Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary
Job 4:8

Clarke's Commentary

Verse Job 4:8. They that plough iniquity — A proverbial form of speech drawn from nature. Whatever seed a man sows in the ground, he reaps the same kind; for every seed produces its like. Thus Solomon, Proverbs 22:8: "He that soweth iniquity shall reap vanity." And St. Paul, Galatians 6:7-8: "Be not deceived, God is not mocked; for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh, shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he who soweth to the Spirit, shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting." And of the same nature is that other saying of the apostle, He that soweth sparingly, shall reap sparingly, 2 Corinthians 9:6.

The same figure is employed by the Prophet Hosea Hosea 8:7: They have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind; and Hosea 10:12-13: Sow to yourselves in righteousness; reap in mercy. Ye have ploughed wickedness; ye have reaped iniquity. The last sentence contains, not only the same image, but almost the same words as those used by Eliphaz.

Our Lord expresses the same thing, in the following words: Matthew 7:16-18: Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Every good tree bringeth forth good fruit, but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. So the Greeks: -

Ατης αρουρα θανατον εκκαρπιζεται.

Aesch. Ἑπτα επι Θηβαις, ver. 607.

"The field of iniquity produces the fruit of death."

Ὑβρις γαρ εξανθους εκαρπωσε σταχυν

Ατης, ὁθεν παγκλαυτον εξαμᾳ θερος.

IB. Περσαι, ver. 823.

"For oppression, when it springs,

Puts forth the blade of vengeance; and its fruit

Yields a ripe harvest of repentant wo." - POTTER.

The image is common every where because it is a universal law of nature.

Bridgeway Bible Commentary

Eliphaz speaks (4:1-5:27)

The first of the three friends to speak is Eliphaz, who is probably the oldest of the three. He is also the least severe in the accusations brought against Job (4:1-2). He begins by noting that in the past Job comforted others in their troubles, but now that he has troubles himself, his faith has failed. If Job truly honoured God and was upright in his ways, there would be no need for this despondency (3-6). The person who is innocent, argues Eliphaz, need not fear suffering or death. Such calamities are God’s judgment on wrongdoing, and not even the strongest or most defiant person can withstand his judgment (7-11).
Eliphaz now tells of a hair-raising vision he saw one night (12-16). (It becomes clear, as we read Eliphaz’s speeches, that this vision has become for him a standard by which he judges others.) The main point that Eliphaz learnt from his vision was that no person can be righteous before God. If angels, who live in the heavenly realm, are imperfect, how much more imperfect must human beings be who live on the earth (17-19). Their brief lives comes to an inglorious end, like a tent that collapses when its cords are cut (20-21).
According to Eliphaz, it is useless for Job to expect the angels to support his protest against God’s laws (5:1). The person who rebels against God in such bitterness is a fool and will only get himself into more trouble. His house may be destroyed, his sons convicted of lawbreaking, or his fields plundered by raiders (2-5). For Eliphaz, this shows that suffering does not spring up by itself. Suffering is caused by a person’s sin, just as sparks are caused by a fire (6-7).
In summary, Eliphaz’s suggestion is that if he were in Job’s position he would stop complaining and leave the whole matter in God’s hands, for he has infinite wisdom and power (8-10). God blesses the humble and the needy, though he opposes those who think they are clever (11-16). The sufferings God uses to punish and correct people are likened to wounds. He will heal the wounds of those who submit to him (17-18). He will then bless them with protection from famine and from enemies (19-22); wild beasts will not destroy their flocks or herds (23-24); their families will multiply, and they will die contented in old age (25-26). Such is Eliphaz’s advice, based on much research, and he suggests that Job accept it (27).

Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible

WHO EVER PERISHED BEING INNOCENT?

“Is not the fear of God thy confidence, And the integrity of thy ways thy hope? Remember, I pray thee, who ever perished being innocent? Or where were the righteous cut off? According as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, And sow trouble, reap the same. By the breath of God they perish, And by the blast of his anger are they consumed. The roaring of the lion, and the voice of the fierce lion, And the teeth of the young lions are broken. The old lion perisheth for lack of prey, And the whelps of the lioness are scattered abroad.”

“Whoever perished, being innocent” What a colossal error was this? One must suppose that Eliphaz never heard of Abel. One of the great Biblical proverbs is that one must not yoke the ox with the ass; and some of the most fantastic theological blunders are the result of doing that very thing. Men seize upon some truth, and then yoke it up with some fantastic error. The truth is that God does indeed bless, protect and provide for his people; but there is also a tremendous amount of wickedness in the world that very frequently vents its hatred and destruction against the righteous. Satan, of course, is the implacable foe of all mankind, and especially of the righteous.

