Job 27:16

16 "Though he piles up silver like dust And prepares garments as plentiful as the clay,

Job 27:16 Meaning and Commentary

Job 27:16

Though he heap up silver as the dust
Which, as it denotes the great abundance of it collected together, so it expresses the bias and disposition of such a man's mind, that he cannot be content without amassing great quantities of it, and also his diligence and success therein, see ( 1 Kings 10:27 ) ( Psalms 39:6 ) ( Habakkuk 2:6 ) ;

and prepare raiment as the clay;
not merely, for use, but pomp and show, to fill his wardrobes with; and formerly, raiment was part of the treasure of great men: the phrase signifies that he might have such a variety of raiment, and such large quantities of it, that he would value it no more than so much clay; or else that his riches, consist of what it would, would be both polluting and troublesome to him; the Septuagint version reads "gold" instead of "raiment", as in ( Zechariah 9:3 ) , where like expressions are used of Tyre.

Job 27:16 In-Context

14 "Though his sons are many, they are destined for the sword; And his descendants will not be satisfied with bread.
15 "His survivors will be buried because of the plague, And their widows will not be able to weep.
16 "Though he piles up silver like dust And prepares garments as plentiful as the clay,
17 He may prepare it, but the just will wear it And the innocent will divide the silver.
18 "He has built his house like the spider's web, Or as a hut which the watchman has made.
New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, California.  All rights reserved.