Job 22:9
Thou hast sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.
Original Language Analysis
שִׁלַּ֣חְתָּ
Thou hast sent
H7971
שִׁלַּ֣חְתָּ
Thou hast sent
Strong's:
H7971
Word #:
2 of 6
to send away, for, or out (in a great variety of applications)
רֵיקָ֑ם
away empty
H7387
רֵיקָ֑ם
away empty
Strong's:
H7387
Word #:
3 of 6
emptily; figuratively (objective) ineffectually, (subjective) undeservedly
וּזְרֹע֖וֹת
and the arms
H2220
וּזְרֹע֖וֹת
and the arms
Strong's:
H2220
Word #:
4 of 6
the arm (as stretched out), or (of animals) the foreleg; figuratively, force
Cross References
Job 24:21He evil entreateth the barren that beareth not: and doeth not good to the widow.Job 24:3They drive away the ass of the fatherless, they take the widow's ox for a pledge.Isaiah 10:2To turn aside the needy from judgment, and to take away the right from the poor of my people, that widows may be their prey, and that they may rob the fatherless!Job 31:21If I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless, when I saw my help in the gate:Ezekiel 22:7In thee have they set light by father and mother: in the midst of thee have they dealt by oppression with the stranger: in thee have they vexed the fatherless and the widow.
Historical Context
Ancient Near Eastern law codes (Hammurabi, Hittite, Mosaic) all emphasized protecting widows and orphans—society's most vulnerable. Breaking an orphan's arms would be destroying their only means of self-support in an agricultural economy without social safety nets.
Questions for Reflection
- How does Eliphaz's false accusation warn against assuming someone's suffering proves their guilt?
- What does this passage reveal about the danger of starting with theological conclusions and working backward to 'evidence'?
- How might we inadvertently become false witnesses against suffering people by assuming their trials indicate hidden sin?
Analysis & Commentary
Thou hast sent widows away empty (אַלְמָנוֹת שִׁלַּחְתָּ רֵיקָם)—Eliphaz makes his most serious false accusation yet, charging Job with violating the Torah's clear commands to protect widows (Exodus 22:22-24, Deuteronomy 24:17). The Hebrew reyqam (empty) means sending away without provision or justice.
The arms of the fatherless have been broken (וּזְרֹעוֹת יְתֹמִים יְדֻכָּא)—Zeroa'ot (arms) represents strength and ability to work. Eliphaz accuses Job of crushing orphans' capacity to survive—the exact opposite of Job's actual character (Job 29:12-13, 31:16-22). This illustrates how the retribution theology framework drove Job's friends to invent sins to match his suffering, becoming false witnesses against the righteous.