Commentaire sur Job 5:17

Behold, fortunate is the man etc. with pains, and just as He heals the pain of these [people], so would I [myself] appeal to Him about these pains that would come upon me. So should you accept them and not despise them.

Events are determined by a combination of man's actions and God's interventions. Eliphaz explains that the same is true of suffering. Some suffering is a natural consequence of man's misbehavior and overindulgence, and some is Providential, intended for atonement, the purging of sin or to induce repentance. However, though the former cause is totally bad, the latter should be seen as a Divine gift intended for man's ultimate good. Today's misfortune may turn out to have been a life-saver tomorrow.