“According as I have seen” Eliphaz’ theology is here revealed to have been based upon his personal observation. No man’s personal experience and observation constitute any solid ground for his theology. “The true theology rests upon the authority of divine revelation, and not upon limited human observation and speculation. Unfortunately, also, as Job later pointed out, Eliphaz’ observations and statistics were inaccurate (Job 21:17 ff).”Wycliffe Old Testament Commentary, p. 466.

“The fundamental difference between Job and his friends is that they invariably found the cause of misfortune in the unfortunate, and Job, as for himself, found the cause in God.”Arthur S. Peake, A Commentary on the Bible (London: T. C. and E. C. Jack, Ltd., 1924), p. 350. However the real cause of Job’s terrible misfortune did not lie in either center, but squarely in Satan. The Bible does not reveal whether or not Job ever knew this. The most glorious prayer ever recorded carries that epic line, “Deliver us from the evil one.”

Job 4:10-11 are a rhetorical phase of Eliphaz’ speech, a metaphor, in which the lions are the wicked, and their destruction, God’s inevitable destruction of them. It was true only in the imagination of Eliphaz.

Then, in Job 4:12, Eliphaz introduced that tale about the vision he had; and, as we read it, it reminded us of some of those visions claimed by those prime time TV charlatans. No one could make a bigger mistake than to suppose that God really spoke to Eliphaz in a dream or vision. Commentators differ on just where the vision ends; but we accept the opinion that it was concluded only by the end of this chapter.

Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

Even as I have seen - Eliphaz appeals to his own observation, that people who had led wicked lives were suddenly cut off. Instances of this kind he might doubtless have observed - as all may have done. But his inference was too broad when he concluded that all the wicked are punished in this manner. It is true that wicked people are thus cut off and perish; but it is not true that all the wicked are thus punished in this life, nor that any of the righteous are not visited with similar calamities. His reasoning was of a kind that is common in the world - that of drawing universal conclusions from premises that are too narrow to sustain them, or from too few carefully observed facts.

They that plow iniquity - This is evidently a proverbial expression; and the sense is, that as people sow they reap. If they sow wheat, they reap wheat; if barley, they reap barley; if tares, they reap tares. Thus, in Proverbs 22:8 :

“He that soweth iniquity shall reap also vanity.”

So in Hosea 8:7 :

“For they have sown the wind,

And they shall reap the whirlwind:

It hath no stalk; the bud shall yield no meal

If so be it yield, strangers shall swallow it up”

Thus, in the Persian adage:

“He that planteth thorns shall not gather roses.”

Dr. Good.

So Aeschylus:

Ἄτης ἄρουρα Θάνατον ἐκκαρπίζεται.

Atēs aroura thanaton ekkarpizetai.

The field of wrong brings forth death as its fruit.

The meaning of Eliphaz is, that people who form plans of wickedness must reap appropriate fruits. They cannot expect that an evil life will produce ultimate happiness.

Smith's Bible Commentary

Chapter 4

So Job has made his complaint, and so Eliphaz, his friend who came to comfort him, he said,

If we attempt to talk to you, will you be grieved? [But really after what you've said] who can keep silent? [He said,] Behold, you have instructed many people, you have strengthened weak hands. Your words have held up the person who was falling, and you have strengthened feeble knees. But now when it comes to you, you faint; it touches you, and you are troubled ( Job 4:3-5 ).

Uh-oh, those are nice words to hear, aren't they? From a friend who has come to comfort you in all your misery. "Well, you know, great one you are. You were counseling and lifting up others. Your words held them up and all and you were going around doing this. But now it comes to you, look what happens, man, you faint. You go under."

Is not this thy fear, thy confidence, thy hope, and the uprightness of thy ways? Remember, I pray thee, what innocent man ever perished? ( Job 4:6-7 )

You see, already he's beginning to get the knife out. "Job, you're not innocent. What innocent man ever perished?" Well, let me tell you this. Many innocent men have perished. There's not really good logic to what Eliphaz is saying at all. In fact, the most innocent of all men was crucified. So there really isn't sound wisdom in what Eliphaz is saying. It's just the argumentations of men which often lack real wisdom.

Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same ( Job 4:8 ).

So Job, you're just getting what you reap, what you sowed. You're reaping it now. Those that sow iniquity and wickedness, they reap the same.

By the blast of God they perish, and by the breath of his nostrils they are consumed. The roaring of the lion, and the voice of the fierce lion, and the teeth of the young lions, are broken. The old lion perisheth for lack of prey, and the stout lion's whelps are scattered abroad ( Job 4:9-11 ).

Now, he said, he gets all mystic.

