Job 21 27

Job 21:27 kjv

Behold, I know your thoughts, and the devices which ye wrongfully imagine against me.

Job 21:27 nkjv

"Look, I know your thoughts, And the schemes with which you would wrong me.

Job 21:27 niv

"I know full well what you are thinking, the schemes by which you would wrong me.

Job 21:27 esv

"Behold, I know your thoughts and your schemes to wrong me.

Job 21:27 nlt

"Look, I know what you're thinking.
I know the schemes you plot against me.

Job 21 verses

Job 21 27 Meaning

Job 21:27 reveals Job's profound understanding of his friends' underlying intentions and their manipulative thought processes. He perceives that their supposed comfort is merely a facade for a deeper, critical purpose: to accuse him and pressure him into confessing sins he believes he has not committed. Job understands that their arguments are not born out of genuine empathy but from a rigid, predetermined theological framework designed to "wrong" or condemn him based on his suffering.

Job 21 27 Context

Job 21:27 is part of Job's fourth response (Job 21) to his friends, specifically challenging Zophar's conventional wisdom from Job 20. Throughout Job, the friends adhere to a strict doctrine of retribution theology: the righteous prosper, and the wicked suffer. From their perspective, Job's immense suffering must signify his great sin, and their arguments aim to force a confession from him.

In chapter 21, Job forcefully argues against this simplistic theology, observing that, contrary to his friends' assertions, the wicked often prosper in life, die peacefully, and leave their wealth to their children. He highlights the injustice he perceives in their theological framework and in his own situation. Verse 27, therefore, serves as a direct rebuke. Job cuts through their polite but accusatory rhetoric, revealing his discernment of their underlying motivation: not genuine concern, but a desire to justify his suffering by proving his sin, which would "wrong" his integrity and confirm their flawed worldview. This verse signals a shift where Job no longer simply defends himself but actively exposes the inadequacy and judgmental nature of his friends' counsel.

Job 21 27 Word analysis

• Behold (הֵן, hen):

  • Meaning: An interjection, equivalent to "indeed," "truly," "listen," or "lo."
  • Significance: It demands attention, often preceding a significant declaration or a turning point in an argument. Job is drawing a sharp line, signaling that what follows is a profound realization or a decisive accusation, not mere observation. It sets a tone of direct confrontation.

• I know (יָדַעְתִּי, yāḏaʿtî):

  • Meaning: First common singular perfect form of the verb yada' (יָדַע), meaning "to know," "to perceive," "to discern," "to understand," often implying an intimate, personal, or experiential knowledge rather than mere factual recall.
  • Significance: Job isn't guessing; he possesses an undeniable certainty about his friends' intentions. This suggests deep insight, gained perhaps through careful observation of their consistent argumentation or through the very intuition that God provides. It highlights Job's keen perceptiveness, even amidst his suffering.

• your thoughts (מַחְשְׁבוֹתֵיכֶם, maḥăšbôṯêḵem):

  • Meaning: Plural form of maḥashabah (מַחֲשָׁבָה), meaning "thought," "device," "plan," "purpose," "intention." While not inherently negative, it can refer to premeditated schemes.
  • Significance: Job is exposing the intellectual processes and the hidden agendas behind their words. These are not random remarks but carefully considered intentions, indicating a mental framework designed to achieve a specific outcome regarding Job's case.

• and the schemes (וּמְזִמּוֹת, ūməzimmôṯ):

  • Meaning: The conjunction u ("and") followed by məzimmah (מְזִמָּה), meaning "wicked plan," "mischief," "plot," "evil device." This term frequently carries a negative, even depraved, connotation in the Old Testament, often associated with deceit and cunning (e.g., Prov 24:8, 26:9; Ps 119:158).
  • Significance: This word elevates Job's accusation beyond mere misguided thoughts to calculated ill will. It implies an element of moral depravity or manipulative intent in their argumentation. Their actions are not just misinformed but are born of malicious design to condemn him. It suggests a systematic method of attack rather than incidental errors.

• with which you would wrong me (תַּחְמְסוּנִי, taḥməsūnî):

  • Meaning: Second common plural imperfect form of the verb ḥāmas (חָמַס), meaning "to do violence," "to wrong," "to treat violently," "to exploit," "to oppress," "to deprive." It suggests active injustice.
  • Significance: This is the culmination of Job's discernment. He explicitly states the damaging effect of their thoughts and schemes. Their theological arguments are not passive suggestions but an act of active injustice and moral violence against him. They are "robbing" him of his integrity, peace, and standing before God and men by falsely accusing him of sin to justify his suffering. This term emphasizes the profound harm their "comfort" inflicts.

Words-group analysis:

• "I know your thoughts, and the schemes": This phrase highlights Job's comprehensive understanding of their inner workings. He perceives both their intellectual framework (maḥashabah) and the deeper, often sinister, məzimmah—the strategic plots and the evil intent that underlies their seemingly pious pronouncements. He sees through the veneer of wisdom to the judgmental heart.
• "the schemes with which you would wrong me": This directly links their internal machinations with an external act of injustice. It’s not just their wrong ideas, but the application of those ideas in a way that actively inflicts harm upon Job, depriving him of his innocence and peace. This reveals the true destructive nature of their legalistic theology when applied to Job's innocent suffering. Their counsel is an act of spiritual violence.

Job 21 27 Bonus section

Job's ability to "know" their thoughts and schemes is an aspect of spiritual discernment. While Job doesn't claim divine insight here, his profound experience of suffering and confrontation has sharpened his spiritual vision, enabling him to perceive beyond outward expressions to the underlying intentions. This reflects a deep spiritual battle where true understanding is crucial. The friends, conversely, rely on conventional wisdom and external observations, failing to penetrate Job's true condition or their own judgmental hearts. This verse also implicitly warns against offering comfort or counsel from a place of rigid ideology rather than compassionate understanding, demonstrating how such "help" can turn into a form of active "wronging."

Job 21 27 Commentary

Job 21:27 represents a pivotal moment in the book of Job, where Job transitions from simply defending himself to directly confronting the destructive nature of his friends' judgmental piety. With remarkable clarity, Job penetrates the surface of their well-intended but deeply flawed theological pronouncements. He recognizes that their true intent is not compassionate comfort but rather an insistent drive to validate their predetermined belief that suffering equates to sin.

His declaration "Behold, I know your thoughts, and the schemes with which you would wrong me" is a forceful accusation. He isn't merely observing; he's dissecting their motivations, identifying a deliberate and insidious design—a "scheme" or "plot" (məzimmah)—to trap him into a confession of guilt that would fit their rigid worldview. The "wronging" he refers to is the intellectual and spiritual violence inflicted by their attempts to discredit his blamelessness, to strip him of his integrity, and effectively accuse him as a sinner to justify God's actions towards him, rather than to truly console or understand. This verse powerfully underscores the often unseen cruelty of religious judgment, highlighting how misapplied theology can become a tool of oppression against the suffering.