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Texts -- Job 21:1-20 (NET)

Context
Job’s Reply to Zophar
21:1 Then Job answered : 21:2 “Listen carefully to my words ; let this be the consolation you offer me. 21:3 Bear with me and I will speak , and after I have spoken you may mock . 21:4 Is my complaint against a man ? If so, why should I not be impatient ? 21:5 Look at me and be appalled ; put your hands over your mouths . 21:6 For, when I think about this, I am terrified and my body feels a shudder .
The Wicked Prosper
21:7 “Why do the wicked go on living , grow old , even increase in power ? 21:8 Their children are firmly established in their presence , their offspring before their eyes . 21:9 Their houses are safe and without fear ; and no rod of punishment from God is upon them. 21:10 Their bulls breed without fail ; their cows calve and do not miscarry . 21:11 They allow their children to run like a flock ; their little ones dance about . 21:12 They sing to the accompaniment of tambourine and harp , and make merry to the sound of the flute . 21:13 They live out their years in prosperity and go down to the grave in peace . 21:14 So they say to God , ‘Turn away from us! We do not want to know your ways . 21:15 Who is the Almighty , that we should serve him? What would we gain if we were to pray to him?’ 21:16 But their prosperity is not their own doing . The counsel of the wicked is far from me!
How Often Do the Wicked Suffer?
21:17 “How often is the lamp of the wicked extinguished ? How often does their misfortune come upon them? How often does God apportion pain to them in his anger ? 21:18 How often are they like straw before the wind , and like chaff swept away by a whirlwind ? 21:19 You may say, ‘God stores up a man’s punishment for his children !’ Instead let him repay the man himself so that he may know it! 21:20 Let his own eyes see his destruction ; let him drink of the anger of the Almighty .

Pericope

NET

Bible Dictionary

  • Job

    [nave] JOB 1. A man who dwelt in Uz, Job 1:1. Righteousness of, Job 1:1, 5, 8; 2:3; Ezek. 14:14, 20. Riches of, Job 1:3. Trial of, by affliction of Satan, Job 1:13-19; 2:7-10. Fortitude of, Job 1:20-22; 2:10; Jas. 5:11. Visite...

  • Wicked

    [nave] WICKED Compared with: Abominable branches, Isa. 14:19; ashes under the feet, Mal. 4:3; bad fishes, Matt. 13:48; beasts, Psa. 49:12; 2 Pet. 2:12; the blind, Zeph. 1:17; Matt. 15:14; bronze and iron, Jer. 6:28; Ezek. 22:18; br...

  • Rich, The

    [nave] RICH, THE: Neh. 5:1-13; Job 21:7-15; Job 27:13-23; Job 31:24, 25, 28; Psa. 49:16-18; Psa. 52:1-7; Psa. 73:3-22; Prov. 14:20; Prov. 18:11, 23; Prov. 28:11; Eccl. 5:13, 14, 19, 20; Jer. 5:7-9, 27-29; Jer. 9:23; Jer. 17:11; Je...

  • Sin

    [nave] SIN. Index of Sub-Topics Miscellany of Minor Sub-Topics; Unclassified Scriptures Relating to, Defining, and Illustrating; Confession of; Consequences of, Entailed Upon Children; Conviction of; Forgiveness of; Fruits of; Kn...

  • Worldliness

    [nave] WORLDLINESS. 1 Sam. 8:19, 20; Job 20:4-29; Job 21:11-15; Psa. 49:16-18; Psa. 73:2-22; Prov. 14:12, 13; Prov. 15:21; Prov. 21:17; Prov. 23:20, 21; Prov. 27:1, 7; Eccl. 1:8; Eccl. 2:1-12; Eccl. 6:11, 12; Eccl. 8:15-17; Eccl. ...

  • Amusements and Worldly Pleasures

    [nave] AMUSEMENTS AND WORLDLY PLEASURES Belong to the works of the flesh, Gal. 5:19, 21; are transitory, Job 21:12, 13; Heb. 11:25; vain, Eccl. 2:11; choke the word of God in the heart, Luke 8:14; formed a part of idolatrous worshi...

  • Happiness

    [nave] HAPPINESS. Of the Wicked Limited to this life, Psa. 17:14; Luke 16:25; short, Job 20:5; uncertain, Luke 12:20; vain, Eccl. 2:1; 7:6. Is derived from their wealth, Job 21:13; Psa. 52:7; their power, Job 21:7; Psa. 37:35; t...

