What is the meaning of Job 15:12? Why has your heart carried you away – Eliphaz points straight to the seat of inner motivation: the heart. In Scripture the heart is not merely emotion; it is the control center of thought, will, and desire (Proverbs 4:23). – By asking “Why,” Eliphaz implies Job has crossed a line, letting emotion override faith. Compare Psalm 42:5, where the psalmist speaks to his own heart, refusing to be “downcast” but placing hope in God. – The phrase “carried you away” pictures being swept off one’s feet—like a flood of feeling that drags a person downstream. Proverbs 14:29 warns, “Whoever is patient has great understanding, but one who is quick-tempered displays folly.” – Eliphaz assumes that righteous people anchor their hearts; uncontrolled emotion signals rebellion (Jeremiah 17:9–10). – Job, however, insists he is speaking from pain, not pride (Job 6:26–27). Scripture records both voices without correction here, calling us to weigh motives carefully (1 Corinthians 4:5). and why do your eyes flash – “Eyes” in Scripture reveal the inner life (Matthew 6:22–23). Flashing eyes suggest anger or defiance. – Eliphaz echoes the portrait of the wicked in Psalm 35:19, whose eyes “wink in malice,” hinting he now places Job in that category. – God sees the flash behind the eyes: “I, the LORD, search the heart and examine the mind” (Jeremiah 17:10). – The Old Testament repeatedly links proud eyes with judgment (Proverbs 6:16–17). Eliphaz believes Job’s visible agitation proves hidden arrogance. – Yet Scripture also records righteous indignation—Moses breaking the tablets (Exodus 32:19) or Jesus cleansing the temple (John 2:17). Emotion is not sin; misdirected emotion is. summary Eliphaz interprets Job’s turbulent feelings and flashing eyes as evidence that his heart has been swept away from humble trust in God. While Scripture warns against passions that override obedience, it also recognizes honest lament and righteous anger. The passage challenges us to examine whether our emotions carry us toward or away from steadfast faith, remembering that the Lord alone discerns the true motives of the heart. |
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