In short, Eliphaz asks whether Job’s trials could possibly be because of his reverence for God, suggesting instead that Job is suffering judgment for sin.
Eliphaz, one of Job’s friends from Teman (likely in Edom, around the Patriarchal era between 2200-1500 BC), continues his discourse in Job 22:4. The verse reads (from the), “Is it because of your reverence that He reproves you, that He enters into judgment against you?” (v.4). In the larger story of Job, which takes place in the land of Uz (possibly near Edom or Arabia), Eliphaz seeks to persuade Job that God must be chastising him because of some secret sin rather than because of Job’s piety or the Lord’s greater purposes.
When Eliphaz asks, “Is it because of your reverence that He reproves you...?” (v.4a), he essentially questions whether the Almighty would arbitrarily punish someone for his godly fear and loyalty. This rhetorical question implies the assumption that God’s chastisement must be grounded in wrongdoing. Eliphaz adheres to the conventional retribution theology of their time, presuming that blessings come to the righteous while suffering befalls the unrighteous. From a broader scriptural perspective, we see that this assumption is oversimplified: other passages (like John 9:2-3) underscore that calamity isn’t necessarily the result of direct personal sin.
Eliphaz’s second question, “...that He enters into judgment against you?” (v.4b), further implies that someone must be at fault if God has chosen to judge them. His inference is that genuine reverence would shield Job from catastrophe. It fails to account for the more nuanced truth the book of Job reveals: that the suffering of the righteous can serve divine purposes beyond immediate human perception. Jesus likewise taught that suffering can also display God’s works in a person’s life (John 9:3). The New Testament reminds believers that testing and refining can draw us much closer to the Lord (1 Peter 1:6-7).
This verse is one of several where Eliphaz attempts to press a “cause-and-effect” theology, linking external misfortunes to hidden sins. However, the biblical story of Job reveals God’s sovereign design that transcends such tidy explanations, showcasing that God allows His children to endure trials in ways that demonstrate His greater plan, leading ultimately to deeper faith and purpose.
It underscores that suffering is not always inflicted as a punishment for wrongdoing.
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Job 22:4 meaning
Eliphaz, one of Job’s friends from Teman (likely in Edom, around the Patriarchal era between 2200-1500 BC), continues his discourse in Job 22:4. The verse reads (from the), “Is it because of your reverence that He reproves you, that He enters into judgment against you?” (v.4). In the larger story of Job, which takes place in the land of Uz (possibly near Edom or Arabia), Eliphaz seeks to persuade Job that God must be chastising him because of some secret sin rather than because of Job’s piety or the Lord’s greater purposes.
When Eliphaz asks, “Is it because of your reverence that He reproves you...?” (v.4a), he essentially questions whether the Almighty would arbitrarily punish someone for his godly fear and loyalty. This rhetorical question implies the assumption that God’s chastisement must be grounded in wrongdoing. Eliphaz adheres to the conventional retribution theology of their time, presuming that blessings come to the righteous while suffering befalls the unrighteous. From a broader scriptural perspective, we see that this assumption is oversimplified: other passages (like John 9:2-3) underscore that calamity isn’t necessarily the result of direct personal sin.
Eliphaz’s second question, “...that He enters into judgment against you?” (v.4b), further implies that someone must be at fault if God has chosen to judge them. His inference is that genuine reverence would shield Job from catastrophe. It fails to account for the more nuanced truth the book of Job reveals: that the suffering of the righteous can serve divine purposes beyond immediate human perception. Jesus likewise taught that suffering can also display God’s works in a person’s life (John 9:3). The New Testament reminds believers that testing and refining can draw us much closer to the Lord (1 Peter 1:6-7).
This verse is one of several where Eliphaz attempts to press a “cause-and-effect” theology, linking external misfortunes to hidden sins. However, the biblical story of Job reveals God’s sovereign design that transcends such tidy explanations, showcasing that God allows His children to endure trials in ways that demonstrate His greater plan, leading ultimately to deeper faith and purpose.
It underscores that suffering is not always inflicted as a punishment for wrongdoing.