Job 15:31Let him not trust in emptiness, deceiving himself; for emptiness shall be his reward.
The setting
Ancient Edom/Arabia, ~2000 BC. Job's friend Eliphaz continues his accusatory speech, claiming that those who suffer must have trusted in worthless things...
The emotion here: condescending certainty mixed with fear of his own mortality
The original word
shaw (שָׁוְא) — emptiness, vanity, worthlessness; something that appears substantial but has no real value
Why it matters
Eliphaz was likely a descendant of Esau, from the land of Teman known for wisdom
Read with care
What most readers miss in Job 15:31
Eliphaz is ironically trusting in his own 'wisdom' while warning against trusting in emptiness
Common misconceptionThis sounds like good biblical wisdom about not trusting in vanity, but it's actually part of a false accusation. The irony is that Eliphaz himself is trusting in empty human wisdom.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Job 15:31
Bible Genome reading
Job 15:31 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Job 15:31 comes from the book of Job, written during the Patriarchal period. These words are attributed to Eliphaz. The dominant emotion in this verse is angry, with a comfort power of 10% and a tone that is commanding. It belongs to the poetry genre of biblical literature. Key themes include deception, vanity. Notable phrases: trust in emptiness. This verse contains a command.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same angry
“Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears. Let the weak say, 'I am strong.'”
— Joel 3:10
“You blind guides, who strain out a gnat, and swallow a camel!”
— Matthew 23:24
“Listen to this word, you cows of Bashan, who are on the mountain of Samaria, who oppress the poor, who crush the needy, who tell their husba…”
— Amos 4:1
“I hate, I despise your feasts, and I can't stand your solemn assemblies.”
— Amos 5:21
“Your eyes shall not pity; life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.”
— Deuteronomy 19:21
Your reflection
What does Job 15:31 mean to you, today?
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