Job 15:2Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Job remarked, “And I have a heart like yours” (Job 12:3), and further stated, “As much as ye know, I also know: not lower am I than ye” (Job 13:2). In light of these declarations, Eliphaz confronts him. “Behold,” he declares, “what responses come from the wise man who believes he possesses all knowledge! He has filled his belly with anguish,” suggesting that Job's words have sprung from self-comfort, yet he is laden with despair. Eliphaz reproaches Job for two main reasons: he suggests that true wisdom refrains from flaunting itself and rebukes Job for his critique of others, asserting that Job is indeed suffering and tormented in his thoughts (as indicated by the phrase “filled with anguish the belly”).

Then Eliphaz the Temanite spoke, asking whether a wise individual would respond as if to mere whispers, engaging in fruitless debates. Job 15:1-2. ALLEGORICAL INTERPRETATION. We have frequently noted that the righteous Job symbolizes the Holy Universal Church, while his companions represent heretics who, under the guise of defending God, seize opportunities for vain chatter and hurl disrespectful remarks against the virtuous. They disdain every thought of a believer, treating such insights as though they were mere breezes. Therefore, they question, Will the wise man answer as if speaking into the wind? They fail to acknowledge the purpose behind a good person’s words, perceiving them instead as signs of folly. Hence, he adds, will he fill his belly with fever? In their intended insults, they feign a polite demeanor to cloak their disdain, claiming to uphold the honor of the Lord. Consequently, Eliphaz continues:

In his second address, Eliphaz persistently counters Job's defenses, deeming his statements groundless and even opposing to God, insinuating that Job views prayer as superfluous (15:1-4). He aims to chasten Job using his own words, accusing him of hypocrisy and arrogance for attributing to himself the wisdom and understanding of the ancients (5-12). In doing so, Job forgets that no one can stand blameless before God and wrongly sees himself as virtuous (13-16). Eliphaz juxtaposes Job's testimony with the timeless wisdom of the forebears, who were renowned for their longevity and insight, affirming that the life of the wicked is one fraught with dread, and their demise is grim, specifically due to their pride before God (17-35).