D. The Third cycle of Speeches between Job and His Three Friends chs. 22-27

In round one of the debate Job's friends probed his intellect, and in round two they probed his conscience. In round three they probed specific issues.

We could summarize the criticisms of Job's three companions in their speeches as follows.

Cycle

Accusation against Job

First

"You are a sinner and need to repent."

Second

"You are wicked and God is punishing you."

Third

"You have committed these specific sins."

 1. Eliphaz's third speech ch. 22

In his third speech Eliphaz was even more discourteous than he had been previously.

 2. Job's third reply to Eliphaz chs. 23-24

Job ignored Eliphaz's groundless charges of sin temporarily and proceeded to reflect on the problem of God's injustice.

"The first part of this speech is superb. The option placed before Job by Eliphaz has clarified his thinking. He has come to quite different conclusions, and he expresses them in a soliloquy, for he does not appear to be addressing either Eliphaz or God."¹⁰¹

 3. Bildad's third speech ch. 25

The brevity of this speech reflects the fact that Job's companions were running out of arguments. Job's responses were at least silencing them if not convincing them.

Bildad seems to have abandoned the earlier theme of the wicked's fate because of what Job had just pointed out. Instead he merely emphasized the sinfulness and insignificance of all people and God's greatness. Perhaps he hoped Job would admit to being a sinner since the whole human race is unclean. He felt Job was absurd in thinking that he could argue before God.

Verse 4 restates a basic question that had come up earlier in the debate (4:17; 9:2b; 15:14). The answer did not come in this book, but it came later with subsequent good news of God's grace. Perhaps Bildad raised it here to convince Job that neither he nor anyone else could be as guiltless as Job claimed to be. The illustrations that follow in verses 5-6 support his point.

Interestingly this last statement, the last of all those recorded in the book that Job's three friends uttered, is a very depressing one. These men had come to comfort Job, but their words and world view made that impossible.

 4. Job's third reply to Bildad chs. 26-27

Job's long speech here contrasts strikingly with Bildad's short preceding speech (ch. 25).

In the first of these two chapters Job addressed his remarks to Bildad's most recent comments. In the second he broadened his view to include all three of his companions. The "you"in 26:2-4 is singular in Hebrew, but the "you"in 27:5 is plural.