Job 15:17-35

The wicked’s downfall

17 Listen to me; I will argue with you; what I've seen, I will declare to you;
18 what the wise have told and have not concealed from their family,
19 to whom alone the earth was given and no stranger passed in their midst.
20 All the days of the wicked are painful; the number of years reserved for the hateful;
21 a sound of terror pierces their ears; when safe, raiders overtake them.
22 They can't count on turning away from darkness; they are destined for a sword.
23 They wander about for bread. "Where is it?" They know that their day of darkness is fixed.
24 Adversity and stress scare them, master them like a king ready to strike;
25 for they raise a fist against God and try to overpower the Almighty.
26 They run toward him aggressively, with a massive and strong shield.
27 They cover their face with grease and make their loins gross.
28 They lived in ruined cities, unoccupied houses that turn to rubble.
29 They won't get rich; their wealth won't last; their property won't extend over the earth.
30 They can't turn away from darkness; a flame will dry out their shoots, and they will be taken away by the wind from his mouth.
31 They shouldn't trust in what has no worth, for their reward will be worthless.
32 Before their branch is formed, before it is green,
33 like the vine, they will drop early grapes and cast off their blossoms like the olive.
34 The ruthless gang is barren, and fire consumes the tents of bribers.
35 They conceive toil and give birth to sorrow; their belly establishes deceit.

Job 15:17-35 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JOB 15

Job's three friends having in their turns attacked him, and he having given answer respectively to them, Eliphaz, who began the attack, first enters the debate with him again, and proceeds upon the same plan as before, and endeavours to defend his former sentiments, falling upon Job with greater vehemence and severity; he charges him with vanity, imprudence, and unprofitableness in his talk, and acting a part unbecoming his character as a wise man; yea, with impiety and a neglect of religion, or at least as a discourager of it by his words and doctrines, of which his mouth and lips were witnesses against him, Job 15:1-6; he charges him with arrogance and a high conceit of himself, as if he was the first man that was made, nay, as if he was the eternal wisdom of God, and had been in his council; and, to check his vanity, retorts his own words upon him, or however the sense of them, Job 15:7-10; and also with slighting the consolations of God; upon which he warmly expostulates with him, Job 15:11-13; and in order to convince him of his self-righteousness, which he thought he was full of, he argues from the angels, the heavens, and the general case of man, Job 15:14-16; and then he declares from his own knowledge, and from the relation of wise and ancient men in former times, who made it their observation, that wicked men are afflicted all their days, attended with terror and despair, and liable to various calamities, Job 15:17-24; the reasons of which are their insolence to God, and hostilities committed against him, which they are encouraged in by their prosperous circumstances, Job 15:25-27; notwithstanding all, their estates, riches, and wealth, will come to nothing, Job 15:28-30; and the chapter is closed with an exhortation to such, not to feed themselves up with vain hopes, or trust in uncertain riches, since their destruction would be sure, sudden, and terrible, Job 15:31-35.

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