What is the meaning of Job 15:27? Though his face is covered with fat • Eliphaz paints the picture of a man who seems healthy, prosperous, and satisfied. In Scripture, visible fat often signals abundance (Deuteronomy 31:20) and freedom from want. • The verse assumes literal truth: some people truly do grow plump in seasons of success. Yet that literal condition becomes a moral warning. Psalm 73:7 notes of the wicked, “From their callous hearts proceeds iniquity; their imaginations have no limits.” The full face here hints at the same unrestrained attitude. • Pride is in view. A full face can symbolize smug self–confidence—think of Proverbs 28:25, “A greedy man stirs up strife, but he who trusts in the LORD will prosper.” Instead of trusting the Lord, this man trusts the comfort reflected in his mirror. • Eliphaz’s larger argument (Job 15:20-35) is that outward ease does not cancel coming judgment. Psalm 17:10 speaks similarly: “They have closed their callous hearts; with their mouths they speak arrogantly.” A calloused, fat face hides a hardened heart. and his waistline bulges with flesh • The image shifts to the mid-section—symbol of appetite. Proverbs 23:21 warns, “For the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty.” What now looks like safety can quickly become a snare. • Excess around the waist points to unrestrained consumption. Luke 12:19 captures the same attitude: “Take life easy; eat, drink, and be merry.” Eliphaz insists that such complacency invites divine displeasure. • Even literal weight can slow and hinder (Hebrews 12:1 urges us to “lay aside every weight”). Spiritually, this man carries layers of sin that keep him from repentance. • Notice the contrast with Job’s gaunt, suffering figure (Job 16:8). Outward appearances deceive: Job is righteous yet thin; the wicked man is plump yet doomed (Psalm 37:35-36). summary Job 15:27 uses the literal picture of a plump face and bulging waist to spotlight the danger of prosperity without piety. Eliphaz argues that visible abundance can mask arrogance, unchecked appetite, and spiritual complacency. Scripture consistently affirms that such self-indulgence is temporary and invites judgment, while true security lies in humble trust and obedience to the LORD. |
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