Chapter Overview
Summary
Job 21 is Job's response to Zophar — directly-empirically-refuting the friends' wicked-suffer thesis. Job points-to actual-experience: 'why do the wicked LIVE, reach old age, and grow mighty in power?' (v. 7). The chapter is one of the OT's most-direct anti-retribution observations — refusing to let-theological-axioms override-observed-reality. Psalm 73 shares the same theodicy-question.
Notable Variants
21:7 'why do the wicked live and grow mighty?' theodicy-question // Ps 73:3–12, Jer 12:1; 21:13 'they spend their days in prosperity, and in peace they go down to Sheol' — wicked's peaceful-death anomaly; 21:23–26 'one dies in full vigor … another dies in bitterness' — same-fate problem.
Structural Notes
MT Job 21 = LXX Job 21. 34 verses.
Then Job answered and said:
'Then Job answered and said' tracks MT.
Listen — truly listen to my words, and let that be the comfort you offer me.
'Keep listening to my words, and let this be your comfort' tracks MT.
Bear with me while I speak, and after I have spoken — then you may mock.
'Bear with me, and I will speak; and after I have spoken, mock on' tracks MT.
Is my complaint directed at a human being? If so, why should I not lose patience?
'As for me, is my complaint against man? Why should I not be impatient?' tracks MT.
Turn to me and be appalled. Put your hand over your mouth.
'Look at me and be appalled, and lay your hand upon your mouth' tracks MT. HAND-ON-MOUTH silence-gesture // Job 40:4 (Job's own response to God).
When I think about it, I am horrified; shuddering seizes my body.
'When I remember, I am dismayed, and shuddering seizes my flesh' tracks MT.
Why do the wicked go on living, growing old and even gaining power?
'Why do the wicked live, reach old age, and grow mighty in power?' tracks MT. THE THEODICY-QUESTION. Why-do-wicked-prosper. Psalm 73:3–12 ('I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked'), Jeremiah 12:1 ('why does the way of the wicked prosper?'), Habakkuk 1:2–4 share the same-question. The book deliberately gives-this-question voice rather than dismissing it.
Their children are secure before them, their descendants right before their eyes.
'Their offspring are established in their presence, and their descendants before their eyes' tracks MT.
Their houses are at peace, free from dread; the rod of God does not fall on them.
'Their houses are safe from fear, and no rod of God is upon them' tracks MT.
His bull breeds without fail; his cow calves and does not miscarry.
'Their bull breeds without fail; their cow calves and does not miscarry' tracks MT.
They send out their little ones like a flock; their children dance and play.
'They send out their little boys like a flock, and their children dance' tracks MT.
They lift up the tambourine and lyre and celebrate to the sound of the flute.
'They sing to the tambourine and the lyre and rejoice to the sound of the pipe' tracks MT.
They finish their days in prosperity and go down to the grave in peace.
'They spend their days in prosperity, and in peace they go down to Sheol' tracks MT. PEACEFUL-DEATH-OF-WICKED — the empirical-fact that destabilizes the friends' theology.
They say to God, 'Leave us alone! We have no desire to know your ways.'
'They say to God: Depart from us! We do not desire the knowledge of your ways' tracks MT. WICKED'S-EXPLICIT-ATHEISM. Romans 1:28 ('they did not see fit to acknowledge God') extends.
'Who is the Almighty that we should serve him? What do we gain by praying to him?'
'What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? And what profit do we get if we pray to him?' tracks MT.
Yet their prosperity is not in their own hands. The counsel of the wicked is far from me!
'Behold, is not their prosperity in their hand? The counsel of the wicked is far from me' tracks MT.
How often is the lamp of the wicked snuffed out? How often does their disaster come upon them? How often does God deal out pain in his anger?
'How often is it that the lamp of the wicked is put out? That their calamity comes upon them? That God distributes pains in his anger?' tracks MT.
How often are they like straw before the wind, like chaff that the storm sweeps away?
'That they are like straw before the wind, and like chaff that the storm carries away?' tracks MT.
You say, 'God stores up his punishment for his children.' Let God repay the man himself, so he knows it!
'You say: God stores up their iniquity for their children. Let him pay it out to them, that they may know it' tracks MT.
Let his own eyes see his ruin! Let him drink the wrath of the Almighty!
'Let their own eyes see their destruction, and let them drink of the wrath of the Almighty' tracks MT.
What does a dead man care about his household after him, once the count of his months is cut short?
'For what do they care for their houses after them, when the number of their months is cut off?' tracks MT.
Can anyone teach God knowledge, he who judges even the exalted ones?
'Will any teach God knowledge, seeing that he judges those who are on high?' tracks MT.
One person dies in perfect wholeness, completely at ease and secure.
'One dies in his full vigor, being wholly at ease and secure' tracks MT.
His body is full of nourishment; his bones are rich with marrow.
'His pails are full of milk, and the marrow of his bones is moist' tracks MT.
Another dies with a bitter soul, having never tasted anything good.
'Another dies in bitterness of soul, never having tasted of prosperity' tracks MT. SAME-DEATH for prosperous-and-bitter — death's-democracy.
Side by side they lie in the dust, and the worms cover them both.
'They lie down alike in the dust, and the worms cover them' tracks MT.
Look — I know your thoughts and the schemes you devise against me.
'Behold, I know your thoughts and your schemes to wrong me' tracks MT.
You say, 'Where is the great man's house? Where is the tent where the wicked lived?'
'For you say: Where is the house of the prince? Where is the tent in which the wicked lived?' tracks MT.
Have you never asked travelers on the road? Do you not recognize their testimony?
'Have you not asked those who travel the roads, and do you not accept their testimony' tracks MT.
The wicked is spared on the day of disaster; he is carried away from the day of wrath.
'That the evil man is spared in the day of calamity, that he is rescued in the day of wrath?' tracks MT.
Who denounces his conduct to his face? Who repays him for what he has done?
'Who declares his way to his face, and who repays him for what he has done?' tracks MT.
He is carried to his tomb in honor, and a watch is kept over his burial mound.
'When he is carried to the grave, watch is kept over his tomb' tracks MT.
The clods of the valley lie gently on him. All humanity follows in his path; those who went before him are beyond counting.
'The clods of the valley are sweet to him; all mankind follows after him, and those who go before him are innumerable' tracks MT.
So how can you comfort me with empty breath? Nothing is left of your answers but lies.
'How then will you comfort me with empty nothings? There is nothing left of your answers but falsehood' tracks MT. CLOSES with rebuke of friends' empty-comfort.