Job 22:15 · Bible study
Job 22:15 Commentary: The Ancient Path of the Wicked
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
What is 'the old way' in Job 22:15? Eliphaz warns Job by pointing to the destruction of the pre-flood wicked, a sobering call to examine which path we walk.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Eliphaz warns Job by pointing to the fate of the wicked antediluvian world, asking if Job intends to follow their way.
- Key words: ʾōraḥ (path), ʿôlām (antiquity), tishmōr (keep/observe), məṯê ʾāwen (men of wickedness).
- Main debate: Whether Eliphaz is directly accusing Job of wickedness or issuing a general warning; the Hebrew verb allows both.
- Theological theme: Divine retribution, the certainty of judgment, and the danger of dismissing God.
- Best use: A sobering reminder to examine our own path and not be deceived by the temporary success of the ungodly.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Will you stay on the ancient path that wicked men have trod?
WEB World English Bible 2000
Will you keep the old way, which wicked men have trodden,
KJV King James Version 1769
Hast thou marked the old way which wicked men have trodden?
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Wilt thou keep the old way Which wicked men have trodden?
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
The path of the age dost thou observe, That men of iniquity have trodden?
Darby Darby Bible 1890
Dost thou mark the ancient path which wicked men have trodden?
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Dost thou desire to keep the path of ages, which wicked men have spurned?
Translations in other languages (10 available)
¿ Quieres tú guardar la senda antigua, que pisaron los hombres perversos?
Por acaso deste atenção para o velho caminho que pisaram os homens injustos?
Eh quoi! Tu voudrais prendre l’ ancienne route
Achtest du wohl auf den Weg, darin vorzeiten die Ungerechten gegangen sind?
Hebt gij het pad der eeuw waargenomen, dat de ongerechtige lieden betreden hebben?
Vuoi tu dunque seguir l’antica via per cui camminarono gli uomini iniqui,
Izaż ścieszki wieku przeszłego nie baczysz, którą deptali ludzie złośliwi?
Неужели ты держишься пути древних, по которому шли люди беззаконные,
你要依從 上古的 道嗎？這道 是惡 人 所行的。
Will you keep the old way by which evil men went?
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Job 22:15
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that 'the old way' in this verse refers to the path walked by the wicked generation before the flood. The Hebrew phrase ʾōraḥ ʿôlām is rendered 'way of antiquity' or 'way of the ancient world.' Adam Clarke sees an evident allusion to the Flood, and Matthew Henry connects it to the sinners of the old world who were swept away by a flood. Eliphaz is either accusing Job of following that path or warning him against it; both readings assume a reference to the antediluvians. The verb tishmōr (from shāmar) can mean 'keep' in the sense of 'observe' or 'follow,' so the question carries an edge: Does Job intend to adopt the principles and conduct of those who faced sudden judgment?
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Accusation view: Gill and the Cambridge Bible read the Hebrew as asserting that Job actually keeps the old way of the wicked (so the question is rhetorical with a negative answer expected).
- Warning view: Barnes and Jamieson-Fausset-Brown see the verse as a warning: 'are you going to follow that path?' The verb can mean 'observe' in the sense of 'take heed'.
- Historical-evidence view: Keil-Delitzsch emphasize that Eliphaz is citing history as proof of divine retribution, regardless of whether Job is currently on that path.
What is clear: The 'old way' is the path of the wicked antediluvians who rejected God and were destroyed by the flood.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Identity of 'the old way' | Commentators agree it refers to the generation before the flood (the antediluvians). | Some see it more broadly as 'the way of the world' from ancient times (Geneva Bible), while most specifically tie it to the flood. |
| Accusation vs. warning | All recognize the verse as a rhetorical question designed to move Job. | Gill and Cambridge treat it as a direct accusation that Job is walking that way; Barnes and Keil-Delitzsch see it as a warning against adopting that path. |
| The Hebrew verb 'shamar' (keep/observe) | The root means 'to keep, guard, observe' and can imply following a course. | Some translations render it 'mark' (KJV) or 'keep' (WEB); others choose 'follow' (Cambridge). The exact nuance affects whether the charge is observation or imitation. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Job 22 opens the third cycle of speeches. Eliphaz has run out of patience. He accuses Job of specific sins (vv. 6, 9), cruelty, injustice, neglect of the needy, and then warns him that the wicked of old met a terrible end. The 'old way' is the path of those who said to God, 'Depart from us!' (v. 17) and yet were filled with good things before their collapse. Eliphaz has in mind the generation of Noah, described in Genesis 6:5, 11, 13 as filled with violence, every thought evil continually.
In the ancient Near East, the flood story was a well-known example of divine judgment. Eliphaz uses it as a rhetorical weapon: 'Wilt thou keep the old way?' If Job persists in his complaints, which Eliphaz hears as rebellion, he risks sharing that fate. The Hebrew word da.re.khu ('they have trodden') pictures a well-worn path, a habitual course of life. Eliphaz wants Job to see where that path ends: 'cut down out of time, whose foundation was overflown with a flood' (v. 16). The warning is stark, even if Eliphaz’s assumptions about Job are wrong.
This historical context matters because it shows how deeply Eliphaz believes in immediate retribution. For him, the flood proves that God punishes evil in this life. Job, by contrast, has argued that the wicked often prosper (Job 21). The tension between these two views remains unresolved in the speech, but it pushes the reader to ask: On what basis do we trust God’s justice when evidence seems mixed?
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note no significant textual variants for Job 22:15. The Masoretic text (MT) reads consistently: haʾōraḥ ʿôlām tišmōr. The ancient versions (LXX, Syriac, Vulgate) all reflect the same sense, translating 'way of the age' or 'ancient path.' The textual foundation of this verse is secure.
