Behold, this is even so, as we have searched out: which thou having heard, consider it thoroughly in thy mind.

“Notice how Eliphaz … has inflicted a severe blow. How and in what manner? By showing that Job is not among those who receive a warning or among those who keep faith. Indeed, Eliphaz has applied his words to the person of Job, but his speech has a general meaning. For he says: Here is what we have seen and understood; but if this did not occur in your case, and if you remain in your misfortunes, it is up to you to recognize your own perversity.”

“Lo this, as we have searched it, so it is. And now thou hast heard it, turn it in thy mind. Assuredly it is clear, that in these words he says nothing upon a view of the surface, in that a thing, that is 'searched,' is not set before the face. He then, who shews that he had 'searched' these things, proves that in outward words inward things were what he had in view. And after the whole he is brought to the foolishness of boasting, in that he thereupon adds; And now thou hast heard it, turn it in thy mind. With whatever lessons of instruction the mind may be furnished, it argues great want of skill to wish to instruct one that is superior, whence the very things which are rightly delivered by the friends, are not pronounced right by the interior Judge. For they lose the efficacy of their rightness herein, that they are not suited to the hearer. For even medicines lose their efficacious properties when they be administered to sound limbs. In all, then, that is said, it is necessary that the occasion, the time, and the individual, be taken into account, whether the truth of the sentiment confirms the words delivered, whether the fitting time calls for it, whether the character of the person does not impugn both the truth of the sentiment, and the suitableness of the time. For he launches his darts in a manner to deserve praise, who first looks at the enemy that he is to strike. For he masters the horns of the strong bow amiss, who in sending the arrow with force, strikes a fellowcountryman.”

“"Anger kills the foolish man." Because in the revelation which he had recounted as having been made to him, Eliphaz included among other things this, that men who have an earthly foundation are consumed as though by a moth; he wishes to show this through the diverse conditions of men: for there is no condition of men to which a proneness to some sin is not present. Now there are two conditions of men: for some are of great and elevated spirit, who are easily provoked to anger, and this is so because anger is an appetite for vengeance arising from a preceding offense; and the more elevated in spirit someone is, the more he thinks himself offended from a lighter cause, and therefore the more easily he is provoked to anger, and this is what is meant by "anger kills the foolish man." Now he calls the man who is of proud and elevated spirit "foolish," because it is especially through pride that man exceeds the bounds of reason, and humility prepares the way of wisdom, according to that saying of Proverbs 11:2, "where there is humility, there is wisdom"; and with this also the folly of anger fits, for the angry man, as the Philosopher teaches, does indeed use reason while he seeks vengeance for an offense, but perversely, since in taking vengeance he does not observe the measure of reason; and perversity of reason is folly. But some are pusillanimous, and these are prone to envy; hence he adds "and envy slays the little one," and this is said reasonably: for envy is nothing other than sadness at another's prosperity, insofar as that prosperity is reckoned as an impediment to one's own prosperity; and this pertains to smallness of soul, that someone does not judge himself able to prosper among others who are prospering. Thus, therefore, it seems evident that man, of whatever condition he may be, is prone to some sin; for it would be easy to bring forward similar things concerning other sins. Thus, then, through all that has been said above, Eliphaz intends to prove that adversities in this world befall no one except for sin. Against this there seem to be two objections, one of which is that many just men seem to be subjected to adversities; but he seems to have dissolved this objection by showing that men are prone to sin. The second objection is that some wicked men prosper in this world, and to satisfy this he intends consequently to show that their prosperity redounds to their own harm. Hence he says, "I have seen a fool," that is, a man puffed up with pride in his riches, "with a firm root," that is, established, as it seemed, in the prosperity of this world; but I did not approve his prosperity — nay rather, "I cursed his beauty immediately." Here it should be noted that he speaks of man under the metaphor of a tree, whose root, when it is firm, gives beauty in branches and fruits; he therefore compares the prosperity of a man established in riches to the beauty of a tree, which he curses, that is, pronounces to be evil and harmful, according to that saying of Ecclesiastes 5:12, "there is also