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Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Job 27:11–23. His four-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
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.
Historical interpretation
Historical Reception
2 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
Silver used to be interpreted as the clarity of sacred Scripture. As it is elsewhere said, “The words of the Lord are pure words, as silver tried in a furnace of earth.” And because there are those who long to have the Word of God not inwardly in the exemplifying of it, but externally in the displaying of it, therefore it is said by the prophet, “All those who are clothed in silver are cut off,” referring to those who by the word of God do not fill themselves with the interior refreshment but array themselves in the outward exhibition. Hence their “silver,” that is, the word of heretics, is compared with “dust,” because on matters touching the holy Scripture, there may be something that they know, but they toil and strain from the coveting of earthly applause. And these also “pile up clothing like clay,” because they loosely make up testimonies of holy Scripture in a dabbling way, where they are able to defend themselves. The oppressors shall “pile up” silver indeed, “but the just will wear it,” because the person who is full of right faith, which used to be accounted to the saints for righteousness, cohesively gathers together those self-same testimonies of holy Scripture that the heretic piles up deductively. And from there, the just strikes home at the obstinacy of the other’s error.
24. Silver is used to be interpreted the clearness of sacred Writ, as it is elsewhere said; The words of the Lord are pure wo1.ds: as silver tried in a furnace of earth. [Ps. 12, 6] And because there are those that long to have the Word of God not inwardly in the exemplifying but externally in the displaying, therefore it is said by the Prophet, All they that are clothed in silver a1.e cut off, being those, who by the word of God do not fill themselves with the interior refreshment, but array themselves in the outward exhibition. Hence their ‘silver,’ i.e. the word of heretics, is compared to ‘earth,’ because touching the subject of Holy Writ, that there may be something that they know, they toil and strain from the coveting of earthly applause. And these, too, ‘prepare raiment as the mud,’ because they make up testimonies of Holy Scripture loosely and bedaubingly, whereby they would defend themselves, He shall ‘prepare’ indeed, ‘but the just shall put them on,’ because the person who is full of right faith, which is used to be accounted to the Saints for righteousness, gathers together those selfsame testimonies of Holy Writ, which the heretic adduces, and therefrom he charges home the obstinacy of that one’s error. For whereas they fetch against us the testimonies of the Sacred Law, they bring with them unto us that whereby they may be defeated. And hence David representing a type of the Lord, but Goliath the pride of Heretics, they spake that in deeds, which we are disclosing in words. Thus Goliath came to battle with a sword, but David with a shepherd’s scrip, but David, defeating that same Goliath, with his own sword slew him. Which thing we likewise do, who by His deigning have obtained to be made members of the promised David [al. ‘the promised members of David.’]. For when heretics full of pride, and advancing sentences of Holy Writ, we defeat by the same words and sentences, which they bring forward, we as it were behead Goliath in his pride with his own sword. And so ‘the just puts on those same garments,’ which the unjust man ‘prepares,’ because the holy man employs in the service of truth those same sentences by which the bad man strives to exhibit himself a master of learning in opposition to the truth.
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Summary
Job 27:16 powerfully illustrates the immense, yet ultimately superficial, material prosperity that the wicked may accumulate. By likening their amassed silver to common dust and their prepared raiment to abundant clay, Job employs vivid imagery to underscore the sheer quantity of their ill-gotten gains. This verse functions as a critical rhetorical point within Job's final monologue, setting the stage for his subsequent exposition on the inevitable and dramatic downfall of such unrighteous wealth, thereby challenging simplistic notions of divine retribution and highlighting the transient nature of earthly riches.
Context
Literary Context
Job 27 is an integral part of Job's final and most extended monologue, which spans chapters 27-31. Having endured the arguments of his three friends and the younger Elihu, Job now takes the floor to deliver his definitive defense and a profound statement on God's justice and the fate of the wicked. In this chapter, Job reasserts his integrity and unwavering faith, even as he acknowledges the perplexing reality of the wicked's temporary prosperity. Verses 11-23 specifically elaborate on the destiny of the unrighteous, detailing their initial abundance followed by a swift and often public ruin. Verse 16 serves as a striking visual of this initial, deceptive wealth, portraying the vastness of the wicked's possessions before Job pivots to describe their ultimate dispossession and judgment. This passage is crucial for Job's argument, as it refutes the simplistic retribution theology of his friends by demonstrating that the wicked can indeed flourish for a season, yet divine justice will ultimately prevail, though perhaps not in the immediate timeframe humans expect.
