Job Chapter 27
1 Job again took up his parable, and said,
2 "As God lives, who has taken away my right, the Almighty, who has made my soul bitter
3 (for the length of my life is still in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils);
4 surely my lips will not speak unrighteousness, neither will my tongue utter deceit.
5 Far be it from me that I should justify you. Until I die I will not put away my integrity from me.
6 I hold fast to my righteousness, and will not let it go. My heart will not reproach me so long as I live.
7 "Let my enemy be as the wicked. Let him who rises up against me be as the unrighteous.
8 For what is the hope of the godless, when he is cut off, when God takes away his life?
9 Will God hear his cry when trouble comes on him?
10 Will he delight himself in the Almighty, and call on God at all times?
11 I will teach you about the hand of God. I will not conceal that which is with the Almighty.
12 Behold, all of you have seen it yourselves; why then have you become altogether vain?
13 "This is the portion of a wicked man with God, the heritage of oppressors, which they receive from the Almighty.
14 If his children are multiplied, it is for the sword. His offspring will not be satisfied with bread.
15 Those who remain of him will be buried in death. His widows will make no lamentation.
16 Though he heap up silver as the dust, and prepare clothing as the clay;
17 he may prepare it, but the just will put it on, and the innocent will divide the silver.
18 He builds his house as the moth, as a booth which the watchman makes.
19 He lies down rich, but he will not do so again. He opens his eyes, and he is not.
20 Terrors overtake him like waters. A storm steals him away in the night.
21 The east wind carries him away, and he departs. It sweeps him out of his place.
22 For it hurls at him, and does not spare, as he flees away from his hand.
23 Men will clap their hands at him, and will hiss him out of his place.
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Job Chapter 27 Guide
There would seem to have been a pause after Job's answer to Bildad. The suggestion is that he waited for Zophar, and seeing that Zophar was silent, he took the initiative, and made general reply.
This reply opens with a protestation of innocence (1-6). This was his direct answer to the charge made by Eliphaz. Its terms are to be carefully noted. He swore by God, while yet repeating his complaint, that God had taken away his right and vexed his soul. He refused to move from the position he had occupied throughout. He would not justify his opponents in the debate. He had been righteous, and he reaffirmed it. From this protestation his answer proceeded in terms of anger. In this imprecation, in which he expressed the desire that his enemy might be as the wicked, the deepest conviction of his soul seems to rise, in spite of himself, and it is in direct contradiction of the complaints he had made of the withdrawal of God from interference in the affairs of men. Summoning all the strength of his faith, he declared that he would teach his opponents "concerning the hand of God," and he now practically took hold of all that they had said about God's visitation on the wicked, and hurled it back on them as an anathema. He splendidly admitted the truth of their philosophy, but denied its application to himself. He thus left the whole problem full of mystery. All the things they had said were true, but they were not true to him. There must be some other way to account for his suffering. These arguments as here stated are not declared, but they are of plain inference from this angry retort on Job's foes.
From "An Exposition of the Whole Bible" by G. Campbell Morgan.
Job Chapter 27 Commentary
Chapter Outline
- Job protests his sincerity. -- (1-6)
- The hypocrite is without hope. -- (7-10)
- The miserable end of the wicked. -- (11-23)
Verses 1-6
Job's friends now suffered him to speak, and he proceeded in a grave and useful manner. Job had confidence in the goodness both of his cause and of his God; and cheerfully committed his cause to him. But Job had not due reverence when he spake of God as taking away his judgment, and vexing his soul. To resolve that our hearts shall not reproach us, while we hold fast our integrity, baffles the designs of the evil spirit.
Verses 7-10
Job looked upon the condition of a hypocrite and a wicked man, to be most miserable. If they gained through life by their profession, and kept up their presumptuous hope till death, what would that avail when God required their souls? The more comfort we find in our religion, the more closely we shall cleave to it. Those who have no delight in God, are easily drawn away by the pleasures, and easily overcome by the crosses of this life. (Job 27:11-23)
Verses 11-23
Job's friends, on the same subject, spoke of the misery of wicked men before death as proportioned to their crimes; Job considered that if it were not so, still the consequences of their death would be dreadful. Job undertook to set this matter in a true light. Death to a godly man, is like a fair gale of wind to convey him to the heavenly country; but, to a wicked man, it is like a storm, that hurries him away to destruction. While he lived, he had the benefit of sparing mercy; but now the day of God's patience is over, and he will pour out upon him his wrath. When God casts down a man, there is no flying from, nor bearing up under his anger. Those who will not now flee to the arms of Divine grace, which are stretched out to receive them, will not be able to flee from the arms of Divine wrath, which will shortly be stretched out to destroy them. And what is a man profited if he gain the whole world, and thus lose his own soul?
From the "Concise Commentary on the Bible" by Matthew Henry.