Job 27:17

17 soothly he made these things ready, but a just man shall be clothed in those things, and an innocent man shall part the silver. (truly he got these things, but the righteous shall be clothed in them, and the innocent shall divide, or shall share, the silver.)

Job 27:17 Meaning and Commentary

Job 27:17

He may prepare [it]
Raiment; beginning with that first which was mentioned last, which is frequent in the Hebrew and eastern languages; such things may be done, and often are, by wicked men:

but the just shall put [it] on;
the wicked man will either have no heart, or have no time, to wear it, at least to wear it out, and so a just man shall have it, as the Israelites put on the raiment of the Egyptians, which they begged or borrowed, and spoiled them of, ( Exodus 12:35 ) ; and oftentimes so it is in Providence, that the wealth of wicked men is by one means or another transferred into the families of good men, who enjoy it, and make a better use of it, ( Proverbs 13:22 ) ;

and the innocent shall divide the silver;
have a part of it at least, or divide the whole between his children, or give a part of it to the poor; so money that is ill gotten, or ill used, is taken away, and put into the hands of one that will have mercy on the poor, and liberally distribute it to them, ( Proverbs 28:8 ) .

Job 27:17 In-Context

15 They, that be residue of him, shall be buried in perishing; and the widows of him shall not weep. (They, who be left of him, shall die from disease; and their widows shall not weep for them.)
16 If he gathereth together silver as earth, and maketh ready clothes as (the) clay; (Yea, though he gathereth together silver like dust, and getteth himself heaps of clothes;)
17 soothly he made these things ready, but a just man shall be clothed in those things, and an innocent man shall part the silver. (truly he got these things, but the righteous shall be clothed in them, and the innocent shall divide, or shall share, the silver.)
18 As a moth he hath builded his house, and as a keeper he made a shadowing place. (Like a moth, he hath built his house, and he hath made his place of shade like a watchman.)
19 A rich man, when he shall die, shall bear nothing with him; he shall open his eyes, and he shall find nothing.
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.