Job 22:17 (KJV)

What does Job 22:17 mean?

Job 22:17 describes people who told God to leave them alone, questioning what power or benefit the Almighty could have for them. The verse highlights an attitude of rejecting God and doubting His relevance or authority in their lives.

In this part of the book of Job, Eliphaz is speaking to Job, accusing certain people—implied to be the wicked—of having dismissed God with arrogance. Eliphaz claims these people once said to God, “Depart from us,” showing their desire for independence from God’s ways. The verse sets up a contrast between human pride and God’s sovereignty, as part of Eliphaz’s larger argument about why suffering comes upon people.

The Hebrew behind Job 22:17

• “Depart” (סוּר, sur): This word means to turn aside or remove. Here, it shows a deliberate request for God to leave, not just a passive drifting away.
• “Almighty” (שַׁדַּי, shaddai): This is a special name for God that emphasizes His all-powerful nature. The use of “shaddai” underlines the irony—people are dismissing the very One who holds all power.
• “Do” (פָּעַל, pa‘al): This verb means to work or accomplish. The question “what can the Almighty do for them?” carries a skeptical tone, as if doubting that God can affect their lives at all.

Why Job 22:17 matters

• Job 22:17 clarifies that Eliphaz is accusing some people of outright rejecting God, not just ignoring Him, which sharpens the sense of rebellion in the passage.
• The verse helps explain Eliphaz’s view that suffering is a result of such attitudes, setting up a key debate in the book about the reasons for human suffering.
• The use of the name “shaddai” (Almighty) highlights the seriousness of dismissing God’s power, making Eliphaz’s accusation weightier in the context of the argument with Job.