Chapter 5
Themes, discussion questions, Christ connections, and denomination lenses.
Just read this chapter →Scripture
KJV1Call now, if there be any that will answer thee; and to which of the saints wilt thou turn?
2For wrath killeth the foolish man, and envy slayeth the silly one.
3I have seen the foolish taking root: but suddenly I cursed his habitation.
4His children are far from safety, and they are crushed in the gate, neither is there any to deliver them.
5Whose harvest the hungry eateth up, and taketh it even out of the thorns, and the robber swalloweth up their substance.
6Although affliction cometh not forth of the dust, neither doth trouble spring out of the ground;
7Yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward.
8I would seek unto God, and unto God would I commit my cause:
9Which doeth great things and unsearchable; marvellous things without number:
10Who giveth rain upon the earth, and sendeth waters upon the fields:
11To set up on high those that be low; that those which mourn may be exalted to safety.
12He disappointeth the devices of the crafty, so that their hands cannot perform their enterprise.
13He taketh the wise in their own craftiness: and the counsel of the froward is carried headlong.
14They meet with darkness in the day time, and grope in the noonday as in the night.
15But he saveth the poor from the sword, from their mouth, and from the hand of the mighty.
16So the poor hath hope, and iniquity stoppeth her mouth.
17Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty:
18For he maketh sore, and bindeth up: he woundeth, and his hands make whole.
19He shall deliver thee in six troubles: yea, in seven there shall no evil touch thee.
20In famine he shall redeem thee from death: and in war from the power of the sword.
21Thou shalt be hid from the scourge of the tongue: neither shalt thou be afraid of destruction when it cometh.
22At destruction and famine thou shalt laugh: neither shalt thou be afraid of the beasts of the earth.
23For thou shalt be in league with the stones of the field: and the beasts of the field shall be at peace with thee.
24And thou shalt know that thy tabernacle shall be in peace; and thou shalt visit thy habitation, and shalt not sin.
25Thou shalt know also that thy seed shall be great, and thine offspring as the grass of the earth.
26Thou shalt come to thy grave in a full age, like as a shock of corn cometh in in his season.
27Lo this, we have searched it, so it is; hear it, and know thou it for thy good.
“Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty.”
Overview
Eliphaz continues by urging Job to turn to God, arguing that God wounds but also binds up, and that the Almighty delivers the needy and brings low the proud. He describes the blessedness of the man whom God corrects, encouraging Job to accept his suffering as divine discipline. While containing true statements about God's character, his counsel misdiagnoses Job's situation.
Key Themes
Divine Discipline
Eliphaz presents suffering as God's corrective discipline, which is sometimes true but is not the explanation for Job's particular affliction.
God's Power Over Nature and Society
Eliphaz rightly describes God's power to overthrow the proud, save the poor, and bring justice, but wrongly applies these truths to explain Job's suffering.
The Limits of Good Theology Misapplied
True statements about God become harmful when rigidly applied to situations they were not meant to address.
Study Questions
What is true about Eliphaz's description of God in this chapter, and where does his counsel fail?
How does the statement 'happy is the man whom God correcteth' (v. 17) apply and not apply to Job?
When is it appropriate to view suffering as discipline, and when is that framework inadequate?
How can we share true theology without misapplying it to someone's specific situation?
What does this chapter teach about the importance of listening before counseling?
Connection to Christ
While Eliphaz's promise that God 'maketh sore, and bindeth up: he woundeth, and his hands make whole' (v. 18) is true in general, it finds its ultimate fulfillment in Christ, through whose wounds we are healed and in whose death we find life.
Personal Reflection
Take time to journal or meditate on what God is teaching you through Job 5. How can these truths transform your thinking and actions today?