4:3-4\u00a0<\/strong>\u2014 Eliphaz praises Job for the help and encouragement he has given to many others. In verse 4 Eliphaz specifically mentions the words Job has used to help people in trouble in the past. This is a reminder to us that our words have an impact, perhaps more than we realize at the time. We can lift others up and help people from stumbling with our words.<\/p>\n 4:5<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 Eliphaz tends to downplay Job’s plight. We see this here. It reminds me of when people were hurling insults at Jesus on the cross and saying how he could save others but not himself \u2014\u00a0Luke 23:35<\/strong>.<\/p>\n It\u00a0touches<\/em>\u00a0you \u2014 Job has been more than just touched by trouble. He has been all but destroyed. Eliphaz is putting the severity of Job’s situation on the same level as the people’s troubles whom Job comforted. It is highly unlikely that anyone Job comforted lost everything in the manner Job did.<\/p>\n 4:6<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 Indirect accusation for Job, hinting at him being responsible for this situation. (Even Job’s wife didn’t blame him).<\/p>\n 4:7<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 Unintentionally validates what Job said in\u00a03:20-23<\/strong>. Eliphaz is trying to explain his reasoning for casting doubt on Job in\u00a04:6<\/strong><\/p>\n 4:8\u00a0<\/strong>\u2014 A popular phrase although not a true one “It takes one to know one” comes to mind. This is another accusation of Job, saying his trouble is his own fault. Well, Job, “What goes around comes around.”<\/p>\n4:9\u00a0<\/strong>\u2014 Eliphaz describes the quick downfall and death of evil people. Remember how all of Job’s possessions went away, and then his health in quick succession. Without knowing the whole story this explanation would seem to prove Eliphaz correct when he says Job’s evil has caught up with him. 4:17-21<\/strong>\u2014How can a man be right before God? Even angels sin, so what does that say about us in our clay houses in the dirt? Come on, Job. Seriously! In saying we die without wisdom it is probably a comparison to God’s level of wisdom. We may have some, but compared to God’s wisdom it’s pretty much nothing.<\/p>\n Everybody sins, we all make mistakes, come on, we are\u00a0mortal men<\/em>!<\/p>\n It’s like Eliphaz is accusing Job again while provoking him to make a confession.<\/p>\n Eliphaz is using a generality and applying it to a specific problem, blaming Job since people aren’t perfect.<\/p>\n This is like the method of “flattening” used in popular arguments against a viewpoint or ideology. For example, some supporters of socialism use this method to cast doubt on the merits of capitalism.<\/p>\n We know people sin \u2014 Romans 3:23, Psalm 14:3, Ecclesiastes 7:29 \u2014 but this doesn’t prove Job’s situation is a result of any sin he committed. Since we have the luxury of knowing what occurred in chapters 1 and 2 we know this for a fact.<\/p>\n 5:1\u00a0<\/strong>\u2014 Holy ones is also translated as “saints”<\/p>\n 5:4<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 His children are far from safety. This implies Job is a fool \u2014 5:3<\/p>\n 5:5\u00a0<\/strong>\u2014 Might be referring to those who took away Job’s camels (Chaldeans,\u00a01:17<\/strong>) as well as oxen and donkeys (Sabeans,\u00a01:15<\/strong>). Eliphaz may be defending some of the human perpetrators of Job’s calamity.<\/p>\n 5:6-7<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 Eliphaz broadens his view on who deals with trouble, perhaps implying Job is one of many to suffer. Perhaps an attempt to lessen Jobs opinion of the severity of the trouble. He also accused Job of being jealous \u2014\u00a05:2<\/strong><\/p>\n 5:7\u00a0<\/strong>\u2014 You can’t escape trouble if you’re living (although he is accusing Job of wrongdoing).<\/p>\n 5:8\u00a0<\/strong>\u2014 At odds with what Job exclaimed in\u00a01:21<\/strong>. God was the\u00a0first<\/em>\u00a0one Job looked for.<\/p>\n 5:11\u00a0<\/strong>\u2014 If you commit your cause to God (5:8<\/strong>) he will lift you up. This implies Job has been pursuing his own ends and hasn’t included God in his plans.<\/p>\n 5:12-14<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 Admits Job is wise but says he has acted wrongly (craftiness)<\/p>\n 5:17-26<\/strong> \u2014 This is God’s discipline to Job, but don’t worry, he will renew, restore and strengthen you. Perhaps an attempt to boost Job after implying he was wrong, wicked, jealous, envious, etc.<\/p>\n 5:20<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 Famine; Job’s food sources have been largely cut off. War; raiding bands of Chaldeans and Sabeans.<\/p>\n5:21\u00a0<\/strong>\u2014 Lash of the tongue \u2014 we won’t have anything to accuse you of after you are holy again, Job Beasts: everyone has an animal they would avoid or fear; spiders, snakes, wolves, etc.<\/p>\n 5:24\u00a0<\/strong>\u2014 Your fold \u2014 it’s gone now<\/p>\n 5:25\u00a0<\/strong>\u2014 Offspring, where and when?