another very grievous infirmity which I have seen under the sun: riches kept to the hurt of their owner." He added "immediately" in order to show that he has no doubt at all about this judgment. He shows, first as regards the sons, what evils proceed from the prosperity of the fool. For it frequently happens that when someone rich and powerful raises his sons without discipline, which is proper to a fool, his sons fall into many dangers; and sometimes, indeed, they are destroyed without judgment because of the hatreds which they stir up against themselves, or else, while not taking heed for themselves and indulging inordinately in pleasures, they lose their lives; and as to this he says, "his sons shall be far from safety." At other times, while they inflict calumnies and injuries on others, they are brought before judges and there condemned; and as to this he says, "and they shall be crushed in the gate," that is, by the sentence of the judges, for judges of old were accustomed to sit in the gates. And because foolish men in their prosperity do not hesitate to offend anyone, in adversity they find no helper, and so he adds, "and there shall be none to deliver them." But because someone might say, "I do not care whatever happens to my sons, so long as I enjoy prosperity in this world," he therefore, in the second place, sets forth the evils that come upon the fool himself both in his goods and in his person, saying, "whose harvest the hungry man shall eat"; for frequently men who are foolish and abound in riches oppress the poor, who, for the most part unable to bear the burdens, are forced by a kind of necessity to seize the goods of the rich; and because such men, living delicately, are wont through the delights of life to lose vigor of spirit and to become unwarlike, they are easily destroyed by warlike poor men; hence there follows, "and the armed man shall snatch it away," as it were without any resistance. And so that what he had said of harvests may be understood generally, he adds, "and the thirsty shall drink his riches," that is, covetous men. The aforesaid objections having been removed, he finally brings forward the argument to prove his principal intention, namely that adversities in this world do not happen to anyone except for sin, and the argument is this: whatever things happen on earth proceed from their own determinate causes; if, therefore, adversities happen to someone in this world, this has a determinate cause, which appears to be none other than sin; this, then, is what he says, "nothing on earth happens without a cause": for we see all effects proceed from determinate causes. From which, as though concluding, he adds, "and sorrow shall not spring out of the ground," and this is a metaphorical expression: for certain herbs are produced without seed, of which it is said that the ground brings them forth of its own accord; whatever, therefore, happened without its own proper cause, as it were without seed, could by a certain likeness be metaphorically said to spring out of the ground; but sorrow, that is, adversity, shall not spring out of the ground, that is, it is not without a cause. That which he had said, "nothing on earth happens without a cause," is made especially clear from this, that all things have a natural disposition fitting to their proper operation, from which it appears that the natural dispositions of things are not without a cause but for a determinate end; and therefore he says, "man is born to labor, and the bird to fly." For it is evident that, because the proper motion which the nature of the bird required was flight, it was fitting that the bird should have from its nature instruments suited to flying, namely wings and feathers; man, however, because he had reason, by which through his own labor he could procure for himself all the necessary aids, was naturally produced without all the aids which nature gave to other animals, namely without covering, without weapons, and other such things which he could prepare for himself by his own labor through the industry of reason. "Wherefore I will beseech the Lord," and so forth. Because Eliphaz had proposed that all things which happen on earth have a determinate cause, and had proved this from the fact that natural things appeared to be disposed for an end, and because this — namely that natural things exist for an end — is the strongest argument to show that the world is governed by divine providence and that not all things happen by chance, Eliphaz therefore at once concludes from what has gone before concerning the governance of divine providence. Now it must be known that if divine providence is taken away, the fruit of prayer is taken away, and likewise the knowledge of God concerning human affairs, which nevertheless must necessarily be posited by one who grants the governance of providence; and therefore Eliphaz, concluding, says: since all things which happen on earth are for an end, one must grant the governance of providence, wherefore "I will beseech the Lord," as though prayer were fruitful inasmuch as God disposes human affairs, "and