Job 3-5: Eliphaz’s Confrontation

Thoughts

Job 3: Job

Job finally speaks after seven days of silence. 

He curses the day he was born (but not God!):

• He wishes it had perished. 
• He longs for that day to be “blotted out from the calendar”.
• He wishes darkness and gloom to claim it, that no joy or light would mark it.
• He laments that his birth allowed such suffering to exist.

Brief pause – here we see mention of the Leviathan. Leviathan (לִוְיָתָן, Livyatan) means “twisting one” or “coiled serpent.” To “rouse Leviathan” visualizes chaos. Later we will also see ‘Rahab’ in chapter 9. 

Term	Hebrew	Meaning / Symbol	Represents
Tannin / Tanninim	תַּנִּין / תַּנִּינִים	“Sea creature(s)”	Neutral sea creatures, sometimes used metaphorically for power or evil
Leviathan	לִוְיָתָן	“Twisting one” / coiled serpent	Chaos and destruction, ultimate untamable power
Rahab	רַהַב	“Pride” / “boaster”	Symbol of arrogant power (Egypt, chaos, pride)

Back to Job: He imagines the peace he would have known in death, and resting with kings and counselors.

Death, to him, seems a place of equality: both the great and small alike find rest. He sees the grave as a release from toil, trouble, and oppression.

He asks why light is given to those in misery. He describes longing for death as one might long for hidden treasure.

He feels trapped, unable to find comfort or purpose. His sighs come before food; his groans pour out like water.

He confesses that what he feared most (suffering ) has come upon him. 

Cycle 1 of Speeches

Job 4: Eliphaz

Eliphaz, the first of Job’s friends, responds to Job’s lament. He says that speaking might pain Job, but feels he needs to confront Job.

He recalls Job’s good deeds: Job has instructed, strengthened, and upheld others. Eliphaz questions why he is dismayed under suffering.

Eliphaz presents his main idea: The innocent don’t perish; the wicked do. He uses imagery of lions (the proud and powerful) who lose their prey and perish. Perhaps Job’s suffering has a cause. 

Eliphaz describes a night vision that came “stealthily”.  A spirit passes before his face, his hair stands on end, and then a voice speaks and says “Can a mortal be more righteous than God? Can a man be purer than his Maker?”

Eliphaz’s argument is basically:

• Job, you’ve been righteous, but no one is truly blameless before God.
• Suffering doesn’t happen without cause, perhaps God is correcting you.

Job 5

Eliphaz goes on to imply  that no angel or heavenly being will defend Job against God.He says the fool brings trouble on himself, and his children suffer as a result.

He urges Job to turn to God, not argue with Him. 

Eliphaz praises God’s greatness:

• God performs wonders, sends rain, and exalts the humble
• He frustrates the plans of the crafty and saves the needy 

“Blessed is the one whom God corrects; so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty.” (v. 17)

Eliphaz describes suffering as divine discipline:

• God wounds but also heals (v. 18).
• He rescues from six and even seven troubles (v. 19).
• He protects from famine, war, slander, and wild beasts (vv. 20–22).

He insists these words are based on observation and tradition (v. 27), confident that his theology is sound.

From Guzik: It is worth remembering that the LORD singled Eliphaz out at the end of the book for a special rebuke: the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “My wrath is aroused against you and your two friends, for you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has” (Job 42:7). “Eliphaz’s fault is not that his doctrine is unsound; it is his ineptness as a counselor. True words may be thin medicine for a man in the depths.” (Andersen)https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/job-5/

Questions

Who gave Eliphaz his vision?

If Eliphaz sat with Job in silence for 7 days, why is the first words out of his mouth not comfort? Even before he decides to ‘confront him’.

Did Job know what death would look like? Of what happens beyond the grave?

How can we discern mortal suffering from divine punishment?

Was Satan using his friends to torment him more?

Application

I want to focus on Job’s lament in chapter 3. Here we see Job’s raw honesty. He curses the day he was born and longs for death. He is speaking from the depths of despair. However, not once does he curse the name of God. He brings his anguish to God instead of letting his anguish bring him away from God. As humans we will all have moments where we long for relief of this world. We may not get all the answers we want about our suffering, but we do know that God is near even when He feels silent. We don’t have to pretend that everything is OK, we can bring everything to Him.