Job 15 1

Job 15:1 kjv

Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said,

Job 15:1 nkjv

Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said:

Job 15:1 niv

Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied:

Job 15:1 esv

Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said:

Job 15:1 nlt

Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied:

Job 15 verses

Job 15 1 Meaning

Job 15:1 marks the precise beginning of the second cycle of debate speeches in the Book of Job. This verse introduces Eliphaz the Temanite as the next speaker, signaling his reply to Job’s previous discourse (Job 12-14) and setting the stage for his renewed accusations and arguments. It is a formulaic introduction found throughout the disputation section of the book, signifying the continuation of the dialogue.

Job 15 1 Context

This verse signals the beginning of the second cycle of speeches (Job 15-21) within the Book of Job's central poetic debate. It directly follows Job’s intense and emotional discourse in chapters 12-14, where he lamented his suffering, questioned divine justice, and vehemently asserted his integrity and a desire for vindication. Having previously listened to Job’s defiant and desperate outburst, Eliphaz is the first among the friends to respond again, setting the tone for the increasingly confrontational nature of their counsel. The immediate context of Job's preceding speech involves his direct appeal to God, asserting his blamelessness, which his friends, steeped in traditional wisdom, likely perceive as arrogance and even blasphemy.

Job 15 1 Word analysis

• Then (וַיַּעַן - va-yaʿan): This initial Hebrew conjunction means "and" or "then," preceding the verb "answered." Its presence signals the immediate and responsive nature of Eliphaz’s next speech in the structured debate. It acts as a standard narrative transition found throughout the Book of Job and the Hebrew Bible.
• Eliphaz (אֱלִיפַז - ʾĔlîp̄az): A proper noun identifying one of Job’s three friends. His name is believed to mean "My God is fine gold" or "My God is refined gold," potentially hinting at his theology concerning God's methods of refining people through trials, a concept he often asserts. He consistently takes the lead in speaking among the friends.
• the Temanite (הַתֵּימָנִי - ha-têymānî): This designation indicates Eliphaz's geographical origin from Teman, a region in Edom, well-known in ancient Near Eastern wisdom traditions for its sagacity and learned men (as seen in Jer 49:7). This detail underscores that Eliphaz speaks from a respected intellectual background, amplifying the tragic irony of his flawed conclusions regarding Job.
• answered (וַיַּעַן - va-yaʿan): The same verb form as "Then," repeating the action of responding. This reiterates that Eliphaz is not initiating a new topic but directly reacting to Job’s preceding words and challenges, emphasizing the conversational (albeit confrontational) flow.
• and said (וַיֹּאמֶר - va-yōʾmer): A common Hebrew idiom to introduce direct speech. It concludes the formulaic opening and smoothly transitions the reader from the narrative frame into the poetic discourse that comprises Eliphaz's second major argument.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "Then Eliphaz... answered and said": This entire phrase functions as a fixed literary device in the Book of Job. Its repeated, formulaic usage across the various speech introductions (for Job and his friends) highlights the formal, cyclical, and unyielding nature of the theological debate. This rigid structure emphasizes that the friends are less engaged in a sympathetic conversation and more in a prosecutorial theological dispute.
• "Eliphaz the Temanite": This specific appellation combines Eliphaz’s identity with his ancestral/geographical roots, reinforcing his credibility from a land known for its wisdom. However, in the context of Job’s unique suffering, this renowned human wisdom proves inadequate and, ultimately, gravely misguided, failing to grasp the true nature of God’s purposes.

Job 15 1 Bonus section

The highly formalized way in which each speech is introduced throughout the Book of Job, almost verbatim with "Then [Speaker] answered and said," emphasizes the Book's nature as a theological drama rather than a spontaneous conversation. This repetitive structure provides a sense of a structured, almost judicial, proceeding. The return to Eliphaz as the first to speak in the second cycle reinforces his position as the primary voice among the friends, tasked with upholding their communal theological framework against Job’s challenging protests. This indicates a consistent and unified front from the friends in their arguments, which, however eloquent, consistently miss the true spiritual depth of Job's predicament.

Job 15 1 Commentary

Job 15:1 is structurally vital, initiating the second of the three speech cycles between Job and his friends. Simple in its narrative introduction, it belies the increasing intensity and accusatory tone of the subsequent dialogues. As Job has intensified his lament and demand for divine explanation, Eliphaz, ever the lead speaker and 'theologian' of the group, prepares to unleash a more direct condemnation. This verse quietly but powerfully underscores the fundamental impasse between Job's inexplicable suffering and the friends' rigid adherence to conventional wisdom that struggles to accommodate such an anomaly. The formulaic introduction sets a solemn stage for an argument that will further alienate and accuse, rather than comfort.