(5) God forbid that I should justify you.—To admit the wickedness with which his friends charged him would have been to justify them—to say that they were right and he was wrong. This he resolves not to do. read more
(6) My heart shall not reproach me.—Or, doth not reproach me for any of my days. read more
Job 27:6 Human nature is a noble and beautiful thing; not a foul nor a base thing.... Have faith that God made you upright, though you have sought out many inventions; so you will strive daily to become more what your Maker meant and means you to be, and daily gives you also the power to be, and you will cling more and more to the nobleness and virtue that is in you, saying, 'My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go'. Ruskin in The Grown of Wild Olive. The great thing in the world... read more
XXII.THE OUTSKIRTS OF HIS WAYSJob 26:1-14; Job 27:1-23Job SPEAKSBEGINNING his reply Job is full of scorn and sarcasm."How hast thou helped one without power! How hast thou saved the strengthless arm! How hast thou counselled one void of knowledge, And plentifully declared the thing that is known!"Well indeed hast thou spoken, O man of singular intelligence. I am very weak, my arm is powerless. What reassurance, what generous help thou hast provided! I, doubtless, know nothing, and thou hast... read more
CHAPTER 27 Job’s Closing Words in Self-Vindication 1. My righteousness I hold fast (Job 27:1-6 ) 2. The contrast between himself and the wicked (Job 27:7-23 ) Job 27:1-6 . Zophar, the third friend, no longer speaks. Perhaps Job paused after his remarks in answer to Bildad and waited for Zophar’s criticism. Perhaps that young hot-head hid his inability of advancing another argument under an assumed disgust. Critics have assigned Job 27:7-10 and Job 27:13-23 to Zophar and claim that Job did... read more
27:5 God forbid that I should {c} justify you: till I die I will not remove mine {d} integrity from me.(c) Which condemns me as a wicked man, because the hand of God is on me.(d) I will not confess that God does thus punish me for my sins. read more
27:6 My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go: my heart shall not reproach [me] so long as I {e} live.(e) Of my life past. read more
HOLDING FAST HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS (vv.1-7) In Chapter 26 Job answered Bildad fully. Bildad's last argument was very brief, and after this Zophar had nothing at all to say. Job has already won the debate, though he fully, admits that he has not found the relief he is seeking. Now he spends five chapters in his self-defence, which will get him nowhere as regards the answer to his distressing condition, for his comparatively righteous life had nothing to do with the answer to his questions. He... read more
THIRD SERIES OF THE DEBATE 1. With Eliphaz (chaps. 22-24) a. Speech of Eliphaz (chap. 22) b. Reply of Job (chaps. 23-24) 2. With Bildad (chaps. 25-26) a. Speech of Bildad (chap. 25) b. Reply of Job (chap. 26) 3. With Zophar (chaps. 27-31) a. Continuation of the reply of Job (chaps. 27-31) The last speech Eliphaz makes, chapter 22, is a grand effort to refute Job based upon the latter’s appeal to facts. There is more severity in it than he has shown before. He charges Job with cruelty,... read more
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John Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible - Job 27:1-23
Job’s Eighth Speech (concluded)1-6. Job protests that he is innocent.Job 27:1-6 are an enlargement of what Job had previously said (Job 13:16) of his determination not to admit that he was being punished for his sins, since he felt that he was innocent of any great offence. This much is plain, but the rest of the chapter (Job 27:7-23) is puzzling; inasmuch as the sentiments expressed regarding the fate of the wicked seem opposed to Job’s views in the rest of the book when he enlarges on the... read more