What is the meaning of Job 21:23? One man dies - Job is observing life, not theorizing; he is pointing out what he has actually seen. The verse introduces a specific example to expose the shallowness of the “only-the-wicked-suffer” idea his friends keep repeating (cf. Job 21:34). - Death comes to “one man” just as it comes to every man; the event itself is unavoidable (Hebrews 9:27: “people are appointed to die once…”). - Ecclesiastes 9:2–3 echoes the same reality: “One fate comes to all…”—righteous and unrighteous alike. - By putting a single individual under the microscope, Job highlights the apparent randomness of timing and circumstance, pushing us to look beyond human logic to God’s ultimately just sovereignty. full of vigor - The person reaches the moment of death “full of vigor,” literally brimming with physical strength and health. • Psalm 73:4 notes that the wicked “have no struggles; their bodies are well-fed and healthy.” • Proverbs 3:8 links soundness of flesh with God’s general blessing—but Job’s case study shows that good health alone is not a foolproof indicator of righteousness. - This phrase corrects the simplistic notion that sickness is always divine punishment. Sometimes the wicked, or at least the spiritually indifferent, never feel the aches that others do. completely secure - He feels “completely secure”—no looming threats, no insecurity about tomorrow. • Job 12:6: “The tents of robbers are safe, and those who provoke God are secure…” • Psalm 73:12 underscores the same enigma: “Behold, these are the wicked—always carefree, they increase in wealth.” - The comfort of this man is deceptive; true security rests only in the Lord (Psalm 4:8), yet outwardly it seems he has what everyone wants—stable finances, protected borders, trouble-free days. and at ease - The picture culminates in a life of leisure right up to the final breath. • Luke 12:19 portrays the rich fool saying, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink, and be merry.” • Psalm 30:6 shows even a believer can slip into the same complacency: “In my prosperity I said, ‘I shall never be moved.’” - Job is not congratulating this ease; he is exposing how misleading surface prosperity can be. God’s ultimate assessment comes after death (Romans 2:5–6). summary Job 21:23 shatters the tidy equation that instant earthly suffering equals wickedness and instant earthly blessing equals righteousness. A person may die healthy, comfortable, and confident, yet still face God’s judgment. The verse calls us to trust God’s larger, often hidden, justice and to anchor our hope not in present circumstances but in the unchanging character of the Lord who “will by no means leave the guilty unpunished” (Nahum 1:3) while faithfully rewarding those who fear Him (Hebrews 11:6). |
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