Job 5:2 "For wrath killeth the foolish man, and envy slayeth the silly one."
That is, say some, a man’s wrath and impatience prey upon his spirit, and so hasten his death. But the meaning seems rather to be, that “God in his anger and indignation destroys the wicked, and such as err from his precepts.” It is probable that Eliphaz intended to distinguish Job by the characters of foolish and silly one, to insinuate that all his misfortunes were owing to his folly and weakness, or to his sins and vices. By the foolish is meant the rash and inconsiderate man, who does not weigh things impartially. And by the silly one, the man who, for want of true wisdom, is soon deceived with false opinions, and with appearances of present things.
Eliphaz believed that Job had placed his trust in something, or someone, other than God. He couldn't figure out with his mind what was happening to Job, and he was seeking reasons that were logical. We find that with many of the people who study the book of Job, they are so busy trying to figure out what Job did to cause this calamity that they miss the whole meaning of the book. Job did not do anything to bring this problem on. The fact that he was righteous in the sight of God caused this.
Verses 3-7: Eliphaz was convinced that ‘trouble” always starts somewhere; it does not just “happen” such as (“trouble spring out of the ground”). By saying that he had seen sinners prosper (“taking root”), only to lose everything in the end, Eliphaz wrongly suggested that Job’s sin led to the death of his children.
Verses 8-27: Speaking in spiritual platitudes, Job’s friend presumed to know the cause of Job’s suffering. Eliphaz also told him if he would just submit (“despise not”), to the (“chastening of the Almighty”), Job would reap a harvest of blessing. But no one can make such a prediction. Eliphaz modeled how not to address another person’s affliction.
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