Job 22:2-12

2 "Can a human be of advantage to God? Can even the wisest benefit him?

3 Does Shaddai gain if you are righteous? Does he profit if you make your ways blameless?

4 "Is he rebuking you because you fear him? Is this why he enters into judgment with you?

5 Isn't it because your wickedness is great? Aren't your iniquities endless?

6 "For you kept your kinsmen's goods as collateral for no reason, you stripped the poorly clothed of what clothing they have,

7 you didn't give water to the weary to drink, you withheld food from the hungry.

8 As a wealthy man, an owner of land, and as a man of rank, who lives on it,

9 you sent widows away empty-handed and left the arms of orphans crushed.

10 "No wonder there are snares all around you, and sudden terror overwhelms you,

11 or darkness , so that you can't see, and a flood of water that covers you up!

12 "Isn't God in the heights of heaven, looking [down even] on the highest stars?

Job 22:2-12 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.