Job 5:14 | KingComments | STEP | The truth of is emphasized by Paul. He quotes these verses in the first letter to the Corinthians ( ). The apostle wants to deprive the Corinthians of their carnal trust in human wisdom. What Eliphaz says is certainly true, although God certainly does not always frustrate all the plans of all shrewd people. It is in any case wrong to apply this truth to Job and his circumstances. Job had no shrewd plans; therefore they cannot have been frustrated by God ( ; cf. ; ). God does indeed capture the wise in their own shrewdness, but Job is not a devious man whose counsel God has made fail ( ). It is not the mind of Eliphaz with his human conclusions that knows how to use the truth correctly, but a heart that loves the truth and lives in fellowship with God. The latter is lacking in Eliphaz. Job may be in darkness in broad daylight ( ), but not for the reasons Eliphaz supposes. Job gropes around in the night and sees no path in front of his foot, but that is not because he has cursed God. Contrary to the shrewd – the word “but” indicates that there is a contradiction with the foregoing – God helps the poor. If only Job would take the place of the poor, God would deliver him from those who with their words hurt him with their false accusations, and exercise power over him ( ). Eliphaz is also unaware that he himself is such a person. Whoever takes God’s side, so Eliphaz continues, has hope, for to him belongs victory over evil ( ). What Eliphaz does not suspect here is that Job will indeed experience this when he turns to God at the end of the book.

‏ Job 5:14

God’s Triumph Over Evil

The truth of Job 5:12-13 is emphasized by Paul. He quotes these verses in the first letter to the Corinthians (1Cor 3:19). The apostle wants to deprive the Corinthians of their carnal trust in human wisdom. What Eliphaz says is certainly true, although God certainly does not always frustrate all the plans of all shrewd people. It is in any case wrong to apply this truth to Job and his circumstances. Job had no shrewd plans; therefore they cannot have been frustrated by God (Job 5:12; cf. Neh 4:15; Est 7:3-10). God does indeed capture the wise in their own shrewdness, but Job is not a devious man whose counsel God has made fail (Job 5:13).

It is not the mind of Eliphaz with his human conclusions that knows how to use the truth correctly, but a heart that loves the truth and lives in fellowship with God. The latter is lacking in Eliphaz. Job may be in darkness in broad daylight (Job 5:14), but not for the reasons Eliphaz supposes. Job gropes around in the night and sees no path in front of his foot, but that is not because he has cursed God.

Contrary to the shrewd – the word “but” indicates that there is a contradiction with the foregoing – God helps the poor. If only Job would take the place of the poor, God would deliver him from those who with their words hurt him with their false accusations, and exercise power over him (Job 5:15). Eliphaz is also unaware that he himself is such a person. Whoever takes God’s side, so Eliphaz continues, has hope, for to him belongs victory over evil (Job 5:16). What Eliphaz does not suspect here is that Job will indeed experience this when he turns to God at the end of the book.