Job 5:18
For he maketh sore, and bindeth up: he woundeth, and his hands make whole.
Original Language Analysis
כִּ֤י
H3588
כִּ֤י
Strong's:
H3588
Word #:
1 of 7
(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed
ה֣וּא
H1931
ה֣וּא
Strong's:
H1931
Word #:
2 of 7
he (she or it); only expressed when emphatic or without a verb; also (intensively) self, or (especially with the article) the same; sometimes (as demo
יַכְאִ֣יב
For he maketh sore
H3510
יַכְאִ֣יב
For he maketh sore
Strong's:
H3510
Word #:
3 of 7
properly, to feel pain; by implication, to grieve; figuratively, to spoil
וְיֶחְבָּ֑שׁ
and bindeth up
H2280
וְיֶחְבָּ֑שׁ
and bindeth up
Strong's:
H2280
Word #:
4 of 7
to wrap firmly (especially a turban, compress, or saddle); figuratively, to stop, to rule
יִ֝מְחַ֗ץ
he woundeth
H4272
יִ֝מְחַ֗ץ
he woundeth
Strong's:
H4272
Word #:
5 of 7
to dash asunder; by implication, to crush, smash or violently plunge; figuratively, to subdue or destroy
Cross References
Hosea 6:1Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up.Deuteronomy 32:39See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand.Isaiah 30:26Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day that the LORD bindeth up the breach of his people, and healeth the stroke of their wound.Psalms 147:3He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.1 Samuel 2:6The LORD killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up.
Historical Context
The dual nature of God as both wounder and healer reflects His sovereignty over all circumstances. Ancient medicine understood that healing often requires painful treatment, a metaphor for spiritual discipline.
Questions for Reflection
- How have you experienced God's wounding as necessary for healing?
- What's the difference between discipline and punishment in God's economy?
Analysis & Commentary
God 'maketh sore, and bindeth up; he woundeth, and his hands make whole' - Eliphaz correctly identifies God's sovereignty over suffering and healing. This truth appears throughout Scripture (Deuteronomy 32:39, Hosea 6:1), yet Eliphaz misapplies it by assuming Job's repentance will immediately end his suffering.