Job 22:14
Thick clouds veil him, so that he does not see, and he walks on the vault of heaven.’
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Eliphaz is misrepresenting Job's deepest fears by suggesting Job believes God is so distant he's hidden by "thick clouds" and preoccupied with the heavens, completely detached from human affairs. This portrays an impersonal, uncaring deity, the very opposite of the God Job knows, who is intimately involved in every detail of life.
Eliphaz is accusing Job of thinking God is distant and uncaring, like an unconcerned spectator who is hidden by clouds and only walks in the celestial realms. He suggests Job believes God doesn't see human affairs or intervene in them, essentially living a detached, Epicurean existence. This accusation comes as Eliphaz continues his argument that Job's suffering must be due to hidden sin.
Understand the original words
araphel · Hebrew Noun
Refers to impenetrable darkness or dense clouds, symbolically used to suggest God's transcendence and inscrutability, or in this context, the false belief that God is hidden from human affairs.
chug · Hebrew Noun
Referring to the 'circuit' or 'horizon' of the heavens; in a theological context, it depicts the boundary of God's immediate presence or the sphere in which He maintains His cosmic order.
This passage directly refutes the idea that darkness or distance can hide anyone from God's sight, emphasizing His omnipresence.
Isaiah 40:27This verse echoes Job's sentiment by questioning if God's way is hidden or His right is overlooked, implying a disconnect that the prophet then counters with God's enduring power.
Jeremiah 23:24This passage strongly rebukes the idea that God cannot see hidden things, declaring His presence everywhere, in contrast to the notion that God walks in heaven, detached from earthly affairs.
Ezekiel 8:12This verse describes the elders of Israel engaging in secret, wicked acts while believing God does not see them, illustrating the very kind of hidden sin that Job's friends wrongly accuse him of, and which God indeed witnesses.
gillJob 22:14: "Thick clouds are a covering to him, that he seeth not; and he walketh in the circuit of heaven."
Thick clouds are a covering to him, that he seeth not,.... Thus Job is made to speak, or to reason as atheistical persons, or such who are inclined to atheism would, who take God to be altogether such an one as themselves; as that because thick clouds hide objects, as the sun, and moon, and stars, from their sight, therefore they must hide men and their actions from the sight of God; whe…
clarkeJob 22:14: "Thick clouds are a covering to him, that he seeth not; and he walketh in the circuit of heaven."
He walketh in the circuit of heaven - He confines himself to those infinitely exalted regions and cares nothing for the inhabitants of the earth.
Eliphaz is misrepresenting Job's deepest fears by suggesting Job believes God is so distant he's hidden by "thick clouds" and preoccupied with the heavens, completely detached from human affairs. This portrays an impersonal, uncaring deity, the very opposite of the God Job knows, who is intimately involved in every detail of life.
Eliphaz is accusing Job of thinking God is distant and uncaring, like an unconcerned spectator who is hidden by clouds and only walks in the celestial realms. He suggests Job believes God doesn't see human affairs or intervene in them, essentially living a detached, Epicurean existence. This accusation comes as Eliphaz continues his argument that Job's suffering must be due to hidden sin.
Eliphaz is accusing Job of thinking God is distant and uncaring, like an unconcerned spectator who is hidden by clouds and only walks in the celestial realms. He suggests Job believes God doesn't see human affairs or intervene in them, essentially living a detached, Epicurean existence. This accusation comes as Eliphaz continues his argument that Job's suffering must be due to hidden sin.
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"Thick clouds veil him, so that he does not see, and he walks on the vault of heaven.’" — Eliphaz is misrepresenting Job's deepest fears by suggesting Job believes God is so distant he's hidden by "thick clouds" and preoccupied with the heavens, completely detached from human affairs. Thi…
