욥기 15:37의 주석

Towards the end of his oration, Job had raised the second question on the agenda, namely, that concerning the prosperity of the wicked. Since this subject had not been addressed by his companions in their replies to the question of the suffering of the wicked, the debaters return for a second round in which each presents his opinion regarding this new question.

Eliphaz is of the opinion that the prosperity of the wicked is illusory: it is not true prosperity. Though, at first sight, the wicked person may appear successful, acquiring wealth, strength and possessions, his heart is ever full of fear. He feels at all times as if pursued by the sword (Leviticus 26:37), as though hard times were coming; as if destitution and poverty (Psalms 82:3) were about to overtaken him. So much so, that despite his wealth he has no pleasure from it nor has any peace of mind. And this is one of God’s punishments for doing wrong in His eyes and provoking Him to anger (Deuteronomy 4:25). He [God] confuses the wicked person's mind, his thoughts and his imagination with fear and trembling. For the essence of prosperity is peace of mind, an unworried spirit and a joyful heart; better a dry crust and tranquility with it (Proverbs 17:1).

Now this is exactly what had happened to Job, for he had admitted: I had a terrifying premonition and it has come to be. (Job 3:25) Moreover, this continuous fear, which haunts [the wicked person], is a portent of his own doom. For ultimately, he, his descendants and all that he has will be wiped out, as had happened to Job. This is the thrust of Eliphaz’s opinion.

However, at the opening of his speech he chides Job once again for denying that the soul is recompensed in the world to come. Though he may deny physical resurrection, he surely cannot deny the survival of the eternal soul upon which real happiness and lasting prosperity depend (Ch.15:11-13).

Likewise regarding Job’s denial of free-will and his assertion that man is compelled to act as he does. Though Eliphaz had already challenged him on this matter in his first speech, he confronts him again, He points out that all reflective thinkers (Exodus 28:3) feel in themselves that they have free-will and that there is no external force compelling them to act as they do (Ch.15:18-19). And furthermore, since individuals have freedom of action they are held accountable, and it is inconceivable that such an individual has not committed some sin for which he deserves punishment. So God chastises him with some temporary punishment, with suffering in this world, in order to save his eternal soul.

All of this is just a repetition of his first speech, with the exception that he had not previously spelled out the idea that the punishment is intended to save the person from the severing of the soul, and that the suffering befalls him only temporarily so that he not perish forever as a result of the death of his body before its time. Job had disputed this notion at the time and had shown that it makes no difference whether one dies now (for the period of suffering is considered like a death) or whether one dies later, as he explained at length in Chapter 7. But now Eliphaz explains to him that souls are recompensed and that the life of the souls is eternal life; suffering and even temporary death are better than eternal perdition (Ch.15:14-17).

Besides, whereas Eliphaz had at first attributed to Job the minor sin of not worshipping God out of love, he now regards him to be a totally wicked person, seeing how he had opened his mouth (Isaiah 5:14) to deny all the corner-stones of faith. It was evident from his words that he had not spoken out of his suffering for a person should not be held responsible for his anguish (Baba Batra 16b). However, from the way his statements were formulated and the fact that he put forward his thesis in such learned language, it was clear that he had been contemplating and working out these things over a long time, a time when he had still been at ease (Ch.15:2,7).

Apart from this, he derides Job's arrogance and stupidity for complaining that man was ever created, as though he was the first person ever created. Countless generations have already passed, that saw life and rejoiced in their toil, all of whom have given thanks to the Lord for His lovingkindness (Psalms 107: 8,15,21,31). Would he gainsay the whole world? Will the clay ask the potter what he is making; or his handiwork say 'You are unskilled'? (Isaiah 45:9) (Chapter 15:7-11).

Eliphaz’s Answer
Shall a wise man raise his voice with opinions of wind It is puzzling. Should one who is wise answer and raise his voice with an opinion of wind and futility?

To debate over a matter from which he derives no benefit Heb. יסכון. To debate over a matter from which he will derive no benefit, like (I Kings 1:2), “and she shall be to him a warmer (סכנת),” and like (Ecc. 10:9), “is warmed (יסכן) by it,” i.e., he will derive benefit from it.

