HiobKapitel 5

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Call out, then—is there anyone to answer you? To which of the holy ones will you turn?

For resentment kills the fool, and envy slays the simple.

I myself have seen a fool taking root, but suddenly I cursed his dwelling.

His children are far from safety; they are crushed in the gate, with no one to rescue them.

The hungry eat up his harvest, taking it even from among the thorns, and the thirsty pant after his wealth.

For trouble does not come out of the dust, nor does hardship sprout from the ground.

Yet man is born to trouble as surely as sparks fly upward.

But as for me, I would seek God, and to God I would commit my cause—

who does great things beyond searching out, wonders beyond number.

He sends rain upon the earth and pours water on the open fields.

He lifts the lowly on high, and those who mourn are raised to safety.

He frustrates the schemes of the crafty, so that their hands achieve nothing lasting.

He catches the wise in their own cunning, and the plans of the devious are brought to a quick end.

By day they meet with darkness and grope at noon as though it were night.

But he saves the needy from the sword of their mouth, from the grip of the strong.

So the poor have hope, and injustice shuts its mouth.

Blessed indeed is the one whom God corrects; do not despise the discipline of the Almighty.

For he wounds, but he binds up; he strikes, but his hands also heal.

From six troubles he will deliver you; in seven no harm will touch you.

In famine he will ransom you from death, and in battle from the power of the sword.

You will be hidden from the lash of the tongue, and you will not fear destruction when it comes.

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

For you will have a covenant with the stones of the field, and the wild animals will be at peace with you.

You will know that your tent is secure; you will inspect your home and find nothing missing.

You will know that your offspring are many, your descendants like the grass of the earth.

You will come to the grave in full vigor, like a sheaf gathered in its season.

See, we have examined this, and it is true. Hear it, and know it for yourself.

Nachschlagen

Zusammenfassung2

Kapitel 5

Main Theme: Eliphaz's first speech continues with an exhortation to Job to seek God and receive His discipline.

Content: Eliphaz warns that anger kills the fool, and describes how he has seen the house of the wicked become cursed. He praises God's greatness—He does unfathomable things, sends rain, and lifts up the lowly. Eliphaz declares blessed the one whom God corrects (v.17), for God both wounds and heals. He promises that the one who turns to God will be protected in six and seven troubles, and die full of days.

Key Words/Images:

The fool taking root (v.3): A picture of apparent prosperity among the wicked that ultimately ends in ruin.
God's discipline (vv.17–18): The suffering God sends is for blessing—He wounds but binds up; He strikes, yet His hands heal.
Six and seven troubles (v.19): A poetic expression of complete protection—no matter how many trials come, God will preserve.
Covenant with the stones of the field (v.23): A picture of total harmony with creation for those who live rightly before God.

Historischer Kontext

Chapter Context for Job 5

Key Concepts

"The Fool" (אֱוִיל, evil) and "the Simple One" (פֹתֶה, poteh)

In verses 2–3, Eliphaz uses two Hebrew terms for unreasonable people. Evil does not refer to someone intellectually weak, but rather one who morally and spiritually rejects wisdom—someone who lives as if God does not exist. Poteh describes a person who is easily led astray. In wisdom literature, these were established categories standing in contrast to "the wise" (hakham).

"Bene-reshef" (בְנֵי־רֶשֶׁף) – "Sons of the Flame"

In verse 7, the expression "bene reshef", often translated as "sparks", is used. Reshef was the name of a Canaanite plague deity, and in Hebrew the word also referred to fire, pestilence, or arrows. The phrase "sons of Reshef" could mean sparks flying upward, birds, or metaphorically calamities that inevitably strike people. The context with the verb "fly high" (יַגְבִּיהוּ עוּף) supports the interpretation of something rising upward. This duality reflects Job’s cultural setting where Canaanite and Israelite imagery overlapped.

"At the Gate" (בַשַּׁעַר, basha'ar)

Verse 4 mentions that the fool’s children are "crushed at the gate". The city gate was the place for legal proceedings and judicial decisions in ancient Israel. The elders of the city sat there to judge disputes. To be "crushed at the gate" meant losing lawsuits, losing one’s property through legal processes, and having no one to defend one’s cause.

Events and Customs

Covenant with the Stones of the Field (verse 23)

The idea of a "covenant with the stones of the field" reflects the concerns of an agricultural society. Stony ground was the farmer’s enemy—stones destroyed plows and hindered crops. The image of a "covenant" with the stones expresses a condition where even natural obstacles to prosperity have been removed. Parallel texts from Mesopotamia show similar ideas that divine blessing could make nature cooperative.

The Number Sequence "Six... Seven" (verse 19)

The formula "in six troubles... in seven" is a well-known literary device in Semitic wisdom literature (cf. Proverbs 6:16; 30:15). This "x, x+1" formula indicates completeness—not exactly six or seven, but "no matter how many". The same technique appears in Ugaritic texts from Ras Shamra.

Personen

Keine bekannten Personen in diesem Kapitel.

Schlüsselwörter7

Job — The main character in the book of Job, a righteous man who experiences great trials and suffering.
Satan — An evil spiritual being who challenges God and receives permission to test Job.
Trials — Difficult situations or sufferings that people may face in life.
Patience — The ability to endure and remain faithful under difficult circumstances.
Wisdom — Deep knowledge and understanding, often connected with moral and ethical questions.
Righteousness — Acting in accordance with moral and ethical principles; goodness and honesty.
Blessings — Gifts and benefits given by God, often as a reward for faithfulness and obedience.