirm and establish, what he had before asserted, that not good men, but wicked men only, are afflicted of God, at least greatly, so as to have their substance wholly destroyed and perish, which was Job's case; and this partly from the case, state, and sentiments of all the saints, Job 5:1,2; and from his own observation and experience, Job 5:3-5; and then he proceeds to give some advice; and seeing afflictions do not come by chance, but are of God, it is right in such circumstances for a man to seek to the Lord for pardon and salvation, and commit his cause unto him, Job 5:6-8; who does many great things in a providential way to the good of man in general, and to the disappointment of wicked crafty men, and to the serving of the poor in particular, Job 5:9-16; so that it is best patiently to bear the afflicting hand of God, and it is an happiness to be corrected by him, since he delivers such out of all their troubles, and preserves them from many evils, and bestows many good things on them; which would be Job's case particularly, if he behaved according to the advice given, and which is left with him to consider of, Job 5:17-27.

Cross References 11

  • 1. Job 4:11
  • 2. Job 18:8-10; Job 22:10
  • 3. Job 15:35
  • 4. Job 14:1
  • 5. Job 13:2, 3; Psalms 50:15
  • 6. Job 9:10; Job 37:14, 16; Job 42:3
  • 7. Job 36:27-29; Job 37:6-11; Job 38:26
  • 8. Job 22:29; Job 36:7
  • 9. Psalms 33:10
  • 10. Job 37:24; 1 Corinthians 3:19
  • 11. Job 12:25; Job 15:30; Job 18:18; Job 20:26; Job 24:13

Footnotes 4

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