Job 22:5

5 and not for thy full much malice, and thy wickednesses without number, these pains have fallen justly to thee? (and have not these pains fallen justly upon thee, for thy great malice, and for thy wickednesses without number?)

Job 22:5 Meaning and Commentary

Job 22:5

Is not thy wickedness great?
&c.] It must be owned it is, it cannot be denied. Indeed, the wickedness of every man's heart is great, it being desperately wicked, full of sin, abounding with it; out of it comes forth everything that is bad, and the wickedness of actions is very great: some sins are indeed greater than others, as those against God, and the first table of the law, are greater than those against men, or the second table; some are like crimson and scarlet, are beams in the eye, while others are comparatively as motes; yet all are great, as committed against God, and as they are breaches of his law; and especially they appear so to sensible sinners, to whom sin is made exceeding sinful; and they see and own themselves to be the chief of sinners, and as such entreat for pardon on that account, see ( Psalms 25:11 ) ;

and thine iniquities infinite?
strictly speaking, nothing is infinite but God; sins may be said in some sense to be infinite, because committed against an infinite God, and cannot be satisfied for by a finite creature, or by finite sufferings, only through the infinite value of the blood of Christ; here it signifies, that his iniquities were "innumerable" F14, as some versions, they were not to be reckoned up, they were so many; or, more literally, there is "no end of thine iniquities" F15, there is no summing of them up; and it may denote his continuance in them; Eliphaz suggests as if Job lived in sin, and allowed himself in it, and was going on in a course of iniquity without end, which was very uncharitable; here he charges him in a general way, and next he descends to particulars.


FOOTNOTES:

F14 (anariymhtoi) , Sept.
F15 (Kytwnwel Uq Nya) "non est finis iniquitatibus tuis", Pagninus, Montanus

Job 22:5 In-Context

3 What profiteth it to God, if thou art just? either what shalt thou give to him, if thy life is without wem? (What profiteth it to God, if thou art righteous? or what shalt thou give him, if thy life is without blemish, or without fault?)
4 Whether he shall dread (thee), and shall he reprove thee, and shall he come with thee into doom, (Shall he fear thee, and shall he rebuke thee, and shall he take thee to court?)
5 and not for thy full much malice, and thy wickednesses without number, these pains have fallen justly to thee? (and have not these pains fallen justly upon thee, for thy great malice, and for thy wickednesses without number?)
6 For thou hast taken away without cause the wed of thy brethren; and hast spoiled naked men of clothes. (For thou hast taken away thy brother's pledge without a reason; and thou hast robbed people of their clothes, making them naked.)
7 Thou gavest not water to the faint man; and thou withdrewest bread from the hungry man. (Thou gavest no water to the faint; and thou withheldest bread from the hungry.)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.