Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Job 27:4

My lips shall not speak wickedness, nor my tongue utter deceit.

4. my lips shall not ] Rather, do not. These words contain Job’s oath. He swears that he is sincere and speaks truly; comp. ch. Job 6:28. The words refer to his utterances in general, especially in regard to himself, but naturally in the main, as the connexion requires, to his assertions in regard to his innocence of wrong-doing ( Job 27:5-6).

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

My lips shall not speak wickedness – This solemn profession made on oath might have done something to allay the suspicions of his friends in regard to him, and to show that they had been mistaken in his character. It is a solemn assurance that he did not mean to vindicate the cause of wickedness, or to say one word in its favor; and that as long as he lived he would never be found advocating it.

Nor my tongue utter deceit – I will never make any use of sophistry; I will not attempt to make the worse appear the better reason; I will not be the advocate of error. This had always been the aim of Job, and he now says that no circumstance should ever induce him to pursue a different course as long as he lived. Probably he means, also, as the following verse seems to imply, that no consideration should ever induce him to countenance error or to palliate wrong. He would not be deterred from expressing his sentiments by any dread of opposition, or even by any respect for his friends. No friendship which he might have for them would induce him to justify what he honestly regarded as error.

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Verse 4. My lips shall not speak wickedness] As I have hitherto lived in all good conscience before God, as he knoweth, so will I continue to live.

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

I will speak nothing but the truth with all plainness and impartiality, neither defending myself and cause by vain and false professions of those virtues or graces which I know I have not; nor yet, in compliance with your desire and design, falsely accusing myself of those crimes wherewith you charge me, whereof I know myself to be innocent.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

4. (Job 6:28;Job 6:30). The “deceit”would be if he were to admit guilt against the witness of hisconscience.

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

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 wickedness as long as he had any breath in him:

nor my tongue utter deceit; which respects the same thing; not merely any fallacy or lie, or what might impose upon and deceive another, which yet he was careful of; but such deceit and falsehood as would be a belying himself, which would be the case should he say that he was devoid of integrity and sincerity.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

4. My lips Literally, If my lips. The oath introduced by the usual form , im, commences with this verse: He will speak the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Job 27:4 My lips shall not speak wickedness, nor my tongue utter deceit.

Ver. 4. My lips shall not speak wickedness ] Which I should do, should I, contrary to that which the Spirit of God witnesseth to my conscience, through a feigned humility, confess that I have been wicked. Let God’s dejected servants take heed, lest by the temptation of Satan, and the misgivings of their own evil hearts of unbelief, they be drawn to belie the work of God’s Spirit in them, and to hold themselves utterly void of grace, because not endued with such and such measures of grace. Learn to distinguish between imbecility and nullity; show yourselves faithful in weakness, though but weak in faith. There is an allowance to gold, with which it may pass; neither is it to be cast aside because it wanteth some grains, and hath a crack. Nec vinum reiecimus et si faecem habeat, saith Spinaeus (de Instit. Christ.). God seeth nothing amiss in that man whose heart is upright, 2Ch 15:17 . He lays the finger of mercy on the scars of his people’s sins, as that limner in the story. He will not crush, but cherish, that worm Jacob.

Nor my tongue utter deceit ] No, for that were to speak wickedness, yea, to speak yourself wicked. For the remnant of Israel shall not, by betraying the truth, do iniquity, nor speak lies; neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth, Zep 3:13 . For he said, Surely they are my people, children that will not lie; so he was their Saviour, Isa 63:8 .

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

wickedness. Hebrew. ‘aval. App-44.

Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics

Job 13:7, Job 34:6, Joh 8:55, 2Co 11:10

Reciprocal: Job 6:29 – my righteousness Job 32:1 – righteous Job 33:3 – the

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

27:4 {b} My lips shall not speak wickedness, nor my tongue utter deceit.

(b) However men judge me, yet will I not speak contrary to that which I have said, and so do wickedly in betraying the truth.

Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes