17 How oft is the candle H5216 of the wicked H7563 put out! H1846 and how oft cometh H935 their destruction H343 upon them! God distributeth H2505 sorrows H2256 in his anger. H639
18 They are as stubble H8401 before H6440 the wind, H7307 and as chaff H4671 that the storm H5492 carrieth away. H1589
19 God H433 layeth up H6845 his iniquity H205 for his children: H1121 he rewardeth H7999 him, and he shall know H3045 it.
20 His eyes H5869 shall see H7200 his destruction, H3589 and he shall drink H8354 of the wrath H2534 of the Almighty. H7706
21 For what pleasure H2656 hath he in his house H1004 after H310 him, when the number H4557 of his months H2320 is cut off in the midst? H2686
22 Shall any teach H3925 God H410 knowledge? H1847 seeing he judgeth H8199 those that are high. H7311
23 One dieth H4191 in his full H8537 strength, H6106 being wholly at ease H7946 and quiet. H7961
24 His breasts H5845 are full H4390 of milk, H2461 and his bones H6106 are moistened H8248 with marrow. H4221
25 And another dieth H4191 in the bitterness H4751 of his soul, H5315 and never eateth H398 with pleasure. H2896
26 They shall lie down H7901 alike H3162 in the dust, H6083 and the worms H7415 shall cover H3680 them.
27 Behold, I know H3045 your thoughts, H4284 and the devices H4209 which ye wrongfully imagine H2554 against me.
28 For ye say, H559 Where is the house H1004 of the prince? H5081 and where are the dwelling H4908 places H168 of the wicked? H7563
29 Have ye not asked H7592 them that go H5674 by the way? H1870 and do ye not know H5234 their tokens, H226
30 That the wicked H7451 is reserved H2820 to the day H3117 of destruction? H343 they shall be brought forth H2986 to the day H3117 of wrath. H5678
31 Who shall declare H5046 his way H1870 to his face? H6440 and who shall repay H7999 him what he hath done? H6213
32 Yet shall he be brought H2986 to the grave, H6913 and shall remain H8245 in the tomb. H1430
33 The clods H7263 of the valley H5158 shall be sweet H4985 unto him, and every man H120 shall draw H4900 after H310 him, as there are innumerable H4557 before H6440 him.
34 How then comfort H5162 ye me in vain, H1892 seeing in your answers H8666 there remaineth H7604 falsehood? H4604
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Job 21
Commentary on Job 21 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 21
This is Job's reply to Zophar's discourse, in which he complains less of his own miseries than he had done in his former discourses (finding that his friends were not moved by his complaints to pity him in the least), and comes closer to the general question that was in dispute between him and them, Whether outward prosperity, and the continuance of it, were a mark of the true church and the true members of it, so that the ruin of a man's prosperity is sufficient to prove him a hypocrite, though no other evidence appear against him: this they asserted, but Job denied.
Job 21:1-6
Job here recommends himself, both his case and his discourse, both what he suffered and what he said, to the compassionate consideration of his friends.
Job 21:7-16
All Job's three friends, in their last discourses, had been very copious in describing the miserable condition of a wicked man in this world. "It is true,' says Job, "remarkable judgments are sometimes brought upon notorious sinners, but not always; for we have many instances of the great and long prosperity of those that are openly and avowedly wicked; though they are hardened in their wickedness by their prosperity, yet they are still suffered to prosper.'
Job 21:17-26
Job had largely described the prosperity of wicked people; now, in these verses,
Job 21:27-34
In these verses,