Job 27:21
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Job 27:21
21 The east wind carrieth him away, and he departeth: and as a storm hurleth him out of his place.
Chapter Context
Job 27 is a wisdom dialogue chapter in the Old Testament that explores themes of prayer, redemption, worship. 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 offers practical wisdom for godly living in a fallen world. 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 27:21
21 The east wind carrieth him away, and he departeth: and as a storm hurleth him out of his place.
Analysis
The east wind carrieth him away, and he departeth: and as a storm hurleth him out of his place. Job describes the wicked person's sudden destruction through vivid meteorological imagery. The east wind (קָדִים, qadim) in Palestine refers to the scorching sirocco that blows from the Arabian desert—hot, dry, and destructive. This wind withers vegetation (Genesis 41:6; Ezekiel 17:10; Hosea 13:15) and represents divine judgment throughout Scripture.
The verb יִשָּׂאֵהוּ (yissa'ehu, "carrieth him away") suggests being lifted and removed with irresistible force—the wicked cannot resist God's judgment any more than a plant can resist the sirocco. And he departeth (וַיֵּלַךְ, vayyelekh) means he goes away or passes on, emphasizing the finality of removal from earthly life and blessing. The wicked disappears like chaff before the wind (Psalm 1:4).
And as a storm hurleth him uses the intensive Piel form of סָעַר (sa'ar), meaning to whirl away violently. Out of his place (מִמְּקֹמוֹ, mimmeqomo) indicates removal from his established position—home, community, and security. This echoes Proverbs 10:25: "As the whirlwind passeth, so is the wicked no more: but the righteous is an everlasting foundation." The imagery portrays sudden, violent, complete removal—divine judgment leaves nothing secure.
Job 27 presents an irony: Job himself has experienced the fate he here describes for the wicked. The friends would point this out as proof of Job's guilt. Yet Job maintains his innocence while acknowledging this pattern of divine judgment. The chapter explores the mystery that righteous suffering temporarily resembles the wicked's judgment, yet God ultimately distinguishes between them. This prefigures Christ's experience—suffering the fate of the wicked (Isaiah 53:12) while remaining perfectly righteous.
Historical Context
Job 27 continues Job's response to his friends' accusations. Throughout the dialogue, Job has maintained his innocence while his friends insist his suffering proves hidden wickedness. In chapter 27, Job ironically describes the fate of the wicked using language that his friends might apply to him—sudden disaster, loss of family, and death without honor.
The east wind's destructive power was proverbial in ancient Near Eastern literature. Egyptian texts describe the devastating khamsin winds from the desert. In the Bible, God uses the east wind to bring locusts on Egypt (Exodus 10:13), to part the Red Sea (Exodus 14:21), and as an instrument of judgment (Isaiah 27:8; Jeremiah 18:17). Jonah experienced scorching east wind as chastisement (Jonah 4:8). The image of wind removing the wicked appears in wisdom literature as a common motif (Psalm 1:4; 35:5; 58:9; Proverbs 1:27).
Job's description of the wicked's fate serves multiple purposes: it demonstrates his understanding of divine justice (refuting claims he's ignorant), it maintains his innocence (he distinguishes himself from the wicked), and it wrestles with the problem that he's experiencing what seems like judgment reserved for evildoers. The book's resolution reveals that suffering doesn't always indicate divine judgment—sometimes God tests the righteous, refines their faith, and demonstrates His glory through their perseverance.
Reflection
- How does Job's description of the wicked's judgment help us distinguish between suffering as divine judgment and suffering as divine testing?
- What comfort can believers find when their circumstances temporarily resemble judgment on the wicked?
Cross-References
- Parallel theme: Job 7:10, 21:18, Psalms 11:6, 58:9, 83:15