Holy Job had not only shown that Zophar’s words were ridiculous but also had reproved all his friends in common. They all thought that wisdom had to be judged according to the limits of their age. Since he had also discussed many issues concerning both human and divine nature, Eliphaz gets offended. He tries to accuse [Job] openly of different iniquities; since he has no decisive evidence, Eliphaz takes refuge by drawing a comparison with the people of previous generations, without showing any humility but by considering himself to be wiser than anybody else. Will the wise answer as if he speaks in the wind, or will he fill his stomach with ardor? [Eliphaz] wants to demonstrate that Job’s longwinded speech is a proof of foolishness and that the words Job said were dictated by anger and not suggested by reason. Will the wise answer as if he speaks in the wind? Since holy Job, after the beginning of his speech, had left his antagonists behind and had turned his words to God, Eliphaz says that it is not worthy of a wise man, after neglecting the opponent in a debate, to speak as if in the wind and to pronounce whatever he wants without the fear of an adversary. You accuse with your words him who is not equal to you and say what is not profitable to you. Your purification is an accusation against God. In fact, if you are afflicted undeservedly, he who is afflicting you is undoubtedly accused of iniquity.

Because Job reproached his friends with confidence, they were irritated and hurt. This did not demonstrate any arrogance before God. In fact, since Job trusted in his own innocence, he did not take seriously at all the vain power of his accusers. Feeling ashamed in rebuking Job for his former words, [Eliphaz] says, in a vain attempt at useless chatter, that Job spoke of him with arrogance before God. And then, without waiting any longer, he hastens to reveal the reason why he denigrated Job, because Job had no consideration for the words of the powerful.

Eliphaz is just about to say, did you by any chance exist before the entire world, so that you learned about the most ancient times? Or did you learn anything from the mouth of God? You are not superior to us in knowledge at all. Since you had said that wisdom is found in a long time,^[1] are you not caught in a trap now? In fact, you are not aged at all, nor were you born before the universe. But Job said that so that his friends might show their pride.

It is as if Eliphaz said to Job in plain words, If you would amend your profession of faith, you might long ago have possessed consolation in your scourges. Why does your heart puff you up? Have your eyes astonished you as though you were thinking of great things? Often the mind of the righteous is so suspended in contemplating things on high that outwardly their face seems to have been struck with astonishment. Because heretics are not taught to enforce the power of contemplation in secret, they think that when the just and those that are imbued with right understanding do so, it is more out of hypocrisy than truth. They believe that whatever they themselves cannot obtain possession of must not exist in others in any genuine way either. Why does your spirit swell against God, that you let such words go out of your mouth? Very often when the righteous are afflicted with any woes, they are forced to confess their works, as blessed Job had done, who after living righteously was beaten down by the stokes of the rod; but when the unrighteous hear the sayings of the righteous, they think that they are uttered in self-exaltation rather than in truth. For they weigh the words of the righteous by their own feelings and do not think that good words can be said in a humble spirit. For as it is a great sin for a person to ascribe to himself what is not there, so it is commonly no sin at all if he speaks the good that there is with humility. Hence it often happens that the just and unjust speak words that are similar, but always a heart that is widely dissimilar. By the same sayings for which the Lord is offended by the unrighteous, he is even propitiated by the righteous. Thus the Pharisee, when he entered the temple, said, I fast twice in the week; I give tithes of all that I possess.^[1] But the publican went out justified more than he. Hezekiah too, the king, when he was afflicted with sickness of the body and brought to the last point of life, said with his heart pierced in prayer, Remember now, O Lord, I beseech you, how I have walked before you in truth, and with a perfect heart.^[2] Nor yet did the Lord disregard this confession of his perfection, or refuse him, whom he immediately heard effectually in his prayers. See, the Pharisee justified himself in act, and Hezekiah maintained himself to be just in thought as well, and by the same act the one offended and the other propitiated God. Does not almighty God estimate the words of each by the thoughts within, and in his ear are not those high that are uttered with a lowly heart? Hence blessed Job, when he put forward his deeds, did not in the least degree act proudly against God, in that those things that he had really done, he spoke with a humble spirit.

Who is the person, Eliphaz asks, who can be blameless or can proclaim, I am righteous? If, in fact, those who are very holy, both men and angels, and the purity itself of heaven before the judgment of the most pure God appear to be unclean, what should we say about the damnable and impure human being who drinks iniquity like a draught? He has said this because humans commit sin deliberately. The words as he does not trust his saints may also be interpreted in this manner, since the angels themselves can become different in their nature, and actually some of them slipped away from their own former position. Heaven is not pure because of this, and it is also often obscured by clouds. ^[1] THE PLEASURE OF SIN. ISHO‘DAD OF MERV: He will drink iniquity like water. The author says these words in order to show that [human beings] enjoy uttering blasphemies. ^[1]

All arrogant persons have this characteristic that when they have a right notion, though the thing is little, they wrest it to serve their pride. By the same act from understanding they attempt to raise themselves higher. From swollen pride they fall into the pit of self-exalting and account themselves better instructed than the learned. They exact respect for themselves from their superiors and stand upon it to teach as with authority those who are holier people. Hence it is now said, I will demonstrate; listen to me.