  • Music

    [isbe] MUSIC - mu'-zik: I. IMPORTANCE 1. The Sole Art Cultivated 2. A Wide Vocabulary of Musical Terms 3. Place in Social and Personal Life 4. Universal Language of Emotions 5. Use in Divine Service 6. Part at Religious Reformation...
    [smith] The most ancient music. --The inventor of musical instruments, like the first poet and the first forger of metals, was a Cainite. We learn from (Genesis 4:21) that Jubal the son of Lamech was "the father of all such as handl...
    [nave] MUSIC Teachers of, 1 Chr. 15:22; 25:7, 8; 2 Chr. 23:13. Physical effect of, on people, 1 Sam. 16:15, 16, 23. Discoursed during the offering of sacrifices, 2 Chr. 29:27, 28. Precentor, Neh. 12:42. Chief musician, Neh. 12:...

  • Death

    [nave] DEATH. Called in some versions &ld;Giving Up the Ghost,&rd; Gen. 25:8; 35:29; Lam. 1:19; Acts 5:10. King of Terrors Job 18:14. A Change Job 14:14. Going to your Fathers Gen. 15:15; 25:8; 35:29. Putting Off This Tabe...

  • Pleasure

    [nave] PLEASURE. Worldly Job 20:12-16; Job 21:12, 13; Prov. 9:17; Prov. 15:21; Prov. 21:17; Eccl. 1:17; Eccl. 2:1-13; Isa. 5:11, 12; Isa. 22:12, 13; Isa. 47:8, 9; Amos 6:1; Luke 8:14; Rom. 1:32; 2 Thess. 2:12; 1 Tim. 5:6; 2 Tim. ...

  • ORGAN

    [ebd] some kind of wind instrument, probably a kind of Pan's pipes (Gen. 4:21; Job 21:12; Ps. 150:4), which consisted of seven or eight reeds of unequal length.
    [smith] (Genesis 4:21; Job 21:12; 30:31; Psalms 150:4) The Hebrew word thus rendered probably denotes a pipe or perforated wind-instrument. In (Genesis 4:21) it appears to be a general term for all wind-instruments. In (Job 21:12) ar...

  • Infidelity

    [nave] INFIDELITY. Gen. 3:1 v. 4.; Ex. 5:2; Ex. 14:11 v. 12;; Ex. 16:3, 7; Num. 14:27-34; 16:41; 21:5. Ex. 17:7; Num. 15:30 v. 31.; Deut. 29:19, 20 v. 21.; Deut. 32:15; 1 Kin. 20:28; 1 Kin. 22:24; 2 Kin. 2:23 v. 24.; 2 Chr. 30:6, ...

  • Prayerlessness

    [nave] PRAYERLESSNESS. Job 15:4; Job 21:14, 15; Job 27:10; Psa. 14:4 Psa. 53:4. Psa. 79:6; Isa. 43:22; Isa. 64:7; Jer. 10:21, 25; Dan. 9:13; Hos. 7:7; Jonah 1:6; Zeph. 1:6

  • Stubble

    [isbe] STUBBLE - stub'-'-l (qash (Ex 5:12, etc.); kalame (The Wisdom of Solomon 3:7; 1 Cor 3:12)): These Hebrew and Greek forms are used of the stalks of wheat, etc., left knee-high in the field by the reapers. tebhen (Job 21:18), ...
    [nave] STUBBLE. Figurative Of the wicked, Ex. 15:7; Job 21:18; Psa. 83:13; Isa. 5:24; 40:24; 41:2; 47:14; Jer. 13:24; Joel 2:5; Nah. 1:10; Mal. 4:1.

  • Scoffing

    [nave] SCOFFING: 2 Chr. 30:6-10; 2 Chr. 36:16; Job 21:14, 15; Job 34:7; Psa. 1:1; Psa. 42:3 v. 10.; Psa. 73:11; Psa. 78:19, 20; Psa. 107:11, 12; Prov. 1:22, 25; Prov. 3:34; Prov. 9:12; Prov. 13:1; Prov. 14:6, 9; Prov. 19:29; Prov....

  • Chaff

    [isbe] CHAFF - chaf: Four different words have been translated "chaff" in the Old Testament: (1) mots, is found in Job 21:18; Ps 1:4; 35:5; Isa 17:13; 29:5; 41:15; Hos 13:3; Zeph 2:2. (2) chashash, occurs in two verses (Isa 5:24 an...
    [nave] CHAFF, Figurative Job 21:18; Psa. 1:4; 35:5; Isa. 17:13; Dan. 2:35; Hos. 13:3; Matt. 3:12; Luke 3:17.

