Job 15:35Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Through his remarks, Eliphaz portrays the upright Job as both a captor and a deceiver, concealing his harshness. He initially likened Job to a lion, a lioness, and their young, as well as a tiger. However, we should trust in God, who, in commending Job, did not label him a fraud, but instead affirmed his righteousness and sincerity.

Verse 35. They envision sorrow and give birth to wrongdoing, and their inner being prepares falsehood (Job 15:35). For one brings forth sorrow when he harbors evil thoughts; he produces iniquity when he acts upon his designs. By indulging in jealousy, he invites sorrow, and by spreading gossip, he generates iniquity. It is indeed a serious offense when a wicked person tries to portray others as wicked in order to appear more righteous himself, by highlighting their lack of holiness. It is essential to recognize that in Scripture, the terms "womb" or "belly" often symbolize the mind. This is why Solomon states, "The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord, searching all the inward parts" (Proverbs 20:27).

In his second address, Eliphaz challenges Job's justifications with renewed fervor and views his assertions as baseless and even oppositional to God, implying that Job perceives prayer as unnecessary (15:1-4). He aims to confront Job with his own words regarding hypocrisy and arrogance, as Job assumes the wisdom and insight typical of the elders (5-12). Forgetting that no one can claim purity before God, Job considers himself just (13-16). Contrasting Job’s claims, Eliphaz draws upon the ancient wisdom of their forebears, who were marked by their long lives and experiences. They proclaimed that the existence of the wicked is mired in perpetual dread, and their ultimate fate is dire because of their pride before God (17-35).