Job 6:27

27 You would even ¹cast lots over the fatherless, and bargain over your friend.

Job 6:27 Meaning and Commentary

Job 6:27

Yea, ye overwhelm the fatherless
Meaning himself; who was like a fatherless child, stripped of all his mercies, of his children, his substance, and his health; and was in a most miserable, helpless, and forlorn condition; and, moreover, deprived of the gracious presence and visible protection of his heavenly Father, being given up for a while into the hands of Satan; and now it was unkind and barbarous to overwhelm such a man, who was overwhelmed with overmuch sorrow already: or, "ye cause to fall upon the fatherless"; either their wrath and anger, as the Targum and many others ^F4 instead of doing him justice; or a wall, or any such thing, to crush him, as Aben Ezra; or a lot, as Simeon bar Tzemach; see ( Joel 3:3 ) ; or rather a net, or a snare to entrap him in, seeking to entangle him in talk, so Mr. Broughton, which agrees with what follows:

and ye dig [a pit] for your friend;
contrive mischief against him; sought to bring him to ruin; and which is aggravated by his having been their old friend, with whom they lived in strict friendship, and had professed much unto, and still pretended to have respect for; the allusion is to digging of pits for the catching of wild beasts: some render it, "ye feast upon your friend" ^F5; so the word is used in ( 2 Kings 6:23 ) ( Job 41:6 ) ; this sense is taken notice of by Aben Ezra and Bar Tzemach; and then the meaning is, you rejoice at the misery of your friend; you mock him and that, and insult him in his distress, with which the Septuagint version agrees; which was cruel usage.

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FOOTNOTES:

F4 (Pa) "iram", Vatablus, Mercerus, Cocceius; so Jarchi and Sephorno.
F5 (wrkt) "epulamini", Piscator; so Beza, Gussetius.

Job 6:27 In-Context

25 How forceful are upright words! But what does reproof from you reprove?

26 Do you think that you can reprove words, when the speech of a despairing man is wind?

27 You would even cast lots over the fatherless, and bargain over your friend.

28 “But now, be pleased to look at me, for I will not lie to your face.

29 Please turn; let no injustice be done. Turn now; my vindication is at stake.

Cross References

• 1. 6:27 Joel 3:3; Nah. 3:10