The Third Round Of Speeches
Job 22-31

Eliphaz's Third Speech

Job 22

• The third cycle of speeches, unlike the first and second, is truncated and abbreviated. Bildad's speech is very brief, and Zophar does not speak at all. The dialogue between Job and his friends comes to an end because the friends cannot convince Job of his guild -- Job cannot acknowledge what is not true. (NIV Study Bible note)
• Eliphaz makes his third speech to Job. He finallyl looses his cool entirely.
• Eliphaz wonders about the relationship between man and God, specifically if man can be of benefit to God. (Job 22:1-3)
• Eliphaz's odd reasoning is as follows: Since all things have thir origin in God, man's giving back what God has given him does not enhance God in any way. Indeed, God is indifferent to man's goodness, because goodness is expected of him. It is when man becomes wicked that God is aroused. (NIV Study Bible note)
• Eliphaz accuses Job of having great sin. (Job 22:4-5)
• Eliphaz names Job's sins. (Job 22:6-9)
• Eliphaz concludes that Job's troubles are due to his great sin. (Job 23:10-11)
• The only proof Eliphaz has for Job's alleged wickedness is his present suffering. In Job 29, Job emphatically denies the kind of behavior of which Eliphaz accuses him. (Niv Study Bible note)
• Eliphaz proclaims God's majesty and accuses Job of belittling God. (Job 23:12-17)
• Eliphaz claims that he stands aloof from the counsel of the wicked. (Job 23:18)
• More thories from Eliphaz about the wicked. (Job 23:19-20)
• Eliphaz advises Job to submit to God and find peace. (Job 24:21-30)
• Eliphaz makes one last attempt to reach Job. In many ways it is a commendable call to repentance: Submit to God (v. 21), lay up God's words in your heart (v. 22), return to the Almighty and forsake wickedness (v. 23), find your delight in God rather than in gold (vv. 24-26), pray and obey (v. 27), and become concerned about sinners (vv. 29-30). But Eliphaz's advice assumes (1) that Job is a very wicked man and (2) that Job's major concern is the return of his prosperity (see v.21). Job had already made it clear in 19:25-27 that he deeply yearned to see God and be his friend. (NIV Study Bible note)

Job's Response

Job 23-24

• "In these next two chapters, Job doesn't even attempt to answer arguments anymore. He simply cries with a troubled heart, eloquently telling them, and God, how he feels. " (Missler)
• Job 23:10 expresses a great deal of confidence that God is a God of justice; and he knows that God will explain it to him some day. (Missler)
• Job wonders why God is silent and why God doesn't judge evil. (Job 24)
• There are two great questions that seem to go unanswered in life: Why is God absent when He is needed? Why is He so silent when He should speak? See Romans 2:4 and 2 Peter 3:9 for evidence fo God's patience and longsuffering. (Missler)
• Contrast Job 23:8-9 with Psalms 129:7-10. Job can't find God, David couldn't flee God.
• Job is answering Eliphaz's call to submit to God and prosperity will come. Job replies that this is what he has always done. (Job 23:8,10)
• Perhaps Job's sufferings halep him identify with the poor, etc. (Job 24:1-12)
• By way of summary, Job says that God judges the wicked, but he does so in his own good time. Job wishes, however, that God would give the righteous the satisfaction of seeing it happen. (Job 24:21-24)

Bildad's Third Speech

Job 25

• Bildad replies to Job with two worn-out arguments: the greatness of God and the nothingness of man. (v. 1-6)
• Bildad's statements about human depravity are similar to what Eliphaz had previously said.
• "Judging from the brevity of Bildad's address, and the fact that it contains practically nothing new, it would seem that the friends have exhausted all the arguments that their position permitted them to advance. And this is saying a great deal, for they were men of sober thoughtfullness, with abilities for expression rarely excelled. Their language is nobile and elevated, their metaphors of rare beauty and force, but their position and contention were wrong, narrow, and untenable." (Believer's Bible Commentary)
• Bildad is telling Job that nothign but sheer arrogance could prompt Job to say what he's said.
• Bildad's premise is correct: "God is great." His conclusion is wrong: "Therefore, man is nothing and sinful to boot." Wrong! "Therefore, God is holy and unimpeachable." Wrong! "Therefore, Job has no reason to talk as he does." Wrong! Wrong! Wrong!
• Bildad fials: 1) theologically, 2) moral insensitiveness, 3) failure to plumb depths of Job's anguish.

