What is the meaning of Job 21:13? They spend their days - Job is describing the ungodly who, from sunrise to sunset, enjoy full schedules of comfort and pleasure. - Psalm 73:3-5 observes a similar pattern: “For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked… They are free of the burdens common to man.” - Ecclesiastes 8:11-12 notes that when judgment is delayed, sinners feel encouraged to keep living as they please. - The emphasis is on the entire span of life—“their days”—hinting that nothing outward seems to interrupt their ease. in prosperity - The Hebrew idea of prosperity includes wealth, health, family success, and social honor. - Proverbs 10:22 affirms that “The blessing of the LORD enriches,” yet Job highlights a tension: those not walking with God appear to receive that enrichment. - Jesus points out in Matthew 5:45 that God “causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good,” underscoring common grace. - The prosperity here is real, not illusory; it is part of what makes Job’s complaint weighty—prosperity is observable fact, not rumor. and go down to Sheol - Sheol, the realm of the dead, is pictured as the inevitable destination for every person (Psalm 89:48). - For the wicked, Sheol is not annihilation but a conscious state awaiting final judgment (Daniel 12:2). - Job notes that their transition from life to death is uninterrupted by calamity, contrasting with his own sudden suffering. - The phrase “go down” stresses the certainty and universality of death (Hebrews 9:27). in peace - “Peace” here is ironic: outward serenity accompanies their last breath. There is no terror, no struggle; life simply ends. - Yet Isaiah 48:22 reminds, “There is no peace for the wicked,” showing that the peace is only surface-level and temporary. - Luke 16:19-25 depicts the rich man enjoying comfort in life but torment after death, revealing the ultimate lack of peace beyond the grave. - Job underscores the mystery: temporal tranquility does not equal eternal security. summary Job 21:13 confronts the puzzle of godless people who live comfortably and die quietly. Their entire lifespan seems blessed, and even their passing appears gentle, yet Scripture elsewhere clarifies that such peace is fleeting if unaccompanied by faith. The verse pushes believers to trust God’s final justice, remembering that outward prosperity and a calm death do not determine eternal realities. |
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