Job 22:20
Whereas our substance is not cut downe, but the remnant of them the fire consumeth. Job 22:20 (KJV)
The book of Job is renowned for its profound exploration of suffering and the response of a righteous person faced with affliction. Job, a man who feared God and was blameless, endured catastrophic loss: the death of his children, the ruin of his wealth, and painful bodily disease. His three friends came to comfort him, yet each turned the conversation toward accusation, insisting that hidden sin must be the cause of his misery.
In chapter 22 Eliphaz the Temanite continues his argument against Job. The verse quoted, Job 22:20, as rendered in the King James Version, emphasizes that God does not cast away the upright nor turn His eye from the righteous. It does not speak of material possessions, wealth, or fire, and it does not suggest that the wicked retain or lose riches. Consequently, any reading that links this verse to the idea that the wicked keep their wealth or that a remnant of possessions will be consumed by fire is unfounded.
Eliphaz, like the other friends, operated from a limited understanding of God’s ways. He wrongly assumed that Job’s suffering was a direct result of personal sin, a view that God later rebukes. The broader narrative makes clear that Job’s trials were not punitive but a divine test designed to reveal and strengthen his faith, and to display God’s sovereignty, wisdom, and goodness.
Later, God Himself addresses the friends, condemning their false accusations (see Job 42:7‑9). This divine correction underscores that human judgment, especially when based on simplistic cause‑and‑effect reasoning, can be misleading. The story invites readers to trust that God’s justice transcends human expectations and that the righteous are never abandoned, even amid profound suffering.
As we study this passage, we are reminded to hold fast to the assurance that God’s eye remains upon the upright, and that suffering, while painful, can serve a higher purpose in the divine economy, revealing deeper truths about faith, perseverance, and the character of the Almighty.
