Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Job 27:17
He may prepare [it], but the just shall put [it] on, and the innocent shall divide the silver.
17. When the ungodly are swept away the righteous remain and enter into their possessions, and the meek inherit the earth, Psa 37:29; Psa 37:34.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
The just shall put it on – The righteous shall wear it. It shall pass out of the hands of him who prepared it, into the hands of others. The meaning is, that the wicked, though they become rich, would not live to enjoy their ill-gotten gains. These two verses contain a beautiful illustration of what Dr. Jebb calls the introverted parallelism – where the fourth member answers to the first, and the third to the second:
Though he heap up silver as the dust,
And prepare raiment as the clay,
The just shall put it (raiment) on,
And the innocent shall divide the silver.
A similar instance occurs in Mat 7:6 :
Give not that which is holy unto the dogs,
Neither cast ye your pearls before swine,
Lest they (the swine) trample them under their feet.
And (the dogs) turn again and rend you.
For a full illustration of the nature of Hebrew poetry, the reader may consult DeWette, Einleitung in die Psalmen, translated in the Biblical Repository, vol. iii. pp. 445ff, and Nordheimers Hebrew Grammar, vol. ii. pp. 319ff; see also the Introduction to Job, Section V.
The innocent shall divide the silver – That is, the righteous shall come into possession of it, and divide it among themselves. The wicked who had gained it shall not be permitted to enjoy it.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 17. The just shall put it on] Money is God’s property. “The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the Lord;” and though it may be abused for a time by unrighteous hands, God, in the course of his providence, brings it back to its proper use; and often the righteous possess the inheritance of the wicked.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The just shall put it on; either because it shall be given to him by the judge to recompense those injuries which he received from that tyrant; or because the right of it is otherwise transferred upon him by Divine Providence.
The innocent shall divide the silver; either,
1. To the poor; he shall distribute that which the oppressor hoarded up and kept as wickedly as he got it. So this suits with Pro 28:8; Ecc 2:26. Or,
2. With others, or to himself; he shall have a share of it, when by the judges sentence those ill-gotten goods shall be restored to the right owners.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
17. Introverted parallelism.(See Introduction). Of the fourclauses in the two verses, one answers to four, two to three (so Mt7:6).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
He may prepare [it],…. Raiment; beginning with that first which was mentioned last, which is frequent in the Hebrew and eastern languages; such things may be done, and often are, by wicked men:
but the just shall put [it] on; the wicked man will either have no heart, or have no time, to wear it, at least to wear it out, and so a just man shall have it, as the Israelites put on the raiment of the Egyptians, which they begged or borrowed, and spoiled them of,
Ex 12:35; and oftentimes so it is in Providence, that the wealth of wicked men is by one means or another transferred into the families of good men, who enjoy it, and make a better use of it, Pr 13:22;
and the innocent shall divide the silver; have a part of it at least, or divide the whole between his children, or give a part of it to the poor; so money that is ill gotten, or ill used, is taken away, and put into the hands of one that will have mercy on the poor, and liberally distribute it to them, Pr 28:8.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Job 27:17 He may prepare [it], but the just shall put [it] on, and the innocent shall divide the silver.
Ver. 17. He may prepare it, but the just shall put it on. ] Well may he prepare it, so Broughton. Let the wicked man toil and take pains for it; God hath prepared for him an executor never mentioned in his will. God gave the Egyptians’ and Canaanites’ goods to Israel; Nabal’s to David; Haman’s to Mordecai. See Pro 28:8 Ecc 2:26 . This plague among the rest God threateneth the disobedient with, Deu 28:30 . Sed haec non semper, saith Mercer, although we see not this always so to be, but the contrary; yet it is easy to observe that many spend their strength and waste their wits in congerendo et converrendo, in getting and gathering these outward things; and then, when to possess them might seem a happiness, they die and leave them to uncertain heirs, as did Absalom and Alexander the Great, who left his ring to Perdiceas, but his dominions, , to him that should best deserve them (Plut.).
And the innocent shall divide the silver
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
but the just: Pro 13:22, Pro 28:8, Ecc 2:26
Reciprocal: Exo 3:22 – spoil Exo 11:2 – borrow Jos 8:2 – only the spoil 2Ki 7:16 – spoiled the tents Est 8:1 – give the house Job 15:29 – neither shall Psa 39:6 – he heapeth Pro 13:11 – Wealth Pro 20:21 – but Pro 28:22 – and Ecc 5:14 – those Luk 12:20 – then