JobChapitre 27

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And Job took up his discourse again and said:

As God lives, who has denied me justice, as the Almighty lives, who has made my soul bitter—

as long as there is breath in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils,

my lips will speak no wrong, and my tongue will utter no deceit.

Far be it from me to say that you are right; till my last breath I will not let go of my integrity.

I hold fast to my righteousness and will not release it; my heart does not reproach me for any of my days.

Let my enemy be counted as the wicked, and the one who rises against me as the unjust.

For what hope has the godless when he is cut off, when God takes away his life?

Will God hear his cry when distress comes upon him?

Will he take delight in the Almighty? Will he call upon God at all times?

I will teach you about the hand of God; what is with the Almighty I will not conceal.

Look, all of you have seen it for yourselves; why then do you go on with such empty talk?

This is the portion a wicked man receives from God, the inheritance that tyrants get from the Almighty:

If his children increase, it is for the sword, and his offspring will never have bread enough.

Those he leaves behind are buried by the plague, and his widows do not weep for him.

Though he piles up silver like dust and heaps up clothing like clay,

what he heaps up the righteous will wear, and the innocent will divide his silver.

He builds his house like a moth's cocoon, like a shelter a watchman throws together.

He lies down rich, but he will not be gathered; he opens his eyes, and it is gone.

Terrors overtake him like rushing waters; in the night a whirlwind steals him away.

The east wind lifts him up, and he is gone; it hurls him from his place.

It flings itself against him without mercy; he flees headlong from its grip.

It claps its hands at him and hisses him out of his place.

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Résumé2

Chapitre 27

Main Theme: Job maintains his innocence and describes the inevitable downfall of the wicked.

Content: Job swears by the living God—who has denied him justice and made his soul bitter—that he will never speak falsehood or abandon his integrity. He refuses to concede to his friends' accusations and declares that his conscience is clear. He then describes the fate of the wicked: their children will be struck by the sword and famine, their accumulated wealth will pass to the righteous, and they themselves will be swept away by a storm and an east wind.

Key Words/Images:

Oath by God (v.2-4): Job solemnly swears by God's life that he will hold fast to the truth.
Integrity/Innocence (תֻּמָּה, v.5-6): Job's unwavering insistence on his moral purity despite the accusations.
The Hypocrite's Hopelessness (v.8-10): The godless have no real access to God when trouble comes.
The Storm (v.20-22): A picture of God's judgment that irrevocably sweeps the wicked away from their place.

Contexte historique

Historical and Cultural Context for Job 27

Key Terms

The chapter opens with Job "continuing to present his משָׁל (mashal)" (v. 1). This Hebrew word means more than just "parable" – it can also refer to an authoritative speech, a proverb, or a weighty wisdom saying. When Job "takes up his mashal", it marks a solemn and significant declaration, almost like a formal statement.

In verse 2, Job uses an oath formula: "As surely as God lives" (חַי־אֵל, chai-El). This was the strongest form of oath in ancient Israel and the Middle East. What is remarkable here is that Job swears by the very same God whom he accuses of having "taken away my justice" (הֵסִיר מִשְׁפָּטִי). This paradox – swearing by God while accusing him – reveals Job's complex relationship with God: He does not reject God, but demands justice from Him.

The expression "as long as my breath (נְשָׁמָה, neshamah) is in me, and the spirit of God (רוּחַ אֱלוֹהַּ) in my nostrils" (v. 3) reflects the Old Testament understanding of life as directly dependent on God's life-giving breath, as described in the creation account (Gen 2:7). The nostrils were regarded as the place where the breath of life enters and exits.

Events and Customs

The description in verse 15 of widows "not weeping" at the death of the wicked refers to important burial rituals in the ancient Middle East. Professional mourners and the family's lamentation songs were essential for a honorable burial. The fact that the widows do not weep indicates either that they are relieved by the man's death, or that the family is so disgraced that normal mourning rites are not performed.

Chapter-Specific Insights

Verse 18 compares the house of the wicked to a "moth dwelling" (כָעָשׁ, ka'ash) and a "watchman's hut" (סֻכָּה, sukkah). The moth's home is temporary and fragile, while the watchman's hut was a simple structure made of branches and leaves, erected during harvest time to guard the crops, and then abandoned. Both images emphasize the fleeting nature of the wicked person's apparent prosperity.

The east wind (קָדִים, qadim) in verse 21 was the feared desert wind from the east that brought extreme heat and drought. In the Middle East, this wind was known for destroying crops and threatening life, and it was often used as a symbol of God's judgment.

Personnages

Aucun personnage connu dans ce chapitre.

Mots-clés7

Righteousness — A moral principle that involves acting in accordance with divine laws and ethical norms.
Wisdom — The ability to use knowledge and experience effectively to make good decisions and solve problems.
The Lord — Another designation for God, emphasizing his sovereignty and authority over humanity and the universe.
Punishment — The consequences or reactions that follow from breaking divine laws or moral rules.
Fear — A deep respect and reverence for God and his power, often associated with the desire to obey his commands and avoid his wrath.
The Unrighteous — People who do not follow God's principles of righteousness and who act in opposition to his will and ethical norms.
Wrath — God's strong displeasure and anger toward sin and evil, which can result in punishment and suffering for the guilty.