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Commentary on Job 27 verses 7–10
Job having solemnly protested the satisfaction he had in his integrity, for the further clearing of himself, here expresses the dread he had of being found a hypocrite.
I. He tells us how he startled at the thought of it, for he looked upon the condition of a hypocrite and a wicked man to be certainly the most miserable condition that any man could be in (Job 27:7): Let my enemy be as the wicked, a proverbial expression, like that (Dan 4:19), The dream be to those that hate thee. Job was so far from indulging himself in any wicked way, and flattering himself in it, that, if he might have leave to wish the greatest evil he could think of to the worst enemy he had in the world, he would wish him the portion of a wicked man, knowing that worse he could not wish him. Not that we may lawfully wish any man to be wicked, or that any man who is not wicked should be treated as wicked; but we should all choose to be in the condition of a beggar, an out-law, a galley-slave, any thing, rather that in the condition of the wicked, though in ever so much pomp and outward prosperity.
II. He gives us the reasons of it.
1.Because the hypocrite's hopes will not be crowned (Job 27:8): For what is the hope of the hypocrite? Bildad had condemned it (Job 8:13, Job 8:14), and Zophar (Job 11:20), and Job here concurs with them, and reads the death of the hypocrite's hope with as much assurance as they had done; and this fitly comes in as a reason why he would not remove his integrity, but still hold it fast. Note, The consideration of the miserable condition of wicked people, and especially hypocrites, should engage us to be upright (for we are undone, for ever undone, if we be not) and also to get the comfortable evidence of our uprightness; for how can we be easy if the great concern lie at uncertainties? Job's friends would persuade him that all his hope was but the hope of the hypocrite, Job 4:6. "Nay," says he, "I would not, for all the world, be so foolish as to build upon such a rotten foundation; for what is the hope of the hypocrite?" See here, (1.) The hypocrite deceived. He has gained, and he has hope; this is his bright side. It is allowed that he has gained by his hypocrisy, has gained the praise and applause of men and the wealth of this world. Jehu gained a kingdom by his hypocrisy and the Pharisees many a widow's house. Upon this gain he builds his hope, such as it is. He hopes he is in good circumstances for another world, because he finds he is so for this, and he blesses himself in his own way. (2.) The hypocrite undeceived. He will at last see himself wretchedly cheated; for, [1.] God shall take away his soul, sorely against his will. Luk 12:20, Thy soul shall be required of thee. God, as the Judge, takes it away to be tried and determined to its everlasting state. He shall then fall into the hands of the living God, to be dealt with immediately. [2.] What will his hope be then? It will be vanity and a lie; it will stand him in no stead. The wealth of this world, which he hoped in, he must leave behind him, Psa 49:17. The happiness of the other world, which he hoped for, he will certainly miss of. He hoped to go to heaven, but he will be shamefully disappointed; he will plead his external profession, privileges, and performances, but all his pleas will be overruled as frivolous: Depart from me, I know you not. So that, upon the whole, it is certain that a formal hypocrite, with all his gains and all his hopes, will be miserable in a dying hour.
2.Because the hypocrite's prayer will not be heard (Job 27:9): Will God hear his cry when trouble comes upon him? No, he will not; it cannot be expected he should. If true repentance come upon him, God will hear his cry and accept him (Isa 1:18); but, if he continue impenitent and unchanged, let him not think to find favour with God. Observe, (1.) Trouble will come upon him, certainly it will. Troubles in the world often surprise those that are most secure of an uninterrupted prosperity. However, death will come, and trouble with it, when he must leave the world and all his delights in it. The judgment of the great day will come; fearfulness will surprise the hypocrites, Isa 33:14. (2.) Then he will cry to God, will pray, and pray earnestly. Those who in prosperity slighted God, either prayed not at all or were cold and careless in prayer, when trouble comes will make their application to him and cry as men in earnest. But, (3.) Will God hear him then? In the troubles of this life, God has told us that he will not hear the prayers of those who regard iniquity in their hearts (Psa 66:19) and set up their idols there (Eze 14:4), nor of those who turn away their ear from hearing the law, Pro 28:9. Get you to the gods whom you have served, Jdg 10:14. In the judgment to come, it is certain, God will not hear the cry of those who lived and died in their hypocrisy. Their doleful lamentations will all be unpitied. I will laugh at your calamity. Their importunate petitions will all be thrown out and their pleas rejected. Inflexible justice cannot be biassed, nor the irreversible sentence revoked. See Mat 7:22, Mat 7:23; Luk 13:26, and the case of the foolish virgins, Mat 25:11.
