1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,
2 Can a man be profitable unto God, as he that is wise may be profitable unto himself?
3 Is it any pleasure to the Almighty, that thou art righteous? or is it gain to him, that thou makest thy ways perfect?
4 Will he reprove thee for fear of thee? will he enter with thee into judgment?
5 Is not thy wickedness great? and thine iniquities infinite?
6 For thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother for nought, and stripped the naked of their clothing.
7 Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink, and thou hast withholden bread from the hungry.
8 But as for the mighty man, he had the earth; and the honourable man dwelt in it.
9 Thou hast sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.
10 Therefore snares are round about thee, and sudden fear troubleth thee;
11 Or darkness, that thou canst not see; and abundance of waters cover thee.
12 Is not God in the height of heaven? and behold the height of the stars, how high they are!
13 And thou sayest, How doth God know? can he judge through the dark cloud?
14 Thick clouds are a covering to him, that he seeth not; and he walketh in the circuit of heaven.
15 Hast thou marked the old way which wicked men have trodden?
16 Which were cut down out of time, whose foundation was overflown with a flood:
17 Which said unto God, Depart from us: and what can the Almighty do for them?
18 Yet he filled their houses with good things: but the counsel of the wicked is far from me.
19 The righteous see it, and are glad: and the innocent laugh them to scorn.
20 Whereas our substance is not cut down, but the remnant of them the fire consumeth.
21 Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee.
22 Receive, I pray thee, the law from his mouth, and lay up his words in thine heart.
23 If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacles.
24 Then shalt thou lay up gold as dust, and the gold of Ophir as the stones of the brooks.
25 Yea, the Almighty shall be thy defence, and thou shalt have plenty of silver.
26 For then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face unto God.
27 Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he shall hear thee, and thou shalt pay thy vows.
28 Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: and the light shall shine upon thy ways.
29 When men are cast down, then thou shalt say, There is lifting up; and he shall save the humble person.
30 He shall deliver the island of the innocent: and it is delivered by the pureness of thine hands.
1 Then Eliphaz H464 the Temanite H8489 answered H6030 and said, H559
2 Can a man H1397 be profitable H5532 unto God, H410 as H3588 he that is wise H7919 may be profitable H5532 unto himself?
3 Is it any pleasure H2656 to the Almighty, H7706 that thou art righteous? H6663 or is it gain H1215 to him, that thou makest thy ways H1870 perfect? H8552
4 Will he reprove H3198 thee for fear H3374 of thee? will he enter H935 with thee into judgment? H4941
5 Is not thy wickedness H7451 great? H7227 and thine iniquities H5771 infinite? H7093
6 For thou hast taken a pledge H2254 from thy brother H251 for nought, H2600 and stripped H6584 the naked H6174 of their clothing. H899
7 Thou hast not given water H4325 to the weary H5889 to drink, H8248 and thou hast withholden H4513 bread H3899 from the hungry. H7457
8 But as for the mighty H2220 man, H376 he had the earth; H776 and the honourable man H5375 H6440 dwelt H3427 in it.
9 Thou hast sent H7971 widows H490 away empty, H7387 and the arms H2220 of the fatherless H3490 have been broken. H1792
10 Therefore snares H6341 are round about H5439 thee, and sudden H6597 fear H6343 troubleth H926 thee;
11 Or darkness, H2822 that thou canst not see; H7200 and abundance H8229 of waters H4325 cover H3680 thee.
12 Is not God H433 in the height H1363 of heaven? H8064 and behold H7200 the height H7218 of the stars, H3556 how high H7311 they are!
13 And thou sayest, H559 How doth God H410 know? H3045 can he judge H8199 through the dark cloud? H6205
14 Thick clouds H5645 are a covering H5643 to him, that he seeth H7200 not; and he walketh H1980 in the circuit H2329 of heaven. H8064
15 Hast thou marked H8104 the old H5769 way H734 which wicked H205 men H4962 have trodden? H1869
16 Which were cut down H7059 out of time, H6256 whose foundation H3247 was overflown H3332 with a flood: H5104
17 Which said H559 unto God, H410 Depart H5493 from us: and what can the Almighty H7706 do H6466 for them?
18 Yet he filled H4390 their houses H1004 with good H2896 things: but the counsel H6098 of the wicked H7563 is far H7368 from me.
