Job 22 14

Job 22:14 kjv

Thick clouds are a covering to him, that he seeth not; and he walketh in the circuit of heaven.

Job 22:14 nkjv

Thick clouds cover Him, so that He cannot see, And He walks above the circle of heaven.'

Job 22:14 niv

Thick clouds veil him, so he does not see us as he goes about in the vaulted heavens.'

Job 22:14 esv

Thick clouds veil him, so that he does not see, and he walks on the vault of heaven.'

Job 22:14 nlt

For thick clouds swirl about him, and he cannot see us.
He is way up there, walking on the vault of heaven.'

Job 22 verses

Job 22 14 Meaning

Eliphaz asserts that God is so elevated and surrounded by clouds that He cannot perceive the actions of humanity, and that He walks remotely upon the vast expanse of the heavens, detached from earthly matters. This statement encapsulates Eliphaz's flawed theology that attributes human limitations of perception to God, implying God's distance and unawareness of human wickedness.

Job 22 14 Context

Job 22:14 is part of Eliphaz's third and final speech to Job. Throughout the Book of Job, Job's three friends operate under a rigid retribution theology: the righteous prosper, and the wicked suffer. Since Job is suffering, they conclude he must be terribly wicked. In chapter 22, Eliphaz moves beyond insinuation to direct accusation (v. 5-9), listing various sins he presumes Job must have committed (e.g., denying water to the thirsty, mistreating widows and orphans).

Verse 14 serves as a foundational theological premise for Eliphaz's accusations. He imagines that God's supreme position in the heavens and the intervening clouds mean God does not actually see or discern individual human acts on Earth, especially those hidden or subtly done. This premise allows Eliphaz to assert that Job's unrighteousness went undetected by God, explaining why God did not intervene sooner to prevent Job's prosperity before his calamities struck. Eliphaz effectively creates a God who is either too distant or too unconcerned to oversee human morality meticulously, thereby justifying his insistence on Job's hidden sins. This view sharply contrasts with the biblical revelation of an omnipresent and omniscient God who actively judges and sustains His creation.

Job 22 14 Word analysis

• Clouds: (Hebrew: עָב, ‘āv) This word refers to a thick mass of clouds, often associated with atmospheric conditions. In the Bible, clouds frequently symbolize God's majestic presence (Ex 16:10, Psa 97:2), His dwelling (Lev 16:2), or even a chariot for His movements (Psa 104:3). However, Eliphaz misuses this imagery, twisting it from a symbol of God's glory and revelation into an impediment to His vision, implying God is somehow limited by physical barriers, similar to humans.

• are a covering to Him: (Hebrew: סִתֶר־לוֹ, sīter-lō) "A covering," "a hiding place for Him." This phrase reinforces Eliphaz's distorted view of God. It suggests concealment, implying God is hidden from the earth or hides Himself, thereby being unaware of earthly events. This is a projection of human inability onto God.

• that He seeth not: (Hebrew: וְלֹא יִרְאֶה, wəlo yir’eh) "And He does not see." This is a direct denial of God's omniscience regarding human affairs. Eliphaz asserts that God's elevated position makes Him blind to what transpires below. This contrasts with the pervasive biblical truth that God sees and knows all things, even the most secret thoughts and actions (Psa 139:2, Heb 4:13).

• and He walketh: (Hebrew: יִתְהַלָּךְ, yithallāk) The Hithpael form of the verb, meaning "to walk about," "to go to and fro." It suggests regular movement. In context, Eliphaz portrays God's "walking" not as active engagement or overseeing, but as a detached traversing of a remote domain, reinforcing the idea of distance and non-involvement.

• upon the circuit of heaven: (Hebrew: חֶגָּה שָׁמַיִם, ḥaggāh shāmayim)

  • circuit: (Hebrew: חֶגָּה, ḥaggāh) Refers to a circle, circuit, or vault, specifically in the context of the heavens, implying the vast dome or sphere of the sky. This conveys immense height and expanse.
  • heaven: (Hebrew: שָׁמַיִם, shāmayim) Refers to the sky or the heavens, the dwelling place of God.This phrase emphasizes God's extremely elevated dwelling place. Eliphaz takes this truth—that God is transcendent and resides in heaven—and incorrectly concludes that His distance prevents Him from seeing or caring about earthly matters. He equates God's exaltedness with His disconnect from human life, contrary to the truth of God's simultaneous transcendence and immanence (Jer 23:24, Isa 57:15).

• "Clouds are a covering to Him, that He seeth not": This grouping reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of God's nature. Eliphaz limits God's vision as if it were a physical, human eye. It proposes a deistic concept of God being distant and unaware, which directly contradicts the omniscient and omnipresent God revealed throughout Scripture. This serves as Eliphaz's faulty premise for his later accusations against Job.

• "and He walketh upon the circuit of heaven": This phrase emphasizes God's majestic remoteness. While biblically true that God is supreme and dwells in the heavens, Eliphaz interprets this as proof of God's disengagement rather than His sovereignty and the immeasurable scale of His power that nonetheless extends to every minute detail on earth. He mistakenly separates God's transcendent nature from His immanent involvement.

Job 22 14 Bonus section

Eliphaz's portrayal of God as a "sky-god" who is too distant to observe human affairs reflects a limited understanding found in some ancient polytheistic beliefs, where specific deities might have been assigned to celestial spheres with limited engagement with earthly life. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, however, is revealed to be infinitely transcendent and yet intimately involved (immanent) in every aspect of creation and human existence. The very "clouds" Eliphaz posits as a covering often symbolize the mystery and unapproachableness of God's glory, not a physical impediment to His vision or knowledge. The irony of Eliphaz's statement is that God does sit "above the circle of the earth" (Isa 40:22), but this very position grants Him a perfect, comprehensive view, rather than obscuring it. God's majesty enables His complete awareness.

Job 22 14 Commentary

Job 22:14 is a pivotal statement in Eliphaz's theological argument against Job. It presents a distorted view of God as a distant, almost deistic deity, limited by physical barriers (clouds) and too preoccupied with the vastness of the heavens to concern Himself with human deeds. This assertion serves Eliphaz's primary goal: to justify Job's suffering by concluding that God does not see hidden sins, thereby allowing the wicked (whom Eliphaz believes Job to be) to prosper temporarily before ultimate judgment. Eliphaz implies that because God is so far removed and unseen by Job, Job thinks he can get away with sin (cf. Job 22:12-13).

However, Eliphaz's theology is fundamentally flawed. Scripture consistently reveals an omnipresent God whose eyes "behold, His eyelids test the children of man" (Psa 11:4), and to whom "all things are naked and exposed" (Heb 4:13). The clouds, rather than concealing God, often serve as a manifestation of His glory and presence (Ex 16:10, Psa 97:2), and His walking "upon the circuit of heaven" denotes His supreme sovereignty, not His detachment. The Book of Job ultimately refutes Eliphaz's narrow and anthropocentric view of God, culminating in God's direct address to Job, which underscores His unfathomable wisdom, power, and detailed knowledge of His creation, far beyond human comprehension. This verse is thus a polemic against true biblical revelation of God's omniscience, omnipresence, and active governance of the world.