Job 22:16
Which were cut down out of time, whose foundation was overflown with a flood:
Original Language Analysis
אֲשֶֽׁר
H834
אֲשֶֽׁר
Strong's:
H834
Word #:
1 of 7
who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc
וְלֹא
H3808
וְלֹא
Strong's:
H3808
Word #:
3 of 7
not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles
עֵ֑ת
out of time
H6256
עֵ֑ת
out of time
Strong's:
H6256
Word #:
4 of 7
time, especially (adverb with preposition) now, when, etc
נָ֝הָ֗ר
with a flood
H5104
נָ֝הָ֗ר
with a flood
Strong's:
H5104
Word #:
5 of 7
a stream (including the sea; expectation the nile, euphrates, etc.); figuratively, prosperity
Cross References
Job 15:32It shall be accomplished before his time, and his branch shall not be green.2 Peter 2:5And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;Genesis 7:11In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.
Historical Context
The Flood narrative was well-known in ancient Near Eastern literature (Gilgamesh Epic, Atrahasis). For Israelites, it represented God's justice against universal corruption. Eliphaz weaponizes this shared cultural memory to condemn Job, missing the Flood's actual lesson about grace (Noah) and God's patience (2 Peter 3:9).
Questions for Reflection
- How does Eliphaz's use of the Flood narrative ignore the key detail of Noah's righteousness being preserved through judgment?
- What does this passage teach about the danger of proof-texting history to support predetermined theological conclusions?
- How might God's purpose in suffering be completely different from what observers assume based on retribution theology?
Analysis & Commentary
Which were cut down out of time (אֲשֶׁר־קֻמְּטוּ וְלֹא־עֵת)—Qummetu (cut down/seized) describes premature death; lo-et (not their time) emphasizes untimely destruction. Eliphaz clearly references the Flood generation (Genesis 6-7), whose lives were cut short by divine judgment.
Whose foundation was overflown with a flood (יְסוּדָם נָהָר יוּצָק)—Yessodam (their foundation) represents life's stability; nahar yutsaq (river poured out) vividly pictures the waters overwhelming earth's foundations. Eliphaz uses the Flood as history's supreme example of retribution theology: total wickedness brought total destruction. The implication for Job is clear but false—your suffering proves you're like them. This ignores Genesis 6:9's crucial detail: 'Noah found grace,' proving the righteous sometimes suffer alongside the wicked without being guilty.