---
title: "Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible -  Job 27"
description: "CHAPTER 27   :-. It was now Zophar"
image: "/images/missing.jpg"
url: "https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/job/27"
---

CHAPTER 27

.
It was now Zophar's turn to speak.
But as he and the other two were silent, virtually admitting defeat,
after a pause Job proceeds.

**1. parable**—applied in the East
to a figurative sententious embodiment of wisdom in poetic form, a
gnome ([Psalms 49:4](../../../kjv/psalms/49/4)).
**continued**—proceeded to
put forth; implying elevation of discourse.

**2.** ().
**taken away . . .
judgment**—words unconsciously foreshadowing Jesus Christ
([Isaiah 53:8](../../../kjv/isaiah/53/8); [Acts 8:33](../../../kjv/acts/8/33)).
God will not give Job his right, by declaring his innocence.
**vexed**—*Hebrew,*
"made bitter" ([Ruth 1:20](../../../kjv/ruth/1/20)).

**3.** Implying Job's knowledge of
the fact that the living soul was breathed into man by God (). "All the while." But MAURER,
"As yet all my breath is in me" (notwithstanding my
trials): the reason why I can speak so boldly.

**4.** ([Job 6:28](../../../kjv/job/6/28);
[Job 6:30](../../../kjv/job/6/30)). The "deceit"
would be if he were to admit guilt against the witness of his
conscience.

**5. justify you**—approve of your
views.
**mine integrity**—which
you deny, on account of my misfortunes.

**6.** Rather, my "heart"
(conscience) reproaches "not one of my days," that is, I do
not repent of any of my days since I came into existence [MAURER].

**7. Let . . . be**—Let mine enemy
be accounted as wicked, that is, He who opposes my asseveration of
innocence must be regarded as actuated by criminal hostility. Not a
curse on his enemies.

**8.** "What hope hath the
hypocrite, notwithstanding all his gains, when?" c. "Gained"
is antithetic to "taketh away." UMBREIT'S
translation is an unmeaning tautology. "When God cuts off, when
He *taketh away* his life."
**taketh away**—literally,
"draws out" the soul from the body, which is, as it were,
its scabbard ([Job 4:21](../../../kjv/job/4/21) [Psalms 104:29](../../../kjv/psalms/104/29);
[Daniel 7:15](../../../kjv/daniel/7/15)). Job says that he
admits what Bildad said ([Job 8:13](../../../kjv/job/8/13))
and Zophar ([Job 20:5](../../../kjv/job/20/5)). But he
says the very fact of his still calling upon God ([Job 20:5](../../../kjv/job/20/5)) amid all his trials, which a hypocrite would not dare to
do, shows he is no "hypocrite."

**9.** ().

**10.** Alluding to .
**always call**—He may do
so in times of prosperity in order to be thought religious. But he
will not, as I do, call on God in calamities verging on death.
Therefore I cannot be a "hypocrite" ([Job 19:25](../../../kjv/job/19/25);
[Job 20:5](../../../kjv/job/20/5); [Psalms 62:8](../../../kjv/psalms/62/8)).

**11-23.** These words are contrary
to Job's previous sentiments (see on ; [Job 27:2](../../../kjv/job/27/2)).
[Job 21:22-33](../../../kjv/job/21/22-33); [Job 24:22-25](../../../kjv/job/24/22-25)).
They therefore seem to be Job's statement, not so much of his own
sentiments, as of what Zophar would have said had he spoken when his
turn came (end of the twenty-sixth chapter). So Job stated the
friends' opinion ([Job 21:17-21](../../../kjv/job/21/17-21);
[Job 24:18-21](../../../kjv/job/24/18-21)). The
objection is, why, if so, does not Job answer Zophar's opinion, as
stated by himself? The fact is, it is probable that Job tacitly, by
giving, in the twenty-eighth chapter, only a general answer, implies,
that in spite of the wicked *often* dying, as he said, in
prosperity, he does not mean to deny that the wicked are *in the
main* dealt with according to right, and that God herein
vindicates His moral government *even here.* Job therefore
states Zophar's argument more strongly than Zophar would have done.
But by comparing [Job 27:13](../../../kjv/job/27/13);
[Job 20:29](../../../kjv/job/20/29) ("portion,"
"heritage"), it will be seen, it is Zophar's argument,
rather than his own, that Job states. Granting it to be true, implies
Job, you ought not to use it as an argument to criminate *me.*
For ([Job 28:1-28](../../../kjv/job/28/1-28)) the
ways of divine wisdom in afflicting the godly are inscrutable: all
that is sure to man is, the fear of the Lord is wisdom ([Job 28:1-18](../../../kjv/job/28/1-18)).
**by the hand**—rather,
*concerning* the hand of God, namely, what God does in governing
men.
**with the Almighty**—the
counsel or principle which regulates God's dealings.

