Job 15:4 kjv
Yea, thou castest off fear, and restrainest prayer before God.
Job 15:4 nkjv
Yes, you cast off fear, And restrain prayer before God.
Job 15:4 niv
But you even undermine piety and hinder devotion to God.
Job 15:4 esv
But you are doing away with the fear of God and hindering meditation before God.
Job 15:4 nlt
Have you no fear of God,
no reverence for him?
Job 15 4 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Job 1:1 | There was a man in the land of Uz... blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil. | Job's initial blameless character and fear of God. |
| Job 2:3 | And the Lord said to Satan, "Have you considered My servant Job...? He still holds fast his integrity, although you incited Me against him..." | God's affirmation of Job's continued integrity. |
| Prov 1:7 | The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction. | Defines "fear of the Lord" as the start of knowledge. |
| Ps 111:10 | The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all those who do His commandments... | Links "fear of the Lord" to wisdom and obedience. |
| Deut 6:2 | That you may fear the Lord your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments... | Emphasizes fear of the Lord as motivation for obedience. |
| Job 4:6 | Is not your fear of God your confidence, and the integrity of your ways your hope? | Eliphaz's earlier, seemingly contradictory, view of Job's fear. |
| Job 22:4 | "Is it because of your fear of Him that He rebukes you, that He enters into judgment with you?" | Eliphaz's later, continued accusation of Job's impiety. |
| Isa 1:15 | When you spread out your hands, I will hide My eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not listen... | Prayer being unheard due to unrighteousness. |
| Prov 28:9 | If anyone turns a deaf ear to instruction, even his prayers are an abomination. | Rebellion against instruction hinders prayer. |
| Ps 66:18 | If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. | Secret sin preventing prayer from being heard. |
| Lam 3:44 | You have wrapped Yourself with a cloud so that no prayer can pass through. | God's perceived hiding of Himself, making prayer difficult. |
| Jas 4:3 | You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures. | Prayer ineffective due to wrong motives. |
| 1 Jn 3:22 | ...and whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do what is pleasing in His sight. | Obedience fostering effective prayer. |
| Rom 3:18 | There is no fear of God before their eyes. | Describes the state of the unrighteous, lacking reverence. |
| 2 Cor 7:1 | Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement... perfecting holiness in the fear of God. | New Testament emphasis on godly fear in sanctification. |
| Acts 10:2 | A devout man, and one who feared God with all his household; who gave alms liberally to the people, and prayed to God continually. | Example of a God-fearing person who prayed often. |
| 1 Pet 3:7 | ...so that your prayers may not be hindered. | Relationship issues hindering a couple's prayers. |
| Heb 12:28 | Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God acceptable worship with reverence and awe... | Encourages worship with reverence (fear). |
| Jn 9:31 | We know that God does not listen to sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, God listens to him. | Highlights conditions for God listening to prayer. |
| Mic 3:4 | Then they will cry to the Lord, but He will not answer them; He will even hide His face from them at that time, because they have done evil deeds. | Consequences of persistent evil leading to unheard prayers. |
| Isa 59:2 | But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He will not hear. | Sin creating a barrier between God and people, hindering hearing. |
| Ps 32:6 | Therefore let everyone who is godly offer prayer to You at a time when You may be found... | Emphasizes consistent prayer for the righteous. |
| 1 Sam 2:30 | ...for those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me shall be lightly esteemed. | The principle of honoring God versus despising Him. |
| Job 13:3 | "But I would speak to the Almighty; indeed, I desire to argue my case with God." | Job's actual desire to communicate and reason with God. |
Job 15 verses
Job 15 4 Meaning
Eliphaz accuses Job of fundamentally abandoning reverence for God, often referred to as "the fear of the Lord," and, as a consequence, hindering or diminishing his prayers and intimate communication with the Almighty. He implies that Job's current state of suffering and his outspoken laments are a direct result of a conscious decision to depart from true piety and fervent communion with God, rather than a spiritual struggle to be understood or a profound search for answers in affliction.
Job 15 4 Context
This verse is found in Job chapter 15, which opens Eliphaz's second discourse to Job. Having previously offered what he perceived as counsel and correction (Job 4-5), Eliphaz now adopts a noticeably harsher and more accusatory tone. He views Job's persistent self-vindication and vehement expressions of suffering not as honest struggle but as spiritual presumption and an assault on traditional wisdom. Specifically, this verse launches Eliphaz's charge that Job's intellectual arguments and lamentations have led him to abandon the foundational principles of piety: a reverent fear of God and active communion through prayer. This accusation directly reflects the "friends'" theological framework, which assumes that immense suffering must be a direct consequence of equally immense sin, and therefore, Job must be guilty of profound spiritual neglect. They are deeply entrenched in the popular retribution theology of their time, unable to conceive of blameless suffering.
