Job 27:15

Translation
King James Version
Those that remain of him shall be buried in death: and his widows shall not weep.
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KJV (with Strong's)
Those that remain H8300 of him shall be buried H6912 in death H4194: and his widows H490 shall not weep H1058.
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Complete Jewish Bible
Those of his who remain are buried by plague, and their widows do not weep.
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Berean Standard Bible
His survivors will be buried by the plague, and their widows will not weep for them.
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American Standard Version
Those that remain of him shall be buried in death, And his widows shall make no lamentation.
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World English Bible Messianic
Those who remain of him shall be buried in death. His widows shall make no lamentation.
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Geneva Bible (1599)
His remnant shall be buried in death, and his widowes shall not weepe.
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Young's Literal Translation
His remnant in death are buried, And his widows do not weep.
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See also
Psalms 78:64Jeremiah 22:181 Kings 21:211 Kings 21:241 Kings 14:101 Kings 14:111 Kings 16:3
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SUMMARY

Job 27:15 presents Job's stark declaration regarding the ultimate, ignominious fate of the wicked, asserting that despite any temporary earthly prosperity, their end will be marked by absolute desolation and dishonor. This verse powerfully conveys that the unrighteous will face a complete and unremembered demise, with their descendants "buried in death" and even their closest kin, their widows, refusing to offer the customary expressions of grief. It underscores Job's unwavering conviction in God's perfect justice, emphasizing that a life lived in defiance of divine ways inevitably leads to a desolate and unmourned end, devoid of true honor or lasting legacy.

CONTEXT

  • Literary Context: Job 27:15 is situated within Job's final, extended monologue, which spans chapters 27-31. This section represents Job's climactic defense of his integrity and a profound assertion of God's ultimate justice, even as he continues to grapple with his inexplicable suffering. In chapter 27, Job directly addresses his friends, outlining the inevitable and severe consequences that await the wicked. This serves as a powerful counterpoint to their simplistic theology, which often assumed immediate temporal retribution for sin. Job's detailed description of the wicked's downfall, culminating in this verse, functions as a vivid illustration of the unlamented and complete destruction that befalls those who choose a path of unrighteousness, reinforcing his argument that divine retribution, though sometimes delayed, is certain. It highlights that the hope of the hypocrite perishes, contrasting sharply with the enduring hope of the righteous.
  • Historical & Cultural Context: The imagery in Job 27:15 draws heavily on ancient Near Eastern funerary customs and social norms, where a proper burial and public lamentation were paramount. In this cultural setting, an honorable burial was crucial for the deceased's respect and memory, while an ignominious end was considered a profound curse and a mark of shame. Public mourning, especially by women and most notably by widows, was a vital and expected component of funerary rituals. These elaborate displays of grief were not merely emotional expressions but also social obligations that affirmed the deceased's standing and the community's sorrow. The explicit mention that "his widows shall not weep" is therefore a potent statement, indicating an extreme level of dishonor and social condemnation. It suggests that the wicked man's life was so devoid of virtue or genuine relationship that even those most obligated to mourn him would offer no sincere lamentation, leaving him utterly unmourned and forgotten.
  • Key Themes: Job 27:15 powerfully contributes to several overarching themes within the book of Job and broader wisdom literature. First, it highlights the theme of Divine Retribution, asserting God's unwavering commitment to justice and the inevitable downfall of the wicked, regardless of their temporal success. This aligns with the broader biblical principle that God will bring every deed into judgment. Second, it underscores the Ephemeral Nature of Wicked Prosperity, emphasizing that any gains acquired through unrighteousness are ultimately fleeting and lead to a desolate end. This contrasts sharply with the enduring blessing associated with the righteous. Third, the verse speaks to the profound importance of Legacy and Honor. In a culture where a good name and a remembered life were highly valued, the unlamented demise of the wicked signifies a complete failure to achieve true honor, leaving behind no positive memory. This resonates with sentiments found in other wisdom texts, such as Proverbs 10:7, which states, "The memory of the just is blessed: but the name of the wicked shall rot." Ultimately, Job 27:15 serves as a stark warning against pursuing injustice and a powerful affirmation of God's ultimate moral order, which will eventually be vindicated.

EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

Key Word Analysis

  • remain (Hebrew, sârîyd', H8300): (sârîyd), meaning "a survivor; [idiom] alive, left, remain(-ing), remnant, rest." This term refers to those who are left over, often implying a remnant or survivors of a disaster. In this context, it refers to the descendants or remaining family members of the wicked man. The use of this word emphasizes that even those who survive him will not escape the consequences of his unrighteousness; their fate is tied to his ignominious end.
  • buried (Hebrew, qâbar', H6912): (qâbar), meaning "a primitive root; to inter; [idiom] in any wise, bury(-ier)." This word denotes the act of interment, placing a body in the ground. However, when combined with "in death," it takes on a deeper, more profound meaning than a mere physical burial. It suggests an absorption into the realm or state of death itself, implying a complete and definitive consumption by oblivion.
  • death (Hebrew, mâveth', H4194): (mâveth), meaning "from מוּת; death (natural or violent); concretely, the dead, their place or state (hades); figuratively, pestilence, ruin; (be) dead(-ly), death, die(-d)." This term signifies not just the cessation of life, but also the state or realm of the dead, often associated with Sheol. In the phrase "buried in death," it conveys a sense of ultimate ruin, oblivion, and a complete absence of honor or remembrance, extending beyond mere physical demise to a state of utter desolation.
  • weep (Hebrew, bâkâh', H1058): (bâkâh), meaning "a primitive root; to weep; generally to bemoan; [idiom] at all, bewail, complain, make lamentation, [idiom] more, mourn, [idiom] sore, [idiom] with tears, weep." This verb describes a deep, often audible, and demonstrative expression of sorrow, typically involving wailing and tears. The negation "shall not weep" is a powerful statement of absence, indicating a profound lack of genuine grief, respect, or even pity for the deceased wicked man.

Verse Breakdown

  • "Those that remain of him": This phrase refers to the descendants or survivors of the wicked man. It implies that the consequences of his unrighteousness extend beyond the individual to his lineage and those associated with him, suggesting a complete undoing of his family name and legacy. Their fate is inextricably linked to his moral standing.
  • "shall be buried in death": This clause emphasizes the ultimate and ignominious end of the wicked and their progeny. It is not merely a physical burial, but a burial into the very state of death, signifying a complete cessation of their influence, memory, and life in any honorable sense. This speaks to a profound and definitive end, marked by oblivion, dishonor, and the absence of any positive remembrance.
  • "and his widows shall not weep": This final clause provides a chilling detail that underscores the shame and isolation of the wicked man's demise. The absence of weeping from his widows, who would traditionally be the most fervent and public mourners, signifies a complete lack of genuine sorrow, respect, or even pity for him. It paints a picture of a life so devoid of virtue or true connection that even those closest to him find no reason to lament his passing, leaving his end utterly unhonored and unmourned.

Literary Devices

Job 27:15 employs several potent literary devices to convey its message with striking force. The most prominent is Irony, as the wicked man, who may have accumulated wealth and power, ultimately leaves behind a legacy of such contempt that even his own family, specifically his widows, do not mourn him. This is deeply ironic given the societal importance of lamentation and honorable burial in ancient Near Eastern culture. There is also a strong element of Contrast, implicitly setting the unlamented, ignominious end of the wicked against the blessed memory and mourned passing of the righteous, a theme prevalent throughout wisdom literature. The phrase "buried in death" functions as a form of Merism or Hyperbole, emphasizing the totality of the wicked's demise by combining the physical act of burial with the abstract state of death, suggesting a complete absorption into oblivion. Finally, the verse uses Emphasis through its stark and absolute declarations ("shall be buried in death," "shall not weep"), underscoring the severity and certainty of divine judgment against the unrighteous, leaving no room for ambiguity about their desolate end.

THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS

Job 27:15 serves as a profound theological statement on God's ultimate justice and the transient nature of earthly prosperity when divorced from righteousness. It asserts that while the wicked may flourish for a time, their end is marked by a complete lack of honor and a desolate legacy. This verse challenges human perceptions of success, reminding us that true value and lasting impact are not found in material accumulation or temporal power, but in a life lived in accordance with God's will. It reinforces the biblical truth that God sees and judges all actions, and that His moral order will ultimately prevail, ensuring that those who defy Him will face a reckoning that strips them of all earthly esteem and remembrance. This divine retribution is not merely punitive but serves to uphold the righteousness of God's character and the sanctity of His moral law, demonstrating that His justice will ultimately be vindicated.

REFLECTION AND APPLICATION

Job 27:15 offers a sobering and timeless reflection for believers today. In a world that often celebrates material success, outward appearances, and self-aggrandizement, this verse calls us to re-evaluate what truly constitutes a meaningful and lasting legacy. It reminds us that while the wicked may seem to prosper, their ultimate end is often marked by emptiness, isolation, and a complete lack of genuine honor, even from those closest to them. The "unlamented" death serves as a powerful warning against living a life driven by self-interest, injustice, or a disregard for God's ways. Instead, it encourages us to pursue righteousness, integrity, and a deep relationship with God, for it is through such a life that true honor, a blessed memory, and an eternal legacy are secured. Our hope should not be placed in fleeting earthly gains, but in God's ultimate justice and the enduring value of a life lived for His glory, ensuring that our memory, unlike that of the wicked, will be blessed and cherished.

Questions for Reflection

  • How does Job 27:15 challenge popular notions of success and legacy in our contemporary society, which often prioritizes wealth and fame?
  • What does it mean to live a life that ensures a "blessed memory" rather than an "unlamented end," and what practical steps can we take towards this?
  • In what ways might we be tempted to envy the temporary prosperity of the unrighteous, and how does this verse reorient our perspective towards eternal values?

FAQ

Does "buried in death" imply a spiritual state or merely a physical one?

Answer: While the phrase "buried in death" certainly emphasizes the finality and ignominy of the wicked's physical end, it carries significant spiritual and existential implications beyond mere physical burial. It suggests a state of being utterly consumed by death, implying a complete eradication of memory, influence, and honor. It's not just that they die, but that they are absorbed into the realm of death, cut off from life, remembrance, and any form of positive legacy. This concept aligns with the ancient understanding of Sheol as a place of shadows and forgetfulness for the unrighteous, where their name and deeds are blotted out. Thus, it encompasses both a physical demise and a spiritual state of utter desolation and oblivion, a consequence that extends beyond the grave.

Why specifically "his widows" and not other family members?

Answer: The specific mention of "his widows" is highly significant due to the cultural norms of ancient Near Eastern society. Widows were traditionally expected to be the primary mourners, often leading public lamentations and performing rituals that honored the deceased. Their role was crucial in ensuring a proper and respected burial and in upholding the deceased's social standing. Therefore, the explicit statement that "his widows shall not weep" is a powerful indicator of the wicked man's profound dishonor and isolation. It suggests that his life was so devoid of virtue, love, or genuine connection that even those most obligated and expected to mourn him would offer no sincere grief. This highlights the ultimate desolation of his end, where even the most intimate relationships are fractured by his unrighteousness, leaving him utterly unlamented and forgotten by those who should have been closest.

CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT

While Job 27:15 speaks to the earthly consequences of wickedness and the ultimate justice of God, its deepest fulfillment is found in the person and work of Jesus Christ. The "burial in death" and unlamented end of the wicked foreshadow the spiritual death and eternal separation from God that is the ultimate wage of sin, as Romans 6:23 powerfully declares. This stands in stark contrast to Christ's own death. Although Jesus' death was profoundly mourned by His followers, it was not an ignominious end but a purposeful, redemptive sacrifice, leading not to oblivion but to glorious resurrection and eternal life for all who believe. The wicked's name rots, but Christ's name is exalted above all names, a truth beautifully articulated in Philippians 2:9-11. For those in Christ, the fear of an unlamented "burial in death" is overcome, for Jesus Himself is "the resurrection, and the life," as He proclaims in John 11:25-26, promising that whoever believes in Him will live, even though they die. Through His victory over death and the grave, believers are assured of a blessed memory and an eternal inheritance, triumphing over the sting of death and the power of the grave, a victory celebrated in 1 Corinthians 15:54-57. Thus, Job's lament about the wicked's desolate end ultimately points to the profound hope and eternal life offered through faith in the crucified and risen Christ, who transforms our end from oblivion to everlasting glory.

