Job 21 31

Job 21:31 kjv

Who shall declare his way to his face? and who shall repay him what he hath done?

Job 21:31 nkjv

Who condemns his way to his face? And who repays him for what he has done?

Job 21:31 niv

Who denounces their conduct to their face? Who repays them for what they have done?

Job 21:31 esv

Who declares his way to his face, and who repays him for what he has done?

Job 21:31 nlt

No one criticizes them openly
or pays them back for what they have done.

Job 21 verses

Job 21 31 Meaning

Job 21:31 presents a powerful rhetorical question from Job, challenging the conventional wisdom of his friends who argue that the wicked inevitably suffer immediate and visible retribution. Job observes that, in reality, wicked people often live prosperously, die peacefully, and seem to escape accountability during their lifetime. This verse specifically asks who dares to confront the wicked directly about their conduct and who can force them to face immediate payment for their deeds, implying that such visible, human-imposed justice rarely occurs. Job’s question highlights the tension between observed earthly experience and the expectation of immediate divine justice, pointing to the hidden and deferred nature of ultimate divine judgment from a human perspective.

Job 21 31 Context

Job 21:31 is part of Job’s third speech, specifically his response to Zophar (chapters 20-21). In this chapter, Job directly confronts and refutes the central tenet of his friends’ argument: that the wicked inevitably receive immediate and visible punishment on earth, and the righteous are always blessed. While Zophar in chapter 20 describes the fleeting prosperity and swift demise of the wicked, Job counters with a blunt observation of reality. He argues that many wicked individuals live long, prosperous lives, die peacefully, and their descendants continue to thrive. This verse encapsulates his cynical observation that there is often no human accountability for the wicked in their lifetime. Historically, this debate touches on a core aspect of ancient Near Eastern wisdom literature, where a strong correlation between deed and consequence (retribution theology) was widely held. Job’s discourse in chapter 21 is a direct polemic against this simplistic interpretation of divine justice, raising profound theological questions about why the righteous suffer and the wicked often flourish, and highlighting the hidden and ultimate nature of God’s justice.

Job 21 31 Word analysis

• Who: (מִי - mî): An interrogative pronoun, "who?" Here it functions rhetorically, powerfully implying "no one" from a human perspective. It underscores Job's sense of human impotence in bringing justice upon the wicked in this life.
• will declare: (יַגִּיד - yaggîd): From the root נג”ד (nagad), meaning "to make known, announce, report, tell." The Hiphil imperfect form suggests causing something to be declared or revealed. In this context, it carries the weight of confronting, challenging, or exposing. Who is capable of publicly calling out the wicked for their misdeeds?
• his way: (דַּרְכּוֹ - darkô): From דֶּרֶךְ (dereḵ), meaning "way," "path," or "conduct." In biblical thought, "way" frequently denotes one's entire course of life, their moral character, and their actions. Job refers to the wicked person's manner of life, which seems unpunished.
• to his face: (אֶל־פָּנָיו - ʾel-pānāyw): Literally "to his face." This idiomatic expression signifies direct, open, and bold confrontation. It highlights the absence of public accusation or challenge for the wicked, emphasizing their apparent invulnerability.
• And who: (וּמִי - ûmî): A repetition of the initial rhetorical "who," intensifying the question and further underscoring the lack of a human agent to bring about this justice. It shows that both declaration of wrongdoing and recompense are humanly impossible.
• will repay him: (יְשַׁלֵּם - yəšallēm): From the root שָׁלַם (shalem), meaning "to be complete," but in the Piel form here, it means "to repay, to render, to restore." In the context of the wicked, it refers to rendering retribution or punishment due for their actions.
• what he has done: (גְּמוּלוֹ - gəmûlō): From גְּמוּל (gəmul), meaning "recompense," "requital," or "desert." It signifies the outcome or just dessert for one's actions, whether good or bad. Here, it refers to the negative consequence deserved by the wicked.
• "Who will declare his way to his face?": This phrase paints a picture of public accountability. Job argues that there is no one courageous or powerful enough to openly confront the prospering wicked man with the truth of his corrupt life. The rhetorical nature implies an unchallengeable authority held by these wicked individuals in human society.
• "And who will repay him what he has done?": This second part of the question escalates the challenge from verbal confrontation to actual punitive action. It means "who will make him pay the price for his evil deeds?" Again, the answer implied is "no one" in the earthly, visible sphere, thereby highlighting the apparent lack of earthly retribution for the wicked. Job isn't denying God's ultimate justice, but observing that it does not seem to materialize directly through human means during the lifetime of the wicked, contrary to his friends' assertions.

Job 21 31 Bonus section

This verse powerfully sets the stage for the book's larger theological tension, which requires God's own voice to resolve (in Job chapters 38-41). Job is articulating a problem of divine inscrutability and a challenge to human wisdom regarding justice, anticipating the eventual revelation of God’s unsearchable ways. It reveals that the Bible acknowledges the reality of apparent injustice in this fallen world, a theme that resonates throughout prophetic and wisdom literature, inviting believers to trust God’s character even when His hand is not immediately evident in dispensing justice. The "repayment" Job seeks here, which no man can give, ultimately falls to God, emphasizing that vengeance and retribution are His alone (Deut 32:35, Rom 12:19).

Job 21 31 Commentary

Job 21:31 encapsulates Job’s devastating rebuttal to his friends' simplistic retribution theology. He observes that, contrary to their pronouncements, the wicked often evade public accusation and tangible consequences during their lifetime. Job's rhetorical questions reveal his painful observation that, from a human vantage point, many wicked individuals seem untouchable, unchallenged, and unpunished. This isn't Job denying the existence of divine justice, but rather highlighting its apparent absence in the earthly realm, leading to his profound bewilderment and agony. The verse emphasizes that ultimate accountability does not always manifest visibly in human timing, urging a deeper understanding of God’s mysterious sovereignty and deferred judgment. This perspective finds echoes in later Scripture, where divine justice is affirmed but often postponed to a final reckoning, beyond immediate human capacity to enact. Job forces his friends, and the reader, to grapple with the discomforting reality of temporal injustice and the faith required to trust in a righteous God whose ways and timing are beyond full human comprehension.