19 The righteous H6662 see H7200 it, and are glad: H8055 and the innocent H5355 laugh them to scorn. H3932
20 Whereas H518 our substance H7009 is not cut down, H3582 but the remnant H3499 of them the fire H784 consumeth. H398
21 Acquaint H5532 now thyself with him, and be at peace: H7999 thereby good H2896 shall come H935 unto thee.
22 Receive, H3947 I pray thee, the law H8451 from his mouth, H6310 and lay up H7760 his words H561 in thine heart. H3824
23 If thou return H7725 to the Almighty, H7706 thou shalt be built up, H1129 thou shalt put away H7368 iniquity H5766 far H7368 from thy tabernacles. H168
24 Then shalt thou lay up H7896 gold H1220 as H5921 dust, H6083 and the gold of Ophir H211 as the stones H6697 of the brooks. H5158
25 Yea, the Almighty H7706 shall be thy defence, H1220 and thou shalt have plenty H8443 of silver. H3701
26 For then shalt thou have thy delight H6026 in the Almighty, H7706 and shalt lift up H5375 thy face H6440 unto God. H433
27 Thou shalt make thy prayer H6279 unto him, and he shall hear H8085 thee, and thou shalt pay H7999 thy vows. H5088
28 Thou shalt also decree H1504 a thing, H562 and it shall be established H6965 unto thee: and the light H216 shall shine H5050 upon thy ways. H1870
29 When men are cast down, H8213 then thou shalt say, H559 There is lifting up; H1466 and he shall save H3467 the humble H7807 person. H5869
30 He shall deliver H4422 the island H336 of the innocent: H5355 and it is delivered H4422 by the pureness H1252 of thine hands. H3709
1 Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said,
2 Can a man be profitable unto God? Surely he that is wise is profitable unto himself.
3 Is it any pleasure to the Almighty, that thou art righteous? Or is it gain `to him', that thou makest thy ways perfect?
4 Is it for thy fear `of him' that he reproveth thee, That he entereth with thee into judgment?
5 Is not thy wickedness great? Neither is there any end to thine iniquities.
6 For thou hast taken pledges of thy brother for nought, And stripped the naked of their clothing.
7 Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink, And thou hast withholden bread from the hungry.
8 But as for the mighty man, he had the earth; And the honorable man, he dwelt in it.
9 Thou hast sent widows away empty, And the arms of the fatherless have been broken.
10 Therefore snares are round about thee, And sudden fear troubleth thee,
11 Or darkness, so that thou canst not see, And abundance of waters cover thee.
12 Is not God in the height of heaven? And behold the height of the stars, how high they are!
13 And thou sayest, What doth God know? Can he judge through the thick darkness?
14 Thick clouds are a covering to him, so that he seeth not; And he walketh on the vault of heaven.
15 Wilt thou keep the old way Which wicked men have trodden?
16 Who were snatched away before their time, Whose foundation was poured out as a stream,
17 Who said unto God, Depart from us; And, What can the Almighty do for us?
18 Yet he filled their houses with good things: But the counsel of the wicked is far from me.
19 The righteous see it, and are glad; And the innocent laugh them to scorn,
20 `Saying', Surely they that did rise up against us are cut off, And the remnant of them the fire hath consumed.
21 Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: Thereby good shall come unto thee.
22 Receive, I pray thee, the law from his mouth, And lay up his words in thy heart.
23 If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, If thou put away unrighteousness far from thy tents.
24 And lay thou `thy' treasure in the dust, And `the gold of' Ophir among the stones of the brooks;
25 And the Almighty will be thy treasure, And precious silver unto thee.
26 For then shalt thou delight thyself in the Almighty, And shalt lift up thy face unto God.
27 Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he will hear thee; And thou shalt pay thy vows.
28 Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee; And light shall shine upon thy ways.
