Job 15 19

Job 15:19 kjv

Unto whom alone the earth was given, and no stranger passed among them.

Job 15:19 nkjv

To whom alone the land was given, And no alien passed among them:

Job 15:19 niv

(to whom alone the land was given when no foreigners moved among them):

Job 15:19 esv

to whom alone the land was given, and no stranger passed among them).

Job 15:19 nlt

from those to whom the land was given
long before any foreigners arrived.

Job 15 verses

Job 15 19 Meaning

Job 15:19 is a statement by Eliphaz the Temanite, referring to the traditional belief that the land given by God to the ancient, wise, and righteous ancestors remained undisturbed by strangers. This claim supports his argument that suffering, such as Job's, indicates sin, as divine favor meant secure, unblemished possession of one's inheritance, free from foreign encroachment.

Job 15 19 Context

Job 15 marks Eliphaz's second speech to Job, following Job's frustrated responses in chapters 12-14. In this chapter, Eliphaz vehemently reasserts the conventional wisdom of his time: the righteous prosper, and the wicked suffer. He chastises Job for his presumptuous words against God, accusing him of undermining traditional piety and challenging divine wisdom. Verse 19 specifically serves as an appeal to the supposed unbroken wisdom and experience of "wise men" and their "fathers." By claiming these forefathers possessed the land alone, with no stranger passing among them, Eliphaz implicitly contrasts their supposed untroubled state with Job's current calamity. Job has clearly experienced "strangers" (the Sabeans and Chaldeans) passing through and plundering his land, property, and family. Thus, Eliphaz uses this idealized historical tradition to highlight Job's departure from righteousness and argue for his guilt.

Job 15 19 Word analysis

• To whom alone: Emphasizes exclusivity and distinction. The "wise men" (v.18) and their ancestors were uniquely favored.
• the land: (Hebrew: erets אֶרֶץ) Refers to a specific geographical territory, their ancestral inheritance, given by God. It signifies security, prosperity, and identity in ancient Near Eastern thought. This land was not just a piece of ground but a covenantal gift.
• was given: (Hebrew: nittĕnâ נִתְּנָה) Hophal perfect of nathan (נָתַן), meaning "to be given, placed." This grammatical form stresses that the land was divinely bestowed. The passive voice highlights God as the ultimate giver, emphasizing His sovereignty and the sacred nature of the gift.
• and no stranger: (Hebrew: zar זָר) Refers to a foreigner, an alien, someone not part of the kinship group, tribe, or nation. In a territorial sense, this implied non-ownership and often posed a threat of defilement or usurpation in Israelite thought. For Eliphaz, the absence of "strangers" underscored the pristine and uncorrupted state of the righteous.
• passed among them: (Hebrew: ʿāvar bām עָבַר בָּם) Literally "passed through them" or "moved among them." This denotes any form of entry or penetration by an outsider—be it for passage, settlement, or conquest. The implication is an undisturbed, unmolested possession, free from foreign influence or invasion. This absence signifies purity, security, and uninterrupted blessing.
• words-group by words-group analysis:
  • "to whom alone the land was given": This phrase asserts divine favoritism and a unique, unchallenged right to the inheritance. It underscores the concept of a "pure" land granted only to a chosen, righteous people. This perfection of inheritance points to their (and by implication, his own) unblemished righteousness, standing in stark contrast to Job's experience.
  • "and no stranger passed among them": This part emphasizes the security and purity of the righteous' dwelling. The absence of foreign intrusion (physical or spiritual) was a sign of God's full favor and protection, indicating a pristine, unadulterated existence free from the contamination or threat posed by outsiders.

Job 15 19 Bonus section

The "wise men" Eliphaz refers to (Job 15:18) were likely venerable elders or ancestral teachers whose sayings formed the basis of his wisdom tradition. This emphasizes that Eliphaz's claims are rooted in an established, generational understanding of divine justice. The concept of "no stranger passing among them" resonates deeply with the Israelite understanding of the Promised Land as a holy space, requiring obedience to maintain its purity and their undisturbed presence within it. Deuteronomy and prophetic literature often link the land's desolation or invasion by foreigners directly to Israel's sin. Eliphaz uses this established national theology but applies it mechanistically to Job's personal circumstances. His statement presents a black-and-white view of prosperity as guaranteed solely for the flawlessly righteous, overlooking the divine tests and redemptive purposes sometimes accomplished through suffering and foreign interactions.

Job 15 19 Commentary

Job 15:19 is Eliphaz's articulation of a traditional wisdom perspective, particularly relevant in ancient Israel where the secure possession of the land was intrinsically linked to covenant obedience and divine blessing. He presents an idealized, perhaps even mythologized, past where the "wise men" and their ancestors, blessed by God, enjoyed a state of undisturbed, exclusive ownership of their land. The absence of "strangers" – a common term for outsiders or even hostile forces – implied total divine protection and an unwavering flow of blessings. Eliphaz employs this historical precedent to indirectly accuse Job: since Job’s land was entered by strangers (Sabeans, Chaldeans), his suffering is a direct consequence of his hidden sin, a violation of the ancient principles of righteousness that once guaranteed such peaceful possession. His argument hinges on a direct correlation between prosperity/security and moral uprightness, a correlation the book of Job ultimately challenges. The verse reveals Eliphaz's theological limitations, assuming a simple quid pro quo without grasping the complexities of God's ways or the potential for righteous suffering.