Job's Response

Job 26

• "Most expositers treat the remaining chapters as Job's reply, with Zophar remaining silent in this final round. E. W. Bullinger points out reasons that 27:11-28:28 may well be Zophar's 3rd discourse, which would provide symmetry among all three..." (Missler)
• Job's answer to Bildad is full of irony and sarcasm.
• Job mocks Bildad and his other friends by sarcastically proclaiming that they have been great help to the powerless, when they have been of no help whatsoever. (v. 1-4)
• Job ponders the fact that all peopel are equal before God, especially in death. (v. 5-14)
• Job's poem about the vast power of God, the theme of Bildad's final speech (ch. 25) is written in colorful language that is often highly figurative. (v. 5-14) (NIV Study Bible Notes)
• "While Bildad stressed God's glory in the heavens, Job here dwells on His pwer in the depths: under the waters, Sheol, and destruction." (Believer's Bible Commentary)
• "Job describes -- centuries before science taught it -- that God hangs the earth on nothing (which is a poetic depiction of the earth's position and movement in the solar system)." (Believer's Bible Commentary)
• In verse 14, Job points out that all of the majesty that he has described about God are only "the outer fringe of his works" -- that God's majesty and power are really unfathonable. This directly rebuts the claim that Zophar has made against Job in 11:7-9 that Job was unable to fathom the mysteries of God. Job is showing that his own knowledge of God's mysteries is at least as good, if not better, than that of his friends.
• What troubles Job is he seems unable any longer to think of God as good. (Job 26:5-14)

