Job 27:4

4 My lips will not speak wickedness, Nor my tongue utter deceit.

Job 27:4 Meaning and Commentary

Job 27:4

My lips shall not speak wickedness
This is the thing he swears to, this the matter of his oath, not only that he would not speak a wicked word not anything corrupt, unsavoury, unchaste, profane, and idle nor speak evil of his neighbours and friends or of any man; but that he would not speak wickedly of himself, as he must do, if he owned himself to be a wicked man and an hypocrite as his friends charged him, and they would have had him confessed; but he swears he would not utter such wickedness as long as he had any breath in him:

nor my tongue utter deceit;
which respects the same thing; not merely any fallacy or lie, or what might impose upon and deceive another, which yet he was careful of; but such deceit and falsehood as would be a belying himself, which would be the case should he say that he was devoid of integrity and sincerity.

Job 27:4 In-Context

2 "As God lives, who has taken away my justice, And the Almighty, who has made my soul bitter,
3 As long as my breath is in me, And the breath of God in my nostrils,
4 My lips will not speak wickedness, Nor my tongue utter deceit.
5 Far be it from me That I should say you are right; Till I die I will not put away my integrity from me.
6 My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go; My heart shall not reproach me as long as I live.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.