Job 15:29 · Bible study
Job 15:29 Commentary: Eliphaz's Warning on Wicked Wealth
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Eliphaz declares the wicked will not stay rich. This study examines the verse in light of Job's innocence and the limits of retribution theology.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The wicked man's wealth will not last; it will vanish and not spread.
- Key words: 'rich' (H6238, to become wealthy), 'substance' (H2428, strength/wealth), 'stretch out' (H5186, to extend or spread).
- Main debate: Whether this is a universal principle or limited to Eliphaz's flawed retribution theology.
- Theological theme: God's justice and the transience of ill-gotten gain.
- Best use: A caution against trusting in wealth, but not to be applied as a universal judgment on the suffering.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
He will no longer be rich; his wealth will not endure. His possessions will not overspread the land.
WEB World English Bible 2000
He will not be rich, neither will his substance continue, neither will their possessions be extended on the earth.
KJV King James Version 1769
He shall not be rich, neither shall his substance continue, neither shall he prolong the perfection thereof upon the earth.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
He shall not be rich, neither shall his substance continue, Neither shall their possessions be extended on the earth.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
He is not rich, nor doth his wealth rise, Nor doth he stretch out on earth their continuance.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
He shall not become rich, neither shall his substance continue, and their possessions shall not extend upon the earth.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
He shall not be enriched, neither shall his substance continue, neither shall he push his root in the earth.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
No enriquecerá, ni será firme su potencia, ni extenderá por la tierra su hermosura.
Ele não enriquecerá, nem seu patrimônio subsistirá, nem suas riquezas se estenderão pela terra.
Il ne s’ enrichira plus, sa fortune ne se relèvera pas,
Er wird nicht reich bleiben, und sein Gut wird nicht bestehen, und sein Glück wird sich nicht ausbreiten im Lande.
Hij zal niet rijk worden, en zijn vermogen zal niet bestaan; en hun volmaaktheid zal zich niet uitbreiden op de aarde.
Ei non s’arricchirà, la sua fortuna non sarà stabile; né le sue possessioni si stenderanno sulla terra.
Nie zbogaci się, i nie ostoi się majętność jego, ani się rozszerzy na ziemi doskonałość takowych.
Не пребудет он богатым, и не уцелеет имущество его, и не распрострется по земле приобретение его.
他不得 富足，財物 不得 常存，產業 在地上 也不 加增。
He does not get wealth for himself, and is unable to keep what he has got; the heads of his grain are not bent down to the earth.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Job 15:29
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators broadly agree that Eliphaz asserts the wicked man's wealth will not last. Adam Clarke sees this as part of a warning directed at Job himself, listing three specific threats: no lasting riches, no enduring substance, and no continued prosperity. Barnes emphasizes the permanence of the loss: the wicked will not become rich again, and his possessions will not spread. Gill adds that even if such a man amasses wealth, he does not grow rich in any real sense, his treasure is insecure and ultimately vanishes. The consensus places this verse within a larger description of the wicked man's downfall (Job 15:20-35), where his defiance of God (vv.25-26) leads to his ruin. The warning is clear: wealth gained through wickedness or arrogance does not endure.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Retribution theology view: Reads the verse as a universal principle: the wicked will eventually lose their wealth, as supported by cross-references like Job 20:22, 27:16-17.
- Contextual warning view: Sees Eliphaz's words as part of his flawed argument; the book of Job challenges this absolute claim through Job's example.
- Skeptical reading: Questions whether Eliphaz's statement is even meant to be true, given the book's overarching critique of simple retribution.
What is clear: Eliphaz asserts that the wicked man's wealth will not endure, a claim that must be weighed within the larger narrative of Job's innocent suffering.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Application to Job | The verse appears in Eliphaz's speech, which Job's friends intend as a warning for him. | Some see Eliphaz as correct in principle but misapplied to Job (who is not wicked), while others read the book as rejecting Eliphaz's entire framework. |
| Retribution theology | The verse reflects the traditional wisdom that the wicked lose their wealth. | Is this an absolute law of God's justice, or a general observation that admits exceptions? The book of Job challenges the absolute view. |
| Meaning of 'perfection thereof' | The Hebrew 'minlam' is obscure; most English versions render it as 'possessions' or 'acquired wealth'. | Gesenius suggests a textual corruption meaning 'their flocks'. Others read it as 'their stored-up gain' or 'their perfection' (complete prosperity). |
| The case of the righteous sufferer | Job's suffering is not explained by this verse. | Does Eliphaz's statement still hold as a general truth, or is the book of Job written to correct such oversimplifications? |
Historical & Cultural Context
The book of Job is set in an ancient patriarchal era, but its literary form reflects Israelite wisdom traditions. Eliphaz, the first friend to speak, represents traditional retribution theology: the righteous prosper and the wicked suffer. In Job 15, he delivers his second speech, becoming more pointed. He accuses Job of undermining the fear of God (v.4) and insists that the wicked are haunted by terror and eventual destruction (vv.20-35). Verse 29 is the climactic claim that the wicked man's wealth will fail.
Culturally, wealth in the ancient Near East was seen as a sign of divine blessing, and poverty as a curse. Eliphaz's argument relies on this assumption. But the book of Job as a whole challenges such simple equations. Job himself is righteous yet suffers; his friends' arguments, while reflecting conventional wisdom, are shown to be insufficient. The original audience would have recognized the tension: Eliphaz speaks with authority, but Job's story undermines his absolutes. This literary context is crucial, readers are not meant to take Eliphaz's words as unvarnished truth, but to weigh them against the reality of innocent suffering.
