约伯记生命读经 · 第5篇

约伯与他三友之间三回辩论的第一回四至十一章（一）以利法用责备回答约伯

The First of the Three Rounds in the Debates Between Job and his Three Friends Chapters 4—11 (1) Eliphaz's Answer To Job By Rebuking

1读经：约伯记四至五章。第四章开始约伯与他三友之间三回辩论的第一回。以利法不但不同情约伯，反用责备回答约伯。

1Scripture Reading: Job 4—5 In chapter four we have the beginning of the first of the three rounds in the debates between Job and his three friends. Eliphaz answered Job not by sympathizing but by rebuking

壹在勉强的沉默之后

I. AFTER THE FORCED SILENCE

2以利法在勉强的沉默之后开始说话。（四１～２。）约伯的个格和个性太强了，逼得他的三友沉默不作声。约伯打破沉默之后，以利法就开始责备他。一题醒约伯已往积极的情形以利法首先题醒约伯已往积极的情形。他对约伯说，『看哪，你素来教导许多人，又坚固软弱的手。你的言语曾把绊跌的人扶起；你又使弯曲的膝稳固。』（３～４。）二责备约伯当时消极的光景在五节以利法继续责备约伯当时消极的光景：『但现在祸患临到你，你就昏迷。挨近你，你便惊惶。』照著以利法的说法，约伯不再刚强，却被灾祸和灾病所击败。

2Eliphaz began to speak after the forced silence (4:2). The strong person and character of Job had forced his friends to be silent. After Job broke this silence, Eliphaz began to rebuke him. A. Reminding Job of His Positive Condition in the Past First, Eliphaz reminded Job of his positive condition in the past. He said to Job, "Behold, you have instructed many, /And you have strengthened the weak hands./ Your words have raised up him who was stumbling,/ And you have made the bowing knees firm" (vv. 3-4). B. Rebuking Job concerning His Negative State at That Time In verse 5 Eliphaz went on to rebuke Job concerning his negative state at that time. "But now it comes to you, and you are wearied by it;/It touches you, and you are disturbed." According to Eliphaz, Job was no longer strong but had been defeated by the disasters and the plague

三以利法的话是根据约伯的完全、正直和纯正

C. Eliphaz'sWord Being Based on Job's Perfection, Uprightness, and Integrity

3以利法的话是根据约伯的完全、正直和纯正。（６～１１。）在六节以利法问约伯：『你的确信，不是在你敬畏神么？你的盼望，不是在

3Eliphaz'sword was based on Job's perfection, uprightness, and integrity (vv. 6-11). In verse 6 Eliphaz asked Job, "Is not your fear of God your confidence,/ And the integrity of your ways your hope

你的行径纯正么？』

四以利法的话是按照善恶知识树的原则

D. Eliphaz'sWord Being in the Principle of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil

4以利法回答约伯的话是按照善恶知识树的原则。他说无辜的人和正直的人（善人），不会灭亡；（７；）耕罪孽、种患难的人（恶人），都照样收割。（８。）以利法用诗意的方式继续说，『神一出气，他们就灭亡；神一发怒，他们就销毁。狮子的吼叫，和猛狮的声音，尽都止息；少壮狮子的牙齿，也都敲掉；雄壮狮子，因无抓食而死；母狮之子，也都离散。』（９～１１。）

4Eliphaz's answer to Job was in the principle of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. He said that the innocent and the upright (the good) will never perish (v. 7) and that those who plow iniquity and those who sow trouble (the evil) reap the same (v. 8). Speaking in a poetic manner, Eliphaz continued, saying, "By the breath of God they perish,/And by the blast of His anger they are consumed. / The roaring of the lion and the sound of the fierce lion/And the teeth of the young lions are broken;/The strong lion perishes for lack of prey,/ And the whelps of the lioness are scattered" (vv. 9-11).

