Job 22 5

Job 22:5 kjv

Is not thy wickedness great? and thine iniquities infinite?

Job 22:5 nkjv

Is not your wickedness great, And your iniquity without end?

Job 22:5 niv

Is not your wickedness great? Are not your sins endless?

Job 22:5 esv

Is not your evil abundant? There is no end to your iniquities.

Job 22:5 nlt

No, it's because of your wickedness!
There's no limit to your sins.

Job 22 verses

Job 22 5 Meaning

Job 22:5 is Eliphaz's direct accusation to Job, asserting that Job's suffering must stem from profound and pervasive sin. It is phrased as a rhetorical question, designed to leave no room for disagreement: "Is not your wickedness great? And your iniquities endless?" Eliphaz presents Job's sinfulness not as a possibility, but as an undeniable, boundless fact that explains his immense distress.

Job 22 5 Context

Job 22 marks the beginning of Eliphaz's third and final speech to Job, making it his most severe and direct attack. Unlike his previous speeches where he hinted at Job's guilt through general maxims, here Eliphaz drops all pretense of subtlety and launches into overt accusations of specific, grievous sins (Job 22:6-9), without any actual evidence. The overarching theological framework for Eliphaz and Job's other friends is retribution theology—the belief that God invariably rewards the righteous with blessings and punishes the wicked with suffering. Given Job's unprecedented suffering, Eliphaz concludes that Job must be guilty of colossal and limitless sin. This verse, Job 22:5, serves as the emphatic premise for Eliphaz's subsequent detailed catalog of supposed transgressions, setting up the direct confrontation and misjudgment of Job.

Job 22 5 Word analysis

• Is not: This phrase begins a rhetorical question. It expects a definitive "Yes" answer. It conveys Eliphaz's conviction and forceful, accusatory tone, implying the answer is self-evident and beyond dispute.
• your: Indicates direct address. Eliphaz moves beyond general statements about sin and now points the finger specifically at Job.
• wickedness: From the Hebrew word רָשְׁעָה (rosh'ah), meaning "wickedness," "guilt," or "moral depravity." It implies deliberate and egregious evil, a turning away from righteousness, often carrying the connotation of criminal intent or flagrant impiety rather than mere error or shortcoming. It's a strong accusation about Job's character.
• great?: From the Hebrew רַבָּה (rabbah), meaning "great," "much," "abundant," or "many." When applied to "wickedness," it signifies not just a considerable amount, but an immense or overwhelming magnitude of evil. Eliphaz views Job's sin as proportionate to his suffering.
• And: A conjunction linking two parallel accusations, emphasizing that both "wickedness" and "iniquities" are equally vast.
• your: Again, direct and personal.
• iniquities: From the Hebrew word עֲוֺן (ʿāwōn), meaning "iniquity," "guilt," or "punishment for iniquity." This term denotes a deviation from moral straightness, a twisting or perversion of what is right, and often carries the sense of guilt incurred and the consequences (punishment) resulting from that perversity. It implies not just an act, but an ingrained crookedness or habitual wrongdoing.
• endless?: From the Hebrew phrase אֵין קֵץ (ʾên qēṣ), literally "no end" or "without limit." It signifies an immeasurable, boundless, or countless quantity. Eliphaz uses hyperbole to stress the perceived limitless nature of Job's transgressions, indicating that his sins are not merely numerous but infinite in scope, leaving no doubt about the severity of Job's alleged offense in Eliphaz's mind.

• "Is not your wickedness great?": This clause presents the first of Eliphaz's two accusations. The rhetorical question format acts as a forceful assertion, framing Job's assumed wickedness as undeniably enormous. Eliphaz's underlying theology is revealed: tremendous suffering demands tremendous sin as its cause.
• "And your iniquities endless?": This parallel clause reinforces the first. By using "iniquities," which can refer to a deeper moral corruption and its associated guilt, and then describing them as "endless," Eliphaz intensifies the accusation, implying that Job's wrongdoing is not just significant but boundless and without limit in its accumulation or pervasiveness. This suggests a chronic state of unconfessed sin.

Job 22 5 Bonus section

• This verse stands as a stark example of a flawed judgment arising from a partial understanding of God's ways. Eliphaz correctly understood that God is just, but incorrectly concluded that all intense suffering is a direct result of great personal sin.
• The rhetorical force of Eliphaz's questions leaves no room for Job to explain or defend himself, demonstrating a lack of true empathy and a rush to judgment based on a pre-conceived theological system.
• The dramatic irony is significant here; the audience knows from Job 1 and 2 that God Himself testified to Job's blamelessness, directly contradicting Eliphaz's forceful assertions of Job's wickedness and endless iniquities.
• This specific accusation is directly addressed by Job later in the book (e.g., Job 23:10-12), where he steadfastly maintains his integrity, though still grappling with God's reasons.

Job 22 5 Commentary

Job 22:5 is the spearhead of Eliphaz's most scathing and misguided assault on Job's character. Uttered as a rhetorical question, it functions as a definitive, baseless accusation that Job's unprecedented suffering is undeniably a direct consequence of a magnitude of wickedness and an endless number of iniquities. This verse perfectly encapsulates the limited and ultimately flawed theological framework held by Job's friends: that suffering is always proportional to sin. Eliphaz, bound by this rigid understanding, could not conceive of a blameless sufferer and, thus, assumed Job's guilt must be beyond measure. This bold and presumptuous condemnation underscores the central tension of the Book of Job, which challenges such simplistic retributive theology, revealing that God's ways are profound and that human suffering can serve purposes beyond immediate punitive justice. The tragic irony lies in the fact that Eliphaz, attempting to defend divine justice, misjudges God's truly just and complex character while condemning an innocent man.