Eliphaz Was Not Silenced – Job 4 and 5
Eliphaz was free to speak against Job, against the Lord, and his words would be used yet again in the distant future in the temptations of the one God sent into the world.
I am most grateful for “The Expositor’s Bible Commentary” revised edition[i] which has helped me think through some of the most difficult passages in the book of Job. Elmer Smick comments on “Leviathan”, a provoking and thoughtful exposition: “In the NIV the description of Leviathan begins here—בַּדָּיו וּדְבַר־גְּבוּרוֹת וְחִין עֶרְכֹּו (baddāyw ûdebar-gebûrôt weḥîn ʿerkô, “his limbs, his strength and his graceful form”). But is this verse about his strong and graceful body? Many feel it is about his boasting against Yahweh. . . . The last word in the line—ʿerkô (“his form”)—can be used either way but is used often in Job for the arrangement (form) of words (13:18; 23:4; 32:14; 33:5; 37:19). [ii]
Further, Smick translates Job 41:12 {H4]: “his boastings, his powerful word and his dubious arguments?”[iii]
I understand Job 41:12 to be also saying that the Lord allows Leviathan to speak: “I will not silence his boastings, his mighty words, and the gracefulness of his arrangement of words.” (see, Job 41:12[H4]).
This brings us back to Eliphaz, and his words against Job.
What Eliphaz says is utterly prophetic:
Job 4:4 –“Behold you have turned many, And you have strengthened weak hands.” [iv]
The only other occurrence of “weak hands” prophesies a happy future:
“The wilderness and the desert will be glad, . . . They will see the glory of the Lord, The majesty of our God. Encourage the exhausted (lit. slack hands), and strengthen the feeble. Say to those with anxious heart, ‘Take courage, fear not. Behold, your God will come with vengeance; The recompense of God will come, But He will save you.’ Then the eyes of the blind will be opened And the ears of the deaf will be unstopped. Then the lame will leap like a deer, And the tongue of the mute will shout for joy. A highway will be there, a roadway, And it will be called the Highway of Holiness. The unclean will not travel on it, But it will be for him who walks that way, And fools will not wander on it. No lion will be there, Nor will any vicious beast go up on it; These will not be found there. But the redeemed will walk there, And the ransomed of the Lord will return And come with joyful shouting to Zion, With everlasting joy upon their heads. They will find gladness and joy, And sorrow and sighing will flee away.” (Isaiah 35:1-10).
What appears is not, it appears that Eliphaz is talking to Job. Eliphaz thinks his words are hitting Job only, but they are words with malicious intent, attacking someone else. This deeper understanding is revealed when Isaiah prophesies, as he uses the only other occurrence of “weak hands”, see above. These few prophetic words in Job 4:4 turn the focus away from Job and to Another. I am persuaded that Adonai Yahweh is the target of these words. He is present although not yet introduced. Hold that thought.
Further, I am persuaded that “The Adversary”, “The Satan” is also present, but unseen.
With these next words of Eliphaz, allow the thought ‘Adonai Yahweh is the target’:
Job 4:5-6 “But now it has come to you, and you are impatient? “
“But now it has come to you, and you are impatient; It touches you, and you are dismayed. Is not your fear of God your confidence, And the integrity of your ways your hope? (Job 4:5-6).
Remember, that later in Job God declared that “the fear of Adonai, she is wisdom . . . (see Job 28:28); so I am persuaded that Adonai is being assaulted with the words that question the trustworthiness of His fear of God; as well as questioning the genuineness of His integrity, better His perfection, His blamelessness which is His hope.[v]
This is just the beginning of a vicious attack upon the Lord who knew what the future had in store for Him, when His Father would send Him down from the Highest Heavens to earth. Because God the Father so loved the world that He gave His Son, Who gave His life as atonement, as a covering for all our sins, that we might be born from above and live through all eternity.
Again if you would entertain the thought that these words targeted the Lord back then, and would be used again in His future agony and sorrow. Because Satan would not be silenced:
Job 4:7-11 “Remember now, who perished being innocent?”
“Remember now, who ever perished being innocent? Or where were the upright destroyed? According to what I have seen, those who plow iniquity And those who sow trouble harvest it. By the breath of God they perish, And by the blast of His anger they come to an end. The roaring of the lion and the voice of the fierce lion, And the teeth of the young lions are broken. The lion perishes for lack of prey, And the whelps of the lioness are scattered.” (Job 4:7-11).
