pleasure · interrogative particle + noun, common masculine singular absolute
Almighty
לְ֭שַׁדַּיLe.sha.dai
H7706
the Almighty · preposition + proper noun, a title
righteous
תִצְדָּ֑קtitz.Dak
H6663
to be (causatively · verb, qal imperfect, 2nd person masculine singular
gain
בֶּ֝֗צַעBe.tza'
H1215
plunder · noun, common masculine singular absolute
ways
דְּרָכֶֽיךָde.ra.Khei.kha
H1870
a road (as trodden) · noun, common masculine plural construct + pronominal suffix, 2nd person masculine singular
perfect
תַתֵּ֥םta.Tem
H8552
to complete · verb, hiphil imperfect, 2nd person masculine singular
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).
Cross-references
Proverbs 15:8 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD: but the prayer of the upright is his delight.
2 Corinthians 7:1 Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness i…
Psalms 147:10-11 He delighteth not in the strength of the horse: he taketh not pleasure in the legs of a man.
Proverbs 11:1 A false balance is abomination to the LORD: but a just weight is his delight.
Proverbs 12:22 Lying lips are abomination to the LORD: but they that deal truly are his delight.
1 Chronicles 29:17 I know also, my God, that thou triest the heart, and hast pleasure in uprightness. As for me, in the uprightness of mine heart I have willin…
Job 23:10-12 But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.
Psalms 39:1 I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me.
Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).
Commentary
Matthew Henry on Job 22:1-4
Eliphaz here insinuates that, because Job complained so much of his afflictions, he thought God was unjust in afflicting him; but it was a strained innuendo. Job was far from thinking so. What Eliphaz says here is therefore unjustly applied to Job, but in itself it is very true and good,
I. That when God does us good it is not because he is indebted to us; if he were, there might be some colour to say, when he afflicts us, "He does not deal fairly with us." But whoever pretends that he has by any meritorious action made God his debtor, let him prove this debt, and he shall be sure not to lose it, Rom 11:35. Who has given to him, and it shall be recompensed to him again? But Eliphaz here show…
pleasure--accession of happiness; God has pleasure in man's righteousness (Psa 45:7), but He is not dependent on man's character for His happiness.
John Gill on Job 22:3
Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that thou art righteous?.... It is not; the Lord indeed takes pleasure in his people, not as sinners, but as righteous; and as they are considered such in Christ, he is well pleased for his righteousness' sake, and with it, being agreeable to his nature, will, and law; and with his people in Christ, in whom they are accepted, having imputed the righteousness of his Son unto them, and so they stand before him unblamable and irreprovable, and he takes pleasure in the work of his own hands upon them, called the good pleasure of his will, in the new man formed after his image in righteousness and true holiness, in the graces of his Spirit, and in the exercise o…
1 Then began Eliphaz the Temanite, and said:
2 Is a man profitable unto God?
No, indeed! the intelligent man is profitable to himself.
3 Hath the Almighty any profit if thou art righteous,
Or gain if thou strivest to walk uprightly?
4 Will He reprove thee for thy fear of God,
Will He go with thee into judgment?
5 Is not thy wickedness great,
Thine iniquities infinite?
The verb סכן, in the signification to be profitable, is peculiar to the book of Job (although also סכן and סכנת elsewhere, according to its primary signification, does not differ from מועיל, מועילה, by which it is explained by Kimchi); the correct development of the notion of this verb is to be perceived from the Hiph., which o…
The Church Fathers
"What does it matter to the Lord, if you were blameless in your works?" That is, it has no importance for God. "Or does he gain any profit from the righteousness of your conduct?" It cannot be said that, in fact, it contributes to him any advantage, he says. Since Job in every possible manner had said that God did this and because of him I am suffering, Eliphaz wants to show that [his afflictions] do not come from God. "Or, in order to make a case against you, will he accuse you and enter into judgment with you?" Yes, you can be as righteous as you want, it does not matter for him, and he has no consideration for you, that is, what you do deserves little interest on the part of God. In fact, if he really wanted to judge you, he would have found your faults.
Is it any profit to the Almighty that thou art righteous? or is it gain to Him, that thou makest thy ways perfect? For in all that we do well, we are doing good to ourselves and not to God. And hence by the Psalmist it is said, O my soul, thou hast said unto the Lord, Thou art my God, seeing that Thou needest not my goods. For He is truly 'Lord' to us, because He is also assuredly 'God,' Who needs not the good in him that serveth Him, but bestows the goodness which He receives, so that the goodness which is offered up should avail not Himself, but those that first receive and afterwards render back. For though the Lord, when He cometh for Judgment, saith, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me; it is with extraordinary pitifulness that He says this, by sympathy with His members. And He the same Being hereby, viz. that He is our Head, aids, Who by our good deeds in His members is aided.
The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).
Dictionary and topics
Grace Of God · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning
Man · INSIGNIFI — INSIGNIFI
Self-Righteousness · 2:9; — 2:9;
Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).
Eliphaz did not understand that God would gain pleasure from Job’s righteousness (1:8; 2:3), as he does from every righteous person (1 Chr 29:17; Ps 147:10-11; Prov 11:1, 20; 12:22). God would also gain glory from Job’s steadfast faith, which emphasized the lie behind Satan’s challenge (Job 1:9-12; 2:4-6). • Job steadfastly claimed that he was perfect (23:10-12), as did God himself (1:1, 8; 2:3).
Rashi on Job 22:3
Does the Almighty care Like (above 21:21), “For what does He care (חפצו) about his house after him?” What pleasure or concern does He have if you are righteous in your deeds, that you reason with Him that He come with you to contest your words?
or...any gain i.e., monetary gain for Him if you perfect your ways?
