Job 22:25

22:21-30 The answer of Eliphaz wrongly implied that Job had hitherto not known God, and that prosperity in this life would follow his sincere conversion. The counsel Eliphaz here gives is good, though, as to Job, it was built upon a false supposition that he was a stranger and enemy to God. Let us beware of slandering our brethren; and if it be our lot to suffer in this manner, let us remember how Job was treated; yea, how Jesus was reviled, that we may be patient. Let us examine whether there may not be some colour for the slander, and walk watchfully, so as to be clear of all appearances of evil.

Yea, the Almighty shall be thy defence,.... In temporal things, secure the plenty of gold and silver possessed of; surround and protect by his providence, that there shall be no danger of the Sabeans and Chaldeans, or others, breaking in and stealing it away; and, in spirituals, preserve from all enemies, sin, Satan, and the world; be a wall of fire about him, his fortress, his tower, and place of defence; or keep him as in a garrison, through faith unto salvation; or, as others render the words, "and let the Almighty be", or "he shall be thy gold", or "golds" (o); all thy gold, the same word being used as in Job 22:24 ; treat earthly riches, gold and silver, with contempt, and reckon God to be thy truest riches: esteem him as gold, and more precious than that, and put thy confidence in him; his grace is compared to gold, for its lustre, value, and duration, and is more precious than gold that perisheth, Revelation 3:18 ; the righteousness of Christ is, for its excellency, called the gold of Ophir, and clothing of wrought gold, Psalm 45:9 ; and he himself is much more precious than the gold of Ophir, and the gain that comes by him than fine gold, Sol 5:11; the doctrines of the grace of God are comparable to gold, silver, and precious stones; yea, to be preferred unto them, 1 Corinthians 3:12 .

God is instead of all riches to his people; and they that have an interest in him share in the riches of grace, and are entitled to the riches of glory; all are theirs: and thou shall have plenty of silver; or God shall be, or "let him be to thee silver of strength" (p); or instead of silver, which is the strength of men, in which they confide for business or war; but God is to his people infinitely more than what silver or gold can be to them. (o) "lectissimum aurum tuum", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator; so Vatablus, Schmidt, Schultens; so R. Sol. Urbin. Ohel Moed, fol. 23. 2.((p) "et argentum fortitudinum tibi", Montanus, Cocceius, Schmidt.

(25) The Almighty shall be thy defence. —Rather, And the Almighty shall be thy treasure, and precious silver unto thee. The word thus qualifying silver occurs only three other times in the Bible: Psalm 95:4 , “The strength of the hills”; Numbers 22:23-24 , “the strength of a unicorn.” Its original idea is probably brightness or splendour.

Verse 25. - Yea, the Almighty shall be thy defense ; rather, thy treasure. The word is the same as that used in the first clause of ver. 24, It properly signifies "ore." The general meaning of the passage seems to be, "However rich thou mayest be in the precious metals, thy true treasure - that which thou wilt value most - will be the Almighty himself." And thou shalt have plenty of silver ; or, and he shall be previous silver unto thee (see the Revised Version). Job 22:25

25. Apodosis. Yea—rather, Then shall the Almighty be, &c. defence—rather, as the same Hebrew means in Job 22:24 (see on [516]Job 22:24)—Thy precious metals; God will be to thee in the place of riches. plenty of silver—rather, "And shall be to thee in the place of laboriously-obtained treasures of silver" [Gesenius]. Elegantly implying, it is less labor to find God than the hidden metals; at least to the humble seeker (Job 28:12-28). But [Maurer] "the shining silver."

God by his special and watchful providence shall protect thee from all dangers and calamities. Heb. thy defences, or munitions . One God shall keep thee as safely as many munitions. Plenty of silver, Heb. silver of strength , i.e. which by God’s blessing shall be thy defence, Ecclesiastes 7:12 . Or, silver of heights , i.e. high and heaped up like a mountain.

Yea, the Almighty shall be - Or, rather, "then the Almighty shall be" - והיה yehâyâh. The meaning is, that if he would return to God, and cast off his anxiety for gold, "then" the Almighty would be his real treasure, and would impart to him solid happiness. Thy defense - Margin, "gold." The margin is the more correct translation. The word is the same which occurs in the previous verse בצר betser, and there rendered "gold." The word may have the sense of "defense," as the verb בצר bâtsar is often used with such a reference; Numbers 13:28; Deuteronomy 1:28; Deuteronomy 3:5; Deuteronomy 9:1, et al. The meaning of such places, where the word is applied to walled towns or fortified places, is, that the enemy was, by means of walls, "cut off" from approach. Here, however, the idea of "gold" or "treasure" better suits the connection, and the meaning is, that "God" would be to him an invaluable "treasure" or source of happiness. And thou shalt have plenty of silver - Margin, "silver of strength." The correct idea, however, is, "and the Almighty shall be treasures of silver unto thee;" that is, he shall be better to you than an abundance of the precious metals. The Hebrew is literally, "And silver of treasures unto thee."

If he return to the Almighty (שׁוּב עד as freq., e.g., Isaiah 19:22 , comp. Isaiah 45:24 , instead of the otherwise usual שׁוב אל, of thorough and complete conversion), he will be built up again, by his former prosperity being again raised from its ruins. בּנה, to build, always according to the connection, has at one time the idea of building round about, continuing to build, or finishing building (vid., on Job 20:19 ); at another of building up again ( Job 12:14 ; Isaiah 58:12 ), referred to persons, the idea of increasing prosperity ( Malachi 3:15 ), or of the restoration of ruined prosperity ( Jeremiah 24:6 ; Jeremiah 33:7 ), here in the latter sense. The promissory תּבּנה is surrounded by conditional clauses, for Job 22:23 (comp. Job 11:14 ) is a second conditional clause still under the government of אם, which is added for embellishment; it opens the statement of that in which penitence must be manifested, if it is to be thorough. The lxx translates ἐὰν δὲ ἐπιστραφῇς καὶ ταπεινώσῃς, i.e., תּענה, which Ewald considers as the original; the omission of the אם (which the poet otherwise in such connections has formerly heaped up, e.g., Job 8:5 ., Job 11:13 ) is certainly inconvenient. And yet we should not on that account like to give up the figure indicated in תבנה, which is so beautiful and so suited to our poet.