Eliphaz’s whispered word underscores how easily human beings can mix genuine spiritual insight with flawed assumptions about God’s ways and purposes.
Eliphaz the Temanite, who speaks these words in Job 4:12, came from Teman, a region located in Edom, widely believed to be in the southern part of what is now Jordan. As he addresses Job, he describes a moment of remarkable intimacy with the divine, saying, “Now a word was brought to me stealthily, And my ear received a whisper of it” (v.12). The phrase “stealthily” suggests that whatever Eliphaz heard felt both mysterious and solemn, underscoring the gravity of what he would share next. In this subtle “whisper,” Eliphaz believes he has received insight from God, maintaining that his counsel to Job is rooted in a higher wisdom—though the overall message he delivers throughout the book aims to convince Job to repent in order to restore blessings, an approach which God ultimately rebukes at the end (Job 42:7).
Historically, being from Teman placed Eliphaz in the ancient land of Edom, which was occupied by descendants of Esau. Teman was considered the principal city of Edom (Obadiah 1:9), making Eliphaz’s lineage significant in Scripture. The timing of Job’s story is uncertain, but many scholars situate it around the Patriarchal era, roughly in the second millennium BC, well before the Kingdom of Israel was formally established. Eliphaz’s claim of divine revelation, as implied in “my ear received a whisper of it” (v.12), fits the pattern of visions and dreams that appear in other Old Testament accounts (Genesis 37:5-7, for example), though Eliphaz’s application of his revelation aligns more with an assumption of “retributive justice” than with the genuine words of God, as God Himself later condemns Eliphaz’s misguided counsel.
Set to dark mode
Job 4:12 meaning
Eliphaz the Temanite, who speaks these words in Job 4:12, came from Teman, a region located in Edom, widely believed to be in the southern part of what is now Jordan. As he addresses Job, he describes a moment of remarkable intimacy with the divine, saying, “Now a word was brought to me stealthily, And my ear received a whisper of it” (v.12). The phrase “stealthily” suggests that whatever Eliphaz heard felt both mysterious and solemn, underscoring the gravity of what he would share next. In this subtle “whisper,” Eliphaz believes he has received insight from God, maintaining that his counsel to Job is rooted in a higher wisdom—though the overall message he delivers throughout the book aims to convince Job to repent in order to restore blessings, an approach which God ultimately rebukes at the end (Job 42:7).
Historically, being from Teman placed Eliphaz in the ancient land of Edom, which was occupied by descendants of Esau. Teman was considered the principal city of Edom (Obadiah 1:9), making Eliphaz’s lineage significant in Scripture. The timing of Job’s story is uncertain, but many scholars situate it around the Patriarchal era, roughly in the second millennium BC, well before the Kingdom of Israel was formally established. Eliphaz’s claim of divine revelation, as implied in “my ear received a whisper of it” (v.12), fits the pattern of visions and dreams that appear in other Old Testament accounts (Genesis 37:5-7, for example), though Eliphaz’s application of his revelation aligns more with an assumption of “retributive justice” than with the genuine words of God, as God Himself later condemns Eliphaz’s misguided counsel.