וַיַּעַן אֱלִיפַז הַתֵּימָנִי וַיֹּאמַר׃   4:1

Job 4:1   Then Eliphaz, the Temanite, spoke, and he said,

הֲנִסָּה דָבָר אֵלֶיךָ תִּלְאֶה וַעְצֹר בְּמִלִּין מִי יוּכָל׃   4:2

Job 4:2   "If a word is attempted concerning you, would you be offended?

                           But who is able to be restrained in speech?"

הִנֵּה יִסַּרְתָּ רַבִּים וְיָדַיִם רָפוֹת תְּחַזֵּק׃   4:3

Job 4:3   "Behold, you have instructed many,

                           and you may have strengthened weak hands."

כֹּושֵׁל יְקִימוּן מִלֶּיךָ וּבִרְכַּיִם כֹּרְעֹות תְּאַמֵּץ׃   4:4

Job 4:4   "Your words may have raised up the stumbler,

                           and you may have strengthened sinking knees."

כִּי עַתָּה תָּבוֹא אֵלֶיךָ וַתֵּלֶא תִּגַּע עָדֶיךָ וַתִּבָּהֵל׃   4:5

Job 4:5   "But now it can come to you, and you are grieved;

                           it can touch even you, and you are dismayed."

הֲלֹא יִרְאָתְךָ כִּסְלָתֶךָ תִּקְוָתְךָ וְתֹם דְּרָכֶיךָ׃   4:6

Job 4:6   "Is not your reverence your confidence, your hope?

                           And the integrity of your ways?"

זְכָר־נָא מִי הוּא נָקִי אָבָד וְאֵיפֹה יְשָׁרִים נִכְחָדוּ׃   4:7

Job 4:7   "Please recall, who has perished being innocent,

                           and where have the upright been cut off?"

Eliphaz seems to be lecturing Job, telling him that he deserves what has befallen him (but what of his family!  Is the same true for them?)  In the next several verses, he tells of a vision in the night that reinforced this view of Job’s situation (see v. 17 below).  I believe he is implying, if not outright saying, that Job has no basis for grief, because he is imperfect like all humans.

כַּאֲשֶׁר רָאִיתִי חֹרְשֵׁי אָוֶן וְזֹרְעֵי עָמָל יִקְצְרֻהוּ׃   4:8

Job 4:8   "As I have seen,

                          plowers of iniquity and seeders of mischief

                 will reap it."

מִנִּשְׁמַת אֱלוֹהַ יֹאבֵדוּ וּמֵרוּחַ אַפּוֹ יִכְלוּ׃   4:9

Job 4:9   "By the 'breath' of God they must perish,

                           and by the wind of His 'anger' they must be consumed."

שַׁאֲגַת אַרְיֵה וְקוֹל שָׁחַל וְשִׁנֵּי כְפִירִים נִתָּעוּ׃   4:10

Job 4:10   "The roar of a lion and the sound of another lion,

                           and the teeth of young lions are broken."

לַיִשׁ אֹבֵד מִבְּלִי־טָרֶף וּבְנֵי לָבִיא יִתְפָּרָדוּ׃   4:11

Job 4:11   "A lion may be perishing from the lack of prey,

                           but the young of the lioness will be dispersed."

וְאֵלַי דָּבָר יְגֻנָּב וַתִּקַּח אָזְנִי שֵׁמֶץ מֶנְהוּ׃   4:12

Job 4:12   "Now a word must have been brought to me by stealth,                         

                           and my ear received a whisper of some of it."

בִּשְׂעִפִּים מֵחֶזְיֹנוֹת לָיְלָה בִּנְפֹל תַּרְדֵּמָה עַל־אֲנָשִׁים׃   4:13

Job 4:13   "In the uncertainty of some visions of the night,

                           with the falling of a deep sleep upon people,

פַּחַד קְרָאַנִי וּרְעָדָה וְרֹב עַצְמוֹתַי הִפְחִיד׃   4:14

Job 4:14   a dread befell me with trembling,

                           as the totality of my bones was made to shake."

וְרוּחַ עַל־פָּנַי יַחֲלֹף תְּסַמֵּר שַׂעֲרַת בְּשָׂרִי׃   4:15

Job 4:15   "And a spirit must have passed over my face;

                           the hair of my flesh must have stood up."

יַעֲמֹד וְלֹא־אַכִּיר מַרְאֵהוּ תְּמוּנָה לְנֶגֶד עֵינָי דְּמָמָה וָקוֹל אֶשְׁמָע׃   4:16

Job 4:16   "It would remain, but I could not discern its appearance;

                           a form was before my eyes;

                    a whisper and I could hear a voice:"

הַאֱנֹושׁ מֵאֱלֹוהַ יִצְדָּק אִם מֵעֹשֵׂהוּ יִטְהַר־גָּבֶר׃   4:17

Job 4:17   "'Can any human being be more just than God?

                           Can a mere mortal be more pure than his Maker?'"

הֵן בַּעֲבָדָיו לֹא יַאֲמִין וּבְמַלְאָכָיו יָשִׂים תָּהֳלָה׃   4:18

Job 4:18   "If He can put no trust in His servants,

                           and in His angels determine error,

אַף שֹׁכְנֵי בָתֵּי־חֹמֶר אֲשֶׁר־בֶּעָפָר יְסוֹדָם יְדַכְּאוּם לִפְנֵי־עָשׁ׃   4:19

Job 4:19   how much more the residents of houses of clay,

                           whose foundation is in dust!

                    They would crush them sooner than a moth."

מִבֹּקֶר לָעֶרֶב יֻכַּתּוּ מִבְּלִי מֵשִׂים לָנֶצַח יֹאבֵדוּ׃   4:20

Job 4:20   "From morning to evening they can be crushed;

                           without leaving a trace they can perish forever."

הֲלֹא־נִסַּע יִתְרָם בָּם יָמוּתוּ וְלֹא בְחָכְמָה׃   4:21

Job 4:21   "Is not their surplus removed with them?

                           They may die, but not with wisdom."

How different is this chapter from the preceding one!  Chapter 3 was eloquent and direct, this chapter consists of a philosophical, almost rambling treatise without much compassion or understanding.

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