Job 4 2

Job 4:2 kjv

If we assay to commune with thee, wilt thou be grieved? but who can withhold himself from speaking?

Job 4:2 nkjv

"If one attempts a word with you, will you become weary? But who can withhold himself from speaking?

Job 4:2 niv

"If someone ventures a word with you, will you be impatient? But who can keep from speaking?

Job 4:2 esv

"If one ventures a word with you, will you be impatient? Yet who can keep from speaking?

Job 4:2 nlt

"Will you be patient and let me say a word?
For who could keep from speaking out?

Job 4 verses

Job 4 2 Meaning

Job 4:2 marks the beginning of Eliphaz the Temanite's response to Job's profound lament. Eliphaz opens with a rhetorical question, asking if Job would be offended or grieved if he dared to speak to him. This seemingly polite, cautious introduction immediately transitions into an assertion of unavoidable necessity: "but who can withhold himself from speaking?" Eliphaz presents his impending words not as a casual offering, but as a weighty and compelled utterance, implying that the truth he possesses is too vital to be kept silent, regardless of Job's state. It sets a tone of intellectual superiority and moral obligation, subtly preparing Job for the harsh traditional theology that Eliphaz believes must be declared.

Job 4 2 Context

Job 4:2 initiates the dialogue between Job and his three friends. Prior to this, Job had endured immense suffering, losing his wealth, children, and health. He then lamented his birth and questioned his continued existence (Job 3). Eliphaz, presented as the first and seemingly most revered of Job's friends, breaks the initial seven-day silence with this verse. His opening establishes a sophisticated but subtly challenging tone. Eliphaz represents a prevalent stream of traditional wisdom that connected suffering directly with sin, positing that righteous people do not suffer severely, therefore Job's suffering must imply a hidden sin. This verse thus serves as the polite, yet firm, prelude to Eliphaz's theological framework and an implicit critique of Job's lament. The historical-cultural context for the original audience would be familiar with sages and wise men offering counsel, often framing their advice within rhetorical questions or humble-seeming prefaces, common in ancient Near Eastern wisdom literature.

Job 4 2 Word analysis

• "If we assay to commune with thee," (KJV) / "If one ventures a word with you," (ESV)

  • assay to commune/ventures a word: The Hebrew word for "assay" or "venture" is נסה (nasah), which primarily means "to test," "to try," or "to prove." When combined with "to speak" (דבר, dabar), it suggests a tentative approach, testing the waters, or trying to initiate communication, but carries a subtle underlying implication of challenging or scrutinizing Job's capacity to receive correction.
  • thee/you: Implies a direct, personal address to Job.
  • Significance: This polite, almost deferential opening serves as a rhetorical strategy. Eliphaz is not truly asking permission but rather framing his upcoming speech as a potentially uncomfortable but necessary act, shifting responsibility onto Job's potential negative reaction rather than his own bluntness.

• "wilt thou be grieved?" (KJV) / "will you be offended?" (ESV)

  • grieved/offended: The Hebrew word is יחלש (yeḥalēsh), derived from חלש (ḥalash), meaning "to weaken," "to grow faint," "to prostrate." In this context, it implies whether Job would be "weakened by," "faint at," "lose patience," or be "offended" by what Eliphaz is about to say.
  • Significance: This is a rhetorical question that functions as an implicit accusation. It suggests Job might be too sensitive or perhaps even prideful to accept hard truths or correction. Eliphaz, perhaps unknowingly, casts Job's emotional state as potentially an obstacle to the divine truth Eliphaz intends to share.

• "but who can withhold himself from speaking?" (KJV) / "Yet who can refrain from speaking?" (ESV)

  • who: A universal question implying no one can.
  • can withhold himself/refrain: The Hebrew is מכלם (mikkalem), from כלם (kalam), meaning "to be ashamed," "to be humiliated," "to be put to silence." So, literally "who can hold himself back from shame/being silenced?" or "who can bear the shame of keeping silent?"
  • speaking: From the root מלל (malal), indicating speech or utterance.
  • Significance: This is the powerful, assertive half of Eliphaz's opening. It presents his subsequent speech as an absolute necessity, an irrepressible outpouring of what he perceives as undeniable truth or divine revelation. It elevates his own opinion to the status of an urgent, unavoidable pronouncement, subtly overriding Job's desperate emotional state with Eliphaz's intellectual conviction. This implies a compelling sense of duty or inspiration to speak.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "If we assay to commune with thee, wilt thou be grieved?": This phrase embodies Eliphaz's subtle polemic. He frames his intention to speak as a trial or test, questioning Job's resilience or character under pressure. It's not a question seeking Job's permission, but rather a veiled challenge to Job's potential reaction, suggesting that Job's expected grief or offense might be an indictment of Job's spiritual state, implying Job's supposed fault if he responds negatively to the counsel. This also serves as a defensive posture for Eliphaz, preempting any complaint from Job that his words are unfeeling or out of line.
• "but who can withhold himself from speaking?": This clause directly counters the preceding conditional phrase, nullifying any genuine deferential intention. It pivots from a false politeness to an urgent self-justification for speaking. It claims an irrefutable imperative, positioning Eliphaz not merely as an individual offering advice, but as someone compelled by a higher force or truth, making his silence impossible. This strong rhetorical question highlights Eliphaz's conviction in his own wisdom and understanding, framing his upcoming discourse as a moral obligation, and positioning himself as an unwilling but necessary messenger.

Job 4 2 Bonus section

Eliphaz's opening lines carry a profound sense of self-importance and conviction, portraying himself as a conduit for profound, perhaps divinely inspired, wisdom (as suggested later in Job 4:12-16). This verse serves as a masterclass in ancient rhetoric, where Eliphaz strategically asserts his right to speak and justifies his subsequent intervention into Job's anguish. The underlying belief Eliphaz holds is a form of retribution theology, common in the ancient Near East and present in some Old Testament interpretations (though later nuanced). He presupposes a direct, almost mechanical link between sin and suffering. This verse also implicitly foreshadows the inadequacy of human wisdom to fully grasp God's mysterious ways in affliction, a central theme of the entire book of Job.

Job 4 2 Commentary

Job 4:2 is more than a simple opening pleasantry; it's a rhetorically crafted maneuver by Eliphaz. He uses a façade of politeness to ask if Job will be "grieved" (weakened/offended), immediately turning it into an inescapable truth-telling mission ("who can withhold himself from speaking?"). This dual approach—feigned deference combined with forceful assertion—sets the stage for the unhelpful and theologically limited "comfort" Job receives. Eliphaz establishes himself as one who must speak, implicitly elevating his counsel to a level of unavoidable importance, subtly hinting that Job’s spiritual state might be revealed by his reaction to Eliphaz’s profound (though ultimately flawed) wisdom. The verse encapsulates the inherent conflict between a suffering man crying out to God and the conventional human wisdom attempting to interpret that suffering, showcasing how even well-intentioned advice can become burdensome when devoid of true understanding and empathy.