to God I will set forth my speech," inasmuch as God knows human deeds and words and thoughts. In confirmation of this he adds those things which most show forth divine providence. Now it must be known that those who deny providence say that all things which appear in the things of the world proceed from the necessity of natural causes, namely from the necessity of heat and cold, of heaviness and lightness, and other such things. From those things, therefore, is divine providence most shown, of which no reason can be given from such natural principles; among which one is the determinate magnitude of the bodies of this world: for no reason can be assigned from any natural principle why the sun or the moon or the earth should be of such a size and not greater or smaller; hence it must be said that this apportioning of magnitudes is from the ordination of some intellect, and this he designates when he says, "who does great things," that is, who disposes things in a determinate magnitude. Again, if all things proceeded from the necessity of natural principles, since natural principles are known to us, we would have a way of inquiring into all things that are in this world; but there are some things in this world to the knowledge of which we can attain by no inquiry, such as spiritual substances, the distances of the stars, and other such things; hence it is evident that not all things proceed from the necessity of natural principles, but that things have been instituted by some higher intellect, and for this reason he adds, "and things unsearchable." Likewise, there are certain things which we see of which we can in no way assign the reason, for instance that the stars are disposed according to such a figure in this part of the heaven and according to another in another part; hence it is evident that this does not come from natural principles but from some higher intellect, and for this reason he adds, "and wondrous things": for the unsearchable and the wondrous differ in this, that the unsearchable is that which itself lies hidden and cannot be sought out, while the wondrous is that which indeed itself appears, but its cause cannot be sought out. It must also be known that some have held that the disposition of things proceeds from God according to a certain order of number, namely that from the first, simple one there proceeds only one first effect, in which there is already something of composition and plurality, and thus from it there proceed two or three things which are still less simple, and so, step by step according to them, the whole multitude of things proceeds; according to which position, indeed, the whole disposition of the universe is not from the ordination of the divine intellect but from a certain necessity of nature; hence, to remove this position, he adds, "without number": either because things have been produced into being without the necessity of a numerical order, or because innumerable things have been produced for us immediately by God, which especially appears in the first heaven, in which there are very many stars. Thus, then, Eliphaz shows that the production of things is from God and not from the necessity of nature. Consequently he shows that the course of things once made is governed by divine providence. And first in natural things, from the fact that natural things appear to be tempered to the use of men and of other animals, although the natural order of the elements would seem to require otherwise: for if one considers weight and lightness in the elements, it is evident that by nature earth lies beneath water, and water beneath air, and air beneath fire. Yet some part of the earth is found uncovered by the waters, lying immediately beneath the air; for otherwise animals that breathe could not live on the earth; and again, lest the earth uncovered from the waters should become unfruitful and uninhabitable through its dryness, it is moistened by God in two ways: first, indeed, by rain, by which the surface of the earth is watered, and as to this he says, "who gives rain upon the face of the earth"; in another way, as regards springs, streams, and rivers, by which the earth is irrigated, whose source is under the earth just as the rain's is on high, and as to this he says, "and waters all things." Then he shows the working of providence also in human affairs. And indeed, if human affairs ran according to what their disposition seems to require, little or no trace of divine providence would appear in them; but since human affairs run in another way, fools, who do not consider the higher causes, attribute this to chance and fortune, in whose persons Solomon speaks, Ecclesiastes 9:11, saying, "I saw that under the sun the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the learned, nor favor to the skillful, but time and chance in all things." Eliphaz, however, refers this to a higher cause, namely to the providence of God. And first as regards the oppressed, who are also raised from the lowest to the height, and as to this he says, "who sets the humble," that is, the cast down, "on high," and are