Big Idea: Eliphaz insists that Job is a sinner who deserves God’s punishment.
Understanding the Text
Job 15 contains Eliphaz’s second speech to Job, and it is evident that civil discussion between them has broken down considerably. In fact, in the second cycle (Job 15–21) the dialogue between Job and his friends becomes more strained, abusive, and insulting as the friends focus almost completely on the divine punishment due to wicked people like Job. In chapter 15, Eliphaz is not as courteous as when he first addressed Job in chapters 4–5. He now contends that Job is suffering what any wicked person deserves. Taking the tone of a belligerent prosecutor determined to prove his case, Eliphaz assaults Job with a barrage of humiliating questions intended to prove Job guilty (15:1–13). Expan…