Eliphaz

attributed to God Almighty his very life and breath as well as his ability to understand (32:8; 33:4). His opening remarks were an extensive justification for why he was speaking at all (32:6-33:7). If we contend that Elihu’s speeches did add significantly to the narrative development and were not simply a repetitive string of others’ ideas, it will be important to establish what roles he filled. Adjudicator One reason for Elihu’s expressed frustration with the collapse of the disputation was his evidently bright mind. Like a lawyer, he summarized what he had heard, both from the defendant, Job, and from the ineffective prosecution, the friends. In the process, he also responded to key points from the preceding dialogues. There are echoes of Eliphaz (33:12-13; 15-18) and of Job (33:23-24; 34:14-15;22). Elihu synthesized, piecing together affirmations from all parties, and engaged in a certain amount of “creativity” as he restated the arguments and shaped his presentation of the evidence. In the course of his summary statements he seems to have put words in Job’s mouth. He attributed to Job a complete declaration of sinlessness (33:8-9), using the terms “pure,” “without sin,” “clean,” and “free from guilt.” It is not entirely clear that Job had been so definitive about himself. It was God who had said that Job was blameless, upright, and feared God (1:8). Job repeated the term “blameless” in response to the accusations of his friends (cf. 9:20-21) that he had sinned…

We are, however, kept in suspense for six chapters as a new voice entered – and it was not a timid voice. We will explore the nature of Elihu’s role at length but suffice it to say here that he certainly made himself heard, expressing his anger at Job as well as the friends for not doing justice to the difficult issues and adjudicating some of the fine points of the arguments. He also set the stage for the appearance and voice of the LORD. Then the LORD Answered Job (chs 38-41) Finally – the…

Light and his Ministers into Ministers of Righteousness”. The quote is a verse from the Epistles. When he wrote the letter, St. Paul was referring to leaders within the church that he believed were misleading their followers. Thus, In St. Paul’s view, those who preached false messages in the name of God may as well have been acting in the name of the devil. He deemed that the consequences of misleading Christians with false doctrines were the same as those of purposefully corrupting them. In the…

“For then you will delight in the Almighty, And lift up your face to God” (Job 22:26). Eliphaz declares this to Job during his third speech in “The Great Debate.” Even though Job has persistently claimed that he has not done any wrong and that he is not wicked, Eliphaz continues to reproach Job for his statements of innocence. Eliphaz finally specifies what sin he believes Job is guilty of, stating that Job has “taken pledges of (his) brothers without cause” and has “to the weary given no…

There comes a time in the life of every person where they hit rock bottom, it is in this moment that a person discovers how strong their faith really is. Job is the epitome of this statement. His faith was truly tested by suffering, but how he handled it is what earned him a place in history. During consequential tests and trials a person begins to need love and comfort, such as Job did. In the Book of Job, in the Bible, Job had three friends, Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar that traveled great…

Because none of them successfully scared Job into a confession with more oblique descriptions of “sinners in the hands of an angry God,” Eliphaz took it upon himself to accuse Job directly of grievous social sins (ch 22). His rhetorical technique was brilliant, commencing with two sets of questions. The first set anticipated negative answers (22:2-4) and in that context, Eliphaz returned yet again to the matter of fear. “Does He [God] rebuke you for your fear? Will He bring you into judgment?”…

When an individual comes face-to-face with extraordinary circumstances that are largely out of their control, the normal physiological reaction of fear. But fear of what? When assessing the motivations of the characters of both the biblical Book of Job and Night by Elie Wiesel, a definitive pattern appears. In Job, the friends Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar, are shown to have a frustratingly narrow and harsh interpretation of God and his sense of justice, much to Job’s detriment. Even though Job is…

considered Luke Skywalker’s mentor as he is constantly giving Luke advice and guidance throughout Star Wars even after his death. Obi Wan also provides Luke with the necessary training and tools to fight Darth Vader. In Gilgamesh, I consider Utnapishtim as the wise man. Utnapishtim tells Gilgamesh to give up his search for immortality. Instead, Utnapishtim tells Gilgamesh about a plant to make him young again. In The Book of Job there is less of a clear-cut wise man but the role could fall on…

his present circumstances, but he does not value his preferences more than his relationship with God. Job 4 In this chapter Job’s friend Eliphaz responds to Job’s lament of his birth. It appears that this friend of Job doubts his devotion to God. He states, “Remember: who that was innocent ever perished? Or where were the upright cut off? As I have seen, those who plow iniquity and sow trouble reap the same” (Job 4:7-8). Eliphaz’s speech seems to suggest that he believes that Job was not…

Similarly, Zophar says “Know therefore that God exacts from you less than your iniquity deserves,” expressing the opinion that Job’s sin deserved a sharper punishment, through which view Zophar suggests he knows God’s mind better than Job does. Eliphaz makes similar assertions, and even Job makes a claim concerning the nature of God, claiming he has hidden himself from Job, and has not protected him from “thick darkness,” thus attempting to declare possession of a greater understanding of…