transferred from sorrow to joy, and as to this he says, "and raises up the mourning to health." Second, as regards the oppressors, of whom there are two kinds. For some openly oppress others by power, and as to these it is said, "who scatters the thoughts of the malignant, that their hands may not accomplish what they had begun," because, namely, they are hindered by God in the very carrying out of the deed, lest they be able to bring an iniquitous thought to effect; but some deceive by cunning, and as to these it is said, "who catches the wise in their own craftiness," inasmuch, namely, as the things which they craftily devise turn out contrary to their purpose, "and dissipates the counsel of the wicked," while, namely, the things which seem to have been wisely counseled by them, through certain impediments brought in upon them, they are not able to bring to effect; and sometimes not only are craftily-counseled things hindered in the deed, but their mind itself is darkened so that they cannot discern the better course in counseling, hence he adds, "in the daytime they shall run into darkness," because, namely, in a matter altogether manifest they do not know at all what to do, "and grope at noonday as in the night," that is, in things which are in no way doubtful they shall be as doubtful as in obscure matters. And so that these things may be seen to come from divine providence, he adds the benefit that comes from what has been said. For while the cunning of the malignant is hindered, the poor are freed from their deceptions, and this is what he adds, "moreover he shall save the needy from the sword of their mouth," for those who are cunning in evil are wont to seduce others by flattering and feigned words, which words, in doing harm, are compared to a sword, according to that saying of the Psalm, "their tongue is a sharp sword." When, moreover, the works of the powerful wicked are hindered by God, it is likewise evident that the poor are saved, hence there follows, "and the poor from the hand of the violent." And from this two things follow, one of which is that men, who are of themselves powerless, trust in the divine power, as though God cared for human affairs, hence he adds, "and there shall be hope to the needy"; the other is that powerful and wicked men hold themselves back from being entirely wicked, hence there follows, "but iniquity shall shut her mouth," lest, namely, it pour itself out entirely into the destruction of others. "Blessed is the man who is corrected by the Lord," and so forth. As has been said above, Eliphaz had in what preceded charged blessed Job both with impatience and with presumption in that he had asserted himself innocent; now, however, he endeavors to take away from him the despair from which he believed those words had proceeded by which Job had detested his own life. It must be known, then, that from the things said above, by which he had asserted divine providence both concerning natural things and concerning human affairs, he takes this as known, that all adversities are brought upon men by divine judgment, but upon some indeed unto final condemnation — those who are incorrigible — while upon others unto correction — those who are amended by adversities — whom he asserts to be blessed, saying, "blessed is the man who is corrected by the Lord": for if correction by man is wholesome, though man cannot perfectly know the measure and manner according to which correction can be wholesome, nor is he omnipotent to remove evils and bestow goods, much more ought the correction of God, who is omnipotent and knows all things, to be reckoned wholesome and happy. From this conclusion he draws to his purpose, saying, "therefore do not reject the rebuke of the Lord," as if to say: although you suffer this adversity from God on account of your sins, nevertheless you ought to reckon that this is, as it were, a certain rebuke of the Lord for correcting you, hence you ought not to reject this adversity to such an extent that on account of it you hold your life hateful. And he adds the reason for what has been said, saying, "for he wounds," with a graver adversity, "and heals," by taking away evils and restoring goods; "he strikes," with a lighter adversity, "and his hands," that is, his operations, "shall heal," that is, shall set free. Eliphaz, then, did not assert that the one who is corrected by the Lord is blessed on account of a future life, which he did not believe in, but on account of the present life, in which, after correction, a man obtained from God immunity from evils and abundance of goods. Hence, consequently, concerning immunity from evils he adds, saying, "in six troubles he shall deliver you, and in the seventh evil shall not touch you"; for since all time is measured by the sevenfold number of days, the universality of things is customarily designated by the number seven, so that the sense is that no adversity will harm the one who is corrected by the Lord after his amendment. And because, according to his opinion, the more anyone has been purified from fault, the less adversity he suffers in this