Job 42 7

Job 42:7 kjv

And it was so, that after the LORD had spoken these words unto Job, the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends: for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath.

Job 42:7 nkjv

And so it was, after the LORD had spoken these words to Job, that the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, "My wrath is aroused against you and your two friends, for you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has.

Job 42:7 niv

After the LORD had said these things to Job, he said to Eliphaz the Temanite, "I am angry with you and your two friends, because you have not spoken the truth about me, as my servant Job has.

Job 42:7 esv

After the LORD had spoken these words to Job, the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite: "My anger burns against you and against your two friends, for you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has.

Job 42:7 nlt

After the LORD had finished speaking to Job, he said to Eliphaz the Temanite: "I am angry with you and your two friends, for you have not spoken accurately about me, as my servant Job has.

Job 42 verses

Job 42 7 Meaning

This verse marks a pivotal divine intervention where the LORD addresses Eliphaz and his friends, expressing His anger because they misrepresented His character and ways throughout their discourse with Job. In contrast, God affirms Job's speech as "right," vindicating him despite his complaints and doubts, thereby settling the theological dispute central to the book.

Job 42 7 Context

Job 42:7 is delivered after God has spoken extensively to Job out of the whirlwind (chapters 38-41), humbling Job and revealing His immense power, wisdom, and sovereign control over creation. Job has repented in dust and ashes (42:6), acknowledging his finite understanding in the face of divine infinitude. Following this profound divine self-revelation and Job's contrite response, God directly addresses the friends, delivering His verdict on the theological debate. The friends, especially Eliphaz as their spokesman, had rigorously upheld a strict retribution theology, asserting that Job's immense suffering must be directly attributable to a specific, hidden sin. Their speeches, though rooted in traditional piety, amounted to misrepresentations of God’s justice and nature, essentially limiting God within their rigid doctrines and thus diminishing His character. This verse sets the stage for their required repentance and Job's intercession for them, shifting from dialogue to divine judgment and restoration. The polemic here is against simplistic, dogmatic interpretations of divine justice that fail to account for the mystery of suffering and falsely accuse the innocent, effectively diminishing God’s true nature.

Word Analysis

• And it was so, that after: Indicates a specific juncture in time, following a significant event – God's discourse.
• the LORD (יהוה, YHWH): The personal, covenantal name of God. This signifies His active involvement, sovereign authority, and deep relational character, especially in judging the theological content of the preceding debates. It emphasizes that this is not a general deity, but the specific God of Israel.
• had spoken these words unto Job: Refers to God's powerful speeches in Job 38-41, which were full of rhetorical questions, establishing His unsearchable wisdom and power. These divine words re-centered the dialogue on God's omnipotence and Job's human finitude.
• the LORD (יהוה, YHWH): Repeated, underscoring the divine authority and the momentous nature of this pronouncement.
• said to Eliphaz the Temanite: Eliphaz was the primary speaker and leader among Job's three friends. Teman was a region noted for its wisdom (Jer 49:7), making Eliphaz an archetype of traditional, systematic wisdom, though here proven to be flawed.
• My wrath (חָרָה, charah - fierce anger, kindled): A strong expression of divine displeasure. This isn't capricious anger but a righteous indignation against the theological misrepresentation. It signifies the gravity of speaking falsely about God’s character and His dealings with humanity.
• is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends: Directed not only at Eliphaz but collectively at Bildad and Zophar as well, for their shared erroneous views and persistence in them.
• for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right (לֹא־נְכוֹנָה, lo’-nekhonah - not straight, not accurate, not true, not fixed/established): This is the core accusation. Their counsel was "not right." Despite their lengthy and logical arguments, their foundational premise about God and suffering was incorrect. They constrained God’s actions to a rigid retribution theology (good rewarded, evil punished) which proved inaccurate in Job’s case. Their words, while pious, amounted to speaking for God untruthfully, defending Him with false assertions.
• as my servant Job hath (כְּעַבְדִּי אִיּוֹב, ke-ʿavdi ʾIyov): A profound divine vindication of Job. "My servant" (עַבְדִּי, avdi) is a term of high honor and intimacy, used for prophets and patriarchs (e.g., Abraham, Moses). Despite Job's passionate laments, honest complaints, and questions to God, his perspective of God, specifically His incomprehensible sovereignty and unmerited favor, was fundamentally more "right" than the friends' flawed theology. Job, even in his darkest despair, did not deny God’s ultimate authority or sovereignty, maintaining faith in God Himself, rather than merely His perceived mechanisms of justice. His integrity and spiritual honesty, wrestling with God truthfully, was more pleasing than the friends' inaccurate defense of Him.

Words-group analysis

• After the LORD had spoken these words unto Job: Highlights God’s judicial and pedagogical sequence. He first instructs Job and receives Job’s repentance before turning to judge the friends. This establishes the authority and context for His pronouncement.
• My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends: for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right: This clear statement of divine displeasure is directly linked to the friends' theological inaccuracies. Their error was not merely a factual mistake but a misrepresentation of God's character, which incurs His righteous anger. It reveals the seriousness with which God views truth spoken about Himself.
• not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath: This precise contrast defines "right speech" about God. It indicates that true piety is not about defending God with rigid human frameworks or false premises, but maintaining an honest and trustful relationship with Him, even amid questions and inexplicable suffering. Job’s raw, authentic questioning and lamentation, paradoxically, contained more truth about God than the friends' pious, but mistaken, assertions.

Job 42 7 Bonus section

The passage strongly implies that truthfulness about God's nature is paramount. The friends' "lies for God" (as famously called by some commentators) were more grievous than Job's desperate complaints. This highlights that defending God using false logic or limiting His actions within human understanding is an insult to His infinite nature and sovereign freedom. Furthermore, the term "servant" applied to Job here is not merely a status but points to his faithful obedience and unique role in God’s plan, demonstrating a divine standard of fidelity not solely tied to theological perfection. The declaration of God’s "wrath" and His immediate instruction for atonement in Job 42:8 further underscore the gravity of their theological transgression. It shows that God does not take misrepresentation of Himself lightly, even when potentially motivated by a desire to defend Him.

Job 42 7 Commentary

Job 42:7 is the decisive divine verdict that brings the lengthy debate to an authoritative close. It affirms Job's genuine, if sometimes desperate, understanding of God, while sternly rebuking his friends for their rigid and flawed theological arguments. Their error was significant: they were speaking about God but not correctly, diminishing His character by forcing Him into their limited conceptual box of immediate, visible retribution for every suffering. God's "wrath" indicates His deep offense at their misrepresentation. They tried to defend God, but in doing so, they spoke untruth about Him and His ways. Job, despite his anguish and complaints, held onto a more fundamental truth: that God is sovereign, beyond human comprehension, and not bound by rigid human doctrines of cause and effect. His wrestling, questioning faith, paradoxically, proved to be "more right" than the friends' rigid adherence to what they considered divine truth. This verse teaches the profound lesson that sincerity and honest wrestling with God's truth, even when imperfect, can be more valuable to God than well-intentioned but theologically false defense.Practical usage:

• Humility in theological claims: We must be cautious about defining God or His ways based purely on human logic or tradition, especially concerning complex issues like suffering.
• Value of authenticity: God values honest, struggling faith that grapples with truth over superficial piety that relies on false premises.
• Correction for theological error: God holds us accountable for what we say about Him, emphasizing the importance of diligent study and accurate representation of His character.