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Commentary on Job 27 verses 11–23

I. II. Main points1. 2. Sub-points(1.) (2.) Details

Job's friends had seen a great deal of the misery and destruction that attend wicked people, especially oppressors; and Job, while the heat of disputation lasted, had said as much, and with as much assurance, of their prosperity; but now that the heat of the battle was nearly over he was willing to own how far he agreed with them, and where the difference between his opinion and theirs lay. 1. He agreed with them that wicked people are miserable people, that God will surely reckon with cruel oppressors, and one time or other, one way or other, his justice will make reprisals upon them for all the affronts they have put upon God and all the wrongs they have done to their neighbours. This truth is abundantly confirmed by the entire concurrence even of these angry disputants in it. But, 2. In this they differed - they held that these deserved judgments are presently and visibly brought upon wicked oppressors, that they travail with pain all their days, that in prosperity the destroyer comes upon them, that they shall not be rich, nor their branch green, and that their destruction shall be accomplished before their time (so Eliphaz, Job 15:20, Job 15:21, Job 15:29, Job 15:32), that the steps of their strength shall be straitened, that terrors shall make them afraid on every side (so Bildad, Job 18:7, Job 18:11), that he himself shall vomit up his riches, and that in the fulness of his sufficiency he shall be in straits, so Zophar, Job 20:15, Job 20:22. Now Job held that, in many cases, judgments do not fall upon them quickly, but are deferred for some time. That vengeance strikes slowly he had already shown (ch. 21 and 24); now he comes to show that it strikes surely and severely, and that reprieves are no pardons.

I. Job here undertakes to set this matter in a true light (Job 27:11, Job 27:12): I will teach you. We must not disdain to learn even from those who are sick and poor, yea, and peevish too, if they deliver what is true and good. Observe, 1. What he would teach them: "That which is with the Almighty," that is, "the counsels and purposes of God concerning wicked people, which are hidden with him, and which you cannot hastily judge of; and the usual methods of his providence concerning them." This, says Job, will I not conceal. What God has not concealed from us we must not conceal from those we are concerned to teach. Things revealed belong to us and our children. 2. How he would teach them: By the hand of God, that is, by his strength and assistance. Those who undertake to teach others must look to the hand of God to direct them, to open their ear (Isa 50:4), and to open their lips. Those whom God teaches with a strong hand are best able to teach others, Isa 8:11. 3. What reason they had to learn those things which he was about to teach them (Job 27:12), that it was confirmed by their own observation - You yourselves have seen it (but what we have heard, and seen and known, we have need to be taught, that we may be perfect in our lesson), and that it would set them to rights in their judgment concerning him - "Why then are you thus altogether vain, to condemn me for a wicked man because I am afflicted?" Truth, rightly understood and applied, would cure us of that vanity of mind which arises from our mistakes. That particularly which he offers now to lay before them is the portion of a wicked man with God, particularly of oppressors, Job 27:13. Compare Job 20:29. Their portion in the world may be wealth and preferment, but their portion with God is ruin and misery. They are above the control of any earthly power, it may be, but the Almighty can deal with them.

II. He does it, by showing that wicked people may, in some instances, prosper, but that ruin follows them in those very instances; and that is their portion, that is their heritage, that is it which they must abide by.

