Job 5:2 - Eliphaz Regarding Wrath and Envy

For wrath killeth the foolish man, and envy slayeth the silly one. -- Job 5:2, King James Version.

Eliphaz appeals to his own observation, and says that though the wicked for a time seem to be prosperous, yet he had observed that they were soon overtaken with calamity and cut down. He evidently means that prosperity was no evidence of the divine favor; but that when it had continued for a little time, and was then withdrawn, it was proof that the man who had been prospered was at heart a wicked man. It was easy to understated that he meant that this should be applied to Job, who, though he had been favored with temporary prosperity, was now revealed to be at heart a wicked man. -- Notes on the Bible by Albert Barnes [1834].

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This verse is sometimes quoted as a scripture lesson pertaining to anger and envy, although the words were spoken, not by Jehovah, Job nor Elihu, but are the words Eliphaz. (Job 4:1) As recorded in Job 42:7, Jehovah tells what he thought of the words of Eliphaz. Jehovah said to Eliphaz: "My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends: for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath." -- American Standard Version.

Obviously, Eliphaz was stating that Job was a foolish and silly man. It is possible that Eliphaz was quoting a folk saying of his time, although we cannot be certain of this. Thus, it is just as possible that the words were original to Eliphaz. We can say, however, that wrath can, but not necessarily, lead to death, and also that envy can possibly lead to being slayed. 

The real point we should note regarding this scripture, however, is that Eliphaz was obviously endeavoring to find something very evil about Job as being the reason for his suffering. We should avoid be like Eliphaz in this, and we also should be careful about how we cast our accusations and judgments against others. We cannot know absolutely everything about others so as to condemn them for whatever reason. All of us fall short due to the condemnation in Adam, and likewise, our judgment could easily fall short of fully understanding what is happening to others. -- Ronald R. Day, Sr.