Job 15:3
Should he reason with unprofitable talk? or with speeches wherewith he can do no good?
Original Language Analysis
הוֹכֵ֣חַ
Should he reason
H3198
הוֹכֵ֣חַ
Should he reason
Strong's:
H3198
Word #:
1 of 8
to be right (i.e., correct); reciprocal, to argue; causatively, to decide, justify or convict
בְּ֭דָבָר
talk
H1697
בְּ֭דָבָר
talk
Strong's:
H1697
Word #:
2 of 8
a word; by implication, a matter (as spoken of) or thing; adverbially, a cause
לֹ֣א
H3808
לֹ֣א
Strong's:
H3808
Word #:
3 of 8
not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles
יִסְכּ֑וֹן
with unprofitable
H5532
יִסְכּ֑וֹן
with unprofitable
Strong's:
H5532
Word #:
4 of 8
to be familiar with; by implication, to minister to, be serviceable to, to cherish, be customary
וּ֝מִלִּ֗ים
or with speeches
H4405
וּ֝מִלִּ֗ים
or with speeches
Strong's:
H4405
Word #:
5 of 8
a word; collectively, a discourse; figuratively, a topic
לֹא
H3808
לֹא
Strong's:
H3808
Word #:
6 of 8
not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles
Historical Context
Ancient Near Eastern wisdom literature prized practical utility. Wisdom was measured by results, not abstract truth—advice had to work. Eliphaz represents this tradition, unable to comprehend that Job's suffering defies pragmatic wisdom's explanatory power. The book of Job subverts this entirely.
Questions for Reflection
- When have you dismissed someone's honest doubts as 'unprofitable' because they threatened your theological framework?
- How do you distinguish between genuinely destructive speech and necessary faith questioning?
- Why might seemingly 'useless' wrestling with God be more valuable than efficient answers?
Analysis & Commentary
Should he reason with unprofitable talk? or with speeches wherewith he can do no good?—Eliphaz's rhetorical questions attack Job's words as functionally worthless. The Hebrew lo'-yiska (לֹא־יִסְכֹּן, 'unprofitable') and lo' yo'il (לֹא־יוֹעִיל, 'can do no good') emphasize pragmatic uselessness. This reveals Eliphaz's fundamental criterion: theology must be 'profitable' and practically useful.
The irony is devastating: Eliphaz condemns Job's speeches as pointless, yet the book's epilogue (42:7) declares that Job 'spoke what is right' while the friends spoke wrongly. What Eliphaz calls unprofitable—Job's honest wrestling with suffering—proves to be the only speech God honors. This reversal challenges our tendency to value tidy theological systems over honest faith struggles.