Job 27:2-12

2 As God lives, who has taken away my rights; and the Almighty, who has made my soul bitter,
3 that all the while my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils,
4 my lips shall not speak iniquity, nor my tongue utter deceit.
5 In no wise should I justify you; until I die I will not remove my integrity from me.
6 I hold fast to my righteousness and will not let it go; my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live.
7 Let my enemy be as the wicked and my adversary as the unrighteous.
8 For what is the hope of the hypocrite, though he has stolen much, when God takes away his soul?
9 Will God hear his cry when the tribulation comes upon him?
10 Will he delight himself in the Almighty? Will he always call upon God?
11 I will teach you what there is in the hand of God; I will not conceal that which is regarding the Almighty.
12 Behold, all ye yourselves have seen it; why then are ye so completely vain?

Job 27:2-12 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JOB 27

Though Job's friends were become silent, and dropped the controversy with him, he still continued his discourse in this and the four following chapters; in which he asserts his integrity; illustrates and confirms his former sentiments; gives further proof of his knowledge of things, natural and divine; takes notice of his former state of prosperity, and of his present distresses and afflictions, which came upon him, notwithstanding his piety, humanity, and beneficence, and his freedom from the grosser acts of sin, both with respect to God and men, all which he enlarges upon. In this chapter he gives his word and oath for it, that he would never belie himself, and own that he was an hypocrite, when he was not, but would continue to assert his integrity, and the righteousness of his cause, as long as he lived, Job 27:1-6; for to be an hypocrite, and to attempt to conceal his hypocrisy, would be of no advantage to him, either in life, or in death, Job 27:7-10; and was this his character and case, upon their principles, he could expect no other than to be a miserable man, as wicked men are, who have their blessings turned into curses, or taken away from them, and they removed out of the world in the most awful and terrible manner, and under manifest tokens of the wrath and displeasure of God, Job 27:11-23.

The Jubilee Bible (from the Scriptures of the Reformation), edited by Russell M. Stendal, Copyright © 2000, 2001, 2010