Job 22:2-12

2 Can a man be profitable unto God? For he that is wise is profitable unto himself.
3 Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that thou art justified? Or is it gain to him that thou makest thy ways perfect?
4 Will he reprove thee or will he enter with thee into judgment because he fears thee?
5 Certainly thy wickedness is great and thine iniquities have no end.
6 For thou didst take a pledge from thy brother without cause and stripped the naked of their clothing.
7 Thou didst not give water to drink to the weary, and thou hast withheld bread from the hungry.
8 But the man of means had the earth; and the honourable man dwelt in it.
9 Thou hast sent the widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.
10 Therefore, snares are round about thee, and sudden fear troubles thee
11 or darkness, that thou canst not see, and abundance of waters cover thee.
12 Is not God in the height of the heavens? Behold the height of the stars, how high they are!

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.

The Jubilee Bible (from the Scriptures of the Reformation), edited by Russell M. Stendal, Copyright © 2000, 2001, 2010