Job 27:16 Meaning and Explanation
“Though he heap up silver as the dust, and prepare raiment as the clay;”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Even if the wicked man piles up silver like dust and clothing as plentiful as clay, it will not secure him.
What Does Job 27:16 Mean?
Job pictures the wicked man's wealth in staggering terms: silver heaped up like dust, garments as abundant as the clay of the earth. In the ancient world, stored silver and fine raiment were the very measure of riches. The image is of a man who has gathered more than he could ever need.
Yet the verse hangs unfinished, and the next completes the irony: all this hoarding comes to nothing for him. Abundance gained apart from righteousness cannot be kept or enjoyed. Jesus told of a man who built bigger barns only to lose his soul that very night. Job presses the same truth: treasure laid up without God is treasure laid up for others. The reader is invited to be rich toward God instead, storing up what neither death nor judgment can take away.
Frequently Asked Questions About Job 27:16
What does Job 27:16 mean?
Even if the wicked man piles up silver like dust and clothing as plentiful as clay, it will not secure him.