Job 27:13-23

13 "This is the portion of a wicked man with God, And the heritage of oppressors, received from the Almighty:
14 If his children are multiplied, it is for the sword; And his offspring shall not be satisfied with bread.
15 Those who survive him shall be buried in death, And their widows shall not weep,
16 Though he heaps up silver like dust, And piles up clothing like clay--
17 He may pile it up, but the just will wear it, And the innocent will divide the silver.
18 He builds his house like a moth, Like a booth which a watchman makes.
19 The rich man will lie down, But not be gathered up; He opens his eyes, And he is no more.
20 Terrors overtake him like a flood; A tempest steals him away in the night.
21 The east wind carries him away, and he is gone; It sweeps him out of his place.
22 It hurls against him and does not spare; He flees desperately from its power.
23 Men shall clap their hands at him, And shall hiss him out of his place.

Job 27:13-23 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JOB 27

Though Job's friends were become silent, and dropped the controversy with him, he still continued his discourse in this and the four following chapters; in which he asserts his integrity; illustrates and confirms his former sentiments; gives further proof of his knowledge of things, natural and divine; takes notice of his former state of prosperity, and of his present distresses and afflictions, which came upon him, notwithstanding his piety, humanity, and beneficence, and his freedom from the grosser acts of sin, both with respect to God and men, all which he enlarges upon. In this chapter he gives his word and oath for it, that he would never belie himself, and own that he was an hypocrite, when he was not, but would continue to assert his integrity, and the righteousness of his cause, as long as he lived, Job 27:1-6; for to be an hypocrite, and to attempt to conceal his hypocrisy, would be of no advantage to him, either in life, or in death, Job 27:7-10; and was this his character and case, upon their principles, he could expect no other than to be a miserable man, as wicked men are, who have their blessings turned into curses, or taken away from them, and they removed out of the world in the most awful and terrible manner, and under manifest tokens of the wrath and displeasure of God, Job 27:11-23.

Footnotes 3

  • [a]. Literally his
  • [b]. Following Masoretic Text and Vulgate; Septuagint and Syriac read spider (compare Job 8:14); Targum reads decay.
  • [c]. Following Masoretic Text and Targum; Septuagint and Syriac read But shall not add (that is, do it again); Vulgate reads But take away nothing.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.