Charles Ellicott Commentary Job 27

Job continued his parable. —The remainder of Job’s speech—now, for the first time, called his parable—consists of his determination not to renounce his righteousness (Job 27:2–6); his own estimate of the fate of the wicked (Job 27:7–23); his magnificent estimate of the nature of wisdom (Job 28:0); his comparison of his former life (Job 29:0) with that of his present experience (Job 30:0); his final declaration of his innocent and irreproachable conduct (Job 31:0).

As God liveth, who hath taken away my judgment. — Job’s faith leads him to see that, though there may be no explanation for his sufferings, yet they are laid upon him by God for purposes of His own, which are veiled from him.

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.

My heart shall not reproach me. —Or, does not reproach me for any of my days.

Let mine enemy be as the wicked. —While, however, he admits that the wicked is often a prosperous man, he declares that he has no envy for him, but would have only his adversaries be like him.