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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Job 27:1-6

Job's discourse here is called a parable (mashal), the title of Solomon's proverbs, because it was grave and weighty, and very instructive, and he spoke as one having authority. It comes from a word that signifies to rule, or have dominion; and some think it intimates that Job now triumphed over his opponents, and spoke as one that had baffled them. We say of an excellent preacher that he knows how dominari in concionibus?to command his hearers. Job did so here. A long strife there had been... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Job 27:7-10

Job having solemnly protested the satisfaction he had in his integrity, for the further clearing of himself, here expresses the dread he had of being found a hypocrite. I. He tells us how he startled at the thought of it, for he looked upon the condition of a hypocrite and a wicked man to be certainly the most miserable condition that any man could be in (Job 27:7): Let my enemy be as the wicked, a proverbial expression, like that (Dan. 4:19), The dream be to those that hate thee. Job was so... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Job 27:1

Moreover Job continued his parable ,.... Having finished his discourse concerning the worlds and ways of God, and the display of his majesty, power, and glory, in them, he pauses awhile, waiting for Zophar, whose turn was next to rise up, and make a reply to him; but neither he, nor any of his friends, reassumed the debate, but kept a profound silence, and chose not to carry on the dispute any further with him; either concluding him to be an obstinate man, not open to conviction, and on whom... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Job 27:2

As God liveth ,.... Which is an oath, as Jarchi observes, and is a form of one frequently used, see 2 Samuel 2:27 ; and is used by God himself, who, because he can swear by no greater, swears by himself, and by his life, which ever continues, as in Ezekiel 18:3 ; and many other places; and so the Angel of the Lord, even the uncreated Angel, Daniel 12:7 ; and so should men, when they swear at all, it should be in this manner, see Jeremiah 4:2 ; though this ought not to be but in... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Job 27:3

All the while my breath is in me ,.... So long the oath of God would be upon him, or he bound himself under it: and the spirit of God is in my nostrils ; which signifies the same thing. The breath of a man is his spirit, and this is of God, the Father of spirits; he first breathed into man the breath of life, and he became a living soul or spirit, Genesis 2:7 ; it is he that gives life and breath to every man, Acts 17:25 , and continues it as long as he pleases, which is a very... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible 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... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Job 27:5

God forbid that I should justify you ,.... Not but that he counted them righteous and good men God-ward; he did not take upon him to judge their state, and to justify or condemn them with respect to their everlasting condition; but he could not justify them in their censures of him, and say they did a right thing in charging him with wickedness and hypocrisy; nor could he justify them in all their sentiments and doctrines which they had delivered concerning the punishment of the wicked in... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Job 27:6

My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go ,.... Meaning not his personal righteousness, or the righteousness of his works, as his justifying righteousness before God, and for acceptance with him; which no man that is convinced of the insufficiency of, as Job was, will hold fast, but renounce, and desire, with the Apostle Paul, not to be found in it, Philemon 3:9 . Indeed the righteousness of his living Redeemer, which was his, and he might call so, this he knew, and knew he... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Job 27:7

Let mine enemy be as the wicked ,.... Job in this, and some following verses, shows, that he was not, and could not, and would not be a wicked man and an hypocrite, or however had no opinion and liking of such persons; for whatever his friends might think of him, because he had said so much of their outward prosperity in this world; yet he was far from approving of or conniving at their wickedness and hypocrisy, or choosing them for his companions, and joining with them in their actions, or... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Job 27:8

For what is the hope of the hypocrite ,.... In religion, who seems to be what he is not, a holy and righteous man; professes to have what he has not, the grace of God; pretends to do what he does not, worship God sincerely and fervently, and does all he does to be seen of men; though such a man may have an hope, as he has, of an interest in the divine layout, and of eternal glory and happiness, what will it signify? what avail will it be unto him? what will it issue in? Job was of the same... read more

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