John Gill Commentary Job 22:4

"Is it for thy fear [of him] that he reproveth thee, That he entereth with thee into judgment?" — Job 22:4 (ASV)

Will he reprove you for fear of you? etc.] That is, chastise, correct, and afflict, for fear that hurt should be done to him; no, he will not; for as the goodness of men does not profit him, the sinfulness of men does not hurt him, see (Job 35:6Job 35:8) . Kings and civil magistrates sometimes chastise offenders, not only to do justice to them, but through fear of them, lest, if spared or connived at, they should be hurtful to the state, and overturn it; but though sin is an act of hostility against God, and strikes at his being and government, yet he is in no fear of being ruined or dethroned, or of having his government taken out of his hands, and therefore does not chastise men on that account:

or "for your fear" ^F13, for your fear of God, your piety; or "for your religion", as Mr. Broughton translates the word. Job had often suggested that good men, such that truly feared God, are afflicted by him, and therefore his own afflictions were no objection to his character, as a man that feared God, and eschewed evil, (Job 1:1) ; and in this sense Eliphaz uses the word, (Job 4:6) ; and here he intimates, as if, according to the notion of Job, that God afflicted him, and other good men, because they feared him, and which he observes, as a great absurdity;

whereas, on the contrary, he chastised him for his sins, as (Job 22:5) shows; but though God does not afflict men for their goodness, but for sins, yet they are only such that fear him, and whom he loves, that he chastises in a fatherly way, see (Hebrews 12:6Hebrews 12:7) ;

will he enter with you into judgment? that is, will he, in reverence to you, out of respect to so great a person (speaking ironically), in condescension to one of so much consequence, will he regard your request, so often made, as to come into judgment with you, and to admit of your cause being pleaded before him, and to decide the affair in controversy? or rather, will he not plead against you, and condemn you for your sins, as follow? in this sense it is to be deprecated, and not desired, see (Psalms 143:2) .

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FOOTNOTES:

• F13: Ktarymh ) "an de religione tua", Junius & Tremellius; "ob timorem tuum", so some in Drusius; "num ob pietatem tuam", others in Michaelis.