Job 21:10
New International Version
Their bulls never fail to breed; their cows calve and do not miscarry.

New Living Translation
Their bulls never fail to breed. Their cows bear calves and never miscarry.

English Standard Version
Their bull breeds without fail; their cow calves and does not miscarry.

Berean Standard Bible
Their bulls breed without fail; their cows bear calves and do not miscarry.

King James Bible
Their bull gendereth, and faileth not; their cow calveth, and casteth not her calf.

New King James Version
Their bull breeds without failure; Their cow calves without miscarriage.

New American Standard Bible
“His ox mates without fail; His cow calves and does not miscarry.

NASB 1995
“His ox mates without fail; His cow calves and does not abort.

NASB 1977
“His ox mates without fail; His cow calves and does not abort.

Legacy Standard Bible
His ox mates and does not fail; His cow calves and does not miscarry.

Amplified Bible
“His bull breeds and does not fail; His cow calves and does not miscarry.

Christian Standard Bible
Their bulls breed without fail; their cows calve and do not miscarry.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Their bulls breed without fail; their cows calve and do not miscarry.

American Standard Version
Their bull gendereth, and faileth not; Their cow calveth, and casteth not her calf.

Contemporary English Version
Their cattle have lots of calves without ever losing one;

English Revised Version
Their bull gendereth, and faileth not; their cow calveth, and casteth not her calf.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Their bulls are fertile when they breed. Their cows give birth to calves and never miscarry.

Good News Translation
Yes, all their cattle breed and give birth without trouble.

International Standard Version
Their bull breeds without fail, and their cows calve without miscarriages.

Majority Standard Bible
Their bulls breed without fail; their cows bear calves and do not miscarry.

NET Bible
Their bulls breed without fail; their cows calve and do not miscarry.

New Heart English Bible
Their bulls breed without fail. Their cows calve, and do not miscarry.

Webster's Bible Translation
Their bull gendereth, and faileth not; their cow calveth, and casteth not her calf.

World English Bible
Their bulls breed without fail. Their cows calve, and don’t miscarry.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
His bullock breeds without fail. His cow brings forth safely, and does not miscarry.

Young's Literal Translation
His bullock hath eaten corn, and doth not loath. His cow bringeth forth safely, And doth not miscarry.

Smith's Literal Translation
His ox passed over and will not be cast away: his heifer will escape and will not be barren.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Their cattle have conceived, and failed not: their cow has calved, and is not deprived of her fruit.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Their cattle have conceived and have not miscarried; their cow has given birth and is not deprived of her newborn.

New American Bible
Their bulls breed without fail; their cows calve and do not miscarry.

New Revised Standard Version
Their bull breeds without fail; their cow calves and never miscarries.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Their bull breeds, and fails not; their cow calves, and does not cast her calf.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
His ox breeds and does not bellow, and his cow brings forth and it is not destroyed
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Their bull gendereth, and faileth not; Their cow calveth, and casteth not her calf.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Their cow does not cast her calf, and their beast with young is safe, and does not miscarry.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Job: God will Punish the Wicked
9Their homes are safe from fear; no rod of punishment from God is upon them. 10Their bulls breed without fail; their cows bear calves and do not miscarry. 11They send forth their little ones like a flock; their children skip about,…

Cross References
Psalm 73:3-12
For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. / They have no struggle in their death; their bodies are well-fed. / They are free of the burdens others carry; they are not afflicted like other men. ...

Jeremiah 12:1-2
Righteous are You, O LORD, when I plead before You. Yet about Your judgments I wish to contend with You: Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all the faithless live at ease? / You planted them, and they have taken root. They have grown and produced fruit. You are ever on their lips, but far from their hearts.

Malachi 3:15
So now we call the arrogant blessed. Not only do evildoers prosper, they even test God and escape.’”

Psalm 37:35
I have seen a wicked, ruthless man flourishing like a well-rooted native tree,

Psalm 49:16-17
Do not be afraid when a man grows rich, when the splendor of his house increases. / For when he dies, he will carry nothing away; his abundance will not follow him down.

Ecclesiastes 8:14
There is a futility that is done on the earth: There are righteous men who get what the actions of the wicked deserve, and there are wicked men who get what the actions of the righteous deserve. I say that this too is futile.

Habakkuk 1:13
Your eyes are too pure to look upon evil, and You cannot tolerate wrongdoing. So why do You tolerate the faithless? Why are You silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves?

Luke 12:16-21
Then He told them a parable: “The ground of a certain rich man produced an abundance. / So he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, since I have nowhere to store my crops?’ / Then he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and will build bigger ones, and there I will store up all my grain and my goods. ...

Matthew 5:45
that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

James 5:5
You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in the day of slaughter.

1 Timothy 6:9-10
Those who want to be rich, however, fall into temptation and become ensnared by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. / For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. By craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.

Psalm 17:14
from such men, O LORD, by Your hand—from men of the world whose portion is in this life. May You fill the bellies of Your treasured ones and satisfy their sons, so they leave their abundance to their children.

Psalm 92:7
that though the wicked sprout like grass, and all evildoers flourish, they will be forever destroyed.

Proverbs 3:33
The curse of the LORD is on the house of the wicked, but He blesses the home of the righteous.

Ecclesiastes 7:15
In my futile life I have seen both of these: A righteous man perishing in his righteousness, and a wicked man living long in his wickedness.