Job's Closing Monologue

Job 27-31

• Job continues his discourse. (Job 27:1)
• Job still believes that God has denied him justice. (Job 27:2)
• Even though Job things that God is torturing him, he will not speak evil about God. (Job 27:3-4)
• Job holds fast to his disagreement with his friends. (Job 27:5-6)
• "Job calls for his friends, who have falsely accused him of being wicked, to be treated as though they theymselves were wicked men." (NIV Study Bible notes) (Job 27:7-10)
• Some scholars think that Job 27:11-28:28 is Ziphar's third reply. If so, it would help in maintaining the symmetry of the work, with all three friends having three replies. Most scholars, however, treat this passage as belonging to Job.
• Job says that he will teach his friends about God's power. (Job 27:11-12)
• Job describes the fate God has for the wicked: their families will be taken away (27:14), they will die and not be missed (27:15), their riches will be enjoyed by the just (27:16-17), all their wealth will be taken away (27:18-19), terror will overtake them (27:20), and they will be tossed about without mercy (27:21-23). Much of this description applies to Job, who is not a wicked man.
• In Chapter 28, Job explores the question of where wisdom comes from.
• "Job's friends' application of traditional wisdom to human suffering has been even more unsatisfactory than Job's untraditional response. Both attempts to penetrate the mystery have failed, and the dialogue has come to an unsatisfactory conclusion. Therfore Job, or perhapse the unknown author of the book, inserts a striking wisdom poem that answers the question, 'Where can wisdom be found?' (v. 12; see v.20). The poem consists of three parts: (1) precious stones and metals are found in the deepest mines (vv. 1-11); (2) wisdom is not found in mines, nor can it be bought with precious stones or metals (vv. 12-19); (3) wisdom is found only in God and in the fear of him (vv. 20-28). The chapter, then, anticipates the theme of God's speeches (38:1-42:6); God alone is the answer to the mystery that Job and his friends have sought to fathom." (NIV Study Bible notes)
• Ancient mining techniques are described. (Job 28:1-11)
• The questions asked in Job 28:12 (and repeated in Job 28:20) are answered in Job 28:28. Where can wisdome be found? In the fear of the Lord.
• "Gold of Ophir" means the finest gold. (Job 28:16)
• Note that the definition of wisdom is the fear of the Lord, the same description that is given to Job in Job 1:1, 1:8, and 2:3. Threefore, Job is wise.
• "There are two kinds of speakers: 'Those who have something to say; and Those who have to say something.' Job's tree friends are the latter kind." (Missler)
• All three of Job's friends continue to maintain the same fixed theory of life: sin always leads to trouble, and all trouble is always the result of sin. They did not change their veiews at all during their discussion with Job.
• Job 29-31 is Job's extended soliloquy as his final defense. It is a well-structured, three-part defense: part one (Job 29) is a nostalgic review of his former happiness, wealth and honor; part two (Job 30) is a lament over the loss of everything, especially his honor; part three (Job 31) is a final protestation of his innocence.
• Job longs for the time before he was suffering, when he would feel God's blessings on him. (Job 29:1-2)
• Job knows that God watched over him -- he watches over us, too. (Job 29:2)
• Job recalls God's "intimate friendship." (Job 29:4)
• Job discusses his public life. We cans ee that he was a man of importance. (Job 29:7-11)
• Job describes acts of chairity he had performed: helping the poor, orphans, the sick, widows, and others. (Job 29:12-17) This statement directly rebuts the claims that Job's friends had previously made about his not being a charitable person.
• Job recollects that he was comfortable. He had thought that he knew what his life had in store. It is a good reminder to us that all of our blessings may disappear without warning. We must always be prepared. Think of how this applies to Christ's teaching on the second coming -- Jesus tells us that he will return "like a thief in the night." (Job 29:18-20)
• Job describes his life as a man who was extremelly greatly respected. (Job 29:21-25)
• In Chapter 30, Job reviews his losses.
• Job reviews the dishonor that his friends have heaped upon him. (Job 30:1-14)
• Job is suffering terrors, his dignity has been taken away. (Job 30:15)
• Job blames his current suffering on God. (Job 30:18-19)
• Job again complains that his cries to God are going unanswered. (Job 30:20)
• In Chapter 31, Job searches for a reason.
• Chapter 31 is the "climactic section of Job's three-part summation. It is negative in the sense that Job denies all the sins listed, but it has the positive purpose of attesting loyalty to God as his sovereign Lord. In the strongest legal terms, using a series of self-maledictory oaths, Job completes his defense. No more can be said (v. 40). He now afficex his signature to the document (v. 35), and the burden of proof that he is a wretched sinner rests with God. Job's call for vindication had reached a climax in 27:2-6. Now he amplifies that statement with the details of his godly life. Each disavowal (vv. 5-7, 9, 13, 16-21, 24-27, 29-34, 38-39) is accompanied by an oath that calls for the punishment the offense deserves (vv. 8, 10-12, 14-15, 22-23, 40). The principle at work is the so-called 'law of retaliation.'" (NIV Study Bible Notes)
• Job reviews sins of the heart and claims that he does not engage in them. (Job 31:1-12)
• "Job reveals genuine understanding concerning matters of social justice: Human equality is based on creation (vv. 13-15), compassion toward those in need is essential (vv. 16-20), and power and influence must not be abused (vv. 21-23)" (NIV Study Notes)
• Job does not engage in covetous greed (31:24-25) or idolatry (31:26-27).
• "The sin of gloating over oen's enemy was condemned by Moses (Exodus 23:4-5) and Christ (Matthew 5:43-47)." (Job 31:29-31) (NIV Study Bible Notes)
• Job strongly denies any hypocrisy. (Job 31:35-37)
• "A climactic oath that completes an earlier theme and creates a unique emphasis. Job calls for a curse on his land if he has not been fully committed to social justice (see also vv. 13-15)." (Job 31:38-40) (NIV Study Bible Notes)
• In Chapter 31, Job denies many sins: adultery, injustice to his servants, injustice toward the poor and defenseless, trust in wealth, secret idolatry, gloating over the misfortune of others, stingy with his wealth, hypocrisy or secrets, abuse of the land.