29 When they cast `thee' down, thou shalt say, `There is' lifting up; And the humble person he will save.
30 He will deliver `even' him that is not innocent: Yea, he shall be delivered through the cleanness of thy hands.
1 And Eliphaz the Temanite answereth and saith: --
2 To God is a man profitable, Because a wise man to himself is profitable?
3 Is it a delight to the Mighty One That thou art righteous? is it gain, That thou makest perfect thy ways?
4 Because of thy reverence Doth He reason `with' thee? He entereth with thee into judgment:
5 Is not thy wickedness abundant? And there is no end to thine iniquities.
6 For thou takest a pledge of thy brother for nought, And the garments of the naked Thou dost strip off.
7 Thou causest not the weary to drink water, And from the hungry thou withholdest bread.
8 As to the man of arm -- he hath the earth, And the accepted of face -- he dwelleth in it.
9 Widows thou hast sent away empty, And the arms of the fatherless are bruised.
10 Therefore round about thee `are' snares, And trouble thee doth fear suddenly.
11 Or darkness -- thou dost not see, And abundance of waters doth cover thee.
12 Is not God high `in' heaven? And see the summit of the stars, That they are high.
13 And thou hast said, `What -- hath God known? Through thickness doth He judge?
14 Thick clouds `are' a secret place to Him, And He doth not see;' And the circle of the heavens He walketh habitually,
15 The path of the age dost thou observe, That men of iniquity have trodden?
16 Who have been cut down unexpectedly, A flood is poured out on their foundation.
17 Those saying to God, `Turn aside from us,' And what doth the Mighty One to them?
18 And he hath filled their houses `with' good: (And the counsel of the wicked Hath been far from me.)
19 See do the righteous and they rejoice, And the innocent mocketh at them,
20 `Surely our substance hath not been cut off, And their excellency hath fire consumed.'
21 Acquaint thyself, I pray thee, with Him, And be at peace, Thereby thine increase `is' good.
22 Receive, I pray thee, from His mouth a law, And set His sayings in thy heart.
23 If thou dost return unto the Mighty Thou art built up, Thou puttest iniquity far from thy tents.
24 So as to set on the dust a defence, And on a rock of the valleys a covering.
25 And the Mighty hath been thy defence, And silver `is' strength to thee.
26 For then on the Mighty thou delightest thyself, And dost lift up unto God thy face,
27 Thou dost make supplication unto Him, And He doth hear thee, And thy vows thou completest.
28 And thou decreest a saying, And it is established to thee, And on thy ways hath light shone.
29 For they have made low, And thou sayest, `Lift up.' And the bowed down of eyes he saveth.
30 He delivereth the not innocent, Yea, he hath been delivered By the cleanness of thy hands.
1 And Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,
2 Can a man be profitable to ùGod? surely it is unto himself that the wise man is profitable.
3 Is it any pleasure to the Almighty if thou art righteous? And is it gain [to him] that thou makest thy ways perfect?
4 Will he reason with thee for fear of thee? Will he enter with thee into judgment?
5 Is not thy wickedness great? and thine iniquities without end?
6 For thou hast taken a pledge of thy brother for nought, and stripped off the clothing of the naked.
7 Thou hast not given water to the fainting to drink, and thou hast withholden bread from the hungry.
8 But the powerful man, he had the land; and the man of high rank dwelt in it.
9 Widows hast thou sent empty away, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.
10 Therefore snares are round about thee, and sudden fear troubleth thee;
11 Or darkness, that thou canst not see, and floods of waters cover thee.
12 Is not +God in the height of the heavens? And behold the summit of the stars: how exalted are they!
13 And thou sayest, What doth ùGod know? will he judge through the dark cloud?
14 Thick clouds are a covering to him, that he seeth not; and he walketh on the vault of the heavens.
15 Dost thou mark the ancient path which wicked men have trodden?
16 Who were carried off before the time, whose foundation was overflowed with a flood;
17 Who said unto ùGod, Depart from us! and what could the Almighty do to them?
18 Yet he filled their houses with good. But the counsel of the wicked is far from me.
19 The righteous see it, and are glad; and the innocent laugh them to scorn:
20 Is not he who rose against us destroyed, and doth not the fire consume his residue?
21 Reconcile thyself now with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee.
22 Receive, I pray thee, instruction from his mouth, and lay up his words in thy heart.
23 If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up. If thou remove unrighteousness far from thy tents,
24 And put the precious ore with the dust, and [the gold of] Ophir among the stones of the torrents,
25 Then the Almighty will be thy precious ore, and silver heaped up unto thee;
26 Yea, then shalt thou delight thyself in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face unto +God:
27 Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he will hear thee, and thou shalt pay thy vows;
28 And thou shalt decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee; and light shall shine upon thy ways.
29 When they are made low, then thou shalt say, Rise up! and he shall save him that is of downcast eyes.
30 [Even] him that is not innocent shall he deliver; yea, he shall be delivered by the pureness of thy hands.
1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered,
2 "Can a man be profitable to God? Surely he who is wise is profitable to himself.
