Job 27:17 Meaning and Explanation
“He may prepare it, but the just shall put it on, and the innocent shall divide the silver.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The wicked man may amass wealth, but in the end the righteous will wear his garments and the innocent will share his silver.
What Does Job 27:17 Mean?
Job completes the picture begun in the previous verse. The wicked man prepares the garments and gathers the silver, but the just will wear them and the innocent will divide the silver. What he labored to hoard passes into the hands of the righteous. His gain becomes their inheritance.
Scripture often turns the tables this way: the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just. It is a reversal that runs against worldly expectation yet flows from the justice of God. Possessions clutched without righteousness do not finally belong to the one who clutches them. The verse comforts the upright who seem to gain little now, and warns the grasping that their treasure is not as secure as it seems. In God's ordering, the meek inherit, and the patient receive what the grasping lose.
Frequently Asked Questions About Job 27:17
What does Job 27:17 mean?
The wicked man may amass wealth, but in the end the righteous will wear his garments and the innocent will share his silver.