Job Chapter 22
From The Open Bible Project
22:1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered,
22:2 "Can a man be profitable to God? Surely he who is wise is profitable to himself.
- (a) Though man was just, yet God could not profit from this his justice; and therefore when he punished him, he had no regard to his justice, but to his sin.
22:3 Is it any pleasure to the Almighty, that you are righteous? Or does it benefit him, that you make your ways perfect?
22:4 Is it for your piety that he reproves you, that he enters with you into judgment?
- (b) Lest you should reprove or hurt him?
22:5 Isn't your wickedness great? Neither is there any end to your iniquities.
22:6 For you have taken pledges from your brother for nothing, and stripped the naked of their clothing.
- (c) You have been cruel and without charity, and would do nothing for the poor, but for your own advantage.
22:7 You haven't given water to the weary to drink, and you have withheld bread from the hungry.
22:8 But as for the mighty man, he had the earth. The honorable man, he lived in it.
- (d) When you were in power and authority you did not do justice but wrong.
22:9 You have sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.
- (e) You have not only not shown pity, but oppressed them.
22:10 Therefore snares are around you. Sudden fear troubles you,
22:11 or darkness, so that you can not see, and floods of waters cover you.
- (f) That is, manifold afflictions.
22:12 "Isn't God in the heights of heaven? See the height of the stars, how high they are!
- (g) He accuses Job of impiety and contempt of God, as thought he would say, If you pass not for men, yet consider the height of God’s majesty.
- (h) That so much the more by that excellent work you may fear God, and reverence him.
22:13 You say, 'What does God know? Can he judge through the thick darkness?
- (i) He reproves Job, as though he denied God’s providence and that he could not see the things that were done in this world.
22:14 Thick clouds are a covering to him, so that he doesn't see. He walks on the vault of the sky.'
22:15 Will you keep the old way, which wicked men have trodden,
- (k) How God has punished them from the beginning?
22:16 who were snatched away before their time, whose foundation was poured out as a stream,
- (l) He proves God’s providence by the punishment of the wicked, whom he takes away before they can bring their wicked purposes to pass.
22:17 who said to God, 'Depart from us;' and, 'What can the Almighty do for us?'
22:18 Yet he filled their houses with good things, but the counsel of the wicked is far from me.
- (m) He answers to that which Job had said, (Job 21:7) that the wicked have prosperity in this world; desiring that he might not be a partaker of the like.
22:19 The righteous see it, and are glad. The innocent ridicule them,
- (n) The just rejoice at the destruction of the wicked for two reasons, first because God shows himself judge of the world and by this means continues his honour and glory: secondly because God shows that he had care over his in that he punished their enemies.
22:20 saying, 'Surely those who rose up against us are cut off. The fire has consumed the remnant of them.'
- (o) That is, the state and preservation of the godly, is hid under God’s wings.
- (p) Meaning of the wicked.
22:21 "Acquaint yourself with him, now, and be at peace. Thereby good shall come to you.
- (q) He exhorts Job to repentance, and to return to God.
22:22 Please receive instruction from his mouth, and lay up his words in your heart.
22:23 If you return to the Almighty, you shall be built up, if you put away unrighteousness far from your tents.
- (r) God will restore to you all your substance.
22:24 Lay your treasure in the dust, the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks.
- (s) Which will be in abundance like dust.
22:25 The Almighty will be your treasure, and precious silver to you.
22:26 For then you will delight yourself in the Almighty, and shall lift up your face to God.
22:27 You shall make your prayer to him, and he will hear you. You shall pay your vows.
22:28 You shall also decree a thing, and it shall be established to you. Light shall shine on your ways.
- (t) That is, the favour of God.
22:29 When they cast down, you shall say, 'be lifted up.' He will save the humble person.
- (u) God will deliver his when the wicked are destroyed round about them, as in the flood and in Sodom.
22:30 He will even deliver him who is not innocent. Yes, he shall be delivered through the cleanness of your hands."
- (x) God will deliver a whole country from peril, even for the just man’s sake.
