Job 21:8 kjv
Their seed is established in their sight with them, and their offspring before their eyes.
Job 21:8 nkjv
Their descendants are established with them in their sight, And their offspring before their eyes.
Job 21:8 niv
They see their children established around them, their offspring before their eyes.
Job 21:8 esv
Their offspring are established in their presence, and their descendants before their eyes.
Job 21:8 nlt
They live to see their children grow up and settle down,
and they enjoy their grandchildren.
Job 21 8 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Psa 73:3-9 | For I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked… | The Psalmist's struggle with wicked prosperity |
| Jer 12:1-2 | Righteous are you, O LORD… Why does the way of the wicked prosper? | Jeremiah's lament over the wicked's success |
| Hab 1:2-4 | How long, O LORD, shall I cry for help, and you will not hear?... | Habakkuk's complaint on unpunished injustice |
| Ecc 8:14 | There is a vanity that takes place on earth, that there are righteous people to whom it happens according to the deeds of the wicked, and there are wicked people to whom it happens according to the deeds of the righteous. | Inequity observed in earthly life |
| Matt 5:45 | For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. | God's common grace extended to all |
| Job 24:1-25 | Why are not times of judgment kept by the Almighty?... | Job's broader observation of injustice |
| Job 12:6 | The tents of robbers prosper, and those who provoke God are secure… | Job’s earlier challenge to traditional views |
| Mal 3:13-15 | "You have said hard things against me," says the LORD… It is vain to serve God. What is the profit of our keeping his charge or of walking as in mourning before the LORD of hosts? | Doubts about serving God due to wicked's success |
| Job 8:11-19 | "Can papyrus grow where there is no marsh?... " | Bildad's counter-argument: wicked perish |
| Prov 11:31 | If the righteous is repaid on earth, how much more the wicked and the sinner! | Traditional view of earthly retribution |
| Psa 37:1-2 | Fret not yourself because of evildoers… For they will soon fade like the grass… | God's ultimate justice, not immediate |
| Psa 37:7-11 | Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way… | Exhortation to trust God's timing |
| Psa 73:17-20 | until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I perceived their end… | The divine perspective on their eventual fate |
| Rom 2:5-6 | But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God… | Ultimate divine reckoning |
| Matt 13:40-42 | Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all lawbreakers, and throw them into the fiery furnace… | Future judgment for the wicked |
| 2 Pet 2:9 | then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment… | God holds judgment for future timing |
| Isa 57:21 | "There is no peace," says my God, "for the wicked." | Despite outward prosperity, internal lack of peace |
| Prov 10:29 | The way of the LORD is a stronghold to the blameless, but ruin to the workers of iniquity. | Proverbial truth often seen later |
| Ezek 18:25-32 | "Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Hear now, O house of Israel: Is my way not just? Is it not your ways that are not just?" | God defends His justice despite appearances |
| Job 27:13-23 | "This is the portion of a wicked man with God, and the heritage that oppressors receive from the Almighty..." | Job’s final concession on the wicked’s end |
Job 21 verses
Job 21 8 Meaning
Job 21:8 asserts that contrary to the common theological belief of his friends, the wicked frequently experience lasting prosperity and witness the flourishing of their children and future generations. Job observes that their lineage remains stable and secure, right before their own eyes, demonstrating an undisturbed, sustained success not immediately met by divine retribution.
Job 21 8 Context
Job 21:8 is part of Job's third speech, a powerful rebuttal to the dogmatic theology of his friend Zophar (Job 20). Zophar had vehemently argued that the wicked's triumph is fleeting, their prosperity momentary, and their children ultimately face ruin. In chapter 21, Job directly challenges this prevailing "retribution theology"—the belief that divine justice immediately dispenses blessings for righteousness and curses for wickedness in this life. Job argues from his observations of reality that this simple cause-and-effect relationship does not always hold true. He provides concrete examples of the wicked prospering, living long lives, enjoying good health, and seeing their families flourish, directly contradicting the friends' insistence on immediate temporal punishment. The historical and cultural context for the original audience deeply rooted prosperity and misfortune in immediate divine recompense. Job, through his own experience and observable facts, breaks from this rigid framework, highlighting the complexity of divine justice and the problem of unmerited suffering and prosperity.
