Job 27 - Introduction

Job protests his innocence

The third speaker, Zophar, fails to come forward; and Job, after a pause, resumes his discourse. This discourse is necessary in order to give this third cycle of speeches the same form as the previous two had. In each case Job in his third speech directly attacks the previous arguments of his opponents. In ch. 22 Eliphaz had made against him plain charges of great wickedness. Job now meets these by a solemn protestation before God of his innocence (ch. Job 27:1-6).

As the Chapter s are at present arranged Job's final discourse consists of two parts, one occupying chap. 27 28, and the other ch. 29 31, at the close of which stands the formula, The words of Job are ended. The exposition of ch. 27 28. is beset with difficulty, partly because the line of thought is hard to trace, and partly because the sentiments expressed by Job seem to be in contradiction to the position he has hitherto maintained and which he again resumes in the following Chapter s. Hence doubts have been entertained by very many writers whether these two Chapter s ought really to be ascribed to Job, some considering that the discourses in this part of the Book have fallen into disorder and been attributed to the wrong speakers, and others that the main part of the passage ch. 27 28 is an altogether foreign element, which has been introduced into the Book after it left the hand of the original writer. See the Introduction.

Chap. 27 consists of two main parts,

First, Job 27:1, a solemn protestation before God by Job of his innocence;

And second, Job 27:7, a picture of the condition of the wicked man, in two divisions, (1) his dreary and desolate condition of mind, having no hope in God, when death or afflictions overtake him, Job 27:7; and (2) the terrible external destruction that befalls him at the hand of God, Job 27:11.