Now a thing was secretly brought to me, and my ear received a little of it. In thoughts from the visions of the night, when deep sleep had fallen upon men, Fear came upon me, and trembling, it made all my bones shake. A spirit passed before my face; and the hair on my flesh stood up: And it stood still, but I could not discern the form of it: an image was before my eyes, there was silence, and I heard a voice, saying, Shall mortal man be more just than God? shall a man be more pure than his Maker? Behold, he put no trust in his servants; and his angels he charged with folly ( Job 4:12-18 ):

So the guy comes off now super spiritual. Have you ever had those people come around super spiritual, you know, when you're in trouble? And you know, visions and dreams and voices of angels, and spirits and all, and this oohh thing, you know. So here is old Eliphaz, "When other men were asleep, a deep sleep in the night, the spirit passed by. I could tell it was there. I couldn't tell the form. Began to speak, you know. He charged his angels with folly."

How much less in those that dwell in houses of clay ( Job 4:19 ),

Interesting and picturesque phrase of our body, a house of clay. But in the New Testament it said, "We have a treasure in this earthen vessel" ( 2 Corinthians 4:7 ). Same thing. In this house of clay there's a fabulous treasure, for God is dwelling in this house of clay. "Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you?" ( 1 Corinthians 3:16 ) And we have this glorious treasure, he said, in these earthen vessels. That the glory... God has put a lot of treasure in this dumb clay pot in order that the glory will always go to God, not to the clay pot. I'm just the vessel, but I have the capacity to contain the wealthiest treasure in the world, even God will dwell within my life. But it is ridiculous; it is ludicrous to put something of such great value in such a common container. Just a clay pot. But God has done it, that the glory will not be in the vessel but in the contents. Now, it is always pathetic and sad and tragic when the clay pot tries to get the glory and tries to draw attention and glory to itself, rather than to the One who dwells within doing the work. So I love this, it's very picturesque. Men who dwell in houses of clay, talking about our body.

whose foundation is the dust, which are crushed before the moth? They are destroyed from morning to evening: they perish for ever without any regarding it. Doth not their excellency which is in them go away? they die, even without wisdom ( Job 4:19-21 ). "

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

Eliphaz’s view of suffering 4:7-11

This is one of the clearest expressions of Eliphaz’s view of why people suffer and his view of the basis for the divine-human relationship (Job 4:7). He believed good people always win and the bad always lose. He was asserting that Job’s sins were finding him out. Bildad and Zophar shared this conclusion, but experience does not support it, as Job pointed out later. Eliphaz also explained the basis for his arguments: personal experience (Job 4:8). Unfortunately, any one person’s individual experience is too limited to provide enough data with which to answer the great questions Job and his friends discussed.

Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

Even as I have seen,.... Here he goes about to prove, by his own experience, the destruction of wicked men; and would intimate, that Job was such an one, because of the ruin he was fallen into:

they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same; figurative expressions, denoting that such who devise iniquity in their hearts, form and plan schemes of it in their minds, signified by "plowing iniquity", and who were studious and diligent to put into practice what they devised; who took a great deal of pains to commit sin, and were constant at it, expressed by "sowing wickedness": these sooner or later eat the fruit of their doings, are punished in proportion to their crimes, even in this life, as well as hereafter, see Hosea 8:7 Galatians 6:7; though a Jewish commentator b observes, that the thought of sin is designed by the first phrase; the endeavour to bring it into action by the second; and the finishing of the work, or the actual commission of the evil, by the third; the punishment thereof being what is expressed in Job 4:9; the Targum applies this to the generation of the flood.

b R. Simeon Bar Tzemach.

Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible

      7 Remember, I pray thee, who ever perished, being innocent? or where were the righteous cut off?   8 Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same.   9 By the blast of God they perish, and by the breath of his nostrils are they consumed.   10 The roaring of the lion, and the voice of the fierce lion, and the teeth of the young lions, are broken.   11 The old lion perisheth for lack of prey, and the stout lion's whelps are scattered abroad.

      Eliphaz here advances another argument to prove Job a hypocrite, and will have not only his impatience under his afflictions to be evidence against him but even his afflictions themselves, being so very great and extraordinary, and there being no prospect at all of his deliverance out of them. To strengthen his argument he here lays down these two principles, which seem plausible enough:--

      I. That good men were never thus ruined. For the proof of this he appeals to Job's own observation (Job 4:7; Job 4:7): "Remember, I pray thee; recollect all that thou hast seen, heard, or read, and give me an instance of any one that was innocent and righteous, and yet perished as thou dost, and was cut off as thou art." If we understand it of a final and eternal destruction, his principle is true. None that are innocent and righteous perish for ever: it is only a man of sin that is a son of perdition,2 Thessalonians 2:3. But then it is ill applied to Job; he did not thus perish, nor was he cut off: a man is never undone till he is in hell. But, if we understand it of any temporal calamity, his principle is not true. The righteous perish (Isaiah 57:1): there is one event both to the righteous and to the wicked (Ecclesiastes 9:2), both in life and death; the great and certain difference is after death. Even before Job's time (as early as it was) there were instances sufficient to contradict this principle. Did not righteous Abel perish being innocent? and was he not cut off in the beginning of his days? Was not righteous Lot burnt out of house and harbour, and forced to retire to a melancholy cave? Was not righteous Jacob a Syrian ready to perish?Deuteronomy 26:5. Other such instances, no doubt, there were, which are not on record.

