Trouble and anguish shall make him afraid; they shall prevail against him, as a king ready for battle.
All Commentaries on Job 15:24 Go To Job 15
John Chrysostom
AD 407
Eliphaz adds, “No stranger marched against them,” that is, the wise are those who enjoy peace and transmit it to their descendants. “No stranger marched against them.” This means they made no war nor saw any fight nor knew any revolt, but they stood with nobility and bravery. They did not only survive but also possessed great force and power and enjoyed a profound peace. “All the life of the ungodly,” he says, “is spent in anguish,” and when they experience peace, their conscience will know this anguish. “The years granted to the oppressors,” who are unjust, “are numbered,” he says, because the tyrants are ephemeral. “Just when he seems to be at peace, his overthrow will come.” Here Job learns that war comes from above, and there will be no change in his misfortunes. “He has been appointed to be food for vultures.” “He has already been given over to the power of the sword.” Notice this again. His death is pitiful. It is not conformed to the common law of nature but is the result of violence, war and battle. After his death, he will not have a burial or a funeral and will not only be deprived of a tomb but will also be “food for vultures.” “He knows within himself that he is doomed to be a carcass.” The foreboding of these events makes them even more painful for Job when they are predicted to him and announced beforehand.