Treasury of Scripture

Their bull engenders, and fails not; their cow calves, and casts not her calf.

their cow

Exodus 23:26
There shall nothing cast their young, nor be barren, in thy land: the number of thy days I will fulfil.

Deuteronomy 7:13,14
And he will love thee, and bless thee, and multiply thee: he will also bless the fruit of thy womb, and the fruit of thy land, thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep, in the land which he sware unto thy fathers to give thee…

Deuteronomy 28:11
And the LORD shall make thee plenteous in goods, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy ground, in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers to give thee.

Jump to Previous
Birth Breed Breeds Bull Bullock Bulls Calf Calve Calves Calveth Cast Casteth Corn Cow Cows Dropping Eaten Fail Faileth Forth Gendereth Gives Loath Miscarry Ox Ready Safely Seed Times Young
Jump to Next
Birth Breed Breeds Bull Bullock Bulls Calf Calve Calves Calveth Cast Casteth Corn Cow Cows Dropping Eaten Fail Faileth Forth Gendereth Gives Loath Miscarry Ox Ready Safely Seed Times Young
Job 21
1. Job shows that even in the judgment of man he has reason to be grieved
7. Sometimes the wicked prosper, though they despise God
16. Sometimes their destruction is manifest
21. The happy and unhappy are alike in death
27. The judgment of the wicked is in another world














Their bulls breed without fail;
This phrase highlights the prosperity and success of the wicked, a central theme in Job's discourse. In the ancient Near Eastern context, livestock was a primary measure of wealth and success. The ability of bulls to breed without fail signifies a continuous and reliable increase in wealth and resources. This imagery contrasts with the suffering of Job, who has lost his livestock and wealth. The prosperity of the wicked challenges the retributive justice principle, which suggests that the righteous prosper while the wicked suffer. This theme is echoed in Psalm 73, where the psalmist struggles with the prosperity of the wicked.

their cows bear calves and do not miscarry.
The successful bearing of calves without miscarriage further emphasizes the uninterrupted prosperity of the wicked. In ancient times, the health and productivity of livestock were crucial for survival and economic stability. Miscarriage in livestock could lead to significant financial loss and hardship. The absence of such misfortune among the wicked underscores the apparent injustice in the world, as Job perceives it. This observation challenges the simplistic view of divine justice and invites deeper reflection on the nature of God's governance. The imagery of fruitful livestock can also be seen as a metaphor for the blessings and fruitfulness promised to the faithful, as seen in Deuteronomy 28:4, where obedience to God results in the blessing of livestock. However, Job's experience seems to contradict this promise, prompting a profound exploration of faith and suffering.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Job
The central figure in the Book of Job, a man of great faith and patience who undergoes severe trials and suffering. In this chapter, Job is responding to his friends' arguments about the prosperity of the wicked.

2. Job's Friends
Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar, who argue that suffering is a result of sin and that prosperity is a sign of righteousness. Job challenges their simplistic understanding of God's justice.

3. The Land of Uz
The setting of the Book of Job, traditionally considered to be in the region of Edom or northern Arabia.

4. The Prosperity of the Wicked
A theme in Job 21, where Job observes that the wicked often prosper and live without the immediate consequences of their actions.

5. Theodicy
The broader theological context of the Book of Job, dealing with the justice of God in the face of human suffering.
Teaching Points
Understanding God's Sovereignty
Recognize that God's ways are higher than our ways, and His understanding is beyond our comprehension. Job's observations challenge us to trust in God's sovereignty even when circumstances seem unjust.

The Reality of Temporal Prosperity
Acknowledge that earthly prosperity is not always a sign of divine favor. The wicked may prosper temporarily, but ultimate justice belongs to God.

Faith in the Midst of Doubt
Job's honest questioning encourages believers to bring their doubts and struggles before God, trusting that He is big enough to handle our questions.

The Importance of Eternal Perspective
Focus on the eternal rather than the temporal. While the wicked may prosper now, their end is not secure without God.

Compassionate Engagement with Suffering
Learn from Job's friends' mistakes by offering compassion and understanding rather than simplistic answers to those who suffer.Verse 10. - Their bull gendereth, and faileth not; rather, their cow conceiveth . Shor (שׁור), which is of both genders, must here be taken as feminine. Their cow (rather, their heifer) calveth, and casteth not her calf. Both conception and birth are prosperous; there is neither barrenness nor abortion.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Their bulls
שׁוֹר֣וֹ (šō·w·rōw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 7794: A head of cattle (bullock, ox, etcetera)

breed
עִ֭בַּר (‘ib·bar)
Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5674: To pass over, through, or by, pass on

without
וְלֹ֣א (wə·lō)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

fail;
יַגְעִ֑ל (yaḡ·‘il)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1602: To detest, to reject

their cows
פָּ֝רָת֗וֹ (pā·rā·ṯōw)
Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 6510: A heifer, cow

calve
תְּפַלֵּ֥ט (tə·p̄al·lêṭ)
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 6403: To slip out, escape, to deliver

and do not
וְלֹ֣א (wə·lō)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

miscarry.
תְשַׁכֵּֽל׃ (ṯə·šak·kêl)
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 7921: To miscarry, suffer abortion, to bereave


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OT Poetry: Job 21:10 Their bulls breed without fail (Jb)
Job 21:9
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