Job 27:4

4 My lips shall not speak unrighteousness, nor my tongue utter deceit!

Job 27:4 Meaning and Commentary

Job 27:4

My lips shall not speak wickedness
This is the thing he swears to, this the matter of his oath, not only that he would not speak a wicked word not anything corrupt, unsavoury, unchaste, profane, and idle nor speak evil of his neighbours and friends or of any man; but that he would not speak wickedly of himself, as he must do, if he owned himself to be a wicked man and an hypocrite as his friends charged him, and they would have had him confessed; but he swears he would not utter such wickedness as long as he had any breath in him:

nor my tongue utter deceit;
which respects the same thing; not merely any fallacy or lie, or what might impose upon and deceive another, which yet he was careful of; but such deceit and falsehood as would be a belying himself, which would be the case should he say that he was devoid of integrity and sincerity.

Job 27:4 In-Context

2 [As] God liveth, who hath taken away my right, and the Almighty, who hath embittered my soul,
3 All the while my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils,
4 My lips shall not speak unrighteousness, nor my tongue utter deceit!
5 Be it far from me that I should justify you; till I die I will not remove my blamelessness from me.
6 My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go: my heart reproacheth [me] not one of my days.
The Darby Translation is in the public domain.