“Can a man be profitable to God? Surely he who is wise is profitable to himself. Is it any pleasure to the Almighty if you are in the right, or is it gain to him if you make your ways blameless?
English Standard Version (ESV)
Eliphaz isn't just asking if humans can benefit God; he's pointing out that a truly wise person understands their own gain is separate from any benefit to God. The wisdom that matters, he implies, is the kind that leads to self-profit, not the kind that claims to obligate the Almighty.
“Can a man be profitable to God? Surely he who is wise is profitable to himself. Is it any pleasure to the Almighty if you are in the right, or is it gain to him if you make your ways blameless?
English Standard Version (ESV)
Eliphaz, Job's friend, is directly addressing Job's continued assertions of his own righteousness and his questioning of God's justice. Eliphaz argues that no human can possibly benefit God in any way, unlike how a wise person can certainly benefit themselves through their actions. He implies that Job is wrongly assuming his righteousness obligates God or makes Him indebted.
Does God owe you anything?
Eliphaz opens Job's eyes to a fundamental truth: God's perfection and self-sufficiency mean He can never be obligated to us. No matter how righteous, wise, or devoted we are, our actions don't add anything to God's essence or happiness. He is the source of all good; we receive from Him, not the other way around. This isn't to diminish our efforts, but to rightly position us before the Almighty. We can't earn God's favor like a business transaction.
Where does the real benefit of wisdom lie?
Eliphaz contrasts our inability to profit God with the undeniable reality of how wisdom benefits us. A wise person, in the truest sense, understands their path, makes good choices, and reaps the rewards. This wisdom isn't just intellectual; it's about living rightly before God and others. The profit of this wisdom—peace, fulfillment, understanding, and ultimately, a right relationship with the Source of all wisdom—terminates on ourselves. It's a profound gain that enriches our own lives immeasurably.
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Shadday · Hebrew Noun
A title for God emphasizing His absolute power, sovereignty, and sufficiency. It appears frequently in Job to denote the transcendent creator who is beyond human manipulation or control.
tsadeq · Hebrew Adjective/Noun
In a biblical context, this refers to a state of moral integrity or moral correctness before God, often achieved through faithfulness and adherence to His commandments. It implies being declared righteous or acting in a way that aligns with God's standard.
tam · Hebrew Adjective
Refers to the quality of being morally upright, faultless, or lacking defects in conduct. It describes a lifestyle that conforms to God's law and expectations for human behavior.
Eliphaz's words in Job 22:2 reflect a common ancient understanding: that human actions could, in some way, benefit or obligate a deity. The historical context of the fall of Jerusalem and the Temple's destruction would have amplified these questions, making Job's friends intensely focused on the idea that suffering must be due to some failure on Job's part to profit or please God.
c. 2000-1600 BC
Abrahamic Covenant Established
God makes foundational promises to Abraham, establishing a covenant relationship that would define His people for generations. This sets a precedent for God's initiated and sovereign relationship with humanity.
c. 1446-1406 BC
Israel's Exodus and Law Given
God delivers Israel from slavery in Egypt and gives them the Law at Mount Sinai, detailing principles of justice, righteousness, and worship. This establishes a framework for human accountability to God.
c. 970-931 BC
Solomon's Temple Built
The magnificent Temple in Jerusalem is dedicated, serving as the central place of worship and sacrifice. This highlights the sacredness of God's presence and the prescribed ways to approach Him.
c. 722 BC
Fall of the Northern Kingdom
The Assyrian Empire conquers the northern kingdom of Israel, exiling its people. This serves as a stark warning about the consequences of persistent disobedience to God's covenant.
586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem and Temple Destruction
The Babylonian Empire destroys Jerusalem and its Temple, exiling the Judean people. This event deeply traumatizes the survivors and prompts intense theological reflection on suffering and God's justice.
c. 400 BC— this verse
Book of Job Written
The Book of Job is composed, likely reflecting on the theological crisis precipitated by the destruction of Jerusalem and the exile. It grapples with the problem of suffering, divine justice, and the nature of human relationship with God.
This passage directly echoes the sentiment that our righteousness doesn't benefit God, stating 'I have no good beyond you.' It reinforces the idea that God's goodness is the source, not the recipient, of our well-being.
Luke 17:10Jesus' teaching about servants being unprofitable echoes this verse's core idea: even after doing all we are commanded, we are still just doing our duty. We cannot 'earn' favor or add anything to God's perfect being.
Romans 11:35Paul quotes this verse to show that no one has ever given God anything that He needs to repay. It underscores that any good we do or any righteousness we have originates from God and ultimately serves His purposes, not the other way around.
Acts 17:25This verse states that God 'gives to all life and breath and all things' and is not served by human hands, 'as though he needed anything.' This powerfully illustrates that God's self-sufficiency means human actions cannot 'profit' Him in the way they might profit other humans.
Daniel 12:3While Job 22:2 highlights that our actions don't profit God, Daniel 12:3 points out that those who are wise (in the spiritual sense) will themselves shine and lead others to righteousness. This shows the profound benefit wisdom brings *to us* and to the world, even if not directly to God.
barnesJob 22:2: "Can a man be profitable unto God, as he that is wise may be profitable unto himself?"
Can a man be profitable unto God? - Can a man confer any favor on God, so as to lay him under obligation? Eliphaz supposes that Job sets up a "claim" to the favor of God, because he was of service to him, or because God had something to fear if he was cut off. He maintains, therefore, that a man can confer no favor on God, so as to lay him under obligation. God is independent and supreme. He has not…
bensonJob 22:2: "Can a man be profitable unto God, as he that is wise may be profitable unto himself?"
Job 22:2 . Can a man be profitable unto God — That is, add any thing to his perfection or felicity? namely, by his righteousness, as the next verse shows. Why then dost thou insist so much upon thy own righteousness, as if thou didst oblige God by it; or, as if he could not, without injustice, afflict thee, who supposest thyself to be a righteous person? As, or because, he that is wise — He that is…
Eliphaz isn't just asking if humans can benefit God; he's pointing out that a truly wise person understands their own gain is separate from any benefit to God. The wisdom that matters, he implies, is the kind that leads to self-profit, not the kind that claims to obligate the Almighty.
Eliphaz, Job's friend, is directly addressing Job's continued assertions of his own righteousness and his questioning of God's justice. Eliphaz argues that no human can possibly benefit God in any way, unlike how a wise person can certainly benefit themselves through their actions. He implies that Job is wrongly assuming his righteousness obligates God or makes Him indebted.
Eliphaz, Job's friend, is directly addressing Job's continued assertions of his own righteousness and his questioning of God's justice. Eliphaz argues that no human can possibly benefit God in any way, unlike how a wise person can certainly benefit themselves through their actions. He implies that Job is wrongly assuming his righteousness obligates God or makes Him indebted.
"“Can a man be profitable to God? Surely he who is wise is profitable to himself. Is it any pleasure to the Almighty if you are in the right, or is it gain to him if you make your ways blameless?" — Eliphaz isn't just asking if humans can benefit God; he's pointing out that a truly wise person understands their own gain is separate from any benefit to God. The wisdom that matters, he implies, is…
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Last reviewed October 2026