Job 4:12 - “Now a thing was secretly brought to me. My ear received a whisper of it.
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What does "Job 4:12" mean?
Job 4:12 is part of a speech given by Eliphaz, one of Job's friends, who is trying to understand the reason for Job's suffering. Here's a breakdown of the meaning of the verse:
"Now a thing was secretly brought to me..." Eliphaz is claiming to have received a revelation, a secret message. The word "thing" suggests something weighty, important, and possibly mysterious. The "secretly brought" aspect suggests the revelation was private and confidential, not openly proclaimed.
"...My ear received a whisper of it." This reinforces the idea of a secret, intimate communication. A "whisper" implies a quiet, subtle message, received in confidence. It suggests the source is either unwilling or unable to speak openly, perhaps a divine or spiritual being communicating in a veiled way.
Overall Meaning and Context:
In the context of the passage, Eliphaz is introducing a vision or revelation he had. He doesn't explicitly say who brought him the message (some believe it's a spirit or angel), but he implies it was a divine source. He presents this experience as a source of authority, suggesting he has access to special knowledge about God's ways.
The revelation itself is that no human being is pure or righteous in God's eyes (Job 4:17-21), which Eliphaz uses to argue that Job's suffering must be due to some secret sin.
Interpretation and Significance:
Claim to Authority: Eliphaz uses this claim to authority to bolster his argument against Job. He presents himself as having inside information from a spiritual source, which he believes gives him a superior understanding of Job's situation.
Subjective Experience: The verse highlights the subjective nature of religious experience. Eliphaz's revelation is personal and unverifiable. While he presents it as a source of truth, it's ultimately based on his own interpretation of a whisper.
Debate Over Divine Justice: The verse is crucial to understanding the central debate in the Book of Job: the nature of divine justice and the relationship between suffering and sin. Eliphaz believes suffering is always a consequence of wrongdoing, and his revelation reinforces this belief. Job challenges this view, arguing that he is righteous and his suffering is undeserved.
In summary, Job 4:12 sets the stage for Eliphaz's argument that Job's suffering is a consequence of his own sin, based on a revelation he received in a whisper. The verse also serves as a reminder of the subjective nature of spiritual experiences and the complexities of understanding divine justice.
Job 4:12 - “Now a thing was secretly brought to me. My ear received a whisper of it.
What does "Job 4:12" mean?
Job 4:12 is part of a speech given by Eliphaz, one of Job's friends, who is trying to understand the reason for Job's suffering. Here's a breakdown of the meaning of the verse:
"Now a thing was secretly brought to me..." Eliphaz is claiming to have received a revelation, a secret message. The word "thing" suggests something weighty, important, and possibly mysterious. The "secretly brought" aspect suggests the revelation was private and confidential, not openly proclaimed.
"...My ear received a whisper of it." This reinforces the idea of a secret, intimate communication. A "whisper" implies a quiet, subtle message, received in confidence. It suggests the source is either unwilling or unable to speak openly, perhaps a divine or spiritual being communicating in a veiled way.
Overall Meaning and Context:
In the context of the passage, Eliphaz is introducing a vision or revelation he had. He doesn't explicitly say who brought him the message (some believe it's a spirit or angel), but he implies it was a divine source. He presents this experience as a source of authority, suggesting he has access to special knowledge about God's ways.
The revelation itself is that no human being is pure or righteous in God's eyes (Job 4:17-21), which Eliphaz uses to argue that Job's suffering must be due to some secret sin.
Interpretation and Significance:
Claim to Authority: Eliphaz uses this claim to authority to bolster his argument against Job. He presents himself as having inside information from a spiritual source, which he believes gives him a superior understanding of Job's situation.
Subjective Experience: The verse highlights the subjective nature of religious experience. Eliphaz's revelation is personal and unverifiable. While he presents it as a source of truth, it's ultimately based on his own interpretation of a whisper.
Debate Over Divine Justice: The verse is crucial to understanding the central debate in the Book of Job: the nature of divine justice and the relationship between suffering and sin. Eliphaz believes suffering is always a consequence of wrongdoing, and his revelation reinforces this belief. Job challenges this view, arguing that he is righteous and his suffering is undeserved.
In summary, Job 4:12 sets the stage for Eliphaz's argument that Job's suffering is a consequence of his own sin, based on a revelation he received in a whisper. The verse also serves as a reminder of the subjective nature of spiritual experiences and the complexities of understanding divine justice.