Eliphaz adds, No stranger marched against them, that is, the wise are those who enjoy peace and transmit it to their descendants. No stranger marched against them. This means they made no war nor saw any fight nor knew any revolt, but they stood with nobility and bravery. They did not only survive but also possessed great force and power and enjoyed a profound peace. All the life of the ungodly, he says, is spent in anguish, and when they experience peace, their conscience will know this anguish. The years granted to the oppressors, who are unjust, are numbered, he says, because the tyrants are ephemeral. Just when he seems to be at peace, his overthrow will come. Here Job learns that war comes from above, and there will be no change in his misfortunes. He has been appointed to be food for vultures. He has already been given over to the power of the sword. Notice this again. His death is pitiful. It is not conformed to the common law of nature but is the result of violence, war and battle. After his death, he will not have a burial or a funeral and will not only be deprived of a tomb but will also be food for vultures. He knows within himself that he is doomed to be a carcass. The foreboding of these events makes them even more painful for Job when they are predicted to him and announced beforehand.

This means that pain and anguish catches [the wicked] in the middle, just like in a field where on one side a king threatens with inimical banners and on the other side pillaging robbers impend, so that his mind and soul cannot be at rest.

He has lifted his hands against the Lord, and he has become strong against the almighty Lord. Through the lifting or stretching of the hand Eliphaz indicates the one who opposes God, and he calls him strong for the arrogance of his swollen mind. And he has run against him with an upright neck. Here Eliphaz indicates the precipitous and abrupt mind of the proud. Being indeed possessed by his insanity, he does not proceed with slow steps in his bold opposition. And he has armed himself with a fat neck. By mentioning the fatness of the neck, Eliphaz has indicated an overabundant and almost excessively flowing arrogance.

He describes the absolute solitude of the impious and says that because of their misery, they inhabit desolation instead of prosperous cities and houses. In fact, Eliphaz says, their wealth will not last.

As often as we do alms after sin, we, as it were, pay a price for bad actions. Wherefore, the prophet says concerning him who does not do these things, He will not give God his propitiation or the price of the redemption of the soul.^[1] But sometimes the rich, being elated, oppress those below them and seize the things of another. Yet, in a certain way they give some things to others. And while they oppress multitudes, they sometimes render defensive support to particular persons; for the iniquities that they never abandon they seem to offer a price. But the price of alms then frees us from sins, when we lament and renounce things of which we are guilty. For he who is both always sinning, and, as it were, always bestowing alms, pays a price in vain, in that he does not redeem his soul, which he does not keep from evil habits. Hence it is now said, Let him not believe, being vainly deceived, that he is to be redeemed with any price. For the alms of the rich and proud person has no efficacy to redeem him, seeing that his robbery of the poor person committed simultaneously will not allow his alms to rise up before the eyes of God. . . . Very commonly we see persons that both lead wicked lives and attain to the very extreme of old age. How then is it said, Before his days are fulfilled, he shall perish, when, in the case of particular persons we often see that their limbs already fail from age, and yet their passions do not cease to carry out their wickedness? For there are some, who after losing their way in life, come to their senses, and with their conscience accusing them, they forsake their evil ways, alter their actions, resist their old wickedness, flee earthly courses and pursue heavenly aims. However, before they become firmly rooted in those holy aims, from deadness of mind they return to the things from which they began to pass sentence, and they fall back to the evil habits that they had determined to shun. For it often happens that for the profit of many, even holy people bow their necks to external actions and are busied with the governance of a people. The weak observing this, and from their former pride still within them, seeking to follow their example, they set themselves in outward ways of action. But in proportion, for they do not come to their actions well imbued with the things of the Spirit, and they execute them in a carnal manner. For until the heart is first confirmed in heavenly desires by long application and a habitual manner of living, when the heart is poured back again for the executing of things exterior, it is rooted out from all its standing in good practice.

With these words [Eliphaz] identifies holy Job as a robber and a pretender who hides his violent actions. He had also spoken so against Job in his first speech, when Eliphaz had compared him with a lion, a lioness and a cub of lions and tigers. But we must believe in God, who by praising Job did not call him a deceiver but declared him to be innocent and simple.