Job 5:15
But he saveth the poor from the sword, from their mouth, and from the hand of the mighty.
Original Language Analysis
וַיֹּ֣שַׁע
But he saveth
H3467
וַיֹּ֣שַׁע
But he saveth
Strong's:
H3467
Word #:
1 of 6
properly, to be open, wide or free, i.e., (by implication) to be safe; causatively, to free or succor
מֵ֭חֶרֶב
from the sword
H2719
מֵ֭חֶרֶב
from the sword
Strong's:
H2719
Word #:
2 of 6
drought; also a cutting instrument (from its destructive effect), as a knife, sword, or other sharp implement
מִפִּיהֶ֑ם
from their mouth
H6310
מִפִּיהֶ֑ם
from their mouth
Strong's:
H6310
Word #:
3 of 6
the mouth (as the means of blowing), whether literal or figurative (particularly speech); specifically edge, portion or side; adverbially (with prepos
וּמִיַּ֖ד
and from the hand
H3027
וּמִיַּ֖ד
and from the hand
Strong's:
H3027
Word #:
4 of 6
a hand (the open one [indicating power, means, direction, etc.], in distinction from h3709, the closed one); used (as noun, adverb, etc.) in a great v
Cross References
Psalms 35:10All my bones shall say, LORD, who is like unto thee, which deliverest the poor from him that is too strong for him, yea, the poor and the needy from him that spoileth him?Psalms 10:14Thou hast seen it; for thou beholdest mischief and spite, to requite it with thy hand: the poor committeth himself unto thee; thou art the helper of the fatherless.Psalms 109:31For he shall stand at the right hand of the poor, to save him from those that condemn his soul.Psalms 10:17LORD, thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear:Psalms 140:12I know that the LORD will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and the right of the poor.Psalms 107:41Yet setteth he the poor on high from affliction, and maketh him families like a flock.Psalms 72:4He shall judge the poor of the people, he shall save the children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the oppressor.Job 4:10The roaring of the lion, and the voice of the fierce lion, and the teeth of the young lions, are broken.
Historical Context
Protection of the poor from the powerful was a key responsibility of righteous rulers and a mark of divine justice in ancient Near Eastern ethics. Eliphaz uses this to argue that undelivered sufferers must not be truly righteous.
Questions for Reflection
- How do you reconcile God's promise to deliver His people with the reality of continued suffering?
- What does Scripture teach about the timing of divine deliverance?
Analysis & Commentary
Eliphaz continues: 'But he saveth the poor from the sword, from their mouth, and from the hand of the mighty.' God delivers the vulnerable from violence ('sword'), slander ('mouth'), and oppression ('hand of the mighty'). This is true—God defends the defenseless (Psalm 82:3-4). But Eliphaz wrongly implies that Job's suffering proves he's not among the poor/righteous God saves. This ignores that God sometimes permits His people to suffer before eventual deliverance (Hebrews 11:35-38).