贰以利法改正约伯

II. ELIPHAZ CORRECTING JOB

5以利法责备约伯后，就改正他。（１７～２１。）

5After rebuking Job, Eliphaz corrected him (vv. 17-21

一问约伯说，必死的人岂能比神公义

A. Asking Him If a Mortal Man Can Be More Righteous than God

6约伯持守自以为是的观念，他的朋友就改正他。说到约伯，以利法问：『必死的人岂能比神公义么？人岂能比造他的主洁净么？』（１７。）

6Job held the concept that he was right, and his friend corrected him. Referring to Job, Eliphaz asked, "Can a mortal man be more righteous than God?/Can a man be purer than his Maker?" (v. 17

二劝约伯不要作这样愚妄的人，

B. Advising Him Not to Be Such a Fool

7以致被打碎，永归无有『看哪，主不信靠祂的仆人，并且指责祂使者的谬误。更何况那住在土房，根基在尘土里，如同蠹虫被压碎的人！早晚之间，他们就被打碎，永归无有，无人理会。他们帐棚的绳索，从他们里面一抽出，他们就死，且是无智慧而死。』（１８～２１。）以利法在这里劝约伯不要作这样愚妄的人，以致被打碎，永归无有。

7as to Be Smashed to Pieces and Become Nothing "Behold, He puts no trust in His servants,/And He charges His angels with error./How much more those who dwell in houses of clay,/Whose foundation is in dust,/Who are crushed like a moth!/From morning to evening they are smashed to pieces;/Without any considering it, they continually perish./Should their tent cord be plucked up within them,/They die, and not in wisdom" (vv. 18-21). Here Eliphaz was advising Job not to be such a fool as to be smashed to pieces and become nothing

三以利法对人能在神前站立的逻辑，乃是根据短视之教训而有的道德

C. Eliphaz's Logic concerning Man's Standing before God Being Based on Ethics according to the Short-sighted Teachings

8以利法对人能在神前站立的逻辑，乃是根据短视之教训而有的道德，这些教训可能是他在当时所领受的，但并不能达到新约中神圣启示的标准，这标准乃是：人能在神前站立，乃是根据人得著神有多少。以利法应该问约伯，他得著神有多少？但当时神圣的启示还没有达到那样的水平。因此，我们该同情以利法那有限的领会。

8Eliphaz's logic concerning man's standing before God was based on ethics according to the short-sighted teachings, which he might have received at his time. These teachings did not come up to the standard of the divine revelation in the New Testament, that is, that man's standing before God is based on how much of God he has gained. Eliphaz should have asked Job how much of God he had gained, but at that time the divine revelation had not reached such a level. Therefore, we should sympathize with Eliphaz in his limited understanding

参以利法警告约伯不要作愚妄人，

III. ELIPHAZ WARNING JOB NOT TO BE THE FOOL

被忿怒嫉妒所杀死

SLAIN BY VEXATION AND JEALOUSY

9以利法警告约伯不要作愚妄人，被忿怒嫉妒所杀死，（五１～２，）他们的结局是可怜的。（３～７。）约伯在受苦，等著从他的朋友接受一点东西，但以利法没有供应约伯任何东西。这该警告我们，如何对圣徒说话，并如何在召会聚会中申言。我们的话语不该是虚空的，反而该带著生命的供应。

9Eliphaz warned Job not to be the fool slain by vexation and jealousy (5:1-2), whose end will be miserable (vv. 3-7). Job was suffering and was waiting to receive something from his friend, but Eliphaz did not minister anything to Job. This should be a warning to us regarding our speaking to the saints and our prophesying in the church meetings. Our words should not be vain but should minister the supply of life.

肆以利法暗示约伯

IV. ELIPHAZ IMPLYING THAT JOB

该跟随他寻求神，

SHOULD FOLLOW HIM TO SEEK AFTER GOD

并把自己的事托付神

AND COMMIT HIS CAUSE TO GOD

10以利法暗示约伯该跟随他寻求神，并把自己的事托付神，使约伯可以受神善行之益而得以亨通。（８～１６。）以利法说，『至于我，我必寻求神，把我的事情托付祂。祂行大事不可测度，行奇事不可胜数。』（８～９。）这种说法对在受苦中的约伯，没有任何的供应。约伯在一个领域里，而以利法在另一个领域里。因此，以利法的话乃是废话、虚空的话。

