Job 21
Big idea: Job stops defending himself and attacks the theory instead, with evidence: the wicked do live, grow old, grow powerful, watch their children dance, spend their days in prosperity and go down to the grave without a struggle. Look at it, he says, and put your hand over your mouth.
This is the turning point of the debate — from here the friends have nothing left but to invent specific crimes, which Eliphaz does in chapter 22.
21:1–16 — Why do the wicked live and grow mighty?
The request is modest and bitter: listen diligently to my speech, and let this be your consolation — allow me, and I also will speak, and after I have spoken, mock on. He is asking for a hearing as the only comfort available. And he tells them where to look: look at me and be astonished; lay your hand on your mouth. When I remember, I am troubled, and horror takes hold of my flesh. His complaint, he notes, is not addressed to men at all.
1 Then Job answered, 2 “Listen diligently to my speech. Let this be your consolation. 3 Allow me, and I also will speak. After I have spoken, mock on. 4 As for me, is my complaint to man? Why shouldn’t I be impatient? 5 Look at me, and be astonished. Lay your hand on your mouth. 6 When I remember, I am troubled. Horror takes hold of my flesh. 7 “Why do the wicked live, become old, yes, and grow mighty in power? 8 Their child is established with them in their sight, their offspring before their eyes. 9 Their houses are safe from fear, neither is the rod of God upon them. 10 Their bulls breed without fail. Their cows calve, and don’t miscarry. 11 They send out their little ones like a flock. Their children dance. 12 They sing to the tambourine and harp, and rejoice at the sound of the pipe. 13 They spend their days in prosperity. In an instant they go down to Sheol. 14 They tell God, ‘Depart from us, for we don’t want to know about your ways. 15 What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? What profit should we have, if we pray to him?’ 16 Behold, their prosperity is not in their hand. The counsel of the wicked is far from me.
21:17–34 — How can you comfort me with nonsense?
The rebuttal is made by asking the friends' claim as a question about frequency: how often is the lamp of the wicked actually put out? How often does calamity come on them? The doctrine does not say never — it says usually — so counting is a legitimate test, and Job says the count does not support it.
17 “How often is it that the lamp of the wicked is put out, that their calamity comes on them, that God distributes sorrows in his anger? 18 How often is it that they are as stubble before the wind, as chaff that the storm carries away? 19 You say, ‘God lays up his iniquity for his children.’ Let him recompense it to himself, that he may know it. 20 Let his own eyes see his destruction. Let him drink of the wrath of the Almighty. 21 For what does he care for his house after him, when the number of his months is cut off? 22 “Shall any teach God knowledge, since he judges those who are high? 23 One dies in his full strength, being wholly at ease and quiet. 24 His pails are full of milk. The marrow of his bones is moistened. 25 Another dies in bitterness of soul, and never tastes of good. 26 They lie down alike in the dust. The worm covers them. 27 “Behold, I know your thoughts, the plans with which you would wrong me. 28 For you say, ‘Where is the house of the prince? Where is the tent in which the wicked lived?’ 29 Haven’t you asked wayfaring men? Don’t you know their evidences, 30 that the evil man is reserved to the day of calamity, that they are led out to the day of wrath? 31 Who will declare his way to his face? Who will repay him what he has done? 32 Yet he will be borne to the grave. Men will keep watch over the tomb. 33 The clods of the valley will be sweet to him. All men will draw after him, as there were innumerable before him. 34 So how can you comfort me with nonsense, because in your answers there remains only falsehood?”
Scripture text: World English Bible (public domain).