3 Is it any pleasure to the Almighty, that you are righteous? Or does it benefit him, that you make your ways perfect?
4 Is it for your piety that he reproves you, That he enters with you into judgment?
5 Isn't your wickedness great? Neither is there any end to your iniquities.
6 For you have taken pledges from your brother for nothing, And stripped the naked of their clothing.
7 You haven't given water to the weary to drink, And you have withheld bread from the hungry.
8 But as for the mighty man, he had the earth. The honorable man, he lived in it.
9 You have sent widows away empty, And the arms of the fatherless have been broken.
10 Therefore snares are round about you. Sudden fear troubles you,
11 Or darkness, so that you can not see, And floods of waters cover you.
12 "Isn't God in the heights of heaven? See the height of the stars, how high they are!
13 You say, 'What does God know? Can he judge through the thick darkness?
14 Thick clouds are a covering to him, so that he doesn't see. He walks on the vault of the sky.'
15 Will you keep the old way Which wicked men have trodden,
16 Who were snatched away before their time, Whose foundation was poured out as a stream,
17 Who said to God, 'Depart from us;' And, 'What can the Almighty do for us?'
18 Yet he filled their houses with good things, But the counsel of the wicked is far from me.
19 The righteous see it, and are glad; The innocent ridicule them,
20 Saying, 'Surely those who rose up against us are cut off, The fire has consumed the remnant of them.'
21 "Acquaint yourself with him, now, and be at peace. Thereby good shall come to you.
22 Please receive instruction from his mouth, And lay up his words in your heart.
23 If you return to the Almighty, you shall be built up, If you put away unrighteousness far from your tents.
24 Lay your treasure in the dust, The gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks.
25 The Almighty will be your treasure, Precious silver to you.
26 For then shall you delight yourself in the Almighty, And shall lift up your face to God.
27 You shall make your prayer to him, and he will hear you. You shall pay your vows.
28 You shall also decree a thing, and it shall be established to you. Light shall shine on your ways.
29 When they cast down, you shall say, 'be lifted up.' He will save the humble person.
30 He will even deliver him who is not innocent; Yes, he shall be delivered through the cleanness of your hands."
1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite made answer and said,
2 Is it possible for a man to be of profit to God? No, for a man's wisdom is only of profit to himself.
3 Is it of any interest to the Ruler of all that you are upright? or is it of use to him that your ways are without sin?
4 Is it because you give him honour that he is sending punishment on you and is judging you?
5 Is not your evil-doing great? and there is no end to your sins.
6 For you have taken your brother's goods when he was not in your debt, and have taken away the clothing of those who have need of it.
7 You do not give water to the tired traveller, and from him who has no food you keep back bread.
8 For it was the man with power who had the land, and the man with an honoured name who was living in it.
9 You have sent widows away without hearing their cause, and you have taken away the support of the child who has no father.
10 For this cause nets are round your feet, and you are overcome with sudden fear.
11 Your light is made dark so that you are unable to see, and you are covered by a mass of waters.
12 Is not God as high as heaven? and see the stars, how high they are!
13 And you say, What knowledge has God? is he able to give decisions through the deep dark?
14 Thick clouds are covering him, so that he is unable to see; and he is walking on the arch of heaven.
15 Will you keep the old way by which evil men went?
16 Who were violently taken away before their time, who were overcome by the rush of waters:
17 Who said to God, Go away from us; and, What is the Ruler of all able to do to us?
18 Though he made their houses full of good things: but the purpose of the evil-doers is far from me!
19 The upright saw it and were glad: and those who had done no wrong made sport of them,
20 Saying, Truly, their substance is cut off, and their wealth is food for the fire.
21 Put yourself now in a right relation with him and be at peace: so will you do well in your undertakings.
22 Be pleased to take teaching from his mouth, and let his words be stored up in your heart.
23 If you come back to the Ruler of all, making yourself low before him; if you put evil far away from your tents;
24 And put your gold in the dust, even your gold of Ophir among the rocks of the valleys;
25 Then the Ruler of all will be your gold, and his teaching will be your silver;
26 For then you will have delight in the Ruler of all, and your face will be lifted up to God.
27 You will make your prayer to him, and be answered; and you will give effect to your oaths.
28 Your purposes will come about, and light will be shining on your ways.
29 For God makes low those whose hearts are lifted up, but he is a saviour to the poor in spirit.
30 He makes safe the man who is free from sin, and if your hands are clean, salvation will be yours.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Job 22
Commentary on Job 22 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 22
THIRD SERIES.
Job 22:1-30. As Before, Eliphaz Begins.
