Job Chapter 4: Eliphaz's Counsel

Eliphaz and Job's Conversation (Job 4)

• Eliphaz the Temanite was the first friend to respond to Job.
• He questions Job's potential impatience regarding his suffering.
• Eliphaz recalls Job's past actions in instructing others, highlighting a contrast with Job's current state.
• Job had strengthened feeble hands, showing his previous role as a support to the weak.
• Eliphaz states that Job had supported those who stumbled, indicating Job's past kindness and assistance.
• He observes that Job is now discouraged when faced with trouble, signifying a shift in Job's demeanor.
• Job's dismay is attributed to trouble, underlining the psychological impact of suffering.
• Eliphaz suggests that Job's confidence should stem from his piety, urging faith in God during hardships.
• He asserts that Job's hope should be in his blameless ways, emphasizing the importance of moral integrity.
• Eliphaz questions Job rhetorically about the fate of the innocent, asserting that no innocent person ever perished.
• He reflects on the upright, suggesting that they are never destroyed, reinforcing belief in divine justice.
• Those who sow trouble are said to reap it, indicating a moral lesson on the consequences of one's actions.
• Eliphaz reinforces that those who plow evil are the ones who face repercussions for their deeds.
• His observations come from personal experience, promoting a viewpoint based on observed truths rather than hearsay.
• Eliphaz claims that trouble perishes at the breath of God, illustrating divine intervention in the world.
• The anger of God is depicted as forceful enough to obliterate the wicked, conveying a strong message about divine authority.
• He likens great lions losing their teeth to a symbolic representation of loss of power or strength.
• Eliphaz attributes the perishing of lions to lack of prey, indicating the connection between necessity and survival.
• A secret word was revealed to Eliphaz, suggesting divine communication or insight granted to him.
• The revelation came silently, indicating a profound and subtle spiritual experience.
• Eliphaz experienced a disquieting dream that brought forth this word, adding an element of unsettling revelation.
• His reaction to the dream was fear and trembling, illustrating the seriousness and weight of the vision.
• A spirit passed before Eliphaz's face, symbolizing a spiritual encounter or moment of revelation.
• The physical reaction of his hair standing on end indicates a profound sense of fear and awe at the experience.