Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary

Adam Clarke Commentary

Is not thy wickedness great? - Thy sins are not only many, but they are great; and of thy continuance in them there is no end, קץ אין ein kets .

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

Is not thy wickedness great? - That is, “Is it not utter presumption and folly for a man, whose wickedness is undoubtedly so great, to presume to enter into a litigation with God?” Eliphaz here “assumes” it as an undeniable proposition, that Job was a great sinner. This charge had not been directly made before. He and his friends had argued evidently on that supposition, and had maintained that one who was a great sinner would be punished in this life for it, and they had left it to be implied, in no doubtful manner, that they so regarded Job. But the charge had not been before so openly made. Here Eliphaz argues as if that were a point that could not be disputed. The only “proof” that he had, so far as appears, was, that Job had been afflicted as they maintained great sinners “would be,” and they, therefore, concluded that he must be such. No facts are referred to, except that he was a great sufferer, and yet, on the ground of this, he proceeds to take for granted that he “must have been” a man who had taken a pledge for no cause; had refused to give water to the thirsty; had been an oppressor, etc.

And thine iniquities infinite? - Hebrew “And there is no end to thine iniquities,” that is, they are without number. This does not mean that sin is an “infinite evil,” or that his sins were infinite in degree; but that if one should attempt to reckon up the number of his transgressions, there would be no end to them. This, I believe, is the only place in the Bible where sin is spoken of, in any respect, as “infinite;” and this cannot be used as a proof text, to show that sin is an infinite evil, for:

(1) that is not the meaning of the passage even with respect to Job;

(2) it makes no affirmation respecting sin in general; and

(3) it was untrue, even in regard to Job, and in the sense in which Zophar meant to use the phrase.

There is no intelligible sense in which it can be said that sin is “an infinite evil;” and no argument should be based on such a declaration, to prove that sin demanded an infinite atonement, or that it deserves eternal sufferings. Those doctrines can be defended on solid grounds - they should not be made to rest on a false assumption, or on a false interpretation of the Scriptures.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

Is not thy wickedness great?.... It must be owned it is, it cannot be denied. Indeed, the wickedness of every man's heart is great, it being desperately wicked, full of sin, abounding with it; out of it comes forth everything that is bad, and the wickedness of actions is very great: some sins are indeed greater than others, as those against God, and the first table of the law, are greater than those against men, or the second table; some are like crimson and scarlet, are beams in the eye, while others are comparatively as motes; yet all are great, as committed against God, and as they are breaches of his law; and especially they appear so to sensible sinners, to whom sin is made exceeding sinful; and they see and own themselves to be the chief of sinners, and as such entreat for pardon on that account, see Psalm 25:11;

and thine iniquities infinite? strictly speaking, nothing is infinite but God; sins may be said in some sense to be infinite, because committed against an infinite God, and cannot be satisfied for by a finite creature, or by finite sufferings, only through the infinite value of the blood of Christ; here it signifies, that his iniquities were "innumerable"^F14 αναριθμητοι, Sept. , as some versions, they were not to be reckoned up, they were so many; or, more literally, there is "no end of thine iniquities"^F15אין קץ לעונותיך "non est finis iniquitatibus tuis", Pagninus, Montanus, &c. , there is no summing of them up; and it may denote his continuance in them; Eliphaz suggests as if Job lived in sin, and allowed himself in it, and was going on in a course of iniquity without end, which was very uncharitable; here he charges him in a general way, and next he descends to particulars.

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

Heretofore Eliphaz had only insinuated, now he plainly asserts Job‘s guilt, merely on the ground of his sufferings.

Wesley's Explanatory Notes

Is not thy wickedness great? and thine iniquities infinite?

Evil — Is not thy evil, thy affliction, are not thy calamities procured by, and proportionable to thy sins.

John Trapp Complete Commentary

Job 22:5 [Is] not thy wickedness great? and thine iniquities infinite?

Ver. 5. Is not thy wickedness great?] Why, no; God of his grace had kept Job innocent of the great transgression, Psalms 19:13, and that wicked one had not touched him, 1 John 5:18, sc. with a deadly touch, Tactu qualitativo (Cajetan); had not thrust his sting into him, or transformed him into sin’s image. Had Eliphaz ever found Job to be such a one as here he maketh him? Or doth he not, by these interrogatories, cunningly come over him (in kindness, as we say), to make him confess it? Had all been true that is alleged, Job’s wickedness must needs have been great, and his iniquity infinite. But to be accused is not enough to render a man guilty; for then who should be innocent? Novit sapiens se ad hoc scamma productum, ut depugnet cum iis qui maledictis aluntur, ut venems capreae. Cato was thirty-two times accused, and as often absolved.

And thine iniquities infinite?] Heb. There is no end of thine iniquities; and hence it is that thy miseries are so many and so long lasting; commeruisti tanta tuis sceleribus. The wicked indeed are eternally tormented: 1. Because, being worthless, they cannot satisfy God’s justice in any time; 2. Because they have an infinite desire for sinning against God. But neither of these could be truly affirmed in Job. That so grave a man as Eliphaz (whom the Jewish doctors account a prophet) should fall so foul upon his innocent friend, and taking occasion by his great afflictions only, conjecture and conclude him so heinous an offender, cannot possibly be excused, Coniectura duntaxat, non rei veritate nititur.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

Thy great sins are the true and only causes of thy misery. The words may very well be rendered thus, Is not thy evil (i.e. thy punishment or affliction, which is frequently expressed by this very word) great, because (the particle and being oft used causally, as it is Genesis 18:13 22:12 24:56 Isaiah 34:1 64:5)

thine iniquities are infinite? Are not thy calamities procured by and proportionable to thy sins? Thy own conscience tells thee they are so. And therefore thou hast no reason to accuse God, nor any person but thyself.

Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

5.Iniquities infinite — Literally, and no end of thy iniquities? As God has no motive of self-interest for chastising, the cause must be in Job himself. Eliphaz reasons from the severity of Job’s punishment that his sins must have been infinite in number.

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments

Job 22:5. Is not thy wickedness great? — Thy great sins are the true and only cause of thy misery. Or, the verse may be translated, Is not thy evil (thy affliction or punishment) great, because, אין קצ, ein ketz, there is no end to thy iniquities? Are not thy calamities procured by, and in proportion to thy sins? Thy conscience tells thee they are so. And therefore thou hast no reason to accuse God, or any person but thyself.

George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

Iniquities. He adduces no fresh arguments, but boldly taxes Job with many crimes, which a person in his station might have committed. He rashly concludes that he must have fallen into some of them at least. (Calmet)

Mark Dunagan Commentary on the Bible

Seeing that Job has been punished severely this is taken as proof that Job is not simply a sinner, but a sinner with transgressions without numbers. "If your suffering is limitless and God is just, then your sins must also be boundless" (Strauss p. 221).

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Unabridged

Is not thy wickedness great? and thine iniquities infinite?

Heretofore Eliphaz had only insinuated, now he plainly asserts Job's guilt, merely on the ground of his sufferings.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(5) Is not thy wickedness great?—This was mere conjecture and surmise, arising simply from a false assumption: namely, that a just God can only punish the wicked, and that therefore those must be wicked whom He punishes.

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

not thy

4:7-11; 11:14; 15:5,6,31-34; 21:27; 32:3

thine

Psalms 19:12; 40:12