Job 21:16 Commentary and Bible Study

The next few verses present a difficulty, because at face value Job seems to contradict himself. Having made the case that God’s judgment is delayed and that the wicked get away with much in this life without immediately facing judgment, he seems now to say the opposite: they meet with destruction without delay. Commentators deal with this in various ways. Some understand Job to be quoting the words of the comforters back to them – they are not treated as Job’s sentiments. Some treat the statements in the verses that seem to contradict what Job said before, as questions – ‘Are they as stubble before the wind?’ There are no normal grammatical indicators of this, although those who interpret the passage in this way may extend the question in verse 17 – ‘How often …?’ – and apply it also to the verse 18, turning it into questions. Some see the passage as ironic and teaching the opposite – ‘You say that the wicked are stripped of their wealth by the judgments of God, and they are not given the opportunity to enjoy it. Sure, their prosperity is not in their hands: if only that was the case! Nevertheless, their counsel is far from me and I want nothing to do with their ways.’ This view has to introduce a contrast between the two parts of verse 16 (expressed by the word ‘nevertheless’ or some such word, which is not in the Hebrew). This is the view of Barnes who understands Job to be restating the position of the comforters (but with an ironical tone): that the prosperity of the wicked is not in their hands, not at their disposal, and then refuting it in verse 17 with further sarcasm indicating that it is a rare event that the wicked lose all their prosperity.Others see it as a parenthesis in which Job corrects any misunderstanding his hearers might have that he sympathises with the wicked. None of what he has said is intended to give the impression that he is defending them or that he is arguing that they have any real advantage. They experience prosperity, but it is not by their own power or skill that they have obtained it. It is by a secret providence of God that allows them to possess it only for a limited time. Whatever their short-term advantage, their wealth in inherently unstable. Job wants nothing to do with their way or life or the riches that they accumulate. He knows that all their thinking is selfish and godless and they are ready to sacrifice any principle of truth to serve their own interests. According to this view the two parts of verse 16 agree. Verse 17 then goes on to sincerely assert that the wicked do not escape judgment, but often face retribution.To make this last view of the passage work, we have to understand Job to say that although the candle of the wicked is often put out, it is not always put out, or, at least, not yet. Eventually, yes, all the wicked will experience the judgment of God, and the verses that follow can be read in this way – not to speak of what happens in every case, but of what happens eventually to all the wicked. The very word Job uses – ‘he distributes [divides] sorrows [pains, pangs] in his anger’ – suggests this: they are distributed according to the wisdom of God, at the time he deems fit. This allows for a delay in some cases, and not in others. Job is not doubting God, but showing these friends that they are superficial in their view. Scripture teaches there is a token measure of judgement in this life. Man must know that God is a God of judgement. He does this to warn them, so they don’t come to the day of judgement totally unaware of God’s justice. But the real judgement is to come – this seems to agree with what he reports those who have seen the world conclude in verse 30. Job is not teaching that there is no judgement now, but not very much. The wicked frequently continue into old age.It is not easy to decide which of these views is correct. The verses that follow may help us decide. In verses 23-26 Job says that there is great variation between the different states in which men die, even if you only consider wicked men. Justice is therefore not fully served her and now. In verse 27-28, he puts an objection in the mouths of the comforters and has them ask, ‘Where is the house of the prince’, that is, the evil prince. The question expects the answer that it is removed by the justice of God, but Job says, that is the wrong answer. He is still arguing for the lack of comprehensive judgment in this life. In verse 33 he insists that many evil men die a very pleasant death, and in verse 34 that the friends’ thesis is therefore empty and false. Given all these sentiments, it does not make sense to insert a block of verses (17-21) that teach the opposite. Even the view that Job is asserting in these verses that there is ultimate justice is somewhat awkward. He switches back to another quite different way of reasoning in the remainder of the chapter, and the whole passage seems to be one of a piece and to make a single point. It seems best therefore to treat these verses as Job reiterating the sentiments of the friends and expressing doubt about them, either by means of questions or by irony.