Chapter Overview
Summary
Job 22 begins THE THIRD SPEECH-CYCLE — Eliphaz's third-and-final speech, this time openly accusing Job of specific-sins (vv. 6–9) without-evidence. The chapter then-shifts to invitation-to-repent (vv. 21–30) — Eliphaz still-believing reformation-is-the-path-back-to-prosperity.
Notable Variants
22:6–9 false-specific-accusations against Job; 22:21 'agree with God, and be at peace' — invitation phrasing; 22:29 'when they are humbled, you will say: It is exaltation' Magnificat-anticipation.
Structural Notes
MT Job 22 = LXX Job 22. 30 verses. Opens THIRD speech-cycle.
Then responded:
'Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said' tracks MT.
Can a man be of use to God? Even a wise man benefits only himself.
'Can a man be profitable to God? Surely he who is wise is profitable to himself' tracks MT.
Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that you are righteous? Does he profit if you make your ways blameless?
'Is it any pleasure to the Almighty if you are in the right, or is it gain to him if you make your ways blameless?' tracks MT.
Is it for your piety that he rebukes you? Is it for that that he brings you to trial?
'Is it for your fear of him that he reproves you and enters into judgment with you?' tracks MT. Sarcastic-rhetorical-question — Eliphaz mocking Job's-claim-to-piety.
Is not your wickedness vast? Are not your sins without end?
'Is not your evil abundant? There is no end to your iniquities' tracks MT.
For you took pledges from your relatives for no reason and stripped the clothing from the destitute.
'For you have exacted pledges of your brothers for nothing and stripped the naked of their clothing' tracks MT. FALSE-SPECIFIC-ACCUSATIONS begin (vv. 6–9). Eliphaz now invents-charges with no-knowledge of-Job's actual-life.
You gave no water to the exhausted and withheld bread from the starving.
'You have given no water to the weary to drink, and you have withheld bread from the hungry' tracks MT. Matt 25:42 ('I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink') Christologically-extends — but here the charge is FALSE.
The powerful man — the land belonged to him. The privileged one settled in it.
'The man with power possessed the land, and the favored man lived in it' tracks MT.
You sent widows away empty-handed and crushed the arms of orphans.
'You have sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless were crushed' tracks MT. WIDOWS-AND-FATHERLESS — the very-vulnerable-class. James 1:27 extends. Job 31:16–22 will deny these charges in detail.
That is why snares surround you and sudden terror overwhelms you.
'Therefore snares are all around you, and sudden terror overwhelms you' tracks MT.
Or is it darkness so thick you cannot see, and a flood of water covering you?
'Or darkness, so that you cannot see, and a flood of water covers you' tracks MT.
Is not God in the heights of heaven? Look at the topmost stars — how far above they are!
'Is not God high in the heavens? See the highest stars, how lofty they are!' tracks MT.
And yet you say, 'What does God know? Can he judge through the thick darkness?'
'But you say: What does God know? Can he judge through the deep darkness?' tracks MT.
Clouds are a screen for him — he cannot see! He walks along the vault of heaven.
'Thick clouds veil him, so that he does not see, and he walks on the vault of heaven' tracks MT.
Will you keep to the ancient path that the wicked have trodden?
'Will you keep to the old way that wicked men have trod?' tracks MT.
They were snatched away before their time; a river poured over their foundations.
'They were snatched away before their time; their foundation was washed away' tracks MT. PRE-TIME-DEATH of-the-wicked — flood-imagery. The Genesis-flood judgment-pattern echoed.
They said to God, 'Leave us alone!' And 'What can the Almighty do to us?'
'They said to God: Depart from us, and what can the Almighty do to us?' tracks MT. // Job 21:14 — recycling Job's-own-words against him.
Yet it was God who filled their houses with good things. The counsel of the wicked is far from me!
'Yet he filled their houses with good things — but the counsel of the wicked is far from me' tracks MT.
The righteous see it and rejoice; the innocent laugh them to scorn.
'The righteous see it and are glad; the innocent one mocks at them' tracks MT.
'Surely our adversary is cut off, and fire has consumed what they left behind.'
'Saying: Surely our adversaries are cut off, and what they left the fire has consumed' tracks MT.
Make peace with God and be reconciled to him; through this, good will come to you.
'Agree with God, and be at peace; thereby good will come to you' tracks MT. AGREE-WITH-GOD invitation. Romans 5:1 ('we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ') Christologically extends.
Receive instruction from his mouth; store his words in your heart.
'Receive instruction from his mouth, and lay up his words in your heart' tracks MT.
If you return to the Almighty, you will be rebuilt. Put injustice far from your tent.
'If you return to the Almighty you will be built up; if you remove injustice far from your tents' tracks MT.
Throw your gold in the dust, your gold of Ophir among the stones of the stream.
'If you lay gold in the dust, and gold of Ophir among the stones of the torrent-bed' tracks MT. GOLD-IN-DUST counsel — let-go-of-wealth as repentance.
Then the Almighty will be your gold, your precious silver heaped high.
'Then the Almighty will be your gold and your precious silver' tracks MT. GOD-AS-YOUR-GOLD — supreme-treasure theology. Matthew 6:21 ('where your treasure is, there your heart will be') extends.
Then you will delight in the Almighty and lift your face toward God.
'For then you will delight yourself in the Almighty and lift up your face to God' tracks MT. DELIGHT-YOURSELF-IN-THE-ALMIGHTY // Ps 37:4 ('delight yourself in the LORD').
You will pray to him, and he will hear you; you will fulfill your vows.
'You will make your prayer to him, and he will hear you, and you will pay your vows' tracks MT.
You will decide on a matter, and it will stand. Light will shine on your paths.
'You will decide on a matter, and it will be established for you, and light will shine on your ways' tracks MT.
When others are brought low, you will say, 'There is lifting up!' He saves the one whose eyes are downcast.
'For when they are humbled you say: It is exaltation; and the lowly God saves' tracks MT. LOWLY-GOD-SAVES. Magnificat-theology (Luke 1:52). James 4:10's 'humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you' extends.
He delivers even one who is not innocent; he is rescued by the cleanness of your hands.
'He delivers even the one who is not innocent, who will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands' tracks MT. INTERCESSORY-DELIVERANCE — clean-hands-of-the-righteous deliver-even-the-guilty. Anticipates Job's-final-intercession-for-his-friends at 42:8–10.