What is the meaning of Job 15:29? He will no longer be rich “ ‘He will no longer be rich…’ ” (Job 15:29a) • Eliphaz is painting the picture of a person who built life on material prosperity, only to have it disappear. • Scripture repeatedly reminds us that riches are fleeting. Proverbs 23:4-5 says, “When you set your eyes on wealth, it is gone, for suddenly it sprouts wings, flying like an eagle.” • Psalm 49:16-17 warns not to fear or envy the wealthy, because “when he dies, he will carry nothing away.” • Job himself had experienced almost overnight loss (Job 1:13-19). Eliphaz is using that reality—though wrongly applying it to Job—to assert a broader principle: wealth never guarantees God’s favor or permanent security. His wealth will not endure “… his wealth will not endure …” (Job 15:29b) • Endurance speaks to longevity. Riches can be impressive for a season, but God alone decides whether they last. • 1 Timothy 6:17 reminds believers “not to set their hope on the uncertainty of riches but on God, who richly provides.” • Jesus emphasized this same truth: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth… but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven” (Matthew 6:19-20). • Eliphaz’s assertion is consistent with the broader biblical theme that earthly wealth, apart from righteousness, has no staying power (Proverbs 11:4; 13:11). His possessions will not overspread the land “… His possessions will not overspread the land.” (Job 15:29c) • The phrase pictures a landowner whose holdings once stretched far and wide but will now shrink. • In Old Testament culture, expansive land signified status and lasting heritage (Genesis 13:14-15). Loss of land meant loss of influence and legacy. • God warned Israel that disobedience would result in “a people you do not know will eat the produce of your land” (Deuteronomy 28:33). • Solomon observed the same vulnerability: “I hated all the fruit of my labor… because I must leave it to the man who will come after me” (Ecclesiastes 2:18). • Eliphaz therefore underscores that, when God judges, even the outward symbols of success—vast estates, booming enterprises—can evaporate. summary Job 15:29 affirms a timeless biblical reality: wealth apart from reverence for God is fragile. Riches can dissolve, fortunes can fade, and estates can contract overnight. Scripture calls us to place our security not in possessions that perish but in the Lord, whose blessings endure forever. |
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