1. Eliphaz shows that man's goodness does not add to, or man's badness take from, the happiness of God; therefore it cannot be that God sends prosperity to some and calamities on others for His own advantage; the cause of the goods and ills sent must lie in the men themselves (Ps 16:2; Lu 17:10; Ac 17:25; 1Ch 29:14). So Job's calamities must arise from guilt. Eliphaz, instead of meeting the facts, tries to show that it could not be so.
2. as he that is wise—rather, yea the pious man profiteth himself. So "understanding" or "wise"—pious (Da 12:3, 10; Ps 14:2) [Michaelis].
3. pleasure—accession of happiness; God has pleasure in man's righteousness (Ps 45:7), but He is not dependent on man's character for His happiness.
4. Is the punishment inflicted on thee from fear of thee, in order to disarm thee? as Job had implied (see on Job 7:12; Job 7:20; and Job 10:17).
will he enter … into judgment?—Job had desired this (Job 13:3, 21). He ought rather to have spoken as in Ps 143:2.
5. Heretofore Eliphaz had only insinuated, now he plainly asserts Job's guilt, merely on the ground of his sufferings.
6. The crimes alleged, on a harsh inference, by Eliphaz against Job are such as he would think likely to be committed by a rich man. The Mosaic law (Ex 22:26; De 24:10) subsequently embodied the feeling that existed among the godly in Job's time against oppression of debtors as to their pledges. Here the case is not quite the same; Job is charged with taking a pledge where he had no just claim to it; and in the second clause, that pledge (the outer garment which served the poor as a covering by day and a bed by night) is represented as taken from one who had not "changes of raiment" (a common constituent of wealth in the East), but was poorly clad—"naked" (Mt 25:36; Jas 2:15); a sin the more heinous in a rich man like Job.
7. Hospitality to the weary traveller is regarded in the East as a primary duty (Isa 21:14).
8. mighty—Hebrew, "man of arm" (Ps 10:15; namely, Job).
honourable—Hebrew, "eminent, or, accepted for countenance" (Isa 3:3; 2Ki 5:1); that is, possessing authority. Eliphaz repeats his charge (Job 15:28; so Zophar, Job 20:19), that it was by violence Job wrung houses and lands from the poor, to whom now he refused relief (Job 22:7, 9) [Michaelis].
9. empty—without their wants being relieved (Ge 31:42). The Mosaic law especially protected the widow and fatherless (Ex 22:22); the violation of it in their case by the great is a complaint of the prophets (Isa 1:17).
arms—supports, helps, on which one leans (Ho 7:15). Thou hast robbed them of their only stay. Job replies in Job 29:11-16.
10. snares—alluding to Job's admission (Job 19:6; compare Job 18:10; Pr 22:5).
11. that—so that thou.
abundance—floods. Danger by floods is a less frequent image in this book than in the rest of the Old Testament (Job 11:16; 27:20).
12. Eliphaz says this to prove that God can from His height behold all things; gratuitously inferring that Job denied it, because he denied that the wicked are punished here.
height—Hebrew, "head of the stars"; that is, "elevation" (Job 11:8).
13. Rather, And yet thou sayest, God does not concern Himself with ("know") human affairs (Ps 73:11).
14. in the circuit of heaven—only, not taking any part in earthly affairs. Job is alleged as holding this Epicurean sentiment (La 3:44; Isa 29:15; 40:27; Jer 23:24; Eze 8:12; Ps 139:12).
15. marked—Rather, Dost thou keep to? that is, wish to follow (so Hebrew, 2Sa 22:22). If so, beware of sharing their end.
the old way—the degenerate ways of the world before the flood (Ge 6:5).
16. cut down—rather, "fettered," as in Job 16:8; that is, arrested by death.
out of time—prematurely, suddenly (Job 15:32; Ec 7:17); literally, "whose foundation was poured out (so as to become) a stream or flood." The solid earth passed from beneath their feet into a flood (Ge 7:11).
17. Eliphaz designedly uses Job's own words (Job 21:14, 15).
do for them—They think they can do everything for themselves.
18. "Yet" you say (see on Job 21:16) that it is "He who filled their houses with good"—"their good is not in their hand," but comes from God.
but the counsel … is—rather, "may the counsel be," &c. Eliphaz sarcastically quotes in continuation Job's words (Job 21:16). Yet, after uttering this godless sentiment, thou dost hypocritically add, "May the counsel," &c.
19. Triumph of the pious at the fall of the recent followers of the antediluvian sinners. While in the act of denying that God can do them any good or harm, they are cut off by Him. Eliphaz hereby justifies himself and the friends for their conduct to Job: not derision of the wretched, but joy at the vindication of God's ways (Ps 107:42; Re 15:3; 16:7; 19:1, 2).
