Job 27:14
A focused desk for reading, commentary, cross-references, original language notes, and your own observations.
Job 27:14
14 If his children be multiplied, it is for the sword: and his offspring shall not be satisfied with bread.
Chapter Context
Job 27 is a wisdom dialogue chapter in the Old Testament that explores themes of sacrifice, redemption, judgment. Written during the patriarchal period (literary composition later), this chapter should be understood within its historical context: Ancient wisdom traditions often wrestled with the problem of suffering and divine justice.
The chapter can be divided into several sections:
- Verses 1-5: Introduction and setting the context
- Verses 6-12: Development of key themes
- Verses 13-20: Central message and teachings
- Verses 21-23: Conclusion and application
This chapter is significant because it addresses timeless questions about faith, suffering, and divine purpose. When studying this passage, it's important to consider both its immediate context within Job and its broader place in the scriptural canon.
Verse Study
Job 27:14
14 If his children be multiplied, it is for the sword: and his offspring shall not be satisfied with bread.
Analysis
If his children be multiplied, it is for the sword—Job describes the futility of the wicked person's legacy. The Hebrew verb רָבָה (ravah, multiply) ironically inverts the covenant blessing of Genesis 1:28; what should be blessing becomes curse. For the sword (לְמוֹ־חֶרֶב, lemo-cherev) indicates violent death awaits numerous offspring—quantity provides no security. The parallelism intensifies: his offspring shall not be satisfied with bread uses שָׂבַע (sava, be satisfied/filled), the same word used of divine satisfaction (Psalm 17:15). Job argues that wickedness produces generational futility—children inherit hunger, not abundance.
This verse belongs to Job's final speech defending his integrity (chapters 27-31). Having endured his friends' accusations that suffering proves guilt, Job now affirms traditional wisdom about divine justice—but with personal authority. He speaks from experience, having lost his own children suddenly. The irony is devastating: Job describes the wicked's fate while embodying its very pattern. Yet he maintains his innocence, trusting that his children's deaths don't prove divine judgment on him.
Historical Context
Job 27 occurs in the dialogue's final cycle, where Job responds to Bildad's third speech (chapter 25). By this point, the friends' arguments have exhausted themselves—Zophar doesn't even speak in the third cycle. Job's speech spans chapters 26-31, his longest uninterrupted discourse. In ancient Near Eastern wisdom literature, generational punishment was assumed—children bore consequences of parental sin (Exodus 20:5). Job both affirms this principle (vv. 14-23) yet denies its application to himself, creating theological tension the book explores.
Reflection
- How does Job maintain belief in divine justice while experiencing apparent injustice in his own life?
- What does this verse teach about the limits of earthly legacy when disconnected from covenant faithfulness?
- How do we reconcile God's justice toward the wicked with His compassion toward innocent children affected by their parents' sin?
Cross-References
- Parallel theme: Job 20:10, Deuteronomy 28:41, Luke 23:29