Job 22:6-11

2. Specific sins charged against Job, and their consequences (Job 22:6-11)

TEXT 22:6-11

6 For thou hast taken pledges of thy brother for nought,

And stripped the naked of their clothing.

7 Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink,

And thou hast withholden bread from the hungry.

8 But as for the mighty man, he had the earth;

And the honorable man, he dwelt in it.

9 Thou hast sent widows away empty,

And the arms of the fatherless have been broken.

10 Therefore snares are round about thee,

And sudden fear troubleth thee,

11 Or darkness, so that thou canst not see,

And abundance of waters cover thee.

COMMENT 22:6-11

Job 22:6Eliphaz begins analysis of specific sinsJob 22:6-11. Hebrew law required that if a poor man gave his undergarment in pledge for a given transaction, that the creditor must return it by sundown, so the debtor would have at least this covering to protect him against the chill of the nightExodus 22:26; Deuteronomy 24:10-13; Amos 2:8; Ezekiel 18:12. Here Eliphaz charges that Job in his greed has stripped the poor debtors and reduced them to nakedness (strongly denied in Job 31:19-22). Where is the evidence for this charge? Does he bring some mistreated poor to witness against JobGalatians 6:1?

Job 22:7Eliphaz continues to confront Job with the violation of the standard list of social crimes which the wealthy and powerful could commit with impunity. The next accusation hurled against Job is that he has neglected basic hospitality to the poorIsaiah 58:7; Isaiah 58:10; Job's response is Job 31:16 ff. The charge is more serious than mere neglect; he is charged with calloused indifference to even the minimal needs of the poorMatthew 25:35; Matthew 25:42. The adjective weary is used of the thirstyIsaiah 29:8; Jeremiah 31:25; and Proverbs 25:15. Then, as now, piety demands social expression. There can be no private piety.

Job 22:8Job is identified as a man of arm,[243] i.e., a person of wealth and rank. Here we read of an oblique reference to Job as a land-grabberIsaiah 5:8. He is also described as the favored man (lit. lifted of faceIsaiah 3:3), i.e., on the basis of his wealth.

[243] See M. Pope, JBL, 1966, p. 529, for analysis of R. Gordis-' claim that the verse is a quotation. See R. Gordis, The Book of God and Man, The Use of Quotations in Job, chapter 13, pp. 169-189.

Job 22:9Supposedly, Job has sent widows away empty handed. He also crushed the arms of orphans. To exploit defenseless orphans or widows was a most heinous crimeDeuteronomy 27:19; Jeremiah 7:6; Jeremiah 22:3. Job responds to these charges in Job 29:12 ff and Job 31:16 ff.

Job 22:10What Bildad (Job 18:8-11; Job 19:6) has earlier predicted of the ungodly in general, Eliphaz here specifically applies to Job. In retribution for his sinful acts, God spreads snares or traps all around Job. Terrified with sudden dread, Job falls into the traps with paralyzing fright. The snares are proof of Job's evil deeds, according to Eliphaz.

Job 22:11Job, do you not understand the true cause of your troubles?in contrast with Isaiah 58:10-11. The crushing misfortunes are metaphorically expressed by blinding darkness and destructive floods. The second line in this verse is verbatim found in Job 38:34 b. Water and darkness are figures for the perils of death and SheolPsalms 69:2-3; Job 9:31 a.