Job 27:23

“[Men] shall clap their hands at him, etc.] In a way of joy and triumph, scorn and derision, (see <250215>Lamentations 2:15 Na 3:19); either at the time of his death, being glad they are rid of him, (<195205>Psalm 52:5,6); or rather hereafter, to all eternity, while the wrath and vengeance of God is pouring on him; and this will be done by all righteous men evermore; not pleasing themselves with the shocking scene, nor indulging any evil passion in them, from which they will be entirely free; but rejoicing in the glory of divine justice, which will be displayed in the everlasting destruction of wicked men, (see <661820>Revelation 18:20 19:1,2); and this need not be restrained to good men…”

“clap . . . hands--for joy at his downfall (Lam 2:15; Nah 3:19). hiss--deride (Jer 25:9). Job alludes to Bildad's words (Job 18:18). In the twenty-seventh chapter Job had tacitly admitted that the statement of the friends was often true, that God vindicated His justice by punishing the wicked here; but still the affliction of the godly remained unexplained. Man has, by skill, brought the precious metals from their concealment. But the Divine Wisdom, which governs human affairs, he cannot similarly discover (Job 28:12, &c.). However, the image from the same metals (Job 23:10) implies Job has made some way towards solving the riddle of his life; namely, that affliction is to him as the refining…”

“Men shall clap their hands at him - That is, they shall combine to drive him out of the world, and rejoice when he is gone. The same sentiment was also expressed by Bildad, Job 18:18 : “He shall be driven fromm light into darkness, And chased out of the world.” There can be no doubt, I think, that Job alludes to that sentiment, and that his object in quoting it is to show its incorrectness. He does not indeed go into a formal reply to it in the following chapters, but he seems to consider that he had already replied to it by the statements which he had made, and which showed the incorrectness of the views which his friends had taken. He had demonstrated in the previous chapters that their…”

“Clap - In token of their joy at the removal of such a publick pest, by way of astonishment: and in contempt and scorn, all which this gesture signifies in scripture use. His - In token of detestation and derision. Next: Job Chapter 28”

“clap: Est 9:22-25; Pro 11:10; Lam 2:15; Rev 18:20 hiss him: Kg1 9:8; Jer 19:8; Mic 6:16; Zep 2:15 Next: Job Chapter 28”