Even in his servants he puts no trust, and his angels he charges with error; how much more those who dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, who are crushed like the moth.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse challenges the idea of inherent perfection in any created being, even angels. It suggests that "folly" here points not necessarily to sin, but to an inherent imperfection or mutability compared to God's absolute being. This implies that even the most exalted creatures are fundamentally dependent on God, and their best qualities are minuscule compared to His own.
Even in his servants he puts no trust, and his angels he charges with error; how much more those who dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, who are crushed like the moth.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Eliphaz is explaining the vision he received, using it to argue that since God finds fault even with heavenly beings, Job’s suffering is likely due to some hidden sin. He asserts that God doesn't fully trust His own angels, finding imperfection and "folly"—a deficiency or error—in them. This is meant to show how infinitely far creatures, even the most exalted, fall short of God’s perfection, making it absurd for Job to question God's justice.
Eliphaz makes a bold claim: God doesn't fully trust His own heavenly servants. What does this reveal about God, and about us?
The Incomparable Standard
Eliphaz's statement in Job 4:18 isn't about God being insecure or His angels failing Him (though some did!). Instead, it highlights God's absolute perfection and sovereignty.
Infinite Holiness
The Limits of Creaturely Trust
If God finds 'error' even in His perfect angels, what does that say about His standards for judging humans?
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The Divine Scale
Eliphaz is using this observation about angels to make a crucial point about Job's situation.
A Relative Scale
The Argument Against Job's Purity
Understand the original words
malak · Hebrew Noun
Refers to spiritual beings who serve as God's messengers or ministers. While holy, they are created beings, and even they do not possess the absolute, unchangeable perfection of God.
toholah · Hebrew Noun
Often used to describe moral failing, mistake, or deviation from the correct path. In this context, it suggests that even the highest created beings are not infallible compared to God.
chomer · Hebrew Noun
A metaphorical description of the human body, emphasizing its temporary nature, fragility, and earthly origin, contrasting with the permanence of God.
aphar · Hebrew Noun
Refers to the elemental substance from which humanity was created and to which it returns upon death, signifying the ultimate transience and humbleness of human life.
The mention of God charging angels with folly points to a cosmic event where some angels sinned. This ancient backdrop emphasizes that even perfect beings, when apart from God's continuous sustaining grace, can err, thus underscoring the vast difference between created beings and the Creator.
~2000 BC
The Fall of Angels
A significant portion of the angelic host, through pride or rebellion, fell from their original state of purity and loyalty to God. This event serves as a stark reminder of the imperfection inherent in any created being.
Late 2nd Millennium BC— this verse
Job's Life and Faith Tested
Job, a righteous man, experiences immense suffering, leading his friends to question the nature of God's justice and his own righteousness.
Late 2nd Millennium BC
Eliphaz's Vision and Speech
Eliphaz recounts a supernatural vision where a spirit questioned the righteousness of humans and implied the imperfection of even God's heavenly servants.
This passage shows God's deep disappointment and regret over humanity's wickedness, highlighting that even God's creation can fall short, underscoring the idea that God doesn't place ultimate trust in flawed beings.
2 Peter 2:4This verse directly speaks of angels who sinned and were cast down, providing a concrete example of divine judgment against heavenly beings, which supports the notion that God holds angels accountable and doesn't inherently trust their perfection.
Philippians 2:5-8It describes Jesus' humility in taking on human form, contrasting with the original perfection of beings like angels, implying that even those created pure can have a deficiency that only Christ's example transcends.
Job 15:14-16Eliphaz reiterates his point to Job, stating that 'not even the heavens are pure in his eyes' and that God puts no trust in his servants, further emphasizing the vast difference between God's absolute purity and the relative imperfection of all created beings, including angels.
bensonJob 4:18: "Behold, he put no trust in his servants; and his angels he charged with folly:"
Job 4:18. Behold, &c. — For it deserves thy serious consideration. These and the following words seem to be the words of Eliphaz, explaining the former vision, and applying it to Job’s case, and enforcing it by further arguments. He put no trust in his servants — That is, in his angels, as appears both by the next words of this verse, in which, by way of explication and restriction, they are termed his an…
barnesJob 4:18: "Behold, he put no trust in his servants; and his angels he charged with folly:"
Behold, he put no trust in his servants - These are evidently the words of the oracle that appeared to Eliphaz; see Schultens, in loc. The word servants here refers to angels; and the idea is, that God was so pure that he did not confide even in the exalted holiness of angels - meaning that their holiness was infinitely inferior to his. The design is to state that God had the highest possible holiness, su…
The verse challenges the idea of inherent perfection in any created being, even angels. It suggests that "folly" here points not necessarily to sin, but to an inherent imperfection or mutability compared to God's absolute being. This implies that even the most exalted creatures are fundamentally dependent on God, and their best qualities are minuscule compared to His own.
Eliphaz is explaining the vision he received, using it to argue that since God finds fault even with heavenly beings, Job’s suffering is likely due to some hidden sin. He asserts that God doesn't fully trust His own angels, finding imperfection and "folly"—a deficiency or error—in them. This is meant to show how infinitely far creatures, even the most exalted, fall short of God’s perfection, making it absurd for Job to question God's justice.
Eliphaz is explaining the vision he received, using it to argue that since God finds fault even with heavenly beings, Job’s suffering is likely due to some hidden sin. He asserts that God doesn't fully trust His own angels, finding imperfection and "folly"—a deficiency or error—in them. This is meant to show how infinitely far creatures, even the most exalted, fall short of God’s perfection, making it absurd for Job to question God's justice.
"Even in his servants he puts no trust, and his angels he charges with error; how much more those who dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, who are crushed like the moth." — The verse challenges the idea of inherent perfection in any created being, even angels. It suggests that "folly" here points not necessarily to sin, but to an inherent imperfection or mutability comp…
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Last reviewed October 2026