Eliphaz argues against Job's assertion that God will save him.
"But you are doing away with the fear of God
and hindering meditation before God."
A salvation from God, removes the fear of God. It removes the very thing that constrains the wicked.
After such a response, Job correctly identifies his "friends".
“I have heard many such things;
miserable comforters are you all."
He goes on to complete his case, asserting that there must be a celestial witness . . .
Even now, behold, my witness is in heaven,
and he who testifies for me is on high.
My friends scorn me;
my eye pours out tears to God,
that he would argue the case of a man with God,
as a son of man does with his neighbor.
. . . a bail bond's man (who is God himself), and finally . . .
“Lay down a pledge for me with you;
who is there who will put up security for me?
. . . a redeemer!
“Oh that my words were written!
Oh that they were inscribed in a book!
Oh that with an iron pen and lead
they were engraved in the rock forever!
For I know that my Redeemer lives,
and at the last he will stand upon the earth.
And after my skin has been thus destroyed,
yet in my flesh I shall see God,
In faith, Job has come to understand that he has a Redeemer (gā'al)! That God, himself, will “at the last” “stand upon the earth” and redeem him. Poetically Job uses the word for dust (āp̄ār) to represent the earth, for that is what Job will soon become. And he uses the word “last” ('aḥărôn) without any reference to a day, to indicate it is not tied to history.
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