Job 21:31 Commentary and Bible Study

‘Who shall declare his way to his face?’ The implied answer is ‘Often, no one.’ The wicked man often never faces any challenge to his behaviour and therefore goes on in the same track not meeting any resistance or correction. The reason for this may be that by his wickedness he gets himself in a position where he is feared by other men, in a position of power where there is an implicit threat made to any who would dare to stand up to him. Anyone who would admonish him risks having their livelihood taken away, or violence against them. To have to rebuke such a man, you would have to speak to his face; that requires a degree of courage which few possess, and a commitment to principle which is stronger than mere pragmatism, and which few attain. What judge will repay him for what he has done, for it is often the case that the judiciary, which is supposed to be independent and have its eye only on the law and nothing else, is swayed by fear, bribery, corruption, and so the wicked never receives a rebuke.The KJV, NKJ, and ASV start verse 32 with the word ‘yet’. ‘Yet’ – in spite of the fact that he is wicked (not, in spite of the fact that no one declares his name to his face) – ‘he shall be brought to the grave’, that is, brought to the grave in peace. Job argues that even in death there is no difference in the respect shown to evil men. As far as the living are concerned, the same fiction that existed in their lives persists in their death. Even then they continue to be respected and elevated above what they deserve as judged by God’s standard. In fact the world has many dead heroes. Men will watch over their tombs out of respect for the dead. This honour is totally undeserved but Job observes that God’s providence allows it of those who are completely unworthy of it. So much for the naive theory of the comforters that the wicked receive their due reward in this life! Judged by these external circumstances all is sweet with the corrupt man and nothing arises to disturb his peace. There is no sudden reversal of opinion about him after he has gone, indeed, often the evil that he has done is forgotten and the good remembered, in spite of Shakespeare’s line, for the world is incapable of making a proper assessment. Job is saying nothing about what really happens to the man and the terror he faces as he realises he has thrown away his life and is reserved for Day of Judgment, but all this is hidden from the eyes of the world.The words ‘every man shall draw after him’ are understood either of those who come to his tomb to pay their respects, or of those who follow him to the grave as an unknown number went before him. The last meaning fits the words better, but what does Job mean? Perhaps that this account of the wicked going to the grave in peace encourages others to think that they too can get away with a wicked life, so that the same thing happens again and again and will go on happening while the world lasts.He therefore dismisses the philosophy of the friends as worthless and empty, vain words, mere breath or vapour, insubstantial. Such words accomplish nothing, do no good, provide support and comfort to no one. They are undermining words, words that stab in the back and destroy any friendship that ever existed between them. They are unskilful words, not what one would expect from those who were older or wiser than the common people. Furthermore there was falsehood in their speeches. They spoke with cunning, allegedly speaking in defence of God, but really showing a partiality in God’s favour that he would despise. The Lord would never ask for advocates who tried to defend him in the way that these three did, so their flattery was noted and rejected.Some commentators try to find a middle road between Job and the comforters and claim that wisdom lies here, but the book itself has a different verdict: that the theology of Job was right, and that of the friends was error.