Surely you Surely you, who are very wise, will do away with fear by the multitude of your words.

The blasphemies Job had voiced with such eloquence and fluency in his various utterances had revealed the truth: that he had long been a heretic, one who denies free-will, life after death and God's wisdom and mercy.

and increase speech Heb. ותגרע, like (below 36:27) “He will increase (יגרע) the drops of water,” and like (ibid. 15:8), “and [did] you increase (ותגרע) wisdom to yourself.”

For your iniquity teaches Your evil inclination [teaches] your mouth to speak such words, but you should have chosen the tongue of the crafty.

Let your own mouth condemn you and not I That is to say: Give me an answer to my question; the result will be that your own mouth will condemn you, for it better for me that your mouth should condemn you and not I. Now this is my question:

Were you born before Adam Heb. הראישון. Were you born before Adam? This “hey” serves as the interrogative expression. Therefore, it is vowelized with a “hattaf pattah” and its meaning is: Were you born the first one, before Adam who was formed from the earth, so that you knew to fulfill all the wisdom of the commandments of the Creator?

Mocking Job, Eliphaz asks whether he thinks he is the first person ever to consider the issues raised by ethical monotheism; whether he is privilege to some knowledge that has been denied to others?

and increase And bring down much [wisdom] from above to descend upon you?

more of more days than you father.

Are God’s consolations little for you with which the Rock benefited you until now for many days, and His good thing that He gave you with pleasantness and gentleness, viz. His fatness [i.e., plenty].

Having convinced himself of Job's basic wickedness, Eliphaz now turns his attention to Job's rejection of a life after death. He argues that the body is but a temporary shelter for the soul; that the suffering of the body in this world being but transient; and that the soul lives on after the demise of the body, receiving its eternal reward in the Hereafter for the good done in this world.

He gave...gently Heb. לאט, he gave gently. This is a verb, not a noun. Therefore, it is vowelized half with a “kamatz” and half with a “pattah.”

teach you Heb. יקחך, teach you, as in (Deut. 32:2), “so that my teaching (לקחי) may drip like rain.”

hint Heb. ירזמון, like יִרְמְזוּן ; like שַׂלְמָה שִׂמְלָה (Exod. 22:8, 26).

What is man that he should be innocent What is his strength, that he can be innocent against the Holy One, blessed be He?

Eliphaz returns to the vision of which he first spoke in his previous speech, that in which he had claimed to have been told that the righteous suffer in order to atone for some minor sin, and, furthermore, that this was quite just because no-one was so righteous that he has never sinned.

and the heavens the host of the heavens.

pure Heb. זכו, shine. Every expression of זַךְ is splendor.

Surely Heb. אף, how much more.

and impure Heb. ונאלח,abominable and mixed. Similarly (Ps. 53: 4), “Are they all dross, altogether filthy (נאלחו)?”

That the wise men tell and confess their transgression. and do not hide their iniquity from their fathers. This is what I saw, and behold, I will tell you. Now where did I see it? Judah confessed and was not ashamed in the incident of Tamar. Reuben confessed and was not ashamed in the incident of Bilhah. And what was their reward?

Rejecting Job's denial of free-will, Eliphaz cites those thinkers who have asserted that our sense of self tells us that we have free-will..¹Verses 18 and 19 are difficult. Many commentators see them as being a parenthetical remark, the verses being interposed by Eliphaz to endorse his doctrine. They translate the Hebrew term מאבותם in v.18 as 'from their fathers'. However, Malbim regards the word מאבותם as deriving from the root אבה meaning desire or will, and explains it as expressing the primary will which is the 'father' of all actions.

To them alone the land was given As a reward for this, Judah merited eternal kingship, and both took their share of the heritage, and they were not driven out of their heritage because of their iniquity, since they confessed.

and no stranger passed in their midst when Moses came to bless them, as it is stated (Deut. 33:6f): “Reuben shall live and not die etc. And is this for Judah?” And no stranger passed in their midst in the heritage of the future that is apportioned in the Book of Ezekiel (48). But...