10Eliphaz implied that Job should follow him to seek after God and commit his cause to God that he might prosper by the benefit of God's good doings (vv. 8-16). Eliphaz said, "As for me, I would seek after God,/And I would commit my cause to God,/Who does great things that cannot be searched, /Wonderful deeds that cannot be numbered" (vv. 8-9). This kind of speaking did not afford any kind of supply to Job in his suffering. Job was in one realm, and Eliphaz was in another realm. Thus, Eliphaz'swords were words of waste and vanity

伍以利法认为

V. ELIPHAZ CONSIDERING

约伯正在受神惩治

THAT JOB WAS BEING CHASTENED BY GOD

11以利法认为约伯正在受神惩治。他警戒约伯不要拒绝全能之神的惩治，好使神按照祂的法则赐福与他。（１７～２７。）以利法对约伯说，『看哪，神所惩治的人是有福的；所以你不可轻看全能者的管教。因为祂打伤，又缠裹；祂击打，又用手医治。』（１７～１８。）以利法对约伯光景的诊断完全是错误的；他是个无用的医生。后来约伯对他的三友说，『你们…都是无用的医生。』（十三４。）以利法就是这样的医生，他无法诊断约伯的情形。我很高兴我们现在读约伯记。然而，我有点担心，我们来读这卷书时，可能只是要多得知识而已。我们可能定罪善恶知识树，但我们读约伯记时，却可能只得著知识，使知识树增长。

11Eliphaz considered that Job was being chastened by God. He admonished him not to reject God the Almighty's chastening, so that Job might be blessed by God in His ways (vv. 17-27). Eliphaz said to Job, " Behold, blessed is the man whom God corrects; / Therefore do not reject the chastening of the Almighty. / For He wounds, but He binds up; / He strikes, but His hands heal" (vv. 17-18). Eliphaz's diagnosis of Job's situation was altogether wrong; he was a useless physician. Later, Job said to his three friends, "Physicians of no value are you all" (13:4b). As such a physician, Eliphaz was unable to diagnose Job's condition. I am happy that we are now studying the book of Job. However, I am somewhat concerned that we may come to this book merely to gain more knowledge. We may condemn the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, but we may add to the growth of the tree of knowledge by picking up mere knowledge from our study of Job.

12我们需要看见，整本圣经是一本论到神永远经纶的书。在神的经纶里，祂的目的乃是要把祂自己分赐到我们里面，作我们的生命和性情，使我们在生命和性情上能成为与祂一样，以彰显祂。那么为甚么有剥夺和销毁？神的剥夺和神的销毁是要拆毁我们。我们是堕落、天然的人；身为这样的人，我们需要被拆毁。神必须拆毁我们，然后祂才有一个立场，有一条路来重新建立我们。许多基督徒以为，今天堕落的人需要得帮助，好使他们完整。但在神的经纶里，神的目的不是要叫一个堕落的人成为完整，乃是要把我们拆毁，然后用祂自己把我们重新建立起来，以祂自己作我们的生命和性情，好

12We need to see that the entire Bible is a book on God's eternal economy. In His economy God'sin tent i on is to dispense Himself into us to be our life and our nature that we may be the same as He is in life and nature in order to express Him. What, then, about the stripping and the consuming? God's stripping and God's consuming are to tear us down. We are fallen and natural men. As such men, we need to be torn down. God must tear us down. Then God can have a base, a way, to build us up again. Many Christians think that fallen man needs help so that he can be made whole. However, in His economy God ' sin tent i on is not to make fallen man whole. Rather, God'sin tent i on is to tear us down and rebuild us with Himself as our life and our nature that we may be persons who are absolutely one with Him.

13叫我们这人完完全全与祂成为一。

14约伯记给我们看见，神透过撒但这丑恶的工具所作的，就是要藉著剥夺和销毁，把约伯拆毁。神的剥夺和销毁施行在约伯身上，来把约伯拆毁，就使神有一个立场和一条路，用神自己把他重新建立起来，好叫他成为神人。这是我们读约伯记时所该领受的。

14The book of Job shows us that God, through Satan as an ugly tool, was tearing Job down by two ways: stripping and consuming. God's stripping and consuming were exercised over Job to tear Job down that God might have a base and away to rebuild him with God Himself that he might become a God-man. This is what we should receive in our study of Job