3.Because the hypocrite's religion is neither comfortable nor constant (Job 27:10): Will he delight himself in the Almighty? No, not at any time (for his delight is in the profits of the world and the pleasures of the flesh, more than in God), especially not in the time of trouble. Will he always call upon God? No, in prosperity he will not call upon God, but slight him; in adversity he will not call upon God but curse him; he is weary of his religion when he gets nothing by it, or is in danger of losing. Note, (1.) Those are hypocrites who, though they profess religion, neither take pleasure in it nor persevere in it, who reckon their religion a task and a drudgery, a weariness, and snuff at it, who make use of it only to serve a turn, and lay it aside when the turn is served, who will call upon God while it is in fashion, or while the pang of devotion lasts, but leave it off when they fall into other company, or when the hot fit is over. (2.) The reason why hypocrites do not persevere in religion is because they have no pleasure in it. Those that do not delight in the Almighty will not always call upon him. 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 inveigled by the pleasures of sense, and so drawn away from their religion; and they are easily run down by the crosses of this life, and so driven away from their religion, and will not always call upon God.
What hope, he says, does the impious have, even though he has lived so far? With what sort of assurance does he expect any salvation from God like that by which I trust to be saved? How will he confidently invoke God, after falling into misfortune, as if his prayers should be really heard?
15. ‘His cry in the time of his straits God heareth not,’ because in the time of tranquillity he did not himself hear the Lord crying in His precepts. For it is written; He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination. [Prov. 28, 9] And so the holy man seeing that all they that are indifferent to practise what is light now, in the time at the end betake themselves to words of beseeching, saith; Will God hear his cry? By which words assuredly he follows close upon the words of our Redeemer, Who saith, Last of all come the foolish virgins also, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. And it is answered them, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. [Matt. 25, 11] Because great severity is exercised then, in proportion as now greater mercy is prolonged [al. granted beforehand], and He does then with strictness put forth judgment upon persons not corrected, Who now patiently bestows pity upon them going on transgressing. For hence it is the Prophet saith, Seek ye the Lord, while He may be found; call ye upon Him, while He is near. [Is. 55, 6] Now He is not seen, and’ is near,’ then He shall be seen, and shall not’ be near.’ He hath not yet appeared in judgment, and if He be sought, He is found. For in a wonderful way, when He appeareth in judgment He is at once able to be seen, and unable to be found. Hence Solomon describes Wisdom at once caressing sweetly, and judging dreadfully, saying, Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets. Whose language he also tells, adding, How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity, and fools delight in their own harm, and silly ones hate knowledge? Turn you at my reproof. Behold, I will pour out my Spirit unto yow 1 will make known my words unto you. [Prov. 1, 20-28] Mark with what kind of words her sweetness in calling is expressed. Let us see now in what ways her severity in upbraiding is told, that in the end sooner or later her strictness in punishing may have free scope. Because I have called, and ye refused, I have stretched out my hand; and no man regarded; but ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof. Let her now say how she will smite those, whom she bears with so much longsuffering, never turning back to her: I also will laugh at your destruction, I will mock when your fear cometh, when sudden calamity falleth on you, and your destruction riseth as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you. Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer. They shall rise up early, but they shall not find me. By the mouth of Solomon then, the wisest of men, all particulars are carefully set forth relating to the Judgment from Above: because she both at first calls us sweetly, and afterwards upbraids us terribly, and at the last condemns us irretrievably. And so it is well said; Will God hear his cry when trouble cometh upon him? Surely because the hypocrite then findeth not a remedy in crying, who now lets slip the fitting opportunity of crying.
