Job27

Job 27 opens with Job reaffirming his unwavering integrity and righteousness, vowing to maintain his blamelessness until death despite feeling vexed by God. He then contrasts his stance with the futile hope of the hypocrite, whose cries God will not hear in trouble. Finally, Job describes the inevitable and severe judgment awaiting the wicked, whose wealth, family, and very existence will be swept away by divine wrath and human scorn.

Job's Final Parable Begins

1
Job again took up his parable, and said,
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“As God lives, who has taken away my right, the Almighty, who has made my soul bitter. ​
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(For the length of my life is still in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils);
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surely my lips shall not speak unrighteousness, neither shall my tongue utter deceit.

An Oath of Integrity

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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 shall not reproach me so long as I live.
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“Let my enemy be as the wicked. Let him who rises up against me be as the unrighteous. ​
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For what is the hope of the godless, when he is cut off, when God takes away his life? ​
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Will God hear his cry when trouble comes on him?
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Will he delight himself in the Almighty, and call on God at all times?
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I will teach you about the hand of God. That which is with the Almighty will I not conceal. ​
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Behold, all of you have seen it yourselves; why then have you become altogether vain?

The Portion of the Wicked

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“This is the portion of a wicked man with God, the heritage of oppressors, which they receive from the Almighty. ​
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If his children are multiplied, it is for the sword. His offspring shall not be satisfied with bread.
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Those who remain of him shall be buried in death. His widows shall make no lamentation. ​
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Though he heap up silver as the dust, and prepare clothing as the clay;
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he may prepare it, but the just shall put it on, and the innocent shall divide the silver.
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He builds his house as the moth, as a booth which the watchman makes. ​
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He lies down rich, but he shall not do so again. He opens his eyes, and he is not.
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Terrors overtake him like waters. A storm steals him away in the night.
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The east wind carries him away, and he departs. It sweeps him out of his place.
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For it hurls at him, and does not spare, as he flees away from his hand.
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Men shall clap their hands at him, and shall hiss him out of his place. ​

Study Notes for Job 27

Verse 2

Job’s oath is paradoxical: he swears by the living God who, in Job's perception, has unjustly tormented him and withheld fair judgment, highlighting his profound commitment to truth despite his suffering.

Verse 5

Job refuses to 'justify' his friends (admit they are right about his guilt), confirming his absolute determination to maintain his integrity and claim of innocence until death.

Verse 7

Job uses a curse formula, essentially stating, 'May my enemies suffer the fate of the wicked,' thereby framing the following description of retribution as a standard he knows he does not meet.

Verse 8

The term translated 'hypocrite' (*chaneph*) refers primarily to the godless or impious person. Job questions the value of earthly gain if one lacks a genuine relationship with God when death or judgment arrives.

Verse 11

Job asserts his authority to teach his friends, implying that they have either misinterpreted or misapplied the traditional wisdom of God’s justice to his specific case.

Verse 13

This verse introduces a detailed description of the wicked man’s doom, which aligns closely with the traditional wisdom espoused by the friends. Job recounts this doctrine to prove he understands it, even if his experience contradicts its application.

Verse 15

To be 'buried in death' suggests an ignoble end, perhaps being unmourned or simply forgotten. The wicked man is denied the honor and ritual associated with a proper burial.

Verse 18

The comparison of the wicked man's house to the fragile work of a moth (a cocoon) or a temporary booth emphasizes the utter lack of permanence and security in his earthly achievements.

Verse 23

The final image of public scorn—clapping hands in derision and hissing—reinforces the complete misery and dishonor of the wicked man's ultimate fate, marked by total rejection from the community.

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