Job 4-5: Eliphaz’s first tact is to rebuke Job. In the first six verse we see him basically tell job that he couldn't handle the taste of his own medicine. He had advised others to be patient under trial but now calamity had befallen him and he was discouraged (Zuck 725)
On the surface he spoke as if he thought Job was mostly righteous and that his suffering was temporary but we also get the impression from the text that he wasn’t totally convinced. He later agrees this might not be the case. As Eliphaz’s dissertation continues we begin to see him take the tact that Job’s blameless conduct should have saved him because of his comment: (v. 7) “Remember: who that was innocent ever perished? Or where were the upright cut off?” along with subsequent similar statements in verse 8, 9, 10 & 11 (Smick 894). Overall I believe these statements show that Eliphaz is unsure what to make of Job’s predicament.
Some of the good things that come out of his speech:
• He admonish Job to be patient and see the disciplinary aspect of suffering
• A general understanding that the God who would allow this to happen to him would also heal him.
- In other words the sufferings of this world are temporary. Pain in this life is finite, we eventually die. Compared to the possible suffering in Hell eternally, it pales by comparison.
• Job is admonished to appeal to God who does only what is right (v. 5:8-16)
• Punishes the unjust and delivers the lowly. (v. 5:8-16)
- This unfortunately implies that Job is getting what he “deserves” and further confuses him
Some negative things that come out of Eliphaz’s mouth:
• A generalize assumption that those that are upright will not be punished or suffer, by implication he is accusing Job of sinfulness. This is presumptuousness and shallow accusation.
- He got the part about man being patient through suffering but assumed it was only sin that could cause it. He fails to consider God testing someone or preparing them for something demanding.
• He viewed God as viewing man (and angels) with little trustworthiness or value (v. 18)
• He claims that Job is behaving as a fool or a man that pays no heed to God, just as Job stated to his wife. We know from Job’s response to his wife that this is probably not true. Job was suffering, he wasn’t insane or lost his senses.
• He claims that trouble does not sprout up like weeds rather a person needs to cultivate it or “as sure as sparks fly upwards”.
• What I found exceptionally cruel was Eliphaz’s comment about children in verse 5:25. This in light of the fact he has recently lost his offspring.
• Also cruel is his statement about going to his grave at a ripe old age...when he already feels like he is dying and wishes he was dead or not born!
I wish there was more I could put in the positive column of Eliphaz’s but...although many of his statements ring with truths, in Job’s situation they either don’t apply or they are misapplied. Even some of the “positives” I did put in that column don’t necessarily apply to Job. His case (being tested by Satan is sort of unique). Yes, all men are sinful, even Job. But in this situation the suffering he is going through (we as the reader know the big picture) doesn’t always necessarily need to be caused or happen due to a man’s sin directly. Eliphaz’s truths are not necessarily universal but in certain situations would apply...but not always.
In general, towards the end Eliphaz’s lofty rhetoric, patronizing attitude and pretentiousness does more harm than good adding to Job’s misery. He is unwittingly being used as a boorish tool by Satan. Although it is not specifically state in the text we see here a direct or indirect attack by Satan working through those close to Job perhaps to continue to wear Job down through attrition and get him to curse or deny God. In his attempts to help Job he is actually heaping misery on him. This is similar to Satan working through Job’s wife. Personally, if I had a wife like Job’s or consul like Eliphaz, I would’ve told them straight away to “shut up”. Job was clearly a better man than I am. We begin to see already in the opening chapters of The Book of Job that God is indeed correct about Job’s “heart” and his “motives”.
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