Job 15 4 Word analysis
- Yea, thou: A direct, pointed, and accusatory address to Job, emphasizing Eliphaz's conviction in his severe indictment and amplifying the force of his rebuke.
- castest off: Hebrew: tâ·p̄er (תִּפֶר). This verb signifies to "loosen," "let go," "break," "throw off," or "reject." It implies a deliberate and active decision on Job's part to discard or abandon something. It's not a passive decline but an intentional renunciation or severance.
- fear: Hebrew: yir·'ah (יִרְאָה). In this context, it primarily refers to "the fear of the Lord" – profound reverence, awe, and piety toward God. It signifies respect that leads to worship, obedience, and moral uprightness. It is distinct from terror; it's a foundational spiritual disposition recognizing God's sovereignty and holiness.
- and restrainest: Hebrew: tiḡ·ra‘ (תִּגְרַע). This verb means "to hold back," "diminish," "curtail," or "withdraw." It suggests an active reduction or hindering. Eliphaz is implying that Job is either actively suppressing his prayers, preventing them from being offered, or diminishing their frequency, fervency, or effectiveness.
- prayer: Hebrew: śî·ḥāh (שִׂיחָה). This term encompasses more than just formal requests; it denotes intimate communication, meditation, spiritual discourse, communion, and even lament or complaint before God. It implies a personal, thoughtful engagement with the divine.
- before God: Hebrew: liḵ·nê ’El (לִפְנֵי אֵל). This phrase signifies "in the presence of God" or "before the face of God." It emphasizes that the fear and prayer in question are directly oriented toward the Almighty, underscoring the spiritual nature of Job's supposed offense. It highlights the direct personal accountability implied by Eliphaz.
- "castest off fear": This phrase constitutes a profound accusation, striking at the very core of Job's righteousness. For Eliphaz, and indeed in much of ancient Israelite wisdom tradition, the "fear of the Lord" was the bedrock of all true wisdom and proper conduct. To "cast it off" signifies a complete spiritual dereliction, an abandonment of moral anchors and respectful awe for the Divine. Eliphaz perceives Job's lamentations and questioning of divine justice as evidence of this abandonment.
- "restrainest prayer before God": This accusation links Job's presumed rejection of reverence directly to a deliberate hindering or cessation of genuine, intimate communication with God. The act of "restraining" prayer suggests not just neglect, but an active turning away or even a conscious closing off of the pathway to divine communion. Eliphaz interprets Job's eloquent and passionate speeches as an indication that Job is more interested in debating God than humbly seeking Him. This implies an inward corruption or resentment that shuts down authentic spiritual engagement.
Job 15 4 Bonus section
- Dramatic Irony: The profound dramatic irony is central to this verse. The reader, having witnessed the prologue (Job 1-2), knows full well that Job is truly blameless and profoundly God-fearing. Eliphaz's certain accusations, therefore, starkly reveal his limited perspective and his inability to grasp the deeper spiritual test unfolding before him.
- Theology of Retribution: This verse encapsulates the flawed retribution theology held by Job's friends. They simplistically believe that God rewards righteousness with prosperity and punishes sin with suffering. Therefore, for them, Job's severe suffering is incontrovertible evidence of severe sin and abandonment of piety. The book of Job aims to dismantle this oversimplified understanding of divine justice.
- Misinterpreting Anguish: Eliphaz tragically misinterprets Job's anguished cries and theological questions. He views Job's desperate search for answers and his honest complaints as rebellion against God, rather than as the raw spiritual struggle of a righteous man clinging to faith amidst unimaginable trials. True prayer is not always neat and pious; sometimes it is raw lament and deep wrestling with God.
Job 15 4 Commentary
Job 15:4 represents a critical pivot in the discourses of Job's friends, as Eliphaz unleashes a sharp and uncompromising attack. He portrays Job as having abandoned fundamental spiritual principles: the reverent awe of God and diligent prayer. For Eliphaz, Job's anguished questioning and protests of innocence are not evidence of a suffering saint struggling to comprehend divine purposes, but rather undeniable proof that he has severed his ties to piety. The charge "thou castest off fear" implies a deliberate and impious act of spiritual rebellion, rejecting the very reverence due to God. This abandonment of fear is then directly linked to "restraining prayer," suggesting that Job has either ceased to genuinely communicate with God or has done so in such a way that his prayers are no longer accepted. In Eliphaz's worldview, Job's suffering must be punishment for this perceived spiritual infidelity. However, this profound misjudgment highlights the irony of the narrative: Job, unbeknownst to his friends, is actually demonstrating true "fear of the Lord" through his sustained faith amidst profound inexplicable suffering, and his cries, though agonized, are a form of deep communion with God, demonstrating that he has not, in fact, "cast off fear" or "restrained prayer."