NOTES for Job 22:1-30

At last one of Job's friends, Eliphaz, responds to the substance of Job's words. At the beginning of his speech, it becomes clear that he does not understand the theory of punishment and correction as an explanation of suffering nearly as literally as it seemed in the first half of the book. Eliphaz says that God needs nothing and is therefore indifferent to a person's righteousness or wrongdoing. Job's righteousness brings God no benefit; thus, Eliphaz thinks, God has no reason to try to bring about such righteousness in Job. It is impossible to agree with this assertion: why, then, would God have given Israel the law and insisted on its observance?

Eliphaz believes that Job did things he himself regarded as ordinary and morally neutral, but which were nevertheless sinful. The examples Eliphaz gives are important: they can be summed up in one word—business. In Eliphaz's opinion, Job was engaged in business and, in increasing his wealth, was surely merciless towards others. God, who is above the heavens, could not have failed to see this. It may have been precisely this lack of mercy that caused the destruction of everything Job had built throughout his life.

Eliphaz calls Job to turn to God in repentance and cleanse the works of his hands. The sin of being unmerciful separates a person from God; as a result, life comes to an end, joy disappears and everything the person has built collapses. Therefore, Eliphaz advises, one should not demand explanations from God, as Job does, but return to him. The concluding part of chapter 22 contains an inspired hymn to repentance, which alone can restore a suffering person to life. ‘Return to God,’ says Eliphaz. But how is this to be done?