1.They may prosper in their children, but ruin attends them. His children perhaps are multiplied (Job 27:14) or magnified (so some); they are very numerous and are raised to honour and great estates. Worldly people are said to be full of children (Psa 17:14), and, as it is in the margin there, their children are full. In them the parents hope to live and in their preferment to be honoured. But the more children they leave, and the greater prosperity they leave them in, the more and the fairer marks do they leave for the arrows of God's judgments to be levelled at, his three sore judgments, sword, famine, and pestilence, Sa2 24:13. (1.) Some of them shall die by the sword, the sword of war perhaps (they brought them up to live by their sword, as Esau, Gen 27:40, and those that do so commonly die by the sword, first or last), or by the sword of justice for their crimes, or the sword of the murderer for their estates. (2.) Others of them shall die by famine (Job 27:14): His offspring shall not be satisfied with bread. He thought he had secured to them large estates, but it may happen that they may be reduced to poverty, so as not to have the necessary supports of life, at least not to live comfortably. They shall be so needy that they shall not have a competency of necessary food, and so greedy, or so discontented, that what they have they shall not be satisfied with, because not so much, or not so dainty, as what they have been used to. You eat, but you have not enough, Hag 1:6. (3.) Those that remain shall be buried in death, that is, shall die of the plague, which is called death (Rev 6:8), and be buried privately and in haste, as soon as they are dead, without any solemnity, buried with the burial of an ass; and even their widows shall not weep; they shall not have wherewithal to put them in mourning. Or it denotes that these wicked men, as they live undesired, so they die unlamented, and even their widows will think themselves happy that they have got rid of them.

2.They may prosper in their estates, but ruin attends them too, Job 27:16-18. (1.) We will suppose them to be rich in money and plate, in clothing and furniture. They heap up silver in abundance as the dust, and prepare raiment as the clay; they have heaps of clothes about them, as plentiful as heaps of clay. Or it intimates that they have such abundance of clothes that they are even a burden to them. They lade themselves with thick clay, Hab 2:6. See what is the care and business of worldly people - to heap up worldly wealth. Much would have more, until the silver is cankered and the garments are moth-eaten, Jam 5:2, Jam 5:3. But what comes of it? He shall never be the better for it himself; death will strip him, death will rob him, if he be not robbed and stripped sooner, Luk 12:20. Nay, God will so order it that the just shall wear his raiment and the innocent shall divide his silver. [1.] They shall have it, and divide it among themselves. In some way or other Providence shall so order it that good men shall come honestly by that wealth which the wicked man came dishonestly by. The wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just, Pro 13:22. God disposes of men's estates as he pleases, and often makes their wills against their wills. The just, whom he hated and persecuted, shall have rule over all his labour, and, in due time, recover with interest what was violently taken from him. The Egyptians' jewels were the Israelites' pay. Solomon observes (Ecc 2:26) that God makes the sinners drudges to the righteous; for the sinner he gives travail to gather and heap up, that he may give to him that is good before God. [2.] They shall do good with it. The innocent shall not hoard the silver, as he did that gathered it, but shall divide it to the poor, shall give a portion to seven and also to eight, which is laying up the best securities. Money is like manure, good for nothing if it be not spread. When God enriches good men they must remember they are but stewards and must give an account. What bad men bring a curse upon their families with the ill-getting of good men bring a blessing upon their families with the well-using of. He that by unjust gain increaseth his substance shall gather it for him that will pity the poor, Pro 28:8. (2.) We will suppose them to have built themselves strong and stately houses; but they are like the house which the moth makes for herself in an old garment, out of which she will soon be shaken, Job 27:18. He is very secure in it, as a moth, and has no apprehension of danger; but it will prove of as short continuance as a booth which the keeper makes, which will quickly be taken down and gone, and his place shall know him no more.

3.Destruction attends their persons, though they lived long in health and at ease (Job 27:19): The rich man shall lie down to sleep, to repose himself in the abundance of his wealth (Soul, take thy ease), shall lie down in it as his strong city, and seem to others to be very happy and very easy; but he shall not be gathered, that is, he shall not have his mind composed, and settled, and gathered in, to enjoy his wealth. He does not sleep so contentedly as people think he does. He lies down, but his abundance will not suffer him to sleep, at least not so sweetly as the labouring man, Ecc 5:12. He lies down, but he is full of tossings to and fro till the dawning of the day, and then he opens his eyes and he is not; he sees himself, and all he has, hastening away, as it were, in the twinkling of an eye. His cares increase his fears, and both together make him uneasy, so that, when we attend him to his bed, we do not find him happy there. But, in the close, we are called to attend his exit, and see how miserable he is in death and after death.