20. The triumphant speech of the pious. If "substance" be retained, translate, rather as the Septuagint, "Has not their substance been taken away, and … ?" But the Hebrew is rather, "Truly our adversary is cut down" [Gesenius]. The same opposition exists between the godly and ungodly seed as between the unfallen and restored Adam and Satan (adversary); this forms the groundwork of the book (Job 1:1-2:13; Ge 3:15).
remnant—all that "is left" of the sinner; repeated from Job 20:26, which makes Umbreit's rendering "glory" (Margin), "excellency," less probable.
fire—alluding to Job (Job 1:16; 15:34; 18:15). First is mentioned destruction by water (Job 22:16); here, by fire (2Pe 3:5-7).
21. Eliphaz takes it for granted, Job is not yet "acquainted" with God; literally, "become a companion of God." Turn with familiar confidence to God.
and be—So thou shalt be: the second imperatively expresses the consequence of obeying the first (Ps 37:27).
peace—prosperity and restoration to Job; true spiritually also to us (Ro 5:1; Col 1:20).
good—(1Ti 4:8).
22. lay up—(Ps 119:11).
23. Built up—anew, as a restored house.
thou shalt put away—rather, "If thou put away" [Michaelis].
24. Rather, containing the protasis from the last clause of Job 22:23, "If thou regard the glittering metal as dust"; literally, "lay it on on the dust"; to regard it of as little value as the dust on which it lies. The apodosis is at Job 22:25, Then shall the Almighty be, &c. God will take the place of the wealth, in which thou didst formerly trust.
gold—rather, "precious" or "glittering metal," parallel to "(gold) of Ophir," in the second clause [Umbreit and Maurer].
Ophir—derived from a Hebrew word "dust," namely, gold dust. Heeren thinks it a general name for the rich countries of the South, on the African, Indian, and especially the Arabian coast (where was the port Aphar. El Ophir, too, a city of Oman, was formerly the center of Arabian commerce). It is curious that the natives of Malacca still call their mines Ophirs.
stones of the brooks—If thou dost let the gold of Ophir remain in its native valley among the stones of the brooks; that is, regard it as of little worth as the stones, &c. The gold was washed down by mountain torrents and lodged among the stones and sand of the valley.
25. Apodosis.
Yea—rather, Then shall the Almighty be, &c.
defence—rather, as the same Hebrew means in Job 22:24 (see on Job 22:24)—Thy precious metals; God will be to thee in the place of riches.
plenty of silver—rather, "And shall be to thee in the place of laboriously-obtained treasures of silver" [Gesenius]. Elegantly implying, it is less labor to find God than the hidden metals; at least to the humble seeker (Job 28:12-28). But [Maurer] "the shining silver."
26. lift up … face, &c.—repeated from Zophar (Job 11:15).
27. (Isa 58:9, 14).
pay thy vows—which thou hast promised to God in the event of thy prayers being heard: God will give thee occasion to pay the former, by hearing the latter.
28. light—success.
29. Rather, When (thy ways; from Job 22:28) are cast down (for a time), thou shalt (soon again have joyful cause to) say, There is lifting up (prosperity returns back to me) [Maurer].
he—God.
humble—Hebrew, "him that is of low eyes." Eliphaz implies that Job is not so now in his affliction; therefore it continues: with this he contrasts the blessed effect of being humble under it (Jas 4:6; 1Pe 5:5 probably quote this passage). Therefore it is better, I think, to take the first clause as referred to by "God resisteth the proud." When (men) are cast down, thou shalt say (behold the effects of) pride. Eliphaz hereby justifies himself for attributing Job's calamities to his pride. "Giveth grace to the humble," answers to the second clause.
30. island—that is, "dwelling." But the Hebrew expresses the negative (1Sa 4:21); translate "Thus He (God) shall deliver him who was not guiltless," namely, one, who like Job himself on conversion shall be saved, but not because he was, as Job so constantly affirms of himself, guiltless, but because he humbles himself (Job 22:29); an oblique attack on Job, even to the last.
and it—Rather, "he (the one not heretofore guiltless) shall be delivered through the purity (acquired since conversion) of thy hands"; by thy intercession (as Ge 18:26, &c.). [Maurer]. The irony is strikingly exhibited in Eliphaz unconsciously uttering words which exactly answer to what happened at last: he and the other two were "delivered" by God accepting the intercession of Job for them (Job 42:7, 8).