Job 22:6 Meaning and Explanation
“For thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother for nought, and stripped the naked of their clothing.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Eliphaz invents a charge that Job seized garments as loan pledges and left people exposed.
What Does Job 22:6 Mean?
Eliphaz now lists specific crimes he imagines Job committed. The law warned against keeping a poor man's cloak overnight as collateral, since he needed it for warmth. Eliphaz accuses Job of exactly this kind of heartless lending, stripping the vulnerable of their covering.
None of it is true, yet the charge reveals what God cares about: the dignity and protection of the weak. The Lord watches how the powerful treat the poor. While Eliphaz wrongly aims these words at a righteous man, they still summon every reader to mercy. To clothe the naked and deal gently with a debtor is to walk in the way of the One who clothes us with His own righteousness.
Job 22:6 in the Original Language
chabal (חָבַל), 'taken a pledge' -- to seize an item as security for a debt, a practice the law hedged with mercy.
Frequently Asked Questions About Job 22:6
What does Job 22:6 mean?
Eliphaz invents a charge that Job seized garments as loan pledges and left people exposed.