Job 21 8 Word analysis
Their (Hebrew: וזרעם u-zara'am - the "ו" (u) here acts as 'and' or 'so', connecting to previous verses implying a consequence or further observation, while 'זרעם' refers to their 'seed') - Points to the wicked individuals discussed by Job, highlighting that their perceived blessing extends beyond their individual lives to their lineage.
Offspring (Hebrew: זרעם zera'am - lit. "their seed") - Refers to progeny, descendants, or future generations. Its significance lies in conveying the continuity and endurance of the wicked's prosperity beyond themselves.
Are established (Hebrew: נכון nakhon - a form of כון, kun, meaning 'to be firm', 'stable', 'secure', 'prepared') - This is crucial. It does not imply transient or fleeting success but a sustained, firm, and enduring state of well-being for their lineage. It counters the friends' claim that the wicked's success is brief.
In their sight (Hebrew: אתם ittam - lit. 'with them' or 'among them') - Emphasizes that the wicked themselves personally witness and experience this stability and prosperity of their children. It denotes a visible, present enjoyment, contradicting the idea that they might die before seeing their progeny flourish.
And their descendants (Hebrew: וצאצאיהם u-tse'tza'ayhem - 'and that which goes out/comes forth from them', hence 'descendants', 'offspring') - A near-synonym reinforcing 'offspring' (זרעם), adding rhetorical emphasis to the unbroken succession of their lineage. It stresses generational continuity.
Before their eyes (Hebrew: לעיניהם le'eineyhem - lit. 'to their eyes' or 'before their very eyes') - Reiterates and strengthens the phrase 'in their sight.' It underscores the direct, observable nature of this blessing, making it undeniable proof for Job's argument. The wicked enjoy the success of their children vividly and personally.
"Their offspring are established in their sight": This phrase combines the continuity of lineage (offspring) with stability (established) and personal experience (in their sight). It directly refutes the common idea that the wicked's success is a curse on their descendants or that they die before seeing them prosper.
"and their descendants before their eyes": This second clause is parallel to the first, serving to reinforce Job's observation through repetition and slight variation. It powerfully emphasizes the tangible, verifiable nature of the wicked's multi-generational blessing, underscoring Job's observational evidence against theoretical claims.
Job 21 8 Bonus section
The verse underscores a core tension in the Book of Job: the conflict between received theological doctrine and lived experience. It posits that outward circumstances alone are an insufficient measure of one's spiritual standing or God's justice. This sets the stage for the book's ultimate resolution, where God affirms His sovereignty and transcends human comprehension of justice. It challenges believers not to stumble when confronted with the seeming injustice of the world, reminding them that the full counsel of God's justice may extend beyond present temporal circumstances and often culminates in an ultimate divine reckoning rather than immediate earthly repayment.
Job 21 8 Commentary
Job 21:8 stands as a pivotal verse within Job's argument, articulating a challenging observation about the realities of life that frequently contradict conventional wisdom. Job asserts that not all who live wickedly meet swift and visible judgment in this life. Instead, many prosper extensively, witnessing the thriving of their children and the establishment of their lineage, all within their own lifetime. This is a direct polemic against the "retribution theology" espoused by Job's friends, which strictly held that sin inevitably leads to immediate suffering and righteousness to immediate blessings. Job, grounded in personal experience and observable truth, exposes the limitation of this simplistic theology, asserting that God's ways are often more complex and mysterious than human constructs can encompass. The verse points to the enduring puzzle of the wicked's success, urging a deeper trust in God's ultimate justice, which may not always align with immediate human expectations. It forces a realization that God's grace and patience extend even to the unrighteous, allowing their natural lives to run a full course.