FocusWisdom and the demand for an answer
Connection to the wholeThe later speeches, poem on wisdom, and Job's final defense bring the dispute to the point of his appeal for an answer.
interpretation Job 22:8
KJVBut as for the mighty man, he had the earth; and the honourable man dwelt in it.
Read it in context
Eliphaz: Can a Man Be of Use to God?
Start reading at Job 22:1 (Job 22:1 to Job 22:30).
An editorial reading unit, not a claim that the surrounding context stops here. Book background below applies to the shared passage; individual verses may need more specific explanation.
The later speeches, poem on wisdom, and Job's final defense bring the dispute to the point of his appeal for an answer.
- 22:1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,
- 22:2 Can a man be profitable unto God, as he that is wise may be profitable unto himself?
- 22:3 Is it any pleasure to the Almighty, that thou art righteous? or is it gain to him, that thou makest thy ways perfect?
- 22:4 Will he reprove thee for fear of thee? will he enter with thee into judgment?
- 22:5 Is not thy wickedness great? and thine iniquities infinite?
- 22:6 For thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother for nought, and stripped the naked of their clothing.
- 22:7 Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink, and thou hast withholden bread from the hungry.
- 22:8 But as for the mighty man, he had the earth; and the honourable man dwelt in it.
- 22:9 Thou hast sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.
- 22:10 Therefore snares are round about thee, and sudden fear troubleth thee;
- 22:11 Or darkness, that thou canst not see; and abundance of waters cover thee.
- 22:12 Is not God in the height of heaven? and behold the height of the stars, how high they are!
- 22:13 And thou sayest, How doth God know? can he judge through the dark cloud?
- 22:14 Thick clouds are a covering to him, that he seeth not; and he walketh in the circuit of heaven.
- 22:15 Hast thou marked the old way which wicked men have trodden?
- 22:16 Which were cut down out of time, whose foundation was overflown with a flood:
- 22:17 Which said unto God, Depart from us: and what can the Almighty do for them?
- 22:18 Yet he filled their houses with good things: but the counsel of the wicked is far from me.
- 22:19 The righteous see it, and are glad: and the innocent laugh them to scorn.
- 22:20 Whereas our substance is not cut down, but the remnant of them the fire consumeth.
- 22:21 Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee.
- 22:22 Receive, I pray thee, the law from his mouth, and lay up his words in thine heart.
- 22:23 If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacles.
- 22:24 Then shalt thou lay up gold as dust, and the gold of Ophir as the stones of the brooks.
- 22:25 Yea, the Almighty shall be thy defence, and thou shalt have plenty of silver.
- 22:26 For then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face unto God.
- 22:27 Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he shall hear thee, and thou shalt pay thy vows.
- 22:28 Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: and the light shall shine upon thy ways.
- 22:29 When men are cast down, then thou shalt say, There is lifting up; and he shall save the humble person.
- 22:30 He shall deliver the island of the innocent: and it is delivered by the pureness of thine hands.
Who
- Who wrote the book? The author is unknown. Moses is one ancient traditional proposal, but neither that proposal nor another named author can be established with confidence. Historical source: Babylonian Talmud, Bava Batra 14b–15a (record of Jewish attribution, not contemporary proof). book background
- Who was present or being addressed in this passage? In the surrounding chapter context (Job 22:1–22:30): Eliphaz directs further accusations and counsel to Job. stated in the text
- Who was the book written to? Readers within Israel's wisdom tradition, wrestling with innocent suffering, justice, and the limits of human judgment. No named individual or first community is identified. Biblical references: Job 28:28; Job 42:7. book background
What
- What is the topic of this reading unit? Eliphaz: Can a Man Be of Use to God?. Read Job 22:1 through Job 22:30 as a connected unit. interpretation
- How does it contribute to the book? The later speeches, poem on wisdom, and Job's final defense bring the dispute to the point of his appeal for an answer. interpretation
When
- When are the events or message set? The book supplies no royal date or exact historical year for Job's experiences. Proposed patriarchal-era settings are historical inferences, not a date explicitly stated by the narrative. book background
Where
- What is the book’s geographic setting? Job is introduced as a man in the land of Uz. The poetic speeches range through imagined and remembered scenes that should not all be treated as the speakers' physical locations. book background
- Where does the context start? This passage sits in Eliphaz: Can a Man Be of Use to God? (Job 22:1 to Job 22:30). Start reading at Job 22:1. An editorial reading unit, not a claim that the surrounding context stops here. Book background below applies to the shared passage; individual verses may need more specific explanation.
