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EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

Job 4:15-16

The Bible describes good spirits and evil spirits.

Good spirits come from God. They teach us the truth about God. God sends them to help us. Good spirits are probably the same as angels (God’s servants in heaven).

Evil spirits come from the devil. They are also called demons. Like the devil, demons are enemies of God.

Perhaps Eliphaz did see a spirit. But perhaps he imagined it. Most dreams mean nothing.

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See also Job 4:15-16 in other biblical comments:

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    THEN A SPIRIT PASSED BEFORE MY FACE - He does not intimate whether it was the spirit of a man, or an angel who thus appeared. The belief in such apparitions was common in the early ages, and indeed ha...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    CHAPTER S 4-5 THE FIRST ADDRESS OF ELIPHAZ _ 1. He rebukes Job (Job 4:1)_ 2. The righteous are not cast off (Job 4:6) 3. An awe-inspiring vision (Job 4:12) 4. Experience and exhortation ...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    Eliphaz confirms the truth of his doctrine by telling of a vision which he had had. A revelation came upon him like a thief in the night (lit. a word stole upon me). His thoughts were raised to a high...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    A SPIRIT. Hebrew. _ruach._ App-9 :.. movement of air, caused by something unseen....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    Third, surely instead of despairing and murmuring under his afflictions Job should follow a very different way. I, says Eliphaz, putting himself in Job's place, would seek unto God, all whose doings a...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    Turning to Job's murmurs against heaven, Eliphaz points to the unapproachable purity of God and the imperfection of all creatures, and warns Job against such complaints Having expressed his wonder th...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _then a spirit_ Rather, A BREATH. It was something which he felt; that which he saw follows in Job 4:16. The word _spirit_does not seem used in the Old Testament in the sense of an apparition....

  • Charles Simeon's Horae Homileticae

    DISCOURSE: 454 ELIPHAZ REPROVES JOB Job 4:12. Now a thing was secretly brought to me, and mine ear received a little thereof. In thoughts from the visions of the night, when deep sleep falleth on men,...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    2. The Visionno mortal can question God's just acts. (Job 4:12-21) TEXT 4:12-21 12 NOW A THING WAS SECRETLY BROUGHT TO ME, And mine ear received a whisper thereof. 13 In thoughts from the visions...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    _FEAR CAME UPON ME, AND TREMBLING, WHICH MADE ALL MY BONES TO SHAKE._ No JFB commentary on these verses....

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    THE FIRST SPEECH OF ELIPHAZ (JOB 4:5) Eliphaz is the principal and probably the oldest of the three friends: cp. Job 32:6. He is also the most considerate. But the complainings of Job in Job 3 had evi...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    A SPIRIT] rather, 'a breath.'...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    A SPIRIT PASSED BEFORE MY FACE. — It is vain to argue from this passage that spiritual essences are capable of being seen by the bodily eye, because, first of all, the language is highly figurative an...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    וְ֭ רוּחַ עַל ־פָּנַ֣י יַחֲלֹ֑ף תְּ֝סַמֵּ֗ר ש

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    VII. THE THINGS ELIPHAZ HAD SEEN Job 4:1; Job 5:1 ELIPHAZ SPEAKS THE ideas of sin and suffering against which the poem of Job was written come now dramatically into view. The belief of the three fr...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    “SHALL MORTAL MAN BE MORE JUST THAN GOD?” Job 4:1 The first cycle of speeches is opened by Eliphaz. It must be remembered that he and the two others believed that special suffering resulted from and...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    Now begins the great controversy between Job and his friends, which occupies the major portion of the Book. This controversy moves in three cycles. The first, commencing here, runs through chapter fou...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _Spirit: angel, or gentle breeze. (Calmet)_...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    (12) В¶ Now a thing was secretly brought to me, and mine ear received a little thereof. (13) In thoughts from the visions of the night, when deep sleep falleth on men, (14) Fear came upon me, and trem...

  • James Nisbet's Church Pulpit Commentary

    _A SPECTRAL VISITOR_ ‘A spirit passed before my face.’ Job 4:15 However we may explain it, there is no doubt that the real or fancied appearance of a human spirit, without the body, has, in all age...

