Let mine enemy be as the wicked, and he that riseth up against me as the unrighteous.
Parallel translations
- WEB “Let my enemy be as the wicked. Let him who rises up against me be as the unrighteous.
- BSB May my enemy be like the wicked and my opponent like the unjust.
- NKJV “May my enemy be like the wicked, And he who rises up against me like the unrighteous.
- NASB ¶“May my enemy be as the wicked, And my opponent as the criminal.
- NLT “May my enemy be punished like the wicked, my adversary like those who do evil.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Job wishes his enemy to be treated as the wicked deserve. It matters because Job invokes God's justice against those who oppose him.
Overview
Job expresses the wish that his adversary be counted among the wicked and unrighteous. This is an appeal to divine justice, that his enemies receive the fate of the godless. Such imprecation, leaving vengeance to God, anticipates the New Testament call to entrust judgment to the Lord rather than repaying evil ourselves (Rom. 12:19).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 3
- Dan 4:19Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was astonied for one hour, and his thoughts troubled him. The king spake, and said, Belteshazzar, let not the dream, or the interpretation thereof, trouble thee. Belteshazzar answered and said, My lord, the dream be to them that hate thee, and the interpretation thereof to thine enemies.
- 2 Sam 18:32And the king said unto Cushi, Is the young man Absalom safe? And Cushi answered, The enemies of my lord the king, and all that rise against thee to do thee hurt, be as that young man is.
- 1 Sam 25:26Now therefore, my lord, as the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, seeing the LORD hath withholden thee from coming to shed blood, and from avenging thyself with thine own hand, now let thine enemies, and they that seek evil to my lord, be as Nabal.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Commentaries & study tools
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Christ at the center
Job's cry for a mediator who can lay his hand on both God and man, and his confidence that 'my Redeemer lives' and will stand on the earth, reaches forward to Jesus the living Redeemer.
How Job 27:7 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.