ELIPHAZ

(Elʹi·phaz).

1. Firstborn son of Esau, by his Canaanite wife Adah. Six or seven of Eliphaz’ sons, including Teman, Omar, and Amalek, became sheiks of Edomite tribes.​—Ge 36:4, 10-12, 15, 16; 1Ch 1:35, 36; see SHEIK.

2. One of Job’s three companions. (Job 2:11) A Temanite, he was likely a descendant of No. 1 above, therefore a descendant of Abraham and distantly related to Job. He and his posterity boasted of their wisdom. (Jer 49:7) Of the three “comforters,” Eliphaz stands out as the most important and influential, suggesting that he may also have been the oldest. He speaks first in the three rounds of the debate, and his speeches are longer.

Eliphaz’ reasoning in his first speech went like this: “Who that is innocent has ever perished? And where have the upright ever been effaced?” Hence, the conclusion he draws is that Job must have done something wicked to receive God’s punishment. (Job chaps 4, 5) In his second upbraiding Eliphaz ridicules Job’s wisdom: “Will a wise person himself answer with windy knowledge, or will he fill his belly with the east wind? . . . What do you actually know that we do not know?” “Over the Almighty,” Eliphaz implies, Job “tries to show himself superior.” Concluding his second smear of Job’s virtues, the Edomite paints righteous Job as an apostate, living in tents of bribery, a man full of deceit. (Job 15) Finally Eliphaz torments Job for the third time, falsely accusing him of all sorts of crimes​—extortion, withholding water and bread from the needy, and oppressing widows and orphans.​—Job 22.

Following Eliphaz’ second tirade Job answers well: “All of you are troublesome comforters! Is there an end to windy words?” (Job 16:2, 3) At the conclusion of the debates Jehovah himself addresses Eliphaz: “My anger has grown hot against you and your two companions, for you men have not spoken concerning me what is truthful as has my servant Job.” Eliphaz is told that they should offer up a sacrifice and that Job will then pray in their behalf.​—Job 42:7-9.