**12.** "Ye yourselves see"
that the wicked *often* are afflicted (though often the reverse,
[Job 21:33](../../../kjv/job/21/33)). But do you
"vainly" make this an argument to prove from my afflictions
that I am wicked?

**13.** (See on ).

**14.** His family only increases to
perish by sword or famine ([Jeremiah 18:21](../../../kjv/jeremiah/18/21);
[Job 5:20](../../../kjv/job/5/20), the converse).

**15.** Those that escape war and
famine ([Job 27:14](../../../kjv/job/27/14)) shall be
buried by *the deadly plague*—"death" ([Job 18:13](../../../kjv/job/18/13);
[Jeremiah 15:2](../../../kjv/jeremiah/15/2); [Revelation 6:8](../../../kjv/revelation/6/8)).
The plague of the Middle Ages was called "the black death."
*Buried by* it implies that they would have none else but the
death plague itself (poetically personified) to perform their funeral
rites, that is, would have no one.
**his**—rather, "*their*
widows." Transitions from *singular* to *plural* are
frequent. Polygamy is not implied.

**16. dust . . . clay**—images of
multitudes ([Zechariah 9:3](../../../kjv/zechariah/9/3)). Many
changes of raiment are a chief constituent of wealth in the East.

**17.** Introverted parallelism.
(See ). Of the four
clauses in the two verses, one answers to four, two to three (so ).

**18.** ([Job 8:14](../../../kjv/job/8/14);
[Job 4:19](../../../kjv/job/4/19)). The transition is
natural from "raiment" ([Job 4:19](../../../kjv/job/4/19)) to the "house" of the "moth" in it,
and of it, when in its larva state. The *moth worm's house* is
broken whenever the "raiment" is shaken out, so frail is
it.
**booth**—a bough-formed
hut which the guard of a vineyard raises for temporary shelter ([Job 4:19](../../../kjv/job/4/19)).

**19. gathered**—buried honorably
([Genesis 25:8](../../../kjv/genesis/25/8); [2 Kings 22:20](../../../kjv/2-kings/22/20)).
But UMBREIT, agreeably to
[Job 27:18](../../../kjv/job/27/18), which describes *the
short continuance of the sinner's prosperity,* "He layeth
himself rich in his bed, *and nothing is robbed from him,* he
openeth his eyes, and *nothing more is there.*" If *English
Version* be retained, the first clause probably means, rich though
he be in *dying,* he shall not be honored with a *funeral;*
the second, When he opens his eyes *in the unseen world,* it is
only to see *his destruction:* the *Septuagint* reads for
"not gathered," *He does not proceed,* that is, goes
to his bed no more. So MAURER.

**20.** ([Job 18:11](../../../kjv/job/18/11);
[Job 22:11](../../../kjv/job/22/11); [Job 22:21](../../../kjv/job/22/21)).
Like a sudden violent flood ([Isaiah 8:7](../../../kjv/isaiah/8/7);
[Isaiah 8:8](../../../kjv/isaiah/8/8); [Jeremiah 47:2](../../../kjv/jeremiah/47/2)):
conversely ([Psalms 32:6](../../../kjv/psalms/32/6)).

**21.** ([Job 21:18](../../../kjv/job/21/18);
[Job 15:2](../../../kjv/job/15/2); [Psalms 58:9](../../../kjv/psalms/58/9)).

**22. cast**—namely, thunderbolts
([Job 6:4](../../../kjv/job/6/4); [Job 7:20](../../../kjv/job/7/20);
[Job 16:13](../../../kjv/job/16/13); [Psalms 7:12](../../../kjv/psalms/7/12);
[Psalms 7:13](../../../kjv/psalms/7/13)).

**23. clap . . . hands**—for joy
at his downfall ([Lamentations 2:15](../../../kjv/lamentations/2/15);
[Nahum 3:19](../../../kjv/nahum/3/19)).
**hiss**—deride ([Nahum 3:19](../../../kjv/nahum/3/19)). Job alludes to Bildad's words ([Nahum 3:19](../../../kjv/nahum/3/19)).

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