      II. That wicked men were often thus ruined. For the proof of this he vouches his own observation (Job 4:8; Job 4:8): "Even as I have seen, many a time, those that plough iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap accordingly; by the blast of God they perish,Job 4:9; Job 4:9. We have daily instances of that; and therefore, since thou dost thus perish and art consumed, we have reason to think that, whatever profession of religion thou hast made, thou hast but ploughed iniquity and sown wickedness. Even as I have seen in others, so do I see in thee."

      1. He speaks of sinners in general, politic busy sinners, that take pains in sin, for they plough iniquity; and expect gain by sin, for they sow wickedness. Those that plough plough in hope, but what is the issue? They reap the same. They shall of the flesh reap corruption and ruin, Galatians 6:7; Galatians 6:8. The harvest will be a heap in the day of grief and desperate sorrow,Isaiah 17:11. He shall reap the same, that is, the proper product of that seedness. That which the sinner sows, he sows not that body that shall be, but God will give it a body, a body of death, the end of those things,Romans 6:21. Some, by iniquity and wickedness, understand wrong and injury done to others. Those who plough and sow them shall reap the same, that is, they shall be paid in their own coin. Those who are troublesome shall be troubled, 2 Thessalonians 1:6; Joshua 7:25. The spoilers shall be spoiled (Isaiah 33:1), and those that led captive shall go captive,Revelation 13:10. He further describes their destruction (Job 4:9; Job 4:9): By the blast of God they perish. The projects they take so much pains in are defeated; God cuts asunder the cords of those ploughers, Psalms 129:3; Psalms 129:4. They themselves are destroyed, which is the just punishment of their iniquity. They perish, that is, they are destroyed utterly; they are consumed, that is, they are destroyed gradually; and this by the blast and breath of God, that is, (1.) By his wrath. His anger is the ruin of sinners, who are therefore called vessels of wrath, and his breath is said to kindle Tophet,Isaiah 30:33. Who knows the power of his anger?Psalms 90:11. (2.) By his word. He speaks and it is done, easily and effectually. The Spirit of God, in the word, consumes sinners; with that he slays them, Hosea 6:5. Saying and doing are not two things with God. The man of sin is said to be consumed with the breath of Christ's mouth,2 Thessalonians 2:8; Isaiah 11:4; Revelation 19:21. Some think that in attributing the destruction of sinners to the blast of God, and the breath of his nostrils, he refers to the wind which blew the house down upon Job's children, as if they were therefore sinners above all men because they suffered such things.Luke 13:2.

      2. He speaks particularly of tyrants and cruel oppressors, under the similitude of lions, Job 4:10; Job 4:11. Observe, (1.) How he describes their cruelty and oppression. The Hebrew tongue has five several names for lions, and they are all here used to set forth the terrible tearing power, fierceness, and cruelty, of proud oppressors. They roar, and rend, and prey upon all about them, and bring up their young ones to do so too, Ezekiel 19:3. The devil is a roaring lion; and they partake of his nature, and do his lusts. They are strong as lions, and subtle (Psalms 10:9; Psalms 17:12); and, as far as they prevail, they lay all desolate about them. (2.) How he describes their destruction, the destruction both of their power and of their persons. They shall be restrained from doing further hurt and reckoned with for the hurt they have done. An effectual course shall be taken, [1.] That they shall not terrify. The voice of their roaring shall be stopped. [2.] That they shall not tear. God will disarm them, will take away their power to do hurt: The teeth of the young lions are broken. See Psalms 3:7. Thus shall the remainder of wrath be restrained. [3.] That they shall not enrich themselves with the spoil of their neighbours. Even the old lion is famished, and perishes for lack of prey. Those that have surfeited on spoil and rapine are perhaps reduced to such straits as to die of hunger at last. [4.] That they shall not, as they promise themselves, leave a succession: The stout lion's whelps are scattered abroad, to seek for food themselves, which the old ones used to bring in for them, Nahum 2:12. The lion did tear in pieces for his whelps, but now they must shift for themselves. Perhaps Eliphaz intended, in this, to reflect upon Job, as if he, being the greatest of all the men of the east, had got his estate by spoil and used his power in oppressing his neighbours, but now his power and estate were gone, and his family was scattered: if so, it was a pity that a man whom God praised should be thus abused.