Old Testament Commentary - Job 27

by Don R. Hender

Scriptural Text [& Editorial]	Commentary & Explanation	Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
CHAPTER 27 Job asserts his righteousness—When the wicked are buried in death, terrors shall take hold on them.
1 MOREOVER Job continued his parable, and said, 2 As God liveth, who hath taken away my judgment; and the Almighty, who hath vexed my soul; 3 All the while my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils; 4 My lips shall not speak ^awickedness, nor my tongue utter ^bdeceit.		4^a Ps. 5:4-12 ^b TG Deceit; TG Honesty
5 God forbid that I should justify you: till I die I will not ^aremove mine ^bintegrity from me. 6 My ^arighteousness I hold fast^a, and will not let it go: my heart shall not ^breproach me so long as I live. 7 Let mine enemy be as the wicked, and he that riseth up against me as the unrighteous. HANGING ON I feel that the need for Job to hang on to his righteousness cannot be over stated. Everything that Job had had been lost and in was in a state of total afflication. The only sanity that Job had left was his God and his personal committment to righteosness. To Job that was so important to keep hold of as it was all that was left of just who Job was, who he 'once' was. It was his anchor to his soul. The rest of his world had colapsed, but his God and his righteous life style still remained and it helped Job to keep his graps on who he was and just what it was that he and his life had been all about. His was not a false righteousness. His was the real deal. And it was a part of what and who he had been, and who he still was. It defined Job and gave him definition and self authentication.	6^a My righteousness I hold fast Job had been and was still committed to his life of righteousness. He knew that he had been living righteously. That life takes some effort and Job was not about going to deny to himself that he had been striving and been living righteously. He would not have been true to himself after all of his effort and concentration of living the righteous life. It helps to understand Job when one comes to realize just what extent of effort and dedication Job had had to the righteous life style that he had been living. And he was not just going to give that claim and committment up in that time of his affliction. Sometimes it becomes easier to give up on that type of committment thinking 'what is the use?' I've put forth all this effort and work and what has it gotten me? But Job was still fully committed to his righteous life style and he was not going to let his claim to it go. In one mind set, it just may have been one of the last holds on reality that Job has left to hold on to for he had thus lost so much and been through so much. It was the last little bit of his prior reality that he had left to keep hold of or perhaps he may have just lost grasp of it all and totally 'caved in'.	5^a TG Perseverance ^b Mosiah 24:15-16; D&C 54:10; TG Integrity; TG Sincerity; TG Steadfastness 6^a TG Righteousness ^b Alma 29:5
8 For what is the ^ahope of the hypocrite, though he hath ^bgained, when God taketh away his soul? 9 Will God ^ahear his ^bcry when trouble cometh upon him? 10 Will he delight himself in the ^aAlmighty? will he always call upon God? 11 I will teach you by the hand of God: that which is with the Almighty will I not conceal.		8^a Alma 34:33-35 ^b Matt. 16:26 9^a Prov. 1:28 ^b Mosiah 11:24 (21-25); Mosiah 21:14-15; TG God, Access to 10^a Mosiah 11:23
12 Behold, all ye yourselves have seen it; why then are ye thus altogether vain? 13 This is the portion of a wicked man with God, and the heritage of ^aoppressors, which they shall receive of the Almighty. 14 If his ^achildren be multiplied, it is for the sword: and his offspring shall not be satisfied with bread.		13^a TG Injustice; TG Oppression 14^a Deut. 28:41; 2 Ne. 23:16 (15-16)
15 Those that remain of him shall be buried in death: and his widows shall not weep. 16 Though he heap up silver as the dust, and prepare ^araiment as the clay; 17 He may prepare it, but the just shall put it on, and the innocent shall divide the silver.		16^a 3 Ne. 13:25
18 He buildeth his house as a moth, and as a booth that the keeper maketh. 19 The rich man shall lie down, but he shall not be gathered: he openeth his eyes, and he is not. 20 Terrors take hold on him as waters, a tempest stealeth him away in the night.
21 The east wind carrieth him away, and he departeth: and as a storm hurleth him out of his place. 22 For God shall cast upon him, and not spare: he would fain flee out of his hand. 23 Men shall ^aclap their hands at him, and shall hiss him out of his place.		23^a Lam. 2:15