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SUMMARY
Job 27:9 poses a profound rhetorical question from Job: "Will God hear his cry when trouble cometh upon him?" This verse is embedded within Job's final, extended discourse, serving as a powerful assertion against the simplistic theology of his friends. Job challenges the notion that God indiscriminately responds to every plea for help, particularly implying that the desperate cries of the wicked or hypocritical, uttered only when divine judgment or the inevitable consequences of their actions are upon them, will not be met with a favorable or saving divine response. It underscores God's discernment and the futility of insincere appeals.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
The primary literary device employed in Job 27:9 is the Rhetorical Question. Job poses a question not to elicit information, but to make a forceful assertion, expecting a negative answer. This technique emphasizes his conviction that God will not favorably respond to the desperate cries of the wicked or hypocritical when they are finally confronted with the consequences of their unrighteousness. There is also an element of Irony at play. Job's friends consistently argue that God only brings trouble upon the wicked and always hears the righteous. Here, Job uses their own theological framework, but applies it to the wicked, implicitly showing that their cries for help will be ignored, thus reinforcing the idea of divine justice, even as he simultaneously challenges their simplistic application of it to his own suffering. Furthermore, there is an implicit Contrast between the unheard cry of the wicked and the (implied) heard cry of the righteous, underscoring the importance of genuine faith and integrity before God.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Job 27:9 offers profound theological insights into the nature of God's justice, His discernment, and the conditions of acceptable prayer. It challenges the transactional view of prayer, where a cry in distress automatically guarantees divine intervention, regardless of one's character or prior relationship with God. Instead, it underscores that God is not a cosmic vending machine or a last resort for those who have ignored Him. He is righteous and discerning, looking beyond mere words to the heart and life of the individual. For those who live in hypocrisy or rebellion, their desperate cries when judgment or natural consequences arrive will not be met with a favorable response, because their relationship with Him is not genuine. This verse serves as a sobering reminder that true hope and refuge are found only in a sincere, ongoing relationship with the Almighty, built on integrity and genuine devotion.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Job 27:9 compels us to deeply examine the sincerity of our faith and the authenticity of our relationship with God. It challenges us to consider whether our prayers are rooted in genuine devotion, a desire for righteousness, and an ongoing walk with God, or if they are merely desperate pleas uttered only when we face the consequences of our actions or when life's troubles overwhelm us. This verse reminds us that God desires a relationship of integrity, not one of convenience or manipulation. Living a life of genuine faith, marked by obedience and a sincere heart, is paramount, for it is this foundation that provides true confidence that our cries will be heard and responded to by a loving and just God. It is a call to cultivate a consistent, heartfelt walk with God, ensuring that our prayers are an overflow of a life lived in His presence, not just a reactive measure in times of crisis.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Does this verse mean God never hears the prayers of those who have sinned or are in trouble?
Answer: No, Job 27:9 does not mean that God never hears the prayers of those who have sinned or are in trouble. Rather, it speaks to the nature of the cry and the heart condition of the one crying out. The "him" in this verse refers to the hypocrite or the wicked person whose hope perishes (Job 27:8). Job's rhetorical question implies that God will not favorably respond to a cry that is born purely out of self-preservation in the face of deserved judgment, especially from someone who has lived a life of rebellion or pretense.
The Bible is replete with examples of God hearing and responding to the cries of sinners who genuinely repent (Psalm 51:17). The Prodigal Son's father heard his cry of repentance and welcomed him (Luke 15:20). God's mercy is vast, and He is always ready to hear a humble and contrite heart. However, Job 27:9 serves as a warning against spiritual complacency and hypocrisy, reminding us that God discerns the true motives of the heart. He will not be manipulated by desperate pleas from those who have no genuine desire for Him, but only for escape from consequences.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Job 27:9, with its rhetorical question about God hearing the cry of the wicked in trouble, finds its ultimate and profound fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. While the verse highlights God's discernment in not hearing the insincere cries of the unrighteous, it implicitly points to the one whose cry God always hears: His perfectly righteous Son. On the cross, Jesus, who "knew no sin, became sin for us" (2 Corinthians 5:21), cried out, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46). This was the ultimate "trouble" coming upon Him, not for His own sin, but as He bore the full weight of the world's sin and experienced separation from the Father. Yet, His cry, as the perfectly righteous one, was heard not in deliverance from death, but in resurrection and ultimate vindication, securing salvation for all who believe. Through Christ, the "trouble" that would justly come upon us, the unrighteous, was absorbed by Him. Now, for those who are "in Christ," our cries are heard not on the basis of our own imperfect righteousness, but on the perfect, imputed righteousness of Jesus (Romans 8:34). He is our great High Priest who "always lives to intercede" for us (Hebrews 7:25), ensuring that our prayers, offered in faith and aligned with God's will, are always heard and answered, even when we are in trouble.