<\/p>\n 5:26\u00a0<\/strong>\u2014 To your grave in ripe old age. The emphasis is that it’s not Job’s time yet. This opposes what Job desires from chapter 3.<\/p>\n 5:27\u00a0<\/strong>\u2014 Eliphaz finishes his speech by rallying support from his friends by including them and also to strengthen his case that Job is wrong and should turn back to God. Eliphaz is not the only one to feel this way since he has included Job’s other friends as well. He attempts to end his speech on a strong note. It’s logical to think that Job’s friends must have spoken together on their journey to see him. They probably would have made up their minds about what brought the calamity on Job and what was necessary to fix it. When people hear bad news they speculate, and Job’s friends very likely did the same thing.<\/p>\n NOTE<\/strong>: Job doesn’t give a point by point refute to anything his friends say, but takes some of their points into account in his reply to them. He will answer some of their accusations but not all.<\/p>\n 6:4\u00a0<\/strong>\u2014 Job knows it isn’t chance or bad luck, or the trouble that man is born to, but that it is God who is behind the tragedy.<\/p>\n 6:7\u00a0<\/strong>\u2014 I have no appetite<\/p>\n 6:8-9\u00a0<\/strong>\u2014 Job still wants God to allow him to die \u2014\u00a0now<\/em><\/p>\n 6:10<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 I can deal with pain if God kills me because I know I’m right with him. Job hasn’t asked to not have any troubles in his life.<\/p>\n 6:11-13\u00a0<\/strong>\u2014 I’m so weak, I can’t bear this.<\/p>\n 6:14\u00a0<\/strong>\u2014 Rejecting a friend is bad but \u2026<\/p>\n 6:15\u00a0<\/strong>\u2014 \u2026 my family is treacherous. This informs us that Job’s opposition is from more than his three friends. His family is worse to him than they are.<\/p>\n 6:21<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 You fear my situation<\/p>\n 6:22-23<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 I haven’t asked for special treatment<\/p>\n 6:24\u00a0<\/strong>\u2014 Tell me what I have done wrong<\/p>\n6:28-30<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 Look at me and tell me is there injustice with me? It’s like when you tell your kids to look at you and repeat what they just said when you strongly suspect they are lying. It’s more difficult to look someone in the eye and be dishonest. 7:1-2\u00a0<\/strong>\u2014 Life is tough and is hard work (even if you are very wealthy)!<\/p>\n 7:4\u00a0<\/strong>\u2014 I can’t even sleep!<\/p>\n 7:5\u00a0<\/strong>\u2014 My body isn’t healing. It’s frustrating when we experience a sickness that lingers longer than we think it should. This is true of typical illnesses, but Job’s frustration must be great with his painful sores.<\/p>\n 7:6\u00a0<\/strong>\u2014 The days seem futile<\/p>\n 7:7-8\u00a0<\/strong>\u2014 Life is short; I’ll be gone before you know it<\/p>\n 7:9-10\u00a0<\/strong>\u2014 When you die, that’s it, you’re gone and you don’t come back. Job discusses the finality of death. Since death is final \u2026<\/p>\n 7:11\u00a0<\/strong>\u2014 I will make my complaints! I might as well since when I die that’s it<\/p>\n 7:12\u00a0<\/strong>\u2014 The word “guard” could also be written as a watch, place of confinement, prison, guard post, and other similar words. Hebrew word “mishmar.” Job feels he is a prisoner to his circumstances and God has put him there. He is stuck.<\/p>\n 7:13-15\u00a0<\/strong>\u2014 Job wants rest but has none because Eliphaz (or his illness) has terrified him with dreams and visions. Although the exact kind of sores Job had has been debated, one common idea is black leprosy. One symptom of this is terrifying dreams. Some types of medication cause unnatural, strange or disturbing dreams. Some illnesses do the same thing.<\/p>\n 7:16-19\u00a0<\/strong>\u2014 What’s the big deal? Please leave me alone until I die. (Job is asking God)<\/p>\n 7:20-21\u00a0<\/strong>\u2014 How could I hurt you and why am I suffering? Job asks God how someone as small as he could do anything to God and why he is God’s target. He feels he is about to die without God telling him why this has happened.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPrior Lesson\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tJob\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tNext Lesson\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Class 2, Chapters 4-7 Job Chapter 4\u00a0– Eliphaz 4:3-4\u00a0\u2014 Eliphaz praises Job for the help and encouragement he has given to many others. In verse 4 Eliphaz specifically mentions the words Job has used to help people in trouble in the past. This is a reminder to us that our words have an impact, perhaps…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":6604,"menu_order":1,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-6610","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":6604,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/bible-studies\/job\/","url_meta":{"origin":6610,"position":0},"title":"Job","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"July 21, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Job by Austin Hausner, 2017 Introduction to Job - Chapters 1 to 3 Eliphaz and Job's Response - Chapters 4 to 7 Bildad, Job's Response, and Zophar - Chapters 8 to 11 Job's Response and Eliphaz's Rebuttal - Chapters 12 to 15 Job's Response and Bildad's Rebuttal - Chapters 16\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Scan0004.tif-300x257.