Job 21:21 kjv
For what pleasure hath he in his house after him, when the number of his months is cut off in the midst?
Job 21:21 nkjv
For what does he care about his household after him, When the number of his months is cut in half?
Job 21:21 niv
For what do they care about the families they leave behind when their allotted months come to an end?
Job 21:21 esv
For what do they care for their houses after them, when the number of their months is cut off?
Job 21:21 nlt
For they will not care what happens to their family
after they are dead.
Job 21 21 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference (Short Note) |
|---|---|---|
| Ecc 1:2 | "Vanity of vanities," says the Preacher, "vanity of vanities! All is vanity." | Fleetingness of all earthly pursuits. |
| Ecc 2:18-19 | "I hated all my toil in which I toil under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who will come after me..." | Legacy of wealth passes to others. |
| Ecc 5:13-16 | "...he leaves nothing in his hand." | Wealth gained can be lost, offers no security. |
| Psa 39:4-6 | "Behold, You have made my days a few handbreadths...Surely every man at his best is but a breath!" | Brevity and transience of human life. |
| Psa 49:6-12 | "...They leave their wealth to others. Their inward thought is that their houses shall continue for ever..." | Futility of trusting in wealth and legacy. |
| Psa 73:3-12 | "For I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked." | Wicked often prosper in this life. |
| Psa 90:9-10 | "For all our days pass away under Your wrath; we bring our years to an end as a sigh." | Life is short and swiftly passes. |
| Psa 103:15-16 | "Man, his days are like grass...for the wind passes over it, and it is gone..." | Life is fragile and impermanent. |
| Prov 13:22 | "A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children, but the sinner's wealth is laid up for the righteous." | Contrasts good vs. wicked inheritance outcomes. |
| Isa 40:6-8 | "All flesh is grass...the grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever." | Human life's fleetingness contrasted with God's word. |
| Job 14:1-2 | "Man who is born of a woman is few of days and full of trouble. He comes out like a flower and withers..." | Humanity's short and troubled existence. |
| Job 14:5 | "Since his days are determined, the number of his months is with You..." | God's sovereignty over the length of life. |
| Lk 12:19-20 | "But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?'" | Parable of the rich fool, emphasizing sudden death. |
| Jas 4:14 | "whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor..." | Life is brief and uncertain. |
| 1 Pet 1:24 | "For all flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls." | Echoes Isa 40 on the transient nature of life. |
| 1 Tim 6:7 | "For we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world." | Death strips one of all worldly possessions. |
| Matt 6:19-20 | "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth...but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven..." | Heavenly treasures are eternal, earthly temporary. |
| Prov 27:24 | "for riches do not last forever, nor does a crown endure to all generations." | Wealth is impermanent. |
| Hab 1:2-4 | "How long, O Lord, will I call for help, and You will not hear?" | God's apparent slowness to act against the wicked. |
| 1 Sam 2:6 | "The Lord kills and makes alive; He brings down to Sheol and raises up." | God's ultimate power over life and death. |
| Ps 89:47-48 | "Remember how short my time is; For what futility have You created all the children of men? What man can live and not see death?" | Man's limited time and inescapable mortality. |
| Phil 3:7-8 | "But whatever gain I had, I count as loss for the sake of Christ." | Spiritual gain transcends earthly profit/legacy. |
Job 21 verses
Job 21 21 Meaning
Job 21:21 is a pivotal statement within Job’s discourse, where he challenges the conventional wisdom of his friends regarding divine retribution. Job argues that even if a wicked person thrives and establishes a "house" or legacy, that individual will not be able to truly enjoy or profit from it if their life is cut short. The verse highlights the ultimate futility and transient nature of earthly possessions and reputation when confronted with the brevity of human existence and the finality of death. It posits that for the deceased, their accumulated wealth or family achievements on earth offer no continued "profit" or enjoyment.
Job 21 21 Context
Job 21:21 is found in Job's third response to his friends, specifically challenging Bildad’s previous argument (chapter 18) and the overall retribution theology held by Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar. These friends staunchly maintained that prosperity indicated righteousness and suffering signified wickedness, asserting that the wicked always met a swift and dismal end. In chapter 21, Job presents compelling evidence that often, the wicked prosper, live long lives, and die peacefully, even leaving behind heirs. Verse 21, in particular, undercuts any supposed lasting "profit" from such prosperity. Job is contending that divine justice is far more complex than their simplistic formula, not always manifesting itself immediately or overtly in this earthly life, thus raising profound questions about God's ways with humanity.