world, therefore he says, "in the seventh evil shall not touch you," as though before amendment a man is not freed from adversity, but when he begins to be freed from it he is touched but not overwhelmed, God freeing him, while after perfect liberation he is not touched at all. This is indeed true as regards the mind, which, while it fixes its end in worldly things, is oppressed by worldly adversities; when, withdrawing its love from them, it begins to love God, it is saddened indeed in adversities but is not overwhelmed, because it does not have its hope in the world; but when it has utterly despised the world, then worldly adversities scarcely touch it. This opinion, however, is not true as regards the body, as Eliphaz understood it, since the most perfect men sometimes suffer the gravest adversities, according to that saying of the Psalm, "for your sake we are put to death all the day long," which is adduced concerning the apostles. And because he had touched on seven tribulations, he subsequently enumerates them. Now it must be known that adversity sometimes arises from some particular danger to some person, which is sometimes against his bodily life, which is sometimes taken away through the withdrawal of necessities, and as to this he says, "in famine he shall deliver you from death," as if to say: you will indeed suffer hunger, being rebuked by the Lord, but from this you will not come to death, God delivering you; and this is the first tribulation. Sometimes, moreover, it is taken away through the violence of someone inflicting harm, and as to this he says, "and in war, from the hand," that is, the power, "of the sword," as if to say: war will come upon you, but you will not be brought into the power of the sword; and this is the second tribulation. Bodily life is also taken away by natural death, but this is not counted among tribulations, since the nature of man requires it. Sometimes, moreover, the personal danger is against a man's reputation, which pertains to civil life, and as to this he says, "you shall be hidden from the scourge of the tongue": now the scourge of the tongue is called grievous defamation, from which a man is then hidden when the deeds of his, by which he might be defamed, lie hidden from the detractor; and this is the third tribulation. Sometimes, moreover, adversity comes from some general danger, which threatens either persons or goods: persons indeed, as when an enemy army comes upon some country, through which either death or captivity is commonly feared, and as to this he says, "and you shall not fear calamity when it comes," as if to say: with calamity from the enemies of your country impending, you will not be afraid; and this is the fourth tribulation. Common danger threatens goods, moreover, either through the barrenness of the land, which occurs in a time of famine, or through some devastation of the crops by enemies, and as to these two he says, "in famine and devastation you shall laugh," that is, you will have abundance which will be to you a matter of joy; and thus the fifth and sixth tribulations are touched upon. Sometimes, moreover, adversity comes from the assault of brute animals, whether in general or in particular, and as to this he says, "and you shall not fear the beast of the earth"; and this appears to be the seventh tribulation, in which evil does not touch him. After immunity from evils he sets forth abundance in goods, and first as regards the fertility of the lands, saying, "but you shall have a covenant with the stones of the regions," that is, even stony and barren lands will bring forth fruit for you, according to that saying of Deuteronomy 32:13, "that you might suck honey out of the rock," etc.; second, as regards the brute animals, and as to this he says, "and the beasts of the earth shall be at peace with you," that is, they will not harm you — though these two might be otherwise, that could be explained, so that by stones are understood hard and rude men, and by beasts, cruel men; third, as regards the members of his household, when he says, "and you shall know that your tent has peace," that is, your household will have peace among themselves; fourth, specifically as regards his wife, and as to this he says, "and visiting your beauty you shall not sin," as if to say: you will have a wife who is honorable and peaceable, with whom you will be able to live without sin; fifth, as regards sons, hence he says, "your offspring shall be like the grass of the earth," that is, you will have many sons and grandsons; sixth, as regards a peaceful and quiet death, and as to this he says, "you shall go into the grave in abundance," as though not despoiled of your goods, in good prosperity, "as a heap of wheat is brought in its own time," as though not overtaken by an untimely and sudden death. Finally, he confirms the things he had said above, saying, "behold, this, as we have searched it out, so it is." And because he judges Job to be so absorbed in sorrow that he would not much consider such things, he makes him attentive, saying, "hear it, and turn it over in your mind."”

