However, if I were you, I would appeal to God and lay my cause before Him—
Parallel translations
- WEB “But as for me, I would seek God. I would commit my cause to God,
- KJV I would seek unto God, and unto God would I commit my cause:
- NKJV “But as for me, I would seek God, And to God I would commit my cause—
- NASB ¶“But as for me, I would seek God, And I would make my plea before God,
- NLT “If I were you, I would go to God and present my case to him.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Eliphaz says that in Job's place he would seek God and commit his cause to him. He urges Job to bring his case before the Almighty rather than complain.
Overview
Turning to counsel, Eliphaz advises seeking God and entrusting one's situation to him. The advice itself is godly, echoing the call to cast our cares upon the Lord. The irony is that Job does want to bring his cause to God, but longs for a fair hearing more than a formula; the gospel assures that through Christ we may indeed approach God and commit our cause to a Father who hears.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 12
- Ps 50:15Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor Me.”
- Ps 37:5Commit your way to the LORD; trust in Him, and He will do it.
- Job 22:21Reconcile now and be at peace with Him; thereby good will come to you.
- 2 Chr 33:12–13And in his distress, Manasseh sought the favor of the LORD his God and earnestly humbled himself before the God of his fathers.
- 1 Pet 4:19So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should entrust their souls to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.
- Job 22:27You will pray to Him, and He will hear you, and you will fulfill your vows.
- 2 Tim 1:12For this reason, even though I suffer as I do, I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him for that day.
- 1 Pet 2:23When they heaped abuse on Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats, but entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly.
- Gen 32:7–12In great fear and distress, Jacob divided his people into two camps, as well as the flocks and herds and camels.
- Job 8:5But if you would earnestly seek God and ask the Almighty for mercy,
- Ps 77:1–2For the choirmaster. According to Jeduthun. A Psalm of Asaph. I cried out to God; I cried aloud to God to hear me.
- Jonah 2:1–7From inside the fish, Jonah prayed to the LORD his God,
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Job's cry for a mediator who can lay his hand on both God and man, and his confidence that 'my Redeemer lives' and will stand on the earth, reaches forward to Jesus the living Redeemer.
How Job 5:8 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.