Job 4 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Job 4:1: 4:1–14:22 This section begins three rounds of speeches by each of Job’s three comforters, each with a response from Job (4:1–27:23 ). In this first round, Job’s friends exhort him to seek God so that he can again enjoy prosperity. Summary for Job 4:1-2: 4:1-2 Eliphaz the Temanite (see study note on 2:11) was the most prominent and probably the oldest of Job’s friends; his speeches are longer and more ornate than the others. • who could keep from speaking out? Eliphaz mimicked the urgency of a prophetic revelation (4:12-16 ; see Jer 20:9 ; Amos 3:8 ).

Summary for Job 4:1: 4:1–14:22 ^a This section begins three rounds of speeches by each of Job’s three comforters, each with a response from Job (4:1–27:23 ^b). In this first round, Job’s friends exhort him to seek God so that he can again enjoy prosperity.
Summary for Job 4:1-2: 4:1-2 ^c Eliphaz the Temanite (see study note on 2:11) was the most prominent and probably the oldest of Job’s friends; his speeches are longer and more ornate than the others.

• who could keep from speaking out? Eliphaz mimicked the urgency of a prophetic revelation (4:12-16 ^d; see Jer 20:9 ^e; Amos 3:8 ^f).
Summary for Job 4:3-4: 4:3-4 ^g People ... who were weak were depressed and suffered from low morale (Isa 13:7 ^h; 35:3 ⁱ; Ezek 7:17 ^j).
4:7 ^k Job probably counted his children among the innocent dead (1:5 ^l), and even Eliphaz must have known that innocent blood is sometimes shed (cp. Deut 19:10 ^m; Prov 6:17 ⁿ; Jer 7:6 ^o).
4:8 ^p The harvest metaphor illustrates the scriptural principle that behavior merits judgment (Prov 22:8 ^q; Hos 8:7 ^r; Rom 2:9-11 ^s; Gal 6:7-8 ^t). The New Testament describes the final judgment as a harvest (Matt 13:39 ^u). Jesus rejected simplistic attempts to analyze people’s lives by this principle (Luke 13:4 ^v; John 9:1-3 ^w).
4:9 ^x They vanish in a blast of his anger: Eliphaz understood the wind of 1:19 ^y as divine judgment (cp. Isa 40:7 ^z; Hos 13:15 ^aa).
Summary for Job 4:12-16: 4:12-16 ^ab Eliphaz posed as a prophet, implying that God spoke to him in secret (Num 12:6 ^ac); later God did speak to him, but not to affirm his counsel (Job 42:7 ^ad).
4:13 ^ae Eliphaz probably referred to the God-induced sleep associated with prophetic vision (33:15 ^af; Gen 15:12 ^ag; Num 12:6 ^ah; Isa 29:10 ^ai).
4:14 ^aj Fear is common in God’s presence (Gen 15:12 ^ak; Dan 8:17-18 ^al; 10:8-10 ^am), but God tells his people not to be afraid (Gen 15:1 ^an; 26:24 ^ao; Isa 40:9 ^ap; 44:8 ^aq).

• Eliphaz’s bones trembled like those of a prophet with terrible news to deliver (Jer 23:9 ^ar; Hab 3:16 ^as).
4:15 ^at A spirit (or wind) swept past my face: Wind is a physical display of God’s powerful presence (38:1 ^au; Nah 1:3 ^av; Acts 2:2 ^aw; cp. 1 Kgs 19:11 ^ax).
4:17 ^ay As the characters in the book repeatedly acknowledge, no one is truly innocent or pure (see 9:2 ^az; 15:14 ^ba; 25:4 ^bb; 35:7 ^bc) because all are depraved (Pss 14:3 ^bd; 53:3 ^be; Rom 3:10-11 ^bf). Eliphaz used these terms to mean that human beings are sinful creatures and God is the sinless Creator. Job and God used them to mean that Job had faithfully carried out the duties inherent in his relationship with God. Job and Eliphaz never agreed on the meaning of these terms. Later, God said that Eliphaz had spoken inaccurately (Job 42:7 ^bg).
Summary for Job 4:18-21: 4:18-21 ^bh The concept that God does not trust his own angels and that he charged his messengers with foolishness is otherwise unknown (but see Gen 6:1-4 ^bi).
4:21 ^bj A tent was a common symbol for mortal life (Isa 38:12 ^bk; 2 Cor 5:1 ^bl; cp. Eccl 12:6 ^bm).