What is the meaning of Job 21:20? Let his eyes see his own destruction “Let his eyes see his destruction” (Job 21:20a) is Job’s wish that the wicked personally witness the collapse of their prosperity. • Job is pushing back against his friends’ claim that God always repays evil people quickly; he notes in 21:7–13 that they often live long, comfortable lives. • By saying the wrongdoer should “see” ruin with his own eyes, Job insists on justice that is direct and unmistakable, not delayed or transferred to children (compare 21:19). • Scripture records moments when evildoers did, in fact, watch their downfall—Korah and his followers saw the earth open beneath them (Numbers 16:30–33), and Haman viewed the king’s furious face before he was taken away (Esther 7:6–10). • The psalmist likewise longed to “see” the end of the arrogant (Psalm 73:3–19), and Proverbs 24:20 assures that “the lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out.” • For believers wrestling with apparent injustice, Job’s words remind us that earthly appearances do not cancel God’s ultimate commitment to righteous retribution (Romans 2:6). Let him drink for himself the wrath of the Almighty “Let him drink for himself the wrath of the Almighty” (Job 21:20b) shifts from sight to experience. • Drinking pictures taking God’s judgment deeply and personally, much like the “cup of foaming wine” God pours out on the wicked (Psalm 75:8; Isaiah 51:17; Jeremiah 25:15). • Job’s emphasis on “for himself” underlines individual accountability; no proxy can absorb the penalty (Hebrews 9:27). • Throughout Scripture the cup image points to full, inescapable judgment—seen finally in Revelation 14:10, where the unrepentant “will drink the wine of God’s fury, poured full strength.” • Yet the same imagery highlights the gospel’s hope: Jesus asked, “Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given Me?” (John 18:11), voluntarily taking the wrath believers deserved (Romans 5:9). • Thus Job’s plea foreshadows the truth that every sin is either judged at the cross or faced by the sinner in person (John 3:36). summary Job 21:20 voices Job’s conviction that genuine justice requires the wicked to both see and fully taste their own downfall. He challenges any notion that God’s retribution can be outsourced or indefinitely postponed. The verse reinforces two certainties: God’s judgment is personal and thorough, and only those who take refuge in the Savior who drank the cup on their behalf escape that rightful wrath. |
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