Are we hearing something familiar: “The Lion of the Tribe of Judah”; being discouraged, disheartened, dissuaded from pursuing the will of the Father?
What are you hearing with these harsh words against Job? Job is already down on the ground. Also, his wife with her broken heart, and spirit. What is going through her mind? What is going trough yours?
We were not present that day, to hear those words. But we are present today. And we are not immune to the horrific violence against Job and his family, his servants, his possessions. We are not immune to malicious, hateful words against us and our families. This has been going on since “the beginning”. This has been going on since “the beginning”. Cain killed Abel (Gen 4:8). Lamech killed a man for injuring him? (Gen 4:18-24). Two murders before we turn the page to Genesis chapter five where everyone born, dies.
We need to know that God has chosen to be present with us in all of our pain and suffering. He has chosen not to distance himself from us. We need to know that we have never walked alone, although it sure seems that way at times. Especially, in times of our greatest needs, and greatest fears. He has promised never to leave us nor forsake us. So, how does that work?
We need help for our discouragements along life’s path. We need to know what God says about all this human tragedy that we face, and will continue to face until Yahweh, the Eternal Son of God, born of a woman, comes on the clouds of the sky. When: “…He will WIPE AWAY EVERY TEAR FROM THEIR EYES; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain. The first things passed away.” (Rev 21:4, LSB).
We have come to the end of today’s InAllWisdom Blog; dedicated to wisdom for life. Thank you for reading and pondering.
Please join me again for another interesting article about Wisdom for Life.
Until he COMES ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory, I give this blessing that was given to Israel: “… Yahweh bless you, and keep you; Yahweh make His face shine on you, And be gracious to you; Yahweh lift up His face on you, And give you peace… “ (Numbers 6:22-27, LSB).
[i] Longman, T., III, & Garland, D. E., eds. (2010). The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: 1 Chronicles–Job (Revised Edition) (Vol. 4). Zondervan.
[ii] Smick, E. B. (2010). Job. In T. Longman III & D. E. Garland (Eds.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: 1 Chronicles–Job (Revised Edition) (Vol. 4, p. 915). Zondervan.
[iii] Smick, E. B. (2010). Job. In T. Longman III & D. E. Garland (Eds.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: 1 Chronicles–Job (Revised Edition) (Vol. 4, p. 915). Zondervan.
[iv] 4.2.2 adj. weak, slack—Sam רפא (Si רפי); cstr. רְפֵה; f.pl. רָפוֹת—1. weak, a. used attributively of יָד hand Is 35:3; Jb 4:3;[iv] Clines, D. J. A., ed. (1993–2011). In The Dictionary of Classical Hebrew (Vol. 7, p. 538). Sheffield Academic Press; Sheffield Phoenix Press.
[v] 23.0.6 n.[m.] completeness, perfection—cstr. תֹּם (תָּם־, Q תום); sf. תֻּמִּי, תֻּמּוֹ, תֻּמָּם—1. completeness, fullness, full measure, <cstr> עֶצֶם תֻּמּוֹ bone of his completeness, i.e. his very completeness Jb 21:23. <prep> לְ of direction, to (the point of), + משׁך draw bow 1 K 22:34‖2 C 18:33 (לְתֻמּוֹ to his completeness, i.e. as far as he could; unless §2); כְּ according to, + בוא come Is 47:9.
2. simplicity, innocence, <prep> לְ of accompaniment, with, in, + הלך go 2 S 15:11, משׁך draw bow 1 K 22:34‖2 C 18:33 (לְתֻמּוֹ in his innocence, i.e. at random; unless §1).
3a. integrity, blamelessness, perfection, <subj> נצר keep Ps 25:21 (‖ יֹשֶׁר uprightness).
<nom cl> תִּקְוָתְךָ וְתֹם דְּרָכֶיךָ as for your hope, it is the integrity of your ways Jb 4:6 (or em. וְתִקְוָתְךָ תֹם and your hope is the integrity of your ways), לוא לבן אדם תום דרך there is not to a mortal perfection of way 1QH 1230 (+ צְדָקָה righteousness), בידו תום דרכי in his hand is the perfection of my way 1QS 112, מידו תום הדרך from his hand is perfection of the way 1QS 1111.[v]