Job 5 22

Job 5:22 kjv

At destruction and famine thou shalt laugh: neither shalt thou be afraid of the beasts of the earth.

Job 5:22 nkjv

You shall laugh at destruction and famine, And you shall not be afraid of the beasts of the earth.

Job 5:22 niv

You will laugh at destruction and famine, and need not fear the wild animals.

Job 5:22 esv

At destruction and famine you shall laugh, and shall not fear the beasts of the earth.

Job 5:22 nlt

You will laugh at destruction and famine;
wild animals will not terrify you.

Job 5 verses

Job 5 22 Meaning

Job 5:22 articulates a promise of profound security and confidence for the righteous. It conveys that individuals favored by divine protection will view extreme dangers—specifically widespread ruin and lack of food, as well as threats from wild creatures—with disdain or amusement, rather than fear or dismay. This laughter signifies an unshakeable sense of peace and divine safeguard that transcends worldly threats.

Job 5 22 Context

Job 5:22 is part of Eliphaz the Temanite's first speech to Job, specifically within a section (Job 5:17-27) where Eliphaz attempts to encourage Job to acknowledge his sin, repent, and thereby receive restoration and blessing from God. Eliphaz, speaking from a traditional wisdom perspective prevalent in the ancient Near East, held that God consistently rewards the righteous and punishes the wicked. His argument is structured to convince Job that if he truly turns back to God, he will experience complete restoration and security, including freedom from the very calamities that have befallen him. The verse presents a picture of an ideal, fear-free existence promised to the upright, standing in stark contrast to Job's current reality. This reflects a prevailing belief that external prosperity and safety were direct indicators of one's righteousness and God's favor.

Job 5 22 Word analysis

• At destruction (שֹׁד - shōd) and famine (רָעָב - rāʿāv):

  • shōd: Signifies violent ruin, desolation, or widespread devastation. It suggests a cataclysmic, destructive force, often associated with warfare or overwhelming disaster.
  • rāʿāv: Refers to a severe shortage of food, leading to hunger and widespread suffering. In ancient agrarian societies, famine was a profound existential threat, capable of obliterating communities.
  • These two words collectively represent the direst forms of natural or human-induced calamity.

• thou shalt laugh (תִּשְׂחָק - tiskhāq):

  • tiskhāq: The root meaning is to laugh or to play. In this context, it conveys more than simple amusement. It implies a laughter of scorn, derision, or absolute unconcern in the face of immense danger. This suggests profound security, where the perceived threats are so inconsequential that they evoke not fear, but contempt or mockery. It symbolizes divine assurance.

• neither shalt thou be dismayed (תִּירָא - tīrā'):

  • tīrā': Means to fear, be terrified, or be dreaded. Its negation here emphatically reinforces the absence of fear, dread, or terror. The promise is of inner peace and composure, regardless of external circumstances.

• of the beasts of the earth (חַיַּת הָאָרֶץ - ḥayyat hāʾāreṣ):

  • ḥayyat hāʾāreṣ: Refers to wild animals. In the ancient world, wild animals, particularly large predators, posed a tangible and significant threat to human life, livestock, and crops, especially for those living in less populated or remote areas. Control over these animals was seen as a divine blessing and part of creation's harmonious order. Protection from them implies comprehensive divine oversight and control over even the chaotic aspects of nature.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• At destruction and famine thou shalt laugh: This phrase vividly contrasts overwhelming external danger with an internal state of absolute security and confidence. The "laughing" indicates not only freedom from fear but also an elevated position of disdain over calamities, portraying an almost supernatural resilience and triumph over adversity by God's provision.
• neither shalt thou be afraid of the beasts of the earth: This part completes the picture of comprehensive protection, extending it to the threats posed by the natural world. It underscores that God's favor guarantees safety from both societal or systemic breakdown (destruction, famine) and elemental, primal dangers (wild animals). It implies a restoration of Edenic harmony or sovereign rule over creation, mirroring divine order.

Job 5 22 Bonus section

The assurance of "laughing" at destruction carries a double implication. Firstly, it indicates a serene confidence from one who is divinely protected, echoing biblical concepts of those who trust in the Lord being like Mount Zion which cannot be moved (Psa 125:1). Secondly, it parallels instances where God Himself "laughs" or "scoffs" at His adversaries (Psa 2:4; Psa 37:13; Psa 59:8), suggesting that the righteous, being aligned with God, share in this divine perspective of absolute sovereignty over all threats. However, Eliphaz’s application of this principle to Job’s situation reveals the common yet limited human tendency to connect suffering directly and simplistically to personal sin, overlooking God's complex and often mysterious purposes that extend beyond human comprehension, as later chapters of Job demonstrate.

Job 5 22 Commentary

Job 5:22 encapsulates Eliphaz’s theological perspective that God’s providential care guarantees the safety and prosperity of the righteous. For Eliphaz, a person who turns back to God would not merely survive through disasters but would transcend them with confident tranquility, even mocking what others greatly fear. This confidence would extend to literal dangers like famine and wild animals, which were common and terrifying threats in that historical context, signifying complete and unwavering divine protection. It paints a picture of Edenic peace and perfect alignment with creation. The implied polemic against contemporary or past beliefs is that suffering is solely due to unrighteousness, and true repentance brings an undeniable return to perfect blessedness, defying all natural evils. Eliphaz intends for Job to recognize that such blessings are available to him if he repents of his presumed sin, implying Job’s current state of suffering must be due to his unrighteousness, a conclusion that ultimately proves insufficient to explain Job's unique experience. This verse stands as a promise within Eliphaz's limited understanding of divine justice and grace.