©1997 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
The Script
The Script 1. Job Job 3; 6–7; 9–10; 12–14; 16–17; 19; 21; 23–24; 26–31; 40:3–5; 42:1–6 2. Eliphaz Job 4–5; 15; 22 3. Bildad Job 8; 18; 25 4. Zophar Job 11; 20 5. Elihu Job 32–37 6. God Job 38:1–40:2; 40:6–41:34 ©1997 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
JOB—NOTE ON 3:23 hedged in. Satan spoke of a hedge of protection and blessing (1:10), whereas Job spoke of this hedge as a prison of living death.
JOB—NOTE ON 3:24 sighing . . . groanings. These destroyed any appetite he might have had.
JOB—NOTE ON 3:25–26 that I fear. Not a particular thing but a generic classification of suffering. The very worst fear that anyone could have was coming to pass in Job's life, and he is experiencing severe anxiety, fearing more.
JOB—NOTE ON 4:1–5:27 Eliphaz. Eliphaz's first speech. See chs. 15 and 22 for Eliphaz's other speeches. He spoke profoundly and gently, but knew nothing of the scene in heaven that had produced the suffering of Job.
JOB—NOTE ON 4:2–6 Job's friend finally spoke after seven days of silence and began kindly by acknowledging that Job was recognized for being a wise man. Unfortunately, with the opening of their mouths for the first speech, all the wisdom of their silence departed.
JOB—NOTE ON 4:7 who that was innocent ever perished? Eliphaz, recognizing Job's "fear of God" and "integrity" (v. 6), was likely encouraging Job at the outset by saying he wouldn't die because he was innocent of any deadly iniquity, but must be guilty of some serious sin because he was reaping such anger from God. This was a moral universe and moral order was at work, he thought. He had oversimplified God's pattern of retribution. This simple axiom, "the righteous will prosper and the wicked will suffer," does not always hold up in human experience. It is true that plowing and sowing iniquity reaps judgment, so Eliphaz was partially right (cf. Gal. 6:7–9; 1 Pet. 3:12), but not everything we