(1.)He is miserable in death. It is to him the king of terrors, Job 27:20, Job 27:21. When some mortal disease seizes him what a fright is he in! Terrors take hold of him as waters, as if he were surrounded by the flowing tides. He trembles to think of leaving this world, and much more of removing to another. This mingles sorrow and wrath with his sickness, as Solomon observes, Ecc 5:17. These terrors put him either [1.] Into a silent and sullen despair; and then the tempest of God's wrath, the tempest of death, may be said to steal him away in the night, when no one is aware or takes any notice of it. Or, [2.] Into an open and clamorous despair; and then he is said to be carried away, and hurled out of his place as with a storm, and with an east wind, violent, and noisy, and very dreadful. 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 an east wind, a storm, a tempest, that hurries him away in confusion and amazement, to destruction.

(2.)He is miserable after death. [1.] His soul falls under the just indignation of God, and it is the terror of that indignation which puts him into such amazement at the approach of death (Job 27:22): For God shall cast upon him and not spare. While he lived he had the benefit of sparing mercy; but now the day of God's patience is over, and he will not spare, but pour out upon him the full vials of his wrath. What God casts down upon a man there is no flying from nor bearing up under. We read of his casting down great stones from heaven upon the Canaanites (Jos 10:11), which made terrible execution among them; but what was that to his casting down his anger in its full weight upon the sinner's conscience, like the talent of lead? Zac 5:7, Zac 5:8. The damned sinner, seeing the wrath of God break in upon him, would fain flee out of his hand; but he cannot: the gates of hell are locked and barred, and the great gulf fixed, and it will be in vain to call for the shelter of rocks and mountains. Those who will not be persuaded now to fly 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. [2.] His memory falls under the just indignation of all mankind (Job 27:23): Men shall clap their hands at him, that is, they shall rejoice in the judgments of God, by which he is cut off, and be well pleased in his fall. When the wicked perish there is shouting, Pro 11:10. When God buries him men shall hiss him out of his place, and leave on his name perpetual marks of infamy. In the same place where he has been caressed and cried up he shall be laughed at (Psa 52:7) and his ashes shall be trampled on.

Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 11–23. Public domain.
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Olympiodorus of AlexandriaAD 600
COMMENTARY ON JOB 27:14-15
He describes what is likely to happen to the ungodly. Admittedly, things do not always go in this manner for them. Some of them, indeed, preserve their prosperity until the end of their life, as he himself, in his quandary, has taught his friends in the previous chapters. Therefore, he calls “slaughter” the kind of death that is inflicted by enemies, and “death” the one that comes suddenly and prematurely.
Gregory the DialogistAD 604
22. Doubtless’ the persons left’ of that tribe of heretics ‘are buried in death,’ for whereas they return not to the light of truth, assuredly they are sunk down in everlasting punish. ment by an earthly perception. And because it is sometimes the case, that whilst the leader of the common herds in error is carried off to punishment, the common herds that were led astray are new set to a knowledge of the truth, and then the persons under them return to true knowledge, when these persons are brought to eternal punishments, who had been wrongly set over them, it is fitly added;
And his widows shall not weep.
23. Whom do we take for ‘his widows’ but the subject common herds left deserted for their happiness by his death? For oftentimes, as has been said, when the preacher of error is carried off to everlasting punishments, his subject multitudes are brought back to the grace of a true acquaintance. For these multitudes the wicked preacher was set over like a husband, because the seducer of the soul did cleave joined to them for the worse. Or, indeed, ‘the widows do not weep,’ because whilst continuing in their erring belief, whereas they hold their preacher to have been holy, they are beguiled by a deceitful hope, that they should not mourn.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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