Job 22:1-9

1 Then Eli'phaz the Te'manite answered:

2 "Can a man be profitable to God? Surely he who is wise is profitable to himself.

3 Is it any pleasure to the Almighty if you are righteous, or is it gain to him if you make your ways blameless?

4 Is it for your fear of him that he reproves you, and enters into judgment with you?

5 Is not your wickedness great? There is no end to your iniquities.

6 For you have exacted pledges of your brothers for nothing, and stripped the naked of their clothing.

7 You have given no water to the weary to drink, and you have withheld bread from the hungry.

8 The man with power possessed the land, and the favored man dwelt in it.

9 You have sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless were crushed.

Job 22:1-9 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.