Historical & Cultural Context
In the ancient Near East, wealth was fundamentally tied to tangible assets such as precious metals, fine garments, livestock, and land. Silver was a primary form of currency and a highly valued commodity, often accumulated in hoards as a store of wealth. Raiment, particularly numerous or luxurious garments, served as a significant indicator of social status, power, and affluence, as clothing was often labor-intensive to produce and represented considerable investment. The cultural significance of these items makes the comparisons in Job 27:16 particularly potent. "Dust" ('âphâr) was ubiquitous in the arid and semi-arid environments of the ancient Near East, symbolizing commonness, abundance, and ephemerality. "Clay" (chômer) was a readily available and inexpensive material, primarily used for construction (bricks) or pottery, also signifying abundance and low intrinsic value. The juxtaposition of highly valued silver and raiment with common dust and clay would have immediately conveyed a sense of overwhelming quantity, perhaps even hinting at the ultimate worthlessness or impermanence of such material possessions when contrasted with enduring spiritual realities.
Key Themes
This verse significantly contributes to several profound themes woven throughout the book of Job. Firstly, it directly addresses the enduring theological problem of the prosperity of the wicked, a theme explored extensively in wisdom literature and prophetic books, as seen in Psalm 73 and Jeremiah 12:1. Job acknowledges the observable reality that the unrighteous can amass great material wealth, challenging the simplistic notion that prosperity is always a direct sign of divine blessing. Secondly, the verse emphasizes the transience and ultimate futility of earthly riches when detached from righteousness and viewed from an eternal perspective. By comparing valuable possessions to common elements like dust and clay, the verse subtly undermines their lasting value, foreshadowing their inevitable loss and dissolution, a concept echoed in Proverbs 23:5 and Ecclesiastes 5:10-15. Lastly, Job 27:16 sets up a stark contrast between outward appearance and inner reality, and between temporary gain and ultimate divine judgment. The described abundance is merely a fleeting façade for the impending ruin detailed in the subsequent verses of Job 27, reinforcing Job's core argument that true security and enduring blessing are found not in material possessions but in an unwavering relationship with God.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
A primitive root meaning to aggregate, gather together, or lay up. This verb indicates a deliberate and continuous process of amassing, suggesting a methodical and perhaps even obsessive accumulation of wealth by the wicked. It implies a large, growing collection.
Refers to the precious metal, often used as currency or for valuable objects. In the ancient world, silver was a primary indicator of wealth, economic power, and status. Its accumulation signified significant prosperity and influence.
Denotes fine, dry particles of earth. It commonly symbolizes abundance, commonness, and ephemerality. It can also be associated with something easily scattered, blown away, or returned to its base state. The comparison of silver to dust conveys an almost limitless quantity, but also hints at its potential worthlessness or ease of dispersal.
Refers to mire or potter's clay, a very common and inexpensive material used for construction or pottery. Like dust, it implies abundance and low intrinsic value. It can also suggest something easily molded, broken, or returned to its base form. The comparison of valuable raiment to clay underscores the vast quantity but also hints at its commonness or lack of enduring substance.
Verse Breakdown
"Though he heap up silver as the dust"
This clause vividly portrays the immense quantity of wealth accumulated by the wicked. The verb "heap up" suggests a deliberate and continuous process of amassing, indicating a vast and ever-growing store. The simile comparing silver—a precious and valuable commodity—to "dust"—a ubiquitous, common, and often worthless element—is striking. It conveys not just a large quantity, but an almost immeasurable amount, like the dust of the earth, highlighting the apparent boundless material abundance that can characterize the unrighteous.
"and prepare raiment as the clay;"
This parallel clause further elaborates on the wicked's material possessions, emphasizing their sheer volume. "Prepare" implies not merely acquiring but also arranging, making ready, or having a vast inventory of garments. "Raiment" refers to clothing, which in ancient cultures could be quite valuable and a significant marker of status. The comparison of this valuable commodity to "clay"—a common, cheap, and abundant building material—reinforces the idea of overwhelming quantity. It suggests that their clothing is so numerous it is likened to something as ubiquitous and inexpensive as raw earth, underscoring the sheer scale of their possessions, which are so vast they almost lose their individual value.
