Job 22

Chap. XXII. Ver. 1—30. Eliphaz renews his attack on Job.— This chapter commences the fourth part of this extraordinary poem, and the third series of dialogue, in which, as in the preceding, Eliphaz takes the lead, and, with increased bitterness, now openly charges Job, as Bishop Lowth remarks, “with injustice, rapine, and oppression; inveighs against him as an impious pretender to virtue and religion, and with a kind of sarcastic benevolence, exhorts him to penitence.” He commences, certainly, with a great and important question—‘‘Can a man be profitable unto God? Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that thou art righteous?’ That is, is it possible, by any thing man can do, to make any addition to the greatness or happiness of the Deity?

Assuredly not: nor had Job pretended any thing of the kind. He proceeds to ask, “Will he reprove or plead with thee from fear?’ On the contrary, he inquires, “Is not thy wickedness great? Are not thine iniquities infinite or innumerable?’ And then, without waiting for an answer, he proceeds at once to charges of violence and injustice. He accuses him of taking the garments of the poor in pledge—with withholding bread from the hungry, and neglecting the fatherless and the widow—crimes of great enormity at all times, but especially in the early state of society; and which indicated, in the opinion of Eliphaz, that, with all Job’s pretensions to religion, he was far gone in Atheism and infidelity.

He therefore admonishes him to acquaint himself with God, and be at peace with him, as the only way to ensure a return of temporal prosperity and happiness. To see this argument, Eliphaz alludes to the inhabitants of the old world, who were sunk into Atheism and infidelity, and “their foundation” therefore, that is, the earth on which they were all drowned. In a following verse, there is supposed also to be an allusion to the final conflagration; but that is both obscure and doubtful. The remaining part of the chapter, though proceeding on the mistaken ground of Job’s being a hypocrite, is in itself very beautiful. The man who makes the Almighty himself his chief, his only treasure, must be rich indeed.

Of this passage, as it is attended with some obscurity, we beg leave to propose the following literal translation. “Then thou shalt set thy precious treasure against dust; (The treasure) of Ophir against the stones of the brook; Yea, the Almighty himself shall be thy treasure And thou shalt have (in him) a mine of silver.” This passage, as we conceive, alludes to the most ancient species of trade, that of bartering; in which one article was set against another of supposed equal value—gold against dust, and silver against pebbles: thus intimating that, on the return of his prosperity, the precious metals would be with him as plentiful as dust and pebbles. (See (2 Chronicles 1:15).) Or rather, that as compared with God, his chief treasure, they would be alike of no value.

Notes on the verses

Chap. XXII. Ver. 2. As he that is wise, &c.—See margin. But the textual reading is generally preferred. Ver. 5. Thine iniquities infinite.—Literally, “without end.” Dr. Good, “without bounds.” Ver. 6. Stripped the naked of it in pledge; a thing which, in (Deuteronomy 24:12, 13, 17). Ver. 16. Cut down out of time.—That is, immaturely.— Whose foundation was overflown with a flood.—See margin. This is understood as referring to Noah’s flood. Ver. 20. Whereas our substance is not cut down.—This is a very perplexing verse, and we can find no translation more intelligible than our own, which yet is not intelligible. Scott (the poet) who applies the first line to the old world, translates the second: “But the remnant of them, the fire shall consume;"

—See margin; i. e. the outer garment, to take after times, was strongly forbidden to the Jews, meaning, that at the end of the world, the then remainder of the wicked shall be consumed by fire, instead of water. Ver. 24. Thou shalt lay up gold.—The word (bazar) here rendered gold, and in the next verse “defence,” means, properly, ‘precious treasure;’ and, according to Gesenius, includes both the precious metals. Ver. 25. Plenty of silver.—See margin. An idiom that reminds us of the provincial estate, a might, or power of any thing; to which it seems equivalent.—The word here, and frequently in this book, rendered the ALMIGHTY, is, by some Hebrew scholars, supposed to refer rather to the goodness of God than his power; (see note on (Genesis 17:1).) but by others it is derived from an Arabic root, signifying power. Ver. 28. Thou shalt decree.—This implies his being restored to magisterial power. Ver. 30. He shall deliver the island of the innocent.—See margin. It is doubtful, however, whether the word so rendered ever means an island. In Arabic, it means a habitation; and this gives an easy and good sense.