Job 21 21 Word analysis
- For what profit (כִּי־מָה הֵלֶךְ - kī-māh hēleḵ): The phrase is critically important. While some translations render "pleasure" or "care," the Hebrew term הֵלֶךְ (helek) signifies 'profit', 'advantage', 'gain', or 'what comes forth'. It’s not merely a subjective feeling of enjoyment but a question of concrete benefit or legacy. Job argues that whatever 'gain' or 'share' one has accumulated on earth, it ceases to be a tangible benefit or source of control after death. This challenges the worldly focus on acquiring wealth and building an enduring 'house' (legacy), as such benefits do not accompany the deceased.
- does he have in his house (לוֹ בְּבֵיתוֹ - lô b'veitô): "His house" (beyto) here signifies not just the physical dwelling, but comprehensively refers to one's entire household, family, estate, and indeed, one's enduring legacy and descendants. It embodies the success and continuation of one’s line and influence.
- after him (אַחֲרָיו - 'aḥarāv): This temporal phrase explicitly points to what happens subsequent to the person's own existence—after their death. It emphasizes the concept of succession and the future of the legacy that the individual built.
- when the number of his months (בְּהִקָּצֵץ מִסְפַּר חֳדָשָׁיו - bəhiqqāṣēṣ mispar ḥodāšāv): "Number of his months" refers to the span of a person's life, determined by God. The use of "months" emphasizes the brevity and divinely appointed limits of life.
- is cut off (נִקְצַץ - niqṣaṣ): Derived from the verb קָצַץ (qāṣaṣ), meaning "to cut off, cut short, terminate." This implies an abrupt, often premature, end to life. It underlines the finality and the sovereign action that curtails human existence, irrespective of one's earthly status or accomplishments.
Words-group analysis
- "For what profit does he have in his house after him": This initial phrase sets up the challenge to worldly success. Job queries the ultimate utility or benefit that accumulated wealth, family, or reputation hold for an individual once they are no longer alive. It implies that these earthly gains offer no advantage beyond the grave and cannot be truly possessed or controlled in the afterlife. The focus shifts from the enjoyment during life to any post-mortem profit, highlighting its non-existence.
- "when the number of his months is cut off": This concluding phrase presents the definitive condition that nullifies any lasting earthly "profit." It emphasizes the undeniable and often abrupt reality of death, which terminates human capacity for enjoyment, management, or even awareness of one's earthly legacy. The cutting short of life's appointed duration renders all material and familial achievements in this world meaningless for the one who has departed. It powerfully connects mortality to the vanity of human ambition apart from divine purpose.
Job 21 21 Bonus section
This verse subtly introduces a concept of ultimate meaning that transcends immediate earthly outcomes. While Job focuses on the wicked, the question "what profit does he have..." can be applied universally to human striving. It anticipates later biblical wisdom (especially in Ecclesiastes and the New Testament) that teaches the futility of seeking lasting fulfillment solely in temporal gains. The verse's implications suggest a mystery in divine governance where justice is not always immediate or evident according to human expectations. It forces a contemplation of what truly matters beyond the finite span of "months," pointing towards the spiritual or eternal dimensions often overlooked in discussions of temporal retribution.
Job 21 21 Commentary
Job 21:21 encapsulates Job's central challenge to the retribution theology of his friends, directly confronting their assumption that a long life and prosperity for the wicked implied God's blessing, which in turn implied that such blessings would be savored. Job asserts a hard truth: whatever material profit, family legacy, or social standing a wicked person might accrue during their lifetime, none of it can be truly enjoyed or provide any continuing advantage once their life is abruptly terminated. Death renders all earthly accumulation meaningless for the one who dies. The verse critiques the human tendency to derive ultimate worth from worldly achievements and enduring family lines, exposing the profound vulnerability of these pursuits to the swift and final cutting short of one’s allotted time. It highlights God's sovereign control over the duration of life, regardless of human accomplishments or perceived success.