Job 27 | TNotes | STEP | 27:1 Job continued speaking , no longer responding to the three friends but returning to the themes of his opening statement (3:1-26 ).

27:1 ^a Job continued speaking, no longer responding to the three friends but returning to the themes of his opening statement (3:1-26 ^b).
27:2 ^c The Bible permits a vow by the living God (Ruth 3:13 ^d; 1 Sam 20:21 ^e; 25:26 ^f; 1 Kgs 17:1 ^g; 18:15 ^h; Jer 4:2 ⁱ), although sometimes it is done foolishly or falsely (1 Sam 14:39 ^j, 45 ^k; Jer 5:2 ^l).

• Elihu later criticized Job for saying that God had taken away his rights (Job 34:5 ^m).

• embittered ... soul (7:11 ⁿ; 10:1 ^o; 21:25 ^p): Cp. Naomi (Ruth 1:20-21 ^q) and the widow from Shunem after the loss of her son (2 Kgs 4:27 ^r).
Summary for Job 27:5-6: 27:5-6 ^s Job considered it profane and reprehensible to concede that his friends were right. Condemning the innocent, as they were doing to him, was an abomination (Exod 23:7 ^t; Prov 6:16-19 ^u; 17:15 ^v).
Summary for Job 27:9-23: 27:9-23 ^w Some interpreters see a new speech here and ascribe it to Zophar because otherwise Zophar has no speech in this cycle.