All the days of a wicked man who does not repent of his sin and does not confess his transgressions, all his days...

Eliphaz now comes to his main argument, namely, that the prosperity of the wicked is illusory and external, true internal contentment being denied to him. The wicked are victims of their own imagination which gives them no rest. And God will be relentless in His pursuit of them.

he mourns and grieves over his certainty of being requited for his evil that he committed. All the number of years that were laid up for the oppressor, he mourns.

The word מתחולל is an expression of mourning, but I did not hear this.

The voice of terrors is in his ears saying that the time of his retribution has arrived.

in peace And when he lives in peace, then the robber will come upon him.

and he is destined to the sword Heb. וצפוי. He is destined to the sword, and his eye to wander for bread—where should he find it?

He wanders i.e., he is assured of wandering.

He knows in fact.

that...is ready and prepared to come to his hand, i.e., to him, and with him is the day of darkness. at his hand Like (Gen. 32: 14), “from what came into his hand.”

it overpowers him The anguish is stronger than him and it will prevail over him.

like a king destined for the inferno Heb. לכידור. I have not found anything similar to it, but it may be interpreted by means of the interchangeable letters, “resh” with “dalet,” like (Gen. 10:3), “Ashkenaz and Riphath” in the Torah, and in Chronicles (I, 1:6): “Ashkenaz and Diphath;” and similarly (Gen. 10: 4). “Kittim and Dodanim” Here too, לַכִּידוֹר is equivalent to לַכִּידוֹד, to the king who is destined to burn (ליקוד) in the fire of Gehinnom; i.e., Sennacherib, about whom the prophet prophesied (Isa. 30: 33): “For Tophteh has been set up from yesterday, that too has been prepared for the king,” to burn his legions; (Isa. 10:16), “a burning shall burn.” Similar to this (below 41:11), “sparks of (כידודי) fire go forth”; either brands or flames.

He runs towards Him He would run toward the Creator with his neck high and upright, in order to provoke Him.

the thickness of the body of his shields With the power of his strength. the body of an expression of height, as (Ezek 16:24), “and you built yourself a platform (גב).”

collops of fat on his loins He made a mouth on his loins, for his fat and the thickness of his blubber is folded on his loins, and they look like a sort of mouth.

And he dwelt in ruined cities So is the custom of haughty people, to build ruins for a name.

and his possessions will not remain They will not be preserved for long.

neither will...bend Heb. יטה, [like] ינטה, like (I Sam. 8:3), “and they turned (ויטו) after gain.” They themselves turned (וינטו). It means that they did not bend from heaven to earth.

the gratification of their desire Heb. מנלם, the granting of their desire and the fulfillment of their plans. It is like two words, מן להם. מן means their preparation, like (Dan. 1:5), “And the king prepared (וימן) for them.” Similar to it is (I Sam. 13:21), “a file (הפצירה פים),” in two words. [The analogy is obscure.] (Isa. 33:7), “Behold I will appear to them (אראלם),” which Jonathan renders: I will appear to them. So it appears to me, and Menachem supports me. Another explanation: מִנְלָם is an expression of (Isa. 33:1), “when you finish (כנלתך) dealing treacherously,” in which the “nun” is a radical that sometimes is omitted, an expression of completion. It will not bend to the ground to be freed from a decree of destruction.

and he will turn away from the world.

by the breath of His mouth Of the Ruler of the world. This is an ellipsis, Others interpret this to mean: because of the breath of his mouth that was guilty of speaking lies.

will not believe He who was misled by futility will not believe that his recompense and his toil shall be futility, like (Ruth 4:7), “and concerning exchange (התמורה).”

Before his time his recompense will be complete [and will cease] from growing and prospering anymore, like (Gen. 50:3), “were fulfilled for him,” i.e., they were completed.

and his branches His bent-over branches. All branches of a tree resemble a dome.

They conceive trouble and bear iniquity They commit evil and are recompensed. The recompense of the birth is in accordance with the conception.

prepares makes ready.

deceit Their desire shall be converted for them into deceit.