This verse reminds us that callous disregard for the needy and failing to faithfully stand by friends is among the worst betrayals.
When Job laments, “You would even cast lots for the orphans And barter over your friend” (v.27), he is speaking out of a deep reservoir of frustration. Job was from the land of Uz, located in the region of the Fertile Crescent near the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, a cradle of early civilization. Many scholars believe he lived sometime between 2100 and 1900 BC, in the era commonly referred to as the Age of the Patriarchs. By the time we reach Job 6:27, Job is responding to his friends and expressing how he believes they are cruelly indifferent to his plight, as though they are willing to roll dice at his expense and bargain away loyalty like a cheap commodity.
When he says “You would even cast lots for the orphans” (v.27), he insinuates that these companions are so detached from compassion that they would gamble with the well-being of the most vulnerable in society—orphans who symbolize the depth of misfortune in biblical times. Orphans were among the least protected in the ancient Near East, as they had no family lineage to shield or look after them. Casting lots was an ancient practice used to make decisions or divide spoils, so the insinuation is that his friends would heartlessly profit at the expense of children with no defenders. The next statement, “And barter over your friend” (v.27), intensifies that accusation. Job essentially asserts his companions are so lacking in empathy that they would be willing to buy or sell a friend’s trust, as though it could be traded for personal gain, leaving the friend utterly forsaken.
This forceful rebuke not only underscores Job’s sorrow but shows his profound disappointment in the relational betrayal he perceives. His friends had come to comfort him, but instead of solidarity, he senses ridicule, suspicion, and stinging accusations. Elsewhere in the book, Job states that what he really yearns for is understanding and expressions of empathy from people who claim to be close to him (Job 19:21-22). The fact that he uses the vivid imagery of orphans and a friend being sold accentuates his heartbreak and grievance at their lack of compassion. It also echoes broader biblical themes that God seeks loyalty in friendships and condemns those who mistreat orphans or the helpless (Deuteronomy 24:17, James 1:27).
Job is chastising this callousness, reminding his listeners—and readers throughout the generations—that genuine friendship and righteousness cannot be measured in convenience or self-serving gains. It is a timeless lesson: if one is so hardened as to forsake both orphans and dear companions, it is the height of betrayal and broken community.
They turned his pain into an object lesson rather than an appeal to mercy or love. They did not see him as a struggling man deserving empathy, but treated his plight as a puzzle to solve or even as a potential moral downfall they could exploit. Job’s stinging condemnation conveys the emotional depth of that betrayal, painting a sobering picture of what it feels like when suffering is met only with cold detachment.
God values loyalty and heartfelt compassion; these attributes are regularly extolled in Scripture (Proverbs 17:17, John 15:13). Job’s words in 6:27 lay bare his frustration with the misguided or unsympathetic counsel of his friends, and they foreshadow the continuing debates in the chapters that follow, where Job defends his integrity and laments the injustice of quick, judgmental assumptions (Job 31:1-6, 31:35-37). Eventually, God vindicates Job’s stance, and rebukes the friends who spoke wrongly about Him (Job 42:7-9).
They had cast blame on Job, ignoring the core biblical virtues of empathy and humility. Job’s lament remains a powerful reminder to cultivate genuine kindness toward the vulnerable—both in our care for literal orphans and in our compassionate treatment of friends in their suffering.
Job 6:27 meaning
When Job laments, “You would even cast lots for the orphans And barter over your friend” (v.27), he is speaking out of a deep reservoir of frustration. Job was from the land of Uz, located in the region of the Fertile Crescent near the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, a cradle of early civilization. Many scholars believe he lived sometime between 2100 and 1900 BC, in the era commonly referred to as the Age of the Patriarchs. By the time we reach Job 6:27, Job is responding to his friends and expressing how he believes they are cruelly indifferent to his plight, as though they are willing to roll dice at his expense and bargain away loyalty like a cheap commodity.
When he says “You would even cast lots for the orphans” (v.27), he insinuates that these companions are so detached from compassion that they would gamble with the well-being of the most vulnerable in society—orphans who symbolize the depth of misfortune in biblical times. Orphans were among the least protected in the ancient Near East, as they had no family lineage to shield or look after them. Casting lots was an ancient practice used to make decisions or divide spoils, so the insinuation is that his friends would heartlessly profit at the expense of children with no defenders. The next statement, “And barter over your friend” (v.27), intensifies that accusation. Job essentially asserts his companions are so lacking in empathy that they would be willing to buy or sell a friend’s trust, as though it could be traded for personal gain, leaving the friend utterly forsaken.
This forceful rebuke not only underscores Job’s sorrow but shows his profound disappointment in the relational betrayal he perceives. His friends had come to comfort him, but instead of solidarity, he senses ridicule, suspicion, and stinging accusations. Elsewhere in the book, Job states that what he really yearns for is understanding and expressions of empathy from people who claim to be close to him (Job 19:21-22). The fact that he uses the vivid imagery of orphans and a friend being sold accentuates his heartbreak and grievance at their lack of compassion. It also echoes broader biblical themes that God seeks loyalty in friendships and condemns those who mistreat orphans or the helpless (Deuteronomy 24:17, James 1:27).
Job is chastising this callousness, reminding his listeners—and readers throughout the generations—that genuine friendship and righteousness cannot be measured in convenience or self-serving gains. It is a timeless lesson: if one is so hardened as to forsake both orphans and dear companions, it is the height of betrayal and broken community.
They turned his pain into an object lesson rather than an appeal to mercy or love. They did not see him as a struggling man deserving empathy, but treated his plight as a puzzle to solve or even as a potential moral downfall they could exploit. Job’s stinging condemnation conveys the emotional depth of that betrayal, painting a sobering picture of what it feels like when suffering is met only with cold detachment.
God values loyalty and heartfelt compassion; these attributes are regularly extolled in Scripture (Proverbs 17:17, John 15:13). Job’s words in 6:27 lay bare his frustration with the misguided or unsympathetic counsel of his friends, and they foreshadow the continuing debates in the chapters that follow, where Job defends his integrity and laments the injustice of quick, judgmental assumptions (Job 31:1-6, 31:35-37). Eventually, God vindicates Job’s stance, and rebukes the friends who spoke wrongly about Him (Job 42:7-9).
They had cast blame on Job, ignoring the core biblical virtues of empathy and humility. Job’s lament remains a powerful reminder to cultivate genuine kindness toward the vulnerable—both in our care for literal orphans and in our compassionate treatment of friends in their suffering.