Job 5:8-16

Listen to Job 5:8-16
8 However, if I were you, I would appeal to God and lay my cause before Him—
9 the One who does great and unsearchable things, wonders without number.
10 He gives rain to the earth and sends water upon the fields.
11 He sets the lowly on high, so that mourners are lifted to safety.
12 He thwarts the schemes of the crafty, so that their hands find no success.
13 He catches the wise in their craftiness, [a] and sweeps away the plans of the cunning.
14 They encounter darkness by day and grope at noon as in the night.
15 He saves the needy from the sword in their mouth and from the clutches of the powerful.
16 So the poor have hope, and injustice shuts its mouth.

Job 5:8-16 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.

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Footnotes 1

  • [a] Cited in 1 Corinthians 3:19
The Berean Bible and Majority Bible texts are officially placed into the public domain