“Lo this, we have searched it,.... This is the concluding part of Eliphaz's first oration or speech to Job; and in order to engage his attention to it, observes, that what he had said was not his own single opinion, but the sentiment of the rest of his friends; and that it was the result of laborious and diligent investigation; that they had searched the records of former times, and inquired of ancient people, as well as had made the strictest observations on things during their course of life; so it is; and the sum and amount of all was what he had declared, and which they had found to be sure and certain, the truth of the matter; that it is an undoubted truth, which should not be disputed and called in question, but to be held as a first principle, which was this; that wicked men are punished for their sins, and that good men are never greatly afflicted, at least not to such a degree as to be stripped of all the necessaries of life, and to be in a most desolate and perishing condition; and since this had been so thoroughly investigated by them, and such "a probatum est" was written upon it, he exhorts Job to hear it; agree to it, believe it, receive it, and make a proper use of it, as he hoped he would: and know thou it for thy good; or "for thyself" (s); take it to thyself, as belonging to thee, as suitable to thy case; apply it to thyself, learn some lessons from it, and make good use of it; which is what is proposed by all that has been said. (s) "scito tibi", Montanus, Mercerus, &c. Next: Job Chapter 6”

“Which thou. Septuagint, “And what we have heard: but do thou reflect with thyself what thou hast done.” (Haydock) — What had been revealed to Eliphaz was very true. Yet his conclusions were unwarrantable. (Calmet) — How confidently does he speak of his own knowledge, and how great must have been his disappointment, when God condemned him of folly, and sent him to be the prayers of that very man whom he now considered as a wretched sinner! (Haydock) Bible Text & Cross-references: Eliphaz proceeds in his charge, and exhorts Job to acknowledge his sins. 1 Call now, if there be any that will answer thee, and turn to some of the saints. 2 Anger indeed killeth the foolish, and envy slayeth the little one. 3 I have seen a fool with a strong root, and I cursed his beauty immediately. 4 His children shall be far from safety, and shall be destroyed in the gate, and there shall be none to deliver them. 5 Whose harvest the hungry shall eat, and the armed man shall take him by violence, and the thirsty shall drink up his riches. 6 Nothing upon earth is done without a cause, and sorrow doth not spring out of the ground. 7 Man is born to labour, and the bird to fly. 8 Wherefore I will pray to the Lord, and address my speech to God: 9 Who doth great things, and unsearchable and wonderful things without number: 10 Who giveth rain upon the face of the earth, and watereth all things with waters: 11 Who setteth up the humble on high, and comforteth with health those that mourn. 12 Who bringeth to nought the designs of the malignant, so that their hands cannot accomplish what they had begun: 13 *Who catcheth the wise in their craftiness, and disappointeth the counsel of the wicked: 14 They shall meet with darkness in the day, and grope at noon-day as in the night. 15 But he shall save the needy from the sword of their mouth, and the poor from the hand of the violent. 16 And to the needy there shall he hope, but iniquity shall draw in her mouth. 17 Blessed is the man whom God correcteth: refuse not, therefore, the chastising of the Lord: 18 For he woundeth, and cureth: he striketh, and his hands shall heal. 19 In six troubles he shall deliver thee, and in the seventh, evil shall not touch thee. 20 In famine he shall deliver thee from death; and in battle, from the hand of the sword. 21 Thou shalt be hidden from the scourge of the tongue: and thou shalt not fear calamity when it cometh. 22 In destruction and famine thou shalt laugh: and thou shalt not be afraid of the beasts of the earth. 23 But thou shalt have a covenant with the stones of the lands, and the beasts of the earth shall be at peace with thee. 24 And thou shalt know that thy tabernacle is in peace, and visiting thy beauty, thou shalt not sin. 25 Thou shalt know also that thy seed shall be multiplied, and thy offspring like the grass of the earth. 26 Thou shalt enter into the grave in abundance, as a heap of wheat is brought in in its season. 27 Behold, this is even so, as we have searched out: which thou having heard, consider it thoroughly in thy mind.”