151 And Eliphaz the Temanite made answer and said, 2 Will a wise man make answer with knowledge of no value, or will he give birth to the east wind? 3 Will he make arguments with words in which is no profit, and with sayings which have no value? 4 Truly, you make the fear of God without effect, so that the time of quiet worship before God is made less by your outcry. 5 For your mouth is guided by your sin, and you have taken the tongue of the false for yourself. 6 It is by your mouth, even yours, that you are judged to be in the wrong, and not by me; and your lips give witness against you. 7 Were you the first man to come into the world? or did you come into being before the hills? 8 Were you present at the secret meeting of God? and have you taken all wisdom for yourself? 9 What knowledge have you which we have not? is there anything in your mind which is not in ours? 10 With us are men who are grey-haired and full of years, much older than your father. 11 Are the comforts of God not enough for you, and the gentle word which was said to you? 12 Why is your heart uncontrolled, and why are your eyes lifted up; 13 So that you are turning your spirit against God, and letting such words go out of your mouth? 14 What is man, that he may be clean? and how may the son of woman be upright? 15 Truly, he puts no faith in his holy ones, and the heavens are not clean in his eyes; 16 How much less one who is disgusting and unclean, a man who takes in evil like water!
17 Take note and give ear to my words; and I will say what I have seen: 18 (The things which wise men have got from their fathers, and have not kept secret from us; 19 For only to them was the land given, and no strange people were among them:) 20 The evil man is in pain all his days, and the number of the years stored up for the cruel is small. 21 A sound of fear is in his ears; in time of peace destruction will come on him:
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Job 15:1-21
Commentary on Job 15:1-16
(Read Job 15:1-16)
Eliphaz begins a second attack upon Job, instead of being softened by his complaints. He unjustly charges Job with casting off the fear of God, and all regard to him, and restraining prayer. See in what religion is summed up, fearing God, and praying to him; the former the most needful principle, the latter the most needful practice. Eliphaz charges Job with self-conceit. He charges him with contempt of the counsels and comforts given him by his friends. We are apt to think that which we ourselves say is important, when others, with reason, think little of it. He charges him with opposition to God. Eliphaz ought not to have put harsh constructions upon the words of one well known for piety, and now in temptation. It is plain that these disputants were deeply convinced of the doctrine of original sin, and the total depravity of human nature. Shall we not admire the patience of God in bearing with us? and still more his love to us in the redemption of Christ Jesus his beloved Son?
Commentary on Job 15:17-35
(Read Job 15:17-35)
Eliphaz maintains that the wicked are certainly miserable: whence he would infer, that the miserable are certainly wicked, and therefore Job was so. But because many of God's people have prospered in this world, it does not therefore follow that those who are crossed and made poor, as Job, are not God's people. Eliphaz shows also that wicked people, particularly oppressors, are subject to continual terror, live very uncomfortably, and perish very miserably. Will the prosperity of presumptuous sinners end miserably as here described? Then let the mischiefs which befal others, be our warnings. Though no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous, nevertheless, afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruits of righteousness to them that are exercised thereby. No calamity, no trouble, however heavy, however severe, can rob a follower of the Lord of his favour. What shall separate him from the love of Christ?