Job 22:13-23

13 You say, 'What does God know? Can he judge through the thick darkness?

14 Thick clouds are a covering to him, so that he doesn't see. He walks on the vault of the sky.'

15 Will you keep the old way Which wicked men have trodden,

16 Who were snatched away before their time, Whose foundation was poured out as a stream,

17 Who said to God, 'Depart from us;' And, 'What can Shaddai do for us?'

18 Yet he filled their houses with good things, But the counsel of the wicked is far from me.

19 The righteous see it, and are glad; The innocent laugh them to scorn,

20 Saying, 'Surely those who rose up against us are cut off, The fire has consumed the remnant of them.'

21 "Acquaint yourself with him, now, and be at shalom. Thereby good shall come to you.

22 Please receive instruction from his mouth, And lay up his words in your heart.

23 If you return to Shaddai, you shall be built up, If you put away unrighteousness far from your tents.

Job 22:13-23 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.