Eliphaz (15:1–35)

The first man ever born (15:7). This does not refer to Adam, who was not born but fashioned (Gen. 1:26–27); rather, it refers to a concept known from the ancient Near East. The first sage was (according to Mesopotamian tradition) Oannes157 (as preserved by the Jewish historian Josephus), who taught humans civilization, writing, crafts, and science. Later came the apkallus, who lived before the time of the flood and were sages,158 perfect in wisdom.159 Adapa was the first of these semi-divine sages with supernatural wisdom, who served as counselor to the antediluvian rulers.160

Water basin from the Temple of Ashur shows two apkallu flanking deity with fertile waters flowing from vase.

Katherine Thompson, courtesy of the Pergamon Museum, Berlin

No trust in his holy ones (15:15). Cf. comments on 4:18 and 5:1.

Man, who is vile and corrupt (15:16). God does not trust humans because they are corrupt. In the Babylonian Theodicy it is said that the creator deities “gave twisted words to the human race, they endowed them in perpetuity with lies and falsehood.”161 By contrast, the Old Testament and Job believe in the justice and trustworthiness of God.

He wanders around—food for vultures (15:23). The Hebrew can be read as ʾayyâ (“vulture”) as in the LXX or ʾayyēh (“where?”; cf. NIV note). Barré connects the wandering around with depression and refers to examples from Mesopotamia.162 The hero Gilgamesh grieves over his dead friend Enkidu and wanders around “like a lioness deprived of her cubs he paced to and fro, this way and that.”163 Darkness is a symbol of evil (cf. 35:10 and sidebar on “Morning Light versus the Darkness of Night” at 38:14).

Stele of Vultures shows vultures devouring the enemy.

Eric Gaba/Wikimedia Commons, CC-BY-SA

Like a vine stripped of its unripe grapes, like an olive tree shedding its blossoms (15:33). Stripping a vine of unripe grapes means that the vine will not be able to bear fruit. The vine and olive tree are symbols of abundance and fertility in the Hebrew Bible,164 but they will not bear any fruit; in the same way the plans of the wicked will come to naught.