Literary Devices
Job 27:16 masterfully employs several potent literary devices to convey its message. The most prominent is Simile, evident in the direct comparisons "silver as the dust" and "raiment as the clay." These similes are highly effective, utilizing common, abundant, and often ephemeral elements (dust, clay) to describe valuable possessions (silver, raiment), thereby emphasizing the vast quantity of wealth accumulated by the wicked. This also subtly hints at the low intrinsic value or transient nature of such earthly riches when viewed from an eternal perspective. Furthermore, the verse utilizes Hyperbole, exaggerating the amount of wealth to an almost unbelievable degree (silver like dust, raiment like clay). This exaggeration serves to underscore the extreme material prosperity that the wicked can attain, making their subsequent downfall, detailed in the following verses, even more stark and impactful. The verse also functions as a form of Anticipatory Irony, as the description of immense, seemingly blessed abundance sets up a dramatic contrast with the wicked's ultimate loss and ruin, which Job describes immediately after this verse. The apparent blessing of material wealth is ironically a prelude to divine judgment.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Job 27:16 contributes significantly to the broader biblical discourse on wealth, divine justice, and the nature of true prosperity. It candidly acknowledges a reality often observed in the world: that the unrighteous can indeed accumulate vast material riches. However, this observation is consistently tempered by the overarching biblical understanding that such wealth, when acquired or hoarded without righteousness, is ultimately fleeting and cannot provide true security, lasting joy, or divine favor. The verse serves as a powerful preface to Job's subsequent declaration of divine judgment, asserting that despite their temporary abundance, the wicked will ultimately lose their possessions and face God's just recompense. This aligns with a consistent prophetic and wisdom theme throughout Scripture that warns against placing ultimate trust in material goods, emphasizing that God's justice will prevail, often stripping the unrighteous of their ill-gotten gains. The true treasure, as the Scriptures consistently teach, lies not in what one accumulates on earth but in one's relationship with God and the spiritual riches that endure eternally.
Reflection and Application
Job 27:16 presents a profound challenge to our contemporary understanding and pursuit of wealth. In a world that frequently equates success, blessing, and happiness with material accumulation, this verse serves as a sobering reminder that vast riches can be amassed even by those who disregard God's ways and live without righteousness. The stark imagery of "silver as the dust" and "raiment as the clay" is a powerful metaphor, impressing upon us that earthly possessions, no matter how abundant or valuable they may seem, are ultimately common, transient, and utterly incapable of providing true security, lasting joy, or eternal satisfaction. This should prompt a deep self-examination: Where do we place our ultimate trust and hope? Are we diligently pursuing spiritual riches, cultivating a life of integrity, and seeking God's kingdom, or are we caught in the endless, often deceptive, cycle of accumulating material goods that are destined to perish, be lost, or fail to satisfy? The verse calls us to a radical reorientation of our values, shifting our focus from the perishable to the eternal, and from what we can gather on earth to what truly matters in God's eyes. It encourages us to live with an eternal perspective, understanding that true wealth is found not in the fleeting abundance of this world, but in a vibrant relationship with our Creator and in living a life of righteousness, generosity, and faith.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Does Job 27:16 imply that all wealthy people are wicked?
No, Job 27:16 does not imply that all wealthy people are wicked. Rather, it is an observation within Job's argument concerning the specific case of the wicked, demonstrating that they can accumulate vast wealth, at least for a time. The Bible presents numerous examples of righteous individuals who were also wealthy, such as Abraham, who was "very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold" (Genesis 13:2), and King David. The verse's primary point is to challenge the simplistic theology espoused by Job's friends, who believed that prosperity was always a direct sign of righteousness and suffering always a direct consequence of sin. Job shows that the wicked can indeed prosper materially, but their prosperity is ultimately fleeting and does not guarantee God's favor or lasting security. The issue is not wealth itself, but the heart's attitude towards it, the means by which it is acquired, and how it is used.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
While Job 27:16 vividly describes the transient and ultimately empty accumulation of material wealth by the unrighteous, it powerfully foreshadows the radical redefinition of "riches" brought by Jesus Christ. The earthly treasures likened to common dust and abundant clay stand in stark contrast to the eternal, incorruptible treasures offered through Christ. Jesus consistently warned against the deceptive allure of material wealth, urging His followers to "lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal" (Matthew 6:19-21). He taught that true life is not found in the abundance of possessions (Luke 12:15), but in seeking first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33). Christ Himself, though "rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich" (2 Corinthians 8:9). His ultimate sacrifice on the cross secured for believers an inheritance that is "imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you" (1 Peter 1:4), far surpassing any silver or raiment. Thus, Job's lament about the wicked's fleeting wealth ultimately points to the enduring, spiritual wealth found only in union with Christ, the true and eternal treasure.