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 ).
continued--proceeded to put forth; implying elevation of discourse.
2. ( 1 Samuel 20:3 ).
taken away . . . judgment--words unconsciously foreshadowing Jesus Christ ( Isaiah 53:8 , Acts 8:33 ). God will not give Job his right, by declaring his innocence.
vexed--Hebrew, "made bitter" ( Ruth 1:20 ).
3. Implying Job's knowledge of the fact that the living soul was breathed into man by God ( Genesis 2:7 ). "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 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 , Psalms 104:29 , Daniel 7:15 ). Job says that he admits what Bildad said ( Job 8:13 ) and Zophar ( Job 20:5 ). But he says the very fact of his still calling upon God ( Job 27:10 ) amid all his trials, which a hypocrite would not dare to do, shows he is no "hypocrite."
9. ( Psalms 66:18 ).
10. Alluding to Job 22:26 .
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 , 20:5 , Psalms 62:8 ).