Job 20:27
The heaven shall reveal his iniquity; and the earth shall rise up against him.
Original Language Analysis
יְגַלּ֣וּ
shall reveal
H1540
יְגַלּ֣וּ
shall reveal
Strong's:
H1540
Word #:
1 of 6
to denude (especially in a disgraceful sense); by implication, to exile (captives being usually stripped); figuratively, to reveal
שָׁמַ֣יִם
The heaven
H8064
שָׁמַ֣יִם
The heaven
Strong's:
H8064
Word #:
2 of 6
the sky (as aloft; the dual perhaps alluding to the visible arch in which the clouds move, as well as to the higher ether where the celestial bodies r
Historical Context
Ancient Near Eastern treaty/covenant documents invoked heaven and earth as witnesses (Deuteronomy 4:26, 30:19, 31:28). These cosmic witnesses represented permanence and objectivity—unlike human testimony, they couldn't be bribed or intimidated. Zophar employs covenant lawsuit imagery, but ironically, God later conducts an actual lawsuit—against Zophar and his friends for misrepresenting Him (Job 42:7-8).
Questions for Reflection
- How does the certainty of divine exposure of all secrets drive us to Christ who bore our sins' exposure?
- What does it mean that creation itself participates in God's moral order and judgment?
- How do we avoid Zophar's error of presuming to pronounce God's verdict before He speaks?
Analysis & Commentary
The heaven shall reveal his iniquity (יְגַלּוּ שָׁמַיִם עֲוֺנוֹ, yegallu shamayim avono)—galah means to uncover, reveal, or expose what was hidden. Heaven itself (shamayim) acts as prosecutor, revealing avon (iniquity, guilt, moral perversity). The earth shall rise up against him (וְאֶרֶץ מִתְקוֹמָמָה לוֹ, ve'erets mitqomamah lo)—qum means to arise or stand up, here in hostile witness. Creation itself testifies against the wicked.
This cosmic courtroom scene—heaven and earth as witnesses—echoes covenant lawsuit language (Deuteronomy 32:1, Isaiah 1:2, Micah 6:2). Zophar envisions total exposure: sins hidden from human eyes revealed by divine omniscience. Romans 2:16 affirms this: God judges the secrets of men. But Zophar presumes to know God's verdict before the trial, assuming Job stands condemned when God has declared him righteous (Job 1:8).