“I will repay you
The years
That the swarming locust
Has eaten.
That is the hopper,
The destroyer,
The cutter,
My great army,
That I sent against you.”
Yahweh, via Joel, said that he was going to repay and restore things like they were before the locust plague hit them. Then he enumerated, as earlier in chapter 1, the various forms of the locust grasshoppers, the hoppers, the destroyers, and the cutters. However, it was clear here that Yahweh had sent this army of locusts against them.
“Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered.
‘Can a mortal be of use to God?
Can even the wisest be of service to him?
Is it any pleasure to the Almighty Shaddai?
Even if you are righteous,
Is it gain to him if you make your ways blameless?
Is it for your piety that he reproves you?
Does he enter into judgment with you?
Is not your wickedness great?
There is no end to your iniquities.
You have exacted pledges
From your family brothers
For no reason.
You have stripped the naked of their clothing.
You have given no water to the weary to drink.
You have withheld bread from the hungry.’”
Eliphaz reminded Job that God only punishes in a just fashion. How could he be of service to God? How could he bring pleasure to the almighty one, Shaddai? Even if he was blameless and righteous, what had he gained? However, Eliphaz said that Job’ wickedness was great. He had treated people unfairly. He then enumerated the evil things that Job had done. He exacted pledges from his family. He striped clothes to make people naked. He failed to give water and bread to the hungry and thirsty people. These were explicit things that Job had done wrong.
“Your strength does not depend on numbers.
Your might does not depend on the powerful.
You are the God of the lowly.
You are the helper of the oppressed.
You are the upholder of the weak.
You are the protector of the forsaken.
You are the savior of those without hope.
Please, please, God of my father,
God of the heritage of Israel,
Lord of heaven and earth,
Creator of the waters,
King of all your creation,
Hear my prayer!
Make my deceitful words bring wound.
May they bruise those who have planned cruel things
Against your covenant,
Against your sacred house,
Against Mount Zion,
Against the house your children possess.
Let your whole nation and every tribe
Know and understand
That you are the God,
The God of all power and might.
There is no other who protects the people of Israel
But you alone!”
The prayer of Judith ends with this strong theological statement about the power of God. She seeks help from the all powerful God. The power of God cannot be enumerated. Our God is the God of the lowly, the oppressed, the weak, the forsaken, and the hopeless. He is the God of the heritage of Israel, the God of heaven and earth, the creator of water, the king of all creation. Judith asked that her prayer be heard. Her deceitful words will bruise those who are against God’s covenant, his sacred house, Mount Zion, and his children. Let everyone among all the tribes know that he is the God of power and might. No one protects Israel like God himself.
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 