How
- How does this book connect with Jesus Christ? James refers to Job's endurance and the Lord's compassion. Connections between Job's suffering and Christ may be considered as comparisons; Job's speeches should not all be treated as direct predictions of Jesus. See Job 1:1, James 5:11, Hebrews 4:15. interpretation
- How should this book guide our response? Do not assume that a sufferer's losses prove a hidden sin. Listen carefully, distinguish the speakers, and read their claims alongside the LORD's concluding rebuke of the friends. interpretation
Cited: Job 22:1, Job 22:30, Job 1:1, James 5:11, Hebrews 4:15
Who wrote it, and how we know
Uncertain; among the oldest books of Scripture
Not known
What Scripture saysThe book does not name its author.
Early traditionJewish tradition (Baba Bathra 14b) suggested Moses, but ancient opinion varied widely.
What is debatedThe author is unknown and the date is uncertain. The setting appears patriarchal, but the book could have been written far later.
Related passages
- But as Job 29:7-17 Job 31:34 1 Kgs 21:11-15 Ps 12:8 Mic 7:3
- mighty man Job 13:8
Cross references from CrossReferences-org (CC BY 4.0).
Macro-Structure
See how this passage fits the chapter and the book.
Macro-Structure of Job 22
Job contains narrative, lament, and extended disputation. The speakers must be identified before treating an assertion as the book's teaching: the LORD explicitly rebukes Job's friends near the end. Neither the author nor an exact historical date is stated. Local headings and stanza divisions are editorial reading aids adapted from public-domain BSB headings; verse boundaries and Scripture links use the KJV. Connections describe the surrounding book movement.
Suggested literary divisions. Headings summarize the passage; they are not part of the biblical text.
Macro-Structure of Job
Job contains narrative, lament, and extended disputation. The speakers must be identified before treating an assertion as the book's teaching: the LORD explicitly rebukes Job's friends near the end. Neither the author nor an exact historical date is stated.
Job's losses and the friends' arrival
Job 1:1–2:13FocusSuffering and the opening test
Connection to the wholeThe narrative establishes Job's losses and integrity before the speeches begin, giving readers information the disputing friends do not possess.
interpretation The lament and first exchange
Job 3:1–14:22FocusSuffering questioned and explained
Connection to the wholeJob's lament leads into the first cycle of speeches, in which the friends' explanations are challenged by Job's experience.
interpretation The second exchange
Job 15:1–21:34FocusAccusation and protest intensify
Connection to the wholeThe argument sharpens as the friends connect suffering with wickedness and Job challenges their account of the wicked's fortunes.
interpretation FocusWisdom and the demand for an answer
Connection to the wholeThe later speeches, poem on wisdom, and Job's final defense bring the dispute to the point of his appeal for an answer.
interpretation Elihu speaks
Job 32:1–37:24FocusClaims about God's justice and instruction
Connection to the wholeA new speaker responds to Job and the friends before the LORD's speeches begin; his speech must be distinguished from the divine answer.
interpretation The LORD answers
Job 38:1–41:34FocusCreation and the limits of human knowledge
Connection to the wholeThe LORD questions Job concerning the created order, confronting the limits of his knowledge and his attempt to contend with God.
interpretation Job's response and the conclusion
Job 42:1–17FocusRepentance, rebuke, and restoration
Connection to the wholeJob responds, the friends are rebuked, and the narrative closes with intercession and restoration without turning every speech into endorsed doctrine.
interpretation Suggested literary divisions. Headings summarize the passage; they are not part of the biblical text.