  • John Brown Commentaries Selected Books of the Bible

    Eliphaz Relying on Experience I. INTRODUCTION A. Last week, in Chapter 3, Job was at the height of his deep, dark, depression! 1. In fact, he stated over and over again that he wished that he had n...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY COVERS CHAPTER S 4 THROUGH 31. As to the friends of Job, they do not call for any extended remarks. They urge the doctrine that God's earthly government is a full measure and...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    THEN A SPIRIT PASSED BEFORE MY FACE,.... Which some interpret of a wind q, a blustering wind, that blew strong in his face; and so the Targum renders it, a stormy wind, such an one as Elijah perceived...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    _Then a spirit passed before my face; the hair of my flesh stood up:_ Ver. 15. _Then a spirit passed before my face_] Some render it a wind, as a messenger or forerunner of God near at hand, as 1 Kin...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _Then_ Hebrew, _And_, as the particle ו, _vau_, generally signifies. _A spirit passed before my face_ An angel in a visible shape, otherwise he could not have discerned it, nor would have been affrigh...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    Then a spirit passed before my face, gliding or flitting before him like the apparition of an angel; THE HAIR OF MY FLESH STOOD UP, as in sudden, extreme terror;...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    Job having thus given way to his impatience, his friends thought it their duty to correct him. But instead of showing him in what respect his position was wrong, they proceed according to the assumpti...

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    ELIPHAZ: COMMENDATION TWISTED INTO REBUKE (vv.1-6) The three friends of Job could only think of God's justice in reference to Job's sufferings, and had no idea of God's love. Eliphaz no doubt though...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    12-21 Eliphaz relates a vision. When we are communing with our own hearts, and are still, Psalms 4:4, then is a time for the Holy Spirit to commune with us. This vision put him into very great fear....

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    THEN, Heb. _and_, or _for_, as this particle is oft used. So this was the reason of the foregoing thoughts and fear. A SPIRIT; an angel in some visible shape, otherwise he could not have discerned it,...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Job 4:15 spirit H7307 passed H2498 (H8799) face H6440 hair H8185 body H1320 up H5568 (H8762) a spirit -...

  • Sermon Bible Commentary

    Job 4:13 I. Consider the spectre itself and its appearance. (1) It was produced by a likeness of moral state. It was a time of thought. But this does not convey all the idea of the passage. The Hebrew...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Eliphaz's theory in regard to Job's suffering. CHARACTERS: God, Eliphaz, Job. CONCLUSION: Those who pass rash and uncharitable censures upon their brethren, do Satan's work. We should be c...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Job 4:1. _Eliphaz answered,_ being the eldest, or the more eloquent. Job 4:3. _Thou hast instructed many._ The holy patriarchs were all preachers of righteousness on the sabbath days, &c, He admits t...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _In thoughts from the visions of the night._ THE SPECTRE’S QUESTION Disguise it how we may, this is a ghost story. I. Attempt to realise the spectre. Recollect that for every one of us spirit has c...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said._ THE FIRST COLLOQUY At this point we pass into the poem proper. It opens with three colloquies between Job and his friends. In form these colloquies clos...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    JOB—NOTE ON JOB 4:12 Eliphaz reports that he had a vision (vv. Job 4:12) and then describes its content (vv. Job 4:17). The vision raises t

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    _COMMENCEMENT OF THE CONTROVERSY BETWEEN JOB AND HIS THREE FRIENDS_ First Course of the Speeches. First Dialogue,—Eliphaz and Job FIRST SPEECH OF ELIPHAZ _Eliphaz censures Job for his impatience, an...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION Job having ended his complaint, Eliphaz the Temanite, the first-named of his three friends (Job 2:11), and perhaps the eldest of them, takes the word, and endeavours to answer him. After a...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    So Job has made his complaint, and so Eliphaz, his friend who came to comfort him, he said, If we attempt to talk to you, will you be grieved? [But really after what you've said] who can keep silent?...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    Daniel 5:6; Hebrews 1:14; Hebrews 1:7; Isaiah 13:8; Isaiah 21:3;...

  • Wells of Living Water Commentary

    THE PHILOSOPHY OF ELIPHAZ Job 4:1 INTRODUCTORY WORDS We are now approaching a part of the Book of Job that is most interesting. Job's three friends have at last broken their silence, and Eliphaz th...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    A spirit — An angel in visible shape, otherwise he could not have discerned it. Stood up — Through that excessive horror caused by so glorious, unusual, and terrible a presence....

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