Job 5:4-14

4 His children are far from safety. They are crushed at the [city] gate,[a] with no one to defend [them].
5 The hungry consume his harvest, even taking it out of the thorns.[b] The thirsty[c] pant for his children's wealth.[d]
6 For distress does not grow out of the soil, and trouble does not sprout from the ground.
7 But mankind is born for trouble[e] as surely as sparks fly upward.
8 However, if I were you, I would appeal to God and would present my case to Him.[f]
9 He does great and unsearchable things, wonders without number.[g]
10 He gives rain to the earth and sends water to the fields.[h]
11 He sets the lowly on high, and mourners are lifted to safety.[i]
12 He frustrates the schemes of the crafty so that they[j] achieve no success.
13 He traps the wise in their craftiness so that the plans of the deceptive are quickly brought to an end.[k]
14 They encounter darkness by day, and they grope at noon as if it were night.[l]

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.

Footnotes 12

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