Job 27:16

16 Even if he should gather silver as earth, and prepare gold as 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 And if their children be many, they shall be for slaughter: and if they grow up, they shall beg.

15 And they that survive of him shall utterly perish, and no one shall pity their widows.

16 Even if he should gather silver as earth, and prepare gold as clay;

17 All these things shall the righteous gain, and the truehearted shall possess his wealth.

18 And his house is gone like moths, and like a spider's web.