“Teach me, and I will be silent; and show me how I have done wrong.” Job 6:24 NASB Show me – The verb bîn has a wide range of English translations, but they all surround our idea of understanding in its fullest sense, that is, not merely cognitive but also emotive and intuitive. The verb and…
“Oh, that my request might come to pass, and that God would grant my hope! Oh, that God would decide to crush me, that He would let loose His hand and cut me off! But it is still my comfort, and I rejoice in unsparing pain, that I have not denied the words of the Holy One.” Job 6:8-10 …
“Oh if only my grief were actually weighed and laid in the balances together with my disaster! For then it would be heavier than the sand of the seas; for that reason my words have been rash.” Job 6:2-3 NASB If only – The “do-over” Hebrew word. lû “marks three degrees of personal desire or agreement:…
“Behold this; we have investigated it, and so it is. Hear it, and know for yourself.” Job 5:27 NASB Know for yourself – Eliphaz outlines the good life. Between verses 19 and 27 he tells Job that God won’t let the righteous experience troubles, won’t let famine overtake them, will protect them from the sword, won’t…
For He inflicts pain, and [f]gives relief; He wounds, but His hands also heal. Job 5:18 NASB Wounds – Is Eliphaz anticipating Isaiah? Why would I ask that? Well, you remember this verse from the prophet: “The One forming light and creating darkness, causing well-being and creating disaster; I am the Lord who does all these things” (Isaiah 45:7). Of course, the NASB translation…
So that He sets on high those who are lowly, and those who mourn are lifted to safety. He frustrates the schemes of the shrewd, so that their hands cannot attain success. Job 5:11-12 NASB Safety/ Success – Eliphaz articulates the Hebraic idea of divine justice. It’s “measure for measure.” You get what you give. Centuries later…
For man is born for trouble, as sparks fly upward. Job 5:7 NASB Born for trouble – Surprise, surprise! We often imagine that it is Job who utters these familiar words, but it isn’t. It’s Eliphaz. That makes a difference. Even if we resonate with his aphorism about the human condition, his comment is couched within…
Call now, is there anyone who will answer you? And to which of the holy ones will you turn? Job 5:1 NASB The holy ones – “Silent Night.” A great Christmas carol . . . but what if it’s not just a song about tranquility in December? What if “silent night” is the kind of response…
