Job 15:27-35

27 Fatness, that is, pride of temporal abundance, covered his face, or understanding, and outward fatness, that is, unshamefastness, hangeth down of his sides (hangeth down on his sides). [Fatness covered his face, and of his sides grease hangeth. (Fatness covered his face, and grease hangeth down on his sides.)]
28 He shall dwell in desolate cities (He shall live in empty cities), and in deserted houses, that be turned into burials.
29 He shall not be made rich, neither his chattel shall dwell steadfastly (nor shall his substance, or his possessions, endure); neither he shall send his root into the earth,
30 neither he shall go away from darknesses. Flame shall make dry his branches, and he shall be taken away by the spirit of his mouth (The flame shall dry up his branches, and then he shall be taken away by the wind).
31 Believe he not vainly which is deceived by error, that he shall be again-bought by any price. (He, who is deceived by error, vainly believeth that he shall be bought back, or redeemed, at any price.)
32 Before that his days be [ful]filled, he shall perish, and his hands shall wax dry;
33 he shall be hurt as a vine in the first flower of his grape, and as an olive tree casting away his flower. (he shall be like a vine that droppeth off its unripe grapes, or like an olive tree that casteth away its flowering buds.)
34 For the gathering together of an hypocrite is barren, and fire shall devour the tabernacles of them, that take gifts willfully. (For hypocrites, one and all, be barren, and fire shall devour the tents of those, who willingly take gifts.)
35 He conceived sorrow, and childed wickedness, and his womb maketh ready treacheries.

Job 15:27-35 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JOB 15

Job's three friends having in their turns attacked him, and he having given answer respectively to them, Eliphaz, who began the attack, first enters the debate with him again, and proceeds upon the same plan as before, and endeavours to defend his former sentiments, falling upon Job with greater vehemence and severity; he charges him with vanity, imprudence, and unprofitableness in his talk, and acting a part unbecoming his character as a wise man; yea, with impiety and a neglect of religion, or at least as a discourager of it by his words and doctrines, of which his mouth and lips were witnesses against him, Job 15:1-6; he charges him with arrogance and a high conceit of himself, as if he was the first man that was made, nay, as if he was the eternal wisdom of God, and had been in his council; and, to check his vanity, retorts his own words upon him, or however the sense of them, Job 15:7-10; and also with slighting the consolations of God; upon which he warmly expostulates with him, Job 15:11-13; and in order to convince him of his self-righteousness, which he thought he was full of, he argues from the angels, the heavens, and the general case of man, Job 15:14-16; and then he declares from his own knowledge, and from the relation of wise and ancient men in former times, who made it their observation, that wicked men are afflicted all their days, attended with terror and despair, and liable to various calamities, Job 15:17-24; the reasons of which are their insolence to God, and hostilities committed against him, which they are encouraged in by their prosperous circumstances, Job 15:25-27; notwithstanding all, their estates, riches, and wealth, will come to nothing, Job 15:28-30; and the chapter is closed with an exhortation to such, not to feed themselves up with vain hopes, or trust in uncertain riches, since their destruction would be sure, sudden, and terrible, Job 15:31-35.

Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.