Job 27:7 (KJV)

What does Job 27:7 mean?

Job 27:7 is Job’s wish that anyone who opposes him would share the fate of the wicked and unrighteous. Job is not calling for personal revenge, but expressing that those who treat him as an enemy should be seen as truly guilty before God.

Job is speaking to his friends, who have accused him of wrongdoing and implied he deserves his suffering. In this verse, Job draws a sharp line: he insists he is not like the wicked, and says that if anyone is truly his enemy, let them be counted among those who are actually guilty in God’s eyes. This is part of Job’s larger defense of his own integrity.

The Hebrew behind Job 27:7

• "enemy" (אֹיֵב, 'oyev): This word means one who is hostile or acts as an adversary. Job uses it to refer to anyone who sets themselves against him, not just casual opponents.
• "wicked" (רָשָׁע, rasha‘): This term refers to someone who is morally wrong or guilty before God. Job is saying he does not want to be grouped with such people.
• "up" (קוּם, qum): This verb means "to rise up" and here refers to someone who actively opposes or challenges Job, not just someone who passively disagrees.
• "unrighteous" (עָוֵל, ‘avel): This word describes someone who is unjust or acts without fairness. Job is making a distinction between himself and those who are truly unjust.

Why Job 27:7 matters

• Job 27:7 clarifies that Job is not seeking personal vengeance, but rather asking for justice—he wants God to judge between him and his accusers.
• This verse highlights the tension between Job and his friends, who have accused him of secret sin; Job insists that if anyone is truly guilty, it is those who falsely accuse the innocent.
• The verse helps set up the rest of Job’s speech, where he continues to defend his integrity and challenge the assumptions of his friends about suffering and righteousness.