The Meaning of Job 27:8 Explained

Job 27:8

KJV: For what is the hope of the hypocrite, though he hath gained, when God taketh away his soul?

YLT: For what is the hope of the profane, When He doth cut off? When God doth cast off his soul?

Darby: For what is the hope of the ungodly, when God cutteth him off, when +God taketh away his soul?

ASV: For what is the hope of the godless, though he get him gain, When God taketh away his soul?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

For what [is] the hope  of the hypocrite,  though he hath gained,  when God  taketh away  his soul? 

What does Job 27:8 Mean?

Context Summary

Job 27:1-23 - The Justice Of God
Zophar ought now to have taken up the discourse, but, as he is silent, Job proceeds. First he renews his protestations of integrity, Job 27:1-10. He denies the charge of being ungodly, and says that till he dies he will not put away his integrity. He refuses to justify the accusations of his friends, and demands that they who had spoken against him should suffer the punishments which they had suggested as his due, Job 27:7. The falsity of their charges was surely evidenced by the fact that he could still delight in the Almighty and call upon His name, Job 27:10.
Then he speaks of the portion of the wicked, Job 27:11-23. Zophar and the rest could hardly have spoken more strongly. Though Job denied the application to himself, he was willing to admit the general truth of these propositions. Through what marvelous alternations the mind of man passes-now on the crest of the wave and again in the trough; arguing, debating, questioning; now antagonizing a position, and then almost accepting it! But be of good cheer! "At eventide it shall be light!" "I have been within the gates," said one brave explorer, "and there is no dark valley." [source]

Chapter Summary: Job 27

1  Job protests his sincerity
8  The hypocrite is without hope
11  The blessings which the wicked have are turned into curses

What do the individual words in Job 27:8 mean?

For what [is] the hope of the hypocrite Though he may gain [much] if takes away God his life
כִּ֤י מַה־ תִּקְוַ֣ת חָ֭נֵף כִּ֣י יִבְצָ֑ע כִּ֤י יֵ֖שֶׁל אֱל֣וֹהַּ ؟ נַפְשֽׁוֹ

מַה־  what  [is] 
Parse: Interrogative
Root: לָמָּה 
Sense: what, how, of what kind.
תִּקְוַ֣ת  the  hope 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: תִּקְוָה 
Sense: cord.
חָ֭נֵף  of  the  hypocrite 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: חָנֵף 
Sense: hypocritical, godless, profane, hypocrite, irreligious.
כִּ֣י  Though 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
יִבְצָ֑ע  he  may  gain  [much] 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בָּצַע  
Sense: to cut off, break off, gain by unrighteous violence, get, finish, be covetous, be greedy.
יֵ֖שֶׁל  takes  away 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect Jussive, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁלָה  
Sense: (Qal) to draw out, extract.
אֱל֣וֹהַּ  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֱלֹוהַּ  
Sense: God.
؟ נַפְשֽׁוֹ  his  life 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: נֶפֶשׁ  
Sense: soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion.