Job 22:4
in Job 22Is it for your reverence that He rebukes you and enters into judgment against you?
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Is it for thy fear of him that he reproveth thee, That he entereth with thee into judgment?
KJV
Will he reprove thee for fear of thee? will he enter with thee into judgment?
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This verse in Job 22
Commentary
10 notes on this verseA commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Is the punishment inflicted on thee from fear of thee, in order to disarm thee? as Job had implied (see on Job 7:12; Job 7:20; and Job 10:17). will he enter . . . into judgment?--Job had desired this (Job 13:3, 21).
This site's exposition
Is it for your reverence that He rebukes you
on Job 22:4-5
Eliphaz moves from a question straight to an outright charge: "Is not your wickedness great". Nothing between verse 4 and verse 5 supplies evidence for the leap, and the accusation follows from the theology alone. Henry marks this as the turn where Eliphaz names Job as a great sinner.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
"What does it matter to the Lord, if you were blameless in your works?" That is, it has no importance for God. "Or does he gain any profit from the righteousness of your conduct?" It cannot be said that, in fact, it contributes to him any advantage, he says. Since Job in every possible manner had said that God did this and because of him I am suffering, Eliphaz wants to show that [his afflictions] do not come from God. "Or, in order to make a case against you, will he accuse you and enter into judgment with you?" Yes, you can be as righteous as you want, it does not matter for him, and he has no consideration for you, that is, what you do deserves little interest on the part of God. In fact, if he really wanted to judge you, he would have found your faults.
The Medieval Church2 voices
Will He reprove thee for fear of thee? Will He enter with thee into judgment? Who that was out of his senses even would think this, that from fear the Lord reproves us, and from dread sets His judgment against us? But they who do not know how to mete their words, doubtless slip down to idle discourse. Wherein if they never at all take themselves to task, without delay they leap forth to words mischievous and insulting.
Third, someone is challenged in a judgment with another from the fear of the higher power of the one calling him into judgment, which is a wicked thing to think of God. Thus he says, "In fear," of some judge, "will he blame you," by …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
I appeal to thyself, and thy own conscience; are not thy iniquities infinite, both in number and heinousness?" Strictly taken, nothing is infinite but God; but he means this, that his sins were more than could be counted and more heinous than could be conceived. Sin, being committed against Infinite Majesty, has in it a kind of infinite malignity.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — odd-straight-quotes
Because he is afraid, lest if he should let thee alone, thou wouldst grow too great and powerful for him: surely no. As thy righteousness cannot profit him, so thy wickedness can do him no hurt.
3 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Will he reprove thee for fear of thee?.... That is, chastise, correct, and afflict, for fear that hurt should be done unto him; no, he will not; for as the goodness of men does not profit him, the sinfulness of men does not hurt him, see Job 35:
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
For fear of thee? - Is it because he is afraid that thou wilt do him some injury, that he has stripped thee of thy power and wealth?
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Will he reprove thee for fear of thee? - Or, rather, will he come into trial, and argue his cause before a tribunal, because he is afraid that his character will suffer, or because he feels himself bound to appear, and answer to the charges which may be brought? The language is all taken from courts of justice, and the object is, to reprove Job as if he felt that it was necessary that God should appear and answer to what he alleged against him. Will he enter with thee into judgment? - Will he condescend to enter on a trial with one like thee? Will he submit his cause to a trial with man, as if he were an equal, or as if man had any right to such an investigation? It is to be remembered, that Job had repeatedly expressed a desire to carry his cause before God, and that God would meet him as an equal, and not take advantage of his majesty and power to overwhelm him; see Job 13:3, note; Job 13:20-21, notes. Eliphaz here asks, whether God could be expected to meet “a man,” one of his own creatures, in this manner, and to go into a trial of the cause. He says that God was supreme; that no one could bring him into court; and that he could not be restrained from doing his pleasure by any dread of man. These sentiments are all noble and correct, and worthy of a sage. Soon, however, he changes the style, and utters the language of severe reproach, because Job had presumed to make such a suggestion. Perhaps, also, in this verse, a special emphasis should be placed on “thee.” “Will God enter into trial with thee ... a man whose wickedness is so great, and whose sin is infinite?” Job 22:4-5.
The words behind it
5 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| הֲֽ֭מִיִּרְאָ֣תְךָ | hamiyiratekha | ¿ from fear your | H3374 → | 45 times |
| יֹכִיחֶ֑ךָ | yokhichekha | does he reprove you | H3198 → | 59 times |
| יָב֥וֹא | yavo' | does he go? | H935 → | 2568 times |
| עִ֝מְּךָ֗ | ʾimekha | with you | H5973 → | 1050 times |
| בַּמִּשְׁפָּֽט׃ | bamishpat | in <the> judgment | H4941 → | 422 times |
הֲֽ֭מִיִּרְאָ֣תְךָ¿ from fear your
hamiyiratekhaH3374 →45 times
יֹכִיחֶ֑ךָdoes he reprove you
yokhichekhaH3198 →59 times
יָב֥וֹאdoes he go?
yavo'H935 →2568 times
עִ֝מְּךָ֗with you
ʾimekhaH5973 →1050 times
בַּמִּשְׁפָּֽט׃in <the> judgment
bamishpatH4941 →422 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Revelation 3:19Those I love, I rebuke and discipline. Therefore be earnest and repent.
it leads to
- Proverbs 3:11–12
My son, do not reject the discipline of the LORD, and do not loathe His rebuke;
- 1 Corinthians 11:32
But when we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world.
- Hebrews 12:5–11
And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons: “My son, do not take lightly the discipline of the Lord, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you.
- Job 5:17
Blessed indeed is the man whom God corrects; so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty.
- Revelation 2:5
Therefore, keep in mind how far you have fallen. Repent and perform the deeds you did at first. But if you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from…
- Proverbs 3:11–12
Through
Psalms 143:2Do not bring Your servant into judgment, for no one alive is righteous before You.
it leads to
- Ecclesiastes 7:20
Surely there is no righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.
- Romans 3:20
Therefore no one will be justified in His sight by works of the law. For the law merely brings awareness of sin.
- Job 25:4
How then can a man be just before God? How can one born of woman be pure?
- Ecclesiastes 7:20
About Job
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Book of Job; Gregory the Dialogist, Morals on the Book of Job, Book XVI; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, COMMENTARY ON JOB 22:3-4; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Job.