Textual Notes
The Hebrew word rendered "perfection" (מִנְלָֽם, minlam) is rare and its meaning is uncertain. Gesenius proposed reading it as a corruption of מִבְלָם ("their flocks"). The Septuagint translates as "shadow" (σκιάν), and the Vulgate as "root" (radicem). Modern translations vary: "possessions" (ESV, NRSV), "wealth" (NIV), "their stored-up wealth" (NAB). The differences do not affect the core meaning, the wicked man's wealth will not endure or spread, but they show the difficulty of the text. The supplied sources note no other significant variants.
Reception History
This verse has often been cited in Christian tradition as a warning against trusting in worldly riches, especially those gained unjustly. The Reformers, including Luther and Calvin, used it to teach that outward prosperity is not a guarantee of God's favor and can be swiftly taken away. In the wider wisdom tradition, it aligns with Psalms 49 and 73, where the apparent prosperity of the wicked is temporary. However, readers have also noted the irony: Eliphaz speaks these words to Job, the very man who has lost everything while being innocent. The book's canonical context thus prevents a simplistic application, reminding readers that not all suffering is punishment.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The source of wealth matters. Eliphaz has already described the wicked as one who "stretches out his hand against God" (v.25). Wealth built on defiance or oppression is built on sand.
- The stability of wealth is fragile. The wicked man's "substance shall not continue" (v.29). Riches can vanish overnight, through disaster, judgment, or simply time.
- The scope of wealth is limited. "Their possessions will not be extended on the earth." Ill-gotten gain does not spread or bless others; it shrinks.
Five-point outline
- Cause: The wicked man's pride and defiance (vv.25-26).
- Character: His indulgence and neglect of others (vv.27-28).
- Consequence (v.29): Wealth will not endure, possessions will not spread.
- Continuation: Darkness, fire, and divine judgment (v.30).
- Caution: Trust in emptiness leads to emptiness (vv.31-35).
Illustration hooks
- The lottery winner: Sudden wealth often leads to bankruptcy within a few years, especially if gained without wisdom or character.
- The dishonest business: A company built on cutting corners may thrive for a season, but eventually the truth catches up, and the reputation crumbles.
- The aging farmer: A farmer who hoards grain while neighbors go hungry may enjoy a full barn for a time, but rot and market shifts can wipe out his profit.
Questions your congregation is asking
- If the wicked often prosper in this life, does Eliphaz's promise still hold?
- How can we speak about God's justice without falling into the same error as Job's friends?
- What does this verse teach us about where true security lies?
Leading a Discussion
Eliphaz's words sound like hard truth: the wicked will not stay rich. But Job's story complicates that claim. Use this passage to explore how we handle biblical statements that seem contradicted by experience.
Discussion questions
- What does Eliphaz say will happen to the wicked man's wealth? (Read v.29 together.)
- How does Eliphaz connect the wicked man's attitude toward God (vv.25-26) to his eventual ruin?
- Why do you think Eliphaz is so confident in this outcome? What assumptions about God and justice underlie his words?
- Job himself is righteous yet has lost everything. How does his experience challenge Eliphaz's claim?
- When have you seen people who seemed to prosper through wrongdoing eventually lose what they gained?
- How should we understand verses like this one without misusing them to judge others' suffering?
- What does this passage teach us about where we place our trust, in wealth or in God?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Job 20:22 | In the fullness of his sufficiency, distress will overtake him. The hand of everyone who is in misery will come on him. |
| Job 20:28 | The increase of his house will depart. They will rush away in the day of his wrath. |
| Job 22:15 | Will you keep the old way, which wicked men have trodden, |
| Job 22:20 | saying, ‘Surely those who rose up against us are cut off. The fire has consumed their remnant.’ |
| Job 27:16 | Though he heap up silver as the dust, and prepare clothing as the clay; |
| Job 27:17 | he may prepare it, but the just will put it on, and the innocent will divide the silver. |
| Psalms 49:16 | Don’t be afraid when a man is made rich, when the glory of his house is increased; |
| Psalms 49:17 | for when he dies he will carry nothing away. His glory won’t descend after him. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke notes that the passage speaks only against Job and accuses him of being a tyrant. It states that God will prevent Job from becoming rich despite his hard work and will destroy his wealth and memory.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes examines the Hebrew word often rendered "perfection" and concludes it means possessions or property. His key point is that the verse describes permanent poverty: the wicked person fails to extend his holdings across the land, the very ambition of every greedy man.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
Eliphaz says the wicked person feels constant anxiety because he refuses to fear God. He believes this person will face terrible punishment at the end.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Notes draw a sharp line: the wicked person's wealth will not last, his possessions will not remain, and even the fullness of his prosperity will be cut short. The point is that God's judgment is certain, so whatever he gains in this life cannot endure.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill emphasizes that the wicked person's pursuit of wealth is futile because even if they amass money, it never truly makes them rich. They either lose it, consume it sinfully, or remain unsatisfied and poor in their own eyes. Above all, they lack the lasting riches of grace and glory before God.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
Jamieson Fausset Brown notes that the person in question will not gain more wealth after reaching his peak. His current riches will stay the same and not grow any further.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil and Delitzsch read verse 29 as the outcome of two specific sins: defiant rebellion against God and taking advantage of others’ downfall. The wicked man’s wealth cannot endure because it is built on pride and on prospering from places already marked by divine judgment.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange notes that although Eliphaz's second discourse is longer and more impassioned than his first, it adds no new argument. The description of the wicked's fate in verse 29 simply repeats the same doctrine of divine retribution already applied to Job, now with greater intensity.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry notes that some read this passage as a literal historical account describing a specific person whose life ends in destruction. Christians have understood this section to mean it points to deeper spiritual realities about God’s judgment on sinners.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Substance - What he had gotten shall be taken from him.