Art thou the first man that was born? or wast thou made before the hills?
The verse stands inside the long debate in Job 3-31 between Job and his three friends over his afflictions, concerning the cause and object of human suffering, a debate arranged in three circles of speeches by each. It comes in the second speech of Eliphaz to Job, where fresh accusations are brought against Job, after which follows Job's reply protesting his innocence and desiring death. There it forms part of the charge that Job was egoistic and self-conceited. It was spoken by Eliphaz out of his own wisdom and observation, because he and the friends had never known a thoroughly good man to be so afflicted.
By contrast Job knew his own integrity and did not charge God foolishly, even though he could not understand God's dealings with him. The verse's place in the inspired book establishes that Eliphaz truly said it, not that what he said is true. What Job's friends said was in general true but was misapplied in Job's case. The speeches of Eliphaz belong among the statements about Job and God that cannot be treated as reliable unless they are supported by inspired Scripture.
The verse stands inside the long debate in Job 3-31 between Job and his three friends over his afflictions, concerning the cause and object of human suffering, a debate arranged in three circles of speeches by each. It comes in the second speech of Eliphaz to Job, where fresh accusations are brought against Job, after which follows Job's reply protesting his innocence and desiring death. There it forms part of the charge that Job was egoistic and self-conceited. It was spoken by Eliphaz out of his own wisdom and observation, because he and the friends had never known a thoroughly good man to be so afflicted.
By contrast Job knew his own integrity and did not charge God foolishly, even though he could not understand God's dealings with him. The verse's place in the inspired book establishes that Eliphaz truly said it, not that what he said is true. What Job's friends said was in general true but was misapplied in Job's case. The speeches of Eliphaz belong among the statements about Job and God that cannot be treated as reliable unless they are supported by inspired Scripture.