Receive instruction from His mouth
This phrase emphasizes the importance of divine revelation and guidance. In the context of the Book of Job, Eliphaz is urging Job to listen to God's wisdom. The concept of receiving instruction directly from God is a recurring theme in the Bible, highlighting the value of divine wisdom over human understanding. In Deuteronomy 8:3, it is stated that man does not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord, underscoring the necessity of spiritual nourishment. The phrase also reflects the cultural context of ancient Israel, where oral tradition and spoken word were primary means of communication and teaching.

and lay up His words in your heart
This part of the verse calls for internalizing God's words, suggesting a deep, personal commitment to His teachings. The heart, in biblical terms, often represents the center of one's being, including mind, will, and emotions. This mirrors the exhortation found in Psalm 119:11, where the psalmist declares, "I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you." The idea is to treasure and meditate on God's words, allowing them to transform one's life. This internalization is a precursor to living out God's commandments, as seen in the Shema of Deuteronomy 6:6-7, where the Israelites are instructed to keep God's words on their hearts and teach them diligently to their children.

1. Job
- A man described as blameless and upright, who feared God and shunned evil. He is the central figure in the Book of Job, experiencing intense suffering and questioning the reasons behind it.

2. Eliphaz the Temanite
- One of Job's three friends who comes to comfort him. In this chapter, Eliphaz is speaking, offering his perspective on Job's suffering and urging him to return to God.

3. Teman
- A region in Edom, known for its wise men. Eliphaz is identified as a Temanite, suggesting he is considered wise and knowledgeable.

4. God
- The ultimate source of wisdom and instruction, whose words are to be received and treasured.

5. The Book of Job
- A poetic and philosophical text in the Old Testament that explores themes of suffering, justice, and the nature of God.Receiving God's Instruction
Emphasize the importance of actively listening to God's word, as it is the source of true wisdom and guidance.

Internalizing Scripture
Encourage believers to memorize and meditate on Scripture, allowing it to shape their thoughts and actions.

The Role of Humility
Highlight the need for humility in receiving God's instruction, recognizing our dependence on His wisdom rather than our own understanding.

Transformation through God's Word
Discuss how internalizing God's word leads to transformation, aligning our lives with His will and purposes.

The Importance of Community
Reflect on the role of community in understanding and applying God's word, as seen in the dialogue between Job and his friends.(22) The law from his mouth.--It would be highly interesting to know whether by this law (Torah), the Law, the Torah, was in any way alluded to. One is naturally disposed to think that since Job seems to be the one Gentile book of the Old Testament, the one book in which the literature of Israel touches the world at large, it must, therefore, be prior to the Law, or else have been written in independence and ignorance of it. The former seems by far the more reasonable supposition, and certainly the life depicted appears to be that of the patriarchal times before the giving of the Law. And yet, on the other hand, it is hard to know what could be meant by "His words" prior to the Mosaic Revelation, unless, indeed, the expression is a witness to the consciousness of that inner revelation of the voice of God in the conscience which the holy in all ages have never wanted.

Verse 22. - Receive, I pray thee, the law from his mouth; or, receive now instruction from his mouth. The supposition of some commentators, that the "Law of Moses" is intended, is negatived by the entire absence from the Book of any allusion to the details of the Mosaic legislation, as well as by the primitive character of the life depicted in the book, and the certainty that no one of the interlocutors is an Israelite. The Hebrew תּורה, without the article prefixed, is properly "instruction," and is only to be assumed as meaning "the Law" when the context shows this meaning to be probable. The "instruction" to which Eliphaz here points, and which he regards as instruction from God's mouth, is probably the teaching of religious men, such as himself, which he considered to have come from God originally, though, perhaps, he could not have explained how. And lay up his words in thine heart. This is a mere variant of the preceding clause, and adds no fresh idea.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Receive
קַח־ (qaḥ-)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 3947: To take

instruction
תּוֹרָ֑ה (tō·w·rāh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 8451: Direction, instruction, law

from His mouth,
מִפִּ֣יו (mip·pîw)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 6310: The mouth, edge, portion, side, according to

and lay up
וְשִׂ֥ים (wə·śîm)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 7760: Put -- to put, place, set

His words
אֲ֝מָרָ֗יו (’ă·mā·rāw)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 561: Something said

in your heart.
בִּלְבָבֶֽךָ׃ (bil·ḇā·ḇe·ḵā)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 3824: Inner man, mind, will, heart


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OT Poetry: Job 22:22 Please receive instruction from his mouth (Jb)