Reception History
Job 22:15 has been used throughout church history as a warning against persisting in sin. Early Christian writers saw in the flood a type of final judgment, and this verse paired naturally with passages like Luke 17:26-27. Matthew Henry (1710) used it to urge readers to 'mark' the end of the wicked and avoid their path. The Geneva Bible notes (1599) simply glossed it as 'the way of the world.' In the Reformed tradition, Eliphaz’s speech was often taken as an illustration of how even well-meaning friends can misapply truth. More recently, commentators have focused on the rhetorical strategy: Eliphaz uses history as a club rather than a comfort. Across traditions, this verse remains a vivid reminder that the path of ignoring God has always ended in ruin.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The path of the ancient wicked. Eliphaz points to the antediluvian world, a time when violence filled the earth and people dismissed God (Gen. 6:5; Job 22:17). This is not a path to admire or follow.
- The end of that path. The wicked were 'cut down before their time' (v. 16). Judgment came suddenly, by flood. External prosperity does not guarantee safety.
- The question for today. Eliphaz’s rhetorical question forces hearers to examine their own direction. Are we walking the same way, ignoring God, or are we walking in humility?
Five-point outline
- Eliphaz’s appeal to history (v. 15): 'Will you keep the old way?'
- The character of the wicked (v. 17): They said to God, 'Depart from us.'
- The paradox of prosperity (v. 18): God filled their houses with good things, yet they rejected him.
- Their sudden destruction (v. 16): Snatched away when it was not yet time.
- The warning to Job (and us): Do not be deceived by the apparent success of the wicked; their end is sure.
Illustration hooks
- A driver who ignores road signs because the first stretch looked smooth, only to hit a washed-out bridge. The smooth beginning is not the whole journey.
- A student who copies someone else’s work, gets good grades, and feels clever, until the final exam tests real understanding.
- A society that celebrates wealth and self-reliance while dismissing God as irrelevant. The flood generation had full houses and empty hearts.
Questions your congregation is asking
- How can we know if we are on the 'old way' of the wicked without intending to be?
- Does God really punish sin in this life, or is judgment reserved for the end?
- What do we make of people who reject God yet seem to prosper?
Leading a Discussion
Job 22:15 comes in the middle of a heated debate. Eliphaz is sure that Job’s suffering must be caused by sin. He warns Job by pointing to the ancient world, where the wicked prospered briefly and then were destroyed. This passage invites us to examine both Eliphaz’s assumptions and our own understanding of God’s justice.
Discussion questions
- Read Job 22:15 in several translations. What does 'the old way' seem to refer to? How do the surrounding verses (vv. 16, 20) help identify it?
- Eliphaz uses the flood as an example of God’s judgment (compare Gen. 6:5, 13). Is his reasoning fair? What does the flood teach us about God?
- The wicked said to God, 'Depart from us' (v. 17). How does this attitude show up in our own hearts or culture today?
- Eliphaz implies that Job is on the same path as those wicked people. Do you think this is an accusation or a warning? Why?
- How would you respond to someone who says, 'I’ll live how I want now; I can repent later'? What does this passage say to that mindset?
- Job’s friends were wrong about him, but their warnings about sin’s consequences are still valid. How do we hold together grace and the reality of judgment?
- In what ways does this passage point us toward a better path, the path of humility and dependence on 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)
| Genesis 6:5 | Yahweh saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of man’s heart was continually only evil. |
| Genesis 6:11 | The earth was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. |
| Genesis 6:13 | God said to Noah, “I will bring an end to all flesh, for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them and the earth. |
| Luke 17:26 | As it was in the days of Noah, even so it will also be in the days of the Son of Man. |
| Luke 17:27 | They ate, they drank, they married, and they were given in marriage until the day that Noah entered into the ship, and the flood came and destroyed them all. |
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 this phrase refers to the path taken by people before the Flood. It points to the same way the wicked had walked in history. Your hope rests in Christ who rose from the dead.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes notes that Eliphaz appeals to the flood as a clear historical example of God judging the wicked, directly challenging Job's claim that God does not deal with people according to their character in this life.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
Eliphaz asks Job if he will follow the same violent path as the great sinners before the Flood. He suggests Job has chosen to walk that old way instead of staying on a better course.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
Geneva Bible Notes asks what path wicked people follow in this world. It shows that their actions reveal a specific course they choose. You may find hope through Christ who died and rose again.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill notes that the Hebrew wording can be read not as a question but as a direct accusation: "truly you keep the old way." Elihu is charging Job with walking in the same path as ancient wicked men, not merely warning him to observe and avoid it. The old way should deter others, but Job is accused of following it.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
Jamieson Fausset Brown notes the Hebrew word here means wish to follow not merely keep to. He warns that choosing to follow such a path leads to sharing the same end as those in the old way before the flood. Your hope lies in Christ.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil and Delitzsch note that Eliphaz uses the phrase for an ancient way to refer to a specific group of godless people from old times who serve as a warning example. He shows that Job should avoid following their path by refusing to have anything to do with those who reject God’s justice even though they live in prosperity.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange observes that Eliphaz speaks beautiful, even prophetic truth about God, yet completely misapplies it to Job. His words are genuine diamonds in themselves, but false when used to accuse a suffering innocent. Eliphaz blends truth and error together, making his counsel both brilliant and devastatingly wrong for Job's actual situation.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry notes some read this passage as a literal historical account of ancient sinners destroyed by flood and fire. He also says others understand it as pointing to deeper spiritual realities. Both seek to be faithful to Scripture.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
John Wesley notes that the phrase "old way" translates a Hebrew expression meaning "the way of antiquity," pointing specifically to men of ancient times and considering their outcome or success. He highlights the original language to show the verse is about the path taken by those long ago and the end they reached.