Albert Barnes Commentary Job 27:1

"And Job again took up his parable, and said," — Job 27:1 (ASV)

Job continued - The marginal note, as in the Hebrew, is “added to take up.” Probably he had paused for Zophar to reply, but since he said nothing, he now resumed his argument.

His parable - A parable properly denotes a comparison of one thing with another, or a fable or allegorical representation from which moral instruction is derived. It was a favorite mode of conveying truth in the East and, indeed, is found in all countries (see the notes at Matthew 13:3). It is evident, however, that Job did not deliver his sentiments in this manner; and the word rendered “parable” here (משׁל mâshâl) means, as it often does, a pithy discourse or argument.

The word is used in the Scriptures to denote a parable, properly so called; then a pithy saying, a maxim, a proverb, or a poem or song (see the notes at Isaiah 14:4). It is rendered here by the Vulgate as parabolam; by the Septuagint as προοιμίῳ prooimiō — “Job spoke by preface”; by Luther as fuhr fort — Job continued; by Noyes as “discourse”; and by Good as “high argument.” The meaning is that Job continued his discourse, but there is in the word a reference to the kind of discourse he employed, as being pithy and aphoristic.