  • AGRICULTURE

    [ebd] Tilling the ground (Gen. 2:15; 4:2, 3, 12) and rearing cattle were the chief employments in ancient times. The Egyptians excelled in agriculture. And after the Israelites entered into the possession of the Promised Land, the...
    [smith] This was little cared for by the patriarchs. The pastoral life, however, was the means of keeping the sacred race, whilst yet a family, distinct from mixture and locally unattached, especially whilst in Egypt. When grown into...

  • Blasphemy

    [nave] BLASPHEMY See also Slander; Speaking, Evil.Ex. 20:7 Deut. 5:11. Lev. 19:12 Lev. 22:32. Lev. 24:10-16; 2 Kin. 19:22 Isa. 37:23. 2 Chr. 32:19 The following passages from the book of Job (with the exception of Job 21:13,14) are...

  • Harp

    [nave] HARP, a stringed instrument of music, Isa. 38:20; Ezek. 33:32; Hab. 3:19. With three strings, 1 Sam. 18:6; ten strings, Psa. 33:2; 92:3; 144:9; 150:4. Originated with Jubal, Gen. 4:21. Made of almug wood, 1 Kin. 10:12. Da...

  • Children

    [nave] CHILDREN In answer to prayer: To Abraham, Gen. 15:2-5, with Gen. 21:1, 2; Isaac, Gen. 25:21; Leah, Gen. 30:17-22; Rachel, Gen. 30:22-24; Haah, 1 Sam. 1:9-20; Zacharias, Luke 1:13. Treatment of, at birth, Ezek. 16:4-6; Luke ...
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Arts

Questions

  • I've heard and read the same statement a number of times, but have never troubled myself to look up each passage. I'm not surprised that looking up "heaven" and "hell" in a concordance would give you contradictory results. T...

Resources/Books

Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • What this book is all about has been the subject of considerable debate. Many people think God gave it to us to provide His answer to the age-old problem of suffering. In particular, many believe it is in the Bible to help us...
  • I. Prologue chs. 1-2A. Job's character 1:1-5B. Job's calamities 1:6-2:101. The first test 1:6-222. The second test 2:1-10C. Job's comforters 2:11-13II. The dialogue concerning the basis of the divine-human relationship 3:1-42...
  • The writer composed the prologue and epilogue of this book in prose narrative and the main body (3:1-42:6) in poetry. The prologue and epilogue form a frame around the main emphasis of the revelation, the poetic section, and ...
  • Much of Job's suffering was intellectual. He asked, "Why?"frequently in this soliloquy (vv. 11, 12, 20, 23) and in the dialogue that follows (7:20, 21; 9:29; 13:24; 21:4; 24:1)."My groaning comes at the sight of my food"(v. 2...
  • The two soliloquies of Job (chs. 3 and 29-31) enclose three cycles of dialogue between Job and his three friends. Each cycle consists of speeches by Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar in that order interspersed with Job's reply to e...
  • The best consolation his friends could have provided was to listen quietly to Job's reply. Consequently Job requested this (v. 2). He reminded his companions that his complaint was with God, not people. He was impatient becau...
  • Job's friends had been selective in their observations regarding wicked people. They had pointed out only the cases in which God judged them on earth. Job now presented the other side of the story. There were many wicked who ...
  • Elihu began by voicing his respect for Job's three friends (vv. 6-10). They were older than he, and for this reason he said he had refrained from speaking until now. However he had become convinced that advancing age does not...
  • This pericope contains one of Jeremiah's "confessions,"a self-revelation of the prophet's own struggles to cope with God's actions (cf. 10:23-24; 15:10-12, 15-21; 17:9-11, 14-18; 18:18-23; and 20:7-18).219The heart of this on...
  • 25:15 The Lord instructed Jeremiah to take from His hand, figuratively, a cup of His wrath and to cause all the nations to whom the Lord would send him to drink from it. The cup is a common figure for the wrath of God in Scri...
  • 3:1 Jeremiah claimed to have seen much affliction because Yahweh had struck Jerusalem in His anger (cf. Job 9:34; 21:9; Ps. 89:32; Isa. 10:5)."The two preceding poems ended with sorrowful complaint. This third poem begins wit...
  • That another oracle is in view is clear from the question and answer format that begins this pericope, as it does the others. Verse 17 contains the question and answer, and the discussion follows in 3:1-6. The Israelites' cha...
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