Job 20:27

27 Heavens shall show his wickedness; and earth shall rise up (al)together against him. (The heavens shall show his wickedness; and the earth shall altogether rise up against him.)

Job 20:27 Meaning and Commentary

Job 20:27

The heaven shall reveal his iniquity
Either God the Maker and Possessor of heaven, who dwells there, and is sometimes so called, ( Daniel 4:25 ) ( Luke 15:18 ) ; who sees and knows all things, even those that are most secret, as well as more openly committed, and will make all manifest, sooner or later; or else the angels of heaven, the inhabitants of it, so the Targum; who in the last day will be employed in gathering out of Christ's kingdom all that offend, and do iniquity, ( Matthew 13:41 Matthew 13:42 ) ; or the judgments of God descending from heaven, or appear there, and are owing to it; such as drowning the old world by opening the windows of heaven, ( Genesis 7:11 ) ; the burning of Sodom and Gomorrah by fire and brimstone from thence, ( Genesis 19:24 ) ; and the destruction of persons by thunder, ( 2 Samuel 22:15 ) ( Psalms 144:6 ) , and lightning, ( 1 Samuel 2:10 ) ( 7:10 ) ( Isaiah 29:6 ) , and the like; which judgments falling upon men, show them to be guilty of crimes deserving of the wrath of God, see ( Romans 1:18 ) ;

and the earth shall rise up against him;
when that becomes barren for the sins of men, and nothing but things hurtful to man rise up out of it; when it discloses the blood of murdered persons, and will at last give up the wicked dead that are buried in it; the Targum is,

``the inhabitants of the earth;''

and may be interpreted of their enmity, opposition, and hostility.

Job 20:27 In-Context

25 Which is led, or taken out of his sheath, or case, and this bow going out, and shining as lightning, shall smite him in bitterness; horrible fears shall go (forth), and come upon him. (Which is taken out of its sheath, or its case, and this bow going out, and shining like lightning, shall strike him in his gall bladder; horrible fears shall go forth, and shall come upon him.)
26 All darknesses (shall) be hid in his privates; fire, which is not tended, shall devour him; he shall be tormented (who is) left in his tabernacle. (All darkness shall be hid in his secret place; a fire, which is not tended, shall devour him; he who is left in his tent, shall be tormented.)
27 Heavens shall show his wickedness; and earth shall rise up (al)together against him. (The heavens shall show his wickedness; and the earth shall altogether rise up against him.)
28 The seed, or generation, of his house shall be open (All that he hath in his house shall be destroyed); it shall be drawn down in the day of the strong vengeance of the Lord.
29 This is the part of a wicked man, which is given to him of God, and the heritage of his words is also of the Lord. (This is the portion for the wicked, which is given to him from God, and his inheritance which is also from the Lord.)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.