Back in chapter four, Eliphaz was kind in his first speech, but here his tone definitely changes. It appears as though he’s been offended by Job’s words. He more or less calls Job a bag of wind. In other words, Job’s arguments hold as much substance as the wind does. Every word which comes from Job’s mouth is useless.
Earlier, Eliphaz claimed to have received some revelation from God, Job 4:12-17, and now he asks the question, how can we think about spiritual things when we are sitting in the presence of someone who is so irreverent to God? Remember Job accused his friends of this too, Job 13:7-12, and now they accuse him of the same thing, Job 42:8 / Romans 3:23.
Earlier, Job asked for proof of his sin and now Eliphaz claims his very words are proof enough that Job has a serious sin problem and so, they don’t need any more evidence to convict Job.
He now appeals to the voice of experience, that is, what people in the past have learned and says Job needs to learn from them. Eliphaz is convinced that Job is stubborn in his refusal to respect their advice and repent.
Here, Eliphaz goes into a lot of detail to describe how God portrays Himself to the wicked. Some commentators believe this is a quotation from the fathers which has been handed down through time.
Clarkes, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Eliphaz is now about to quote a whole collection of wise sayings from the ancients, all good enough in themselves, but sinfully misapplied to the case of Job.’
Because Job is in such great distress and anguish because of his pain, and since the marauders have come upon him, Eliphaz is probably saying, that Job is a wicked man.
He is saying that although the righteous are prosperous, the marauder will steal all their goods. Darkness and destruction will overtake them and they will die before their time. Eliphaz compared Job with the wicked man whose end is before its time.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The discerning reader will not overlook Eliphaz’s strategy in this evil speech. In effect, he preached Job’s funeral, mentioning all the things he could think of that would tie his description of the wicked to what had already happened to Job. The implied prophecies were that Job would never be rich, Job 15:20, that he would soon die, Job 15:30-32. etc. These prophecies, of course, were never fulfilled. Note particularly Job 15:21 in which Eliphaz explained that God’s judgment would fall upon the wicked in the time of his ‘prosperity’, exactly as it had happened to Job. A dozen other such brutal insinuations may be detected in this shameful tirade against Job.’
It’s very true that Eliphaz spoke many truths in his speech, unfortunately, he didn’t deal with Job’s main question, why do the wicked prosper and the righteous suffer?
"But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed."