Chapter Overview
Summary
Job 15 begins THE SECOND SPEECH-CYCLE — Eliphaz's second speech, considerably-harsher than his first. Eliphaz now-accuses Job of casting-off-fear-of-God (v. 4) and develops an extended-portrait of the wicked-man's terror (vv. 17–35).
Notable Variants
15:4 'you are doing away with the fear of God' — friend's escalating accusation; 15:14 'what is man, that he can be pure?' (// 4:17, 9:2 → Rom 3); 15:16 'man drinks injustice like water' anthropological-pessimism.
Structural Notes
MT Job 15 = LXX Job 15. 35 verses. Opens the SECOND speech-cycle.
Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said:
'Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said' tracks MT.
Should a wise man answer with windy knowledge and fill his belly with the east wind?
'Should a wise man answer with windy knowledge, and fill his belly with the east wind?' tracks MT.
Should he argue with useless talk, with words that accomplish nothing?
'Should he argue in unprofitable talk, or in words with which he can do no good?' tracks MT.
You are even undermining the fear of God and diminishing devotion before him.
'But you are doing away with the fear of God and hindering meditation before God' tracks MT. ELIPHAZ ESCALATES — Job is now-accused of undermining-piety itself.
Your guilt is teaching your mouth what to say; you have chosen the tongue of the crafty.
'For your iniquity teaches your mouth, and you choose the tongue of the crafty' tracks MT.
Your own mouth condemns you, not I. Your own lips testify against you.
'Your own mouth condemns you, and not I; your own lips testify against you' tracks MT.
Were you the first human ever born? Were you brought forth before the hills?
'Are you the first man who was born? Or were you brought forth before the hills?' tracks MT. ARE-YOU-FIRST-MAN sarcasm.
Did you listen in on God's secret council? Do you limit wisdom to yourself alone?
'Have you listened in the council of God? And do you limit wisdom to yourself?' tracks MT. COUNCIL-OF-GOD (sod elohim) — heavenly-deliberation. 1 Corinthians 2:16's 'we have the mind of Christ' Christologically-extends.
What do you know that we do not know? What do you understand that is beyond us?
'What do you know that we do not know? What do you understand that is not clear to us?' tracks MT.
Among us are the gray-haired and the very aged — men older even than your father.
'Both the gray-haired and the aged are among us, older than your father' tracks MT.
Are God's consolations too small for you? Is a word spoken gently to you not enough?
'Are the comforts of God too small for you, or the word that deals gently with you?' tracks MT.
What has carried your heart away? Why do your eyes flash?
'Why does your heart carry you away, and why do your eyes flash' tracks MT.
That you turn your spirit against God and let such words pour from your mouth?
'That you turn your spirit against God and bring such words out of your mouth?' tracks MT.
What is a mortal, that he could be pure? What is one born of woman, that he could be righteous?
'What is man, that he can be pure? Or he who is born of a woman, that he can be righteous?' tracks MT. // Job 4:17, 9:2. The recurring universal-unrighteousness question.
If God puts no trust in his holy ones, and even the heavens are not pure in his sight —
'Behold, God puts no trust in his holy ones, and the heavens are not pure in his sight' tracks MT.
how much less a creature loathsome and corrupt — a human being, who drinks injustice like water!
'How much less one who is abominable and corrupt, a man who drinks injustice like water!' tracks MT. DRINKS-INJUSTICE-LIKE-WATER — anthropological-pessimism. Romans 3:9–18 develops similar universal-corruption argument.
Let me show you — listen to me. What I have seen, I will declare.
'I will show you; hear me, and what I have seen I will declare' tracks MT.
What the wise have declared — what they did not conceal from their fathers —
'What wise men have told, without hiding it from their fathers' tracks MT.
to whom alone the land was given, before any foreigner had passed through it.
'To whom alone the land was given, and no stranger passed among them' tracks MT.
All the days of the wicked, he writhes in torment. The number of years hidden away for the tyrant —
'The wicked man writhes in pain all his days, through all the years that are laid up for the ruthless' tracks MT. WICKED-MAN'S TERROR portrait begins (vv. 20–35).
Terrifying sounds fill his ears. In the midst of peace, the destroyer comes upon him.
'Dreadful sounds are in his ears; in prosperity the destroyer will come upon him' tracks MT.
He does not believe he will return from darkness. He is marked for the sword.
'He does not believe that he will return out of darkness, and he is marked for the sword' tracks MT.
He wanders looking for bread — where is it? He knows that a day of darkness stands ready at his hand.
'He wanders abroad for bread, saying: Where is it? He knows that a day of darkness is ready at his hand' tracks MT.
Distress and anguish terrify him; they overpower him like a king ready for battle.
'Distress and anguish terrify him; they prevail against him, like a king ready for battle' tracks MT.
Because he stretched out his hand against God and set himself as a warrior against the Almighty.
'Because he has stretched out his hand against God and defies the Almighty' tracks MT.
He charges at him with neck outstretched, behind the thick bosses of his shields.
'Running stubbornly against him with a thickly bossed shield' tracks MT.
Because he covered his face with his fat and gathered thick flesh on his loins.
'Because he has covered his face with his fat and gathered fat upon his waist' tracks MT.
He has settled in destroyed cities, in houses no one should inhabit, which are destined to become rubble.
'And has lived in desolate cities, in houses that none should inhabit, which were destined to become heaps of ruins' tracks MT.
He will not grow rich; his wealth will not endure. His possessions will not spread across the land.
'He will not be rich, and his wealth will not endure, nor will his possessions extend through the land' tracks MT.
He will not escape the darkness. Flame will dry up his shoots, and by the breath of God's mouth he will be swept away.
'He will not depart from darkness; the flame will dry up his shoots, and by the breath of his mouth he will depart' tracks MT.
Let him not trust in emptiness, deceiving himself, for emptiness will be his reward.
'Let him not trust in emptiness, deceiving himself, for emptiness will be his payment' tracks MT.
Before his time, it will be fulfilled. His palm branch will not stay green.
'It will be paid in full before his time, and his branch will not be green' tracks MT.
He will shed his unripe grapes like a vine; he will cast off his blossoms like an olive tree.
'He will shake off his unripe grape like the vine, and cast off his blossom like the olive tree' tracks MT.
For the company of the godless is barren, and fire consumes the tents of bribery.
'For the company of the godless is barren, and fire consumes the tents of bribery' tracks MT.
They conceive trouble and give birth to wickedness; their womb prepares deceit.
'They conceive trouble and give birth to evil, and their womb prepares deceit' tracks MT. CONCEIVE-AND-GIVE-BIRTH-TO-EVIL — Isaiah 33:11, 59:4 share-imagery. James 1:15 ('desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin') extends.