22 "Can anyone teach God knowledge , In that He judges those on high ? 23 "One dies in his full strength , Being wholly at ease and satisfied ; 24 His sides are filled out with fat , And the marrow of his bones is moist , 25 While another dies with a bitter soul , Never even tasting anything good . 26 "Together they lie down in the dust , And worms cover them.
27 "Behold , I know your thoughts , And the plans by which you would wrong me. 28 "For you say , 'Where is the house of the nobleman , And where is the tent , the dwelling places of the wicked ?' 29 "Have you not asked wayfaring men, And do you not recognize their witness ? 30 "For the wicked is reserved for the day of calamity ; They will be led forth at the day of fury . 31 "Who will confront e e him with his actions , And who will repay him for what he has done ? 32 "While he is carried to the grave , Men will keep watch over his tomb . 33 "The clods of the valley will gently cover him; Moreover, all men will follow after him, While countless e ones go before him.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Job 21:22-33
Commentary on Job 21:17-26
(Read Job 21:17-26)
Job had described the prosperity of wicked people; in these verses he opposes this to what his friends had maintained about their certain ruin in this life. He reconciles this to the holiness and justice of God. Even while they prosper thus, they are light and worthless, of no account with God, or with wise men. In the height of their pomp and power, there is but a step between them and ruin. Job refers the difference Providence makes between one wicked man and another, into the wisdom of God. He is Judge of all the earth, and he will do right. So vast is the disproportion between time and eternity, that if hell be the lot of every sinner at last, it makes little difference if one goes singing thither, and another sighing. If one wicked man die in a palace, and another in a dungeon, the worm that dies not, and the fire that is not quenched, will be the same to them. Thus differences in this world are not worth perplexing ourselves about.
Commentary on Job 21:27-34
(Read Job 21:27-34)
Job opposes the opinion of his friends, That the wicked are sure to fall into visible and remarkable ruin, and none but the wicked; upon which principle they condemned Job as wicked. Turn to whom you will, you will find that the punishment of sinners is designed more for the other world than for this, Jude 1:14,15. The sinner is here supposed to live in a great deal of power. The sinner shall have a splendid funeral: a poor thing for any man to be proud of the prospect of. He shall have a stately monument. And a valley with springs of water to keep the turf green, was accounted an honourable burial place among eastern people; but such things are vain distinctions. Death closes his prosperity. It is but a poor encouragement to die, that others have died before us. That which makes a man die with true courage, is, with faith to remember that Jesus Christ died and was laid in the grave, not only before us, but for us. That He hath gone before us, and died for us, who is alive and liveth for us, is true consolation in the hour of death.