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":6653,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/bible-studies\/job\/zophar-job-and-eliphaz\/","url_meta":{"origin":6610,"position":1},"title":"Zophar, Job, and Eliphaz","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"July 22, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Class 6, Chapters 20-23 Chapter 20, Zophar 20:2\u2014maybe Zophar is being sarcastic toward Job because of what was said in 19:29 20:3\u2014I have understanding; it\u2019s what motivates me to speak 20:4-5\u2014it is (and has been for a long time) self-evident that the joy of the wicked is short and quickly\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":22511,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/bible-studies\/survey-of-the-bible\/survey-of-the-bible-job\/","url_meta":{"origin":6610,"position":2},"title":"Survey of the Bible – Job","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"May 18, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Survey of the Bible - Job Text: Job 1:6-12 \u00a0 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The book of Job dates back to the era after the flood \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0It takes place in Uz - Job 1:1 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a01.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0In the area of Edom, southeast of the Dead Sea - Lamentations 4:21 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a02.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Eliphaz is from a city of Edom\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":6657,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/bible-studies\/job\/job-and-bildad\/","url_meta":{"origin":6610,"position":3},"title":"Job and Bildad","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"July 22, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Class 7, Chapters 24-27 Chapter 24 Job 24:1\u2014When does God EVER judge the wicked? Why do the righteous never seem to see this happen? The plight of the poor and weak 24:2-4\u2014The wicked take what isn\u2019t theirs. They lie, cheat and steal. They extort people who don\u2019t have any help.\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":6641,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/bible-studies\/job\/jobs-response-an-eliphazs-rebuttal\/","url_meta":{"origin":6610,"position":4},"title":"Job’s Response and Eliphaz’s Rebuttal","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"July 22, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Class 4, Chapters 12-15 Chapter 12 Job 12:2\u2014Well you guys really know it all. You\u2019ve got it all figured out! When you die we won\u2019t know anything. 12:3\u2014I know all of this stuff already\u2014so does everybody!! 12:4\u2014Look at what\u2019s happened to me. I\u2019ve spoken to God and I\u2019m blameless but\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":6677,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/bible-studies\/job\/god-speaks-with-job-and-his-friends\/","url_meta":{"origin":6610,"position":5},"title":"God Speaks with Job and His Friends","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"July 22, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Class 12, Chapters 41-42 Chapter 41, God 41:1\u2014will you catch Leviathan with a fish hook as some ordinary fish? 41:2\u2014can you take him captive? 41:3-5\u2014Leviathan isn\u2019t some animal that needs to \u201cbargain\u201d with a human. He\u2019s not some pet. 41:6\u2014you won\u2019t have Leviathan scales for sale any time soon 41:7\u2014You\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6610","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6610"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6610\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6604"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6610"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n4:10-11\u00a0<\/strong>\u2014 Even the fierce lion dies when food runs out, plus the lion hasn’t done anything wrong. It could also suggest that Job has no one left to consume, like how the lion ran out of prey.
\n4:12-21\u00a0<\/strong>\u2014 Eliphaz describes a dream which scared him, possibly to convey it wasn’t just some idle thought when he was tired. “Look Job, I was truly scared!” He saw a spirit but couldn’t see it clearly.\nChapter 5 – Eliphaz<\/h2>\n
\nDestruction: all that happened\nChapter 6 \u2014 Job’s reply to Eliphaz<\/h2>\n
\nDon’t I know God is behind this?\nChapter 7 \u2014 Job continues<\/h2>\n