“"Remember: who that was innocent ever perished? Or where were the upright cut off?"”
Job 4:7
Summary
In Job chapter 4, Eliphaz the Temanite begins his discourse to Job, responding to Job's lamentations. Eliphaz suggests that Job's suffering may be a result of some hidden sin, implying a direct correlation between one's righteousness and the prosperity they experience. He encourages Job to consider how the innocent rarely suffer, urging him to remember the many he has supported with comforting words and actions. Eliphaz implies that Job's fear and integrity should give him confidence in his blamelessness before God. Furthermore, he shares a personal spiritual experience—a vision—that warns of human frailty and divine justice, suggesting that God does not trust even His heavenly servants totally, let alone mortals. This chapter introduces the theme of the human struggle to understand God's justice.