Job 21:7
Why do the wicked live, reach old age, and grow mighty in power?
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Job 21:7
Why do the wicked live, reach old age, and grow mighty in power?
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
This isn't just a lament about injustice; it's Job exposing a perceived contradiction in God's own character. He questions not only why the wicked prosper, but implies they thrive so exceptionally – living long, old, and powerful – that it seems to defy the very idea of a just God rewarding righteousness and punishing evil in this life.
Job is directly challenging his friends' core belief that all suffering is a direct consequence of sin in this life. He points out the undeniable reality that wicked people often live long, prosperous lives, accumulating power and wealth, which seems to contradict the idea of divine justice being immediately apparent. This question sets the stage for Job to explore the mysteries of God's providence and the apparent unfairness in how life's blessings and burdens are distributed.
Job’s friends insist that wickedness always brings swift punishment. But Job sees something different. He poses a question that echoes through the ages.
Job launches into a profound exploration of a difficult truth: the wicked often prosper. This isn't just a passing observation; it’s the core of his argument against his friends' rigid theology. They preach that suffering is always a direct result of sin. But Job has witnessed firsthand—and the world around him still sees—that those who act with cruelty and disregard God often live long, achieve great power, and experience stability.
A Daily Reality
Job isn’t asking a hypothetical question. He's pointing to a visible reality that challenges easy answers: ‘Why do the wicked live, become old, yea, are mighty in power?’ The commentaries highlight that this was a common observation, a fact that couldn't be denied. It meant that the simple equation his friends presented—wickedness equals immediate suffering—didn't hold up to scrutiny.
If the wicked prosper, does that mean God doesn't care? Job hints that there are deeper reasons behind God's allowance of this.
While Job’s question expresses his confusion and challenges his friends, the deeper commentaries suggest reasons why God might permit the wicked to prosper.
Divine Reasons
Several possibilities emerge:
Understand the original words
rasha' · Hebrew Adjective/Noun
A term frequently used in Job and the Psalms to describe those who consciously or habitually violate God's moral order and reject His authority. It denotes a person whose life and character are contrary to the righteousness demanded by a holy God.
chayah · Hebrew Verb
A common biblical concept referring to both physical existence and the quality of life under God's blessing or judgment. In this context, it highlights the perceived longevity and prosperity of those who oppose God, posing a challenge to the traditional theology of retribution.
chayil · Hebrew Noun
This term denotes a state of strength, influence, or ability to exert force. In a biblical context, it often refers to the influence and material success that, in the eyes of the observer, may seem to indicate divine favor or human self-sufficiency.
Job's powerful question reflects a universal struggle with the apparent injustice of the world, where the wicked often seem to thrive while the righteous suffer, a reality observable throughout ancient history and even today.
c. 1300 BC
Oppression of Israelites in Egypt
During this period, the Israelites are enslaved and oppressed in Egypt. The oppressive Pharaoh, possibly Rameses II, reigned for an exceptionally long time, illustrating the potential for powerful wicked rulers to endure.
c. 10th century BC
Reign of Solomon and the United Monarchy
This era represented a peak of Israelite power and prosperity. While Solomon was a righteous king, the later period saw increasing division and the rise of wicked rulers, posing questions about divine justice.
c. 8th century BC
Assyrian Empire's Dominance
The powerful Assyrian Empire was a dominant force, often marked by brutal conquest and oppressive rule. The longevity and might of such empires, even when led by wicked individuals, would have been evident.
c. 5th century BC
Period of the Judges and Early Monarchy
Israel experienced cycles of faithfulness and unfaithfulness, often leading to oppression by surrounding nations. The apparent prosperity of wicked oppressors during these times would have raised similar questions to those Job poses.
This Psalm directly addresses the frustration Job is voicing here, urging the reader not to be provoked by the success of evildoers, as their prosperity is often fleeting.
Ecclesiastes 9:2This passage echoes Job's sentiment by stating that 'the same fate comes to all' - the righteous and the wicked alike - which can be a difficult truth when observing the prosperity of the ungodly.
Jeremiah 12:1Jeremiah also questions God about the prosperity of the wicked, revealing that this has been a long-standing and perplexing issue for God's people throughout history.
Luke 18:7Jesus tells the parable of the persistent widow, which highlights God's eventual justice, implicitly addressing the times when justice seems delayed and the wicked appear to triumph.
barnesJob 21:7: "Wherefore do the wicked live, become old, yea, are mighty in power?"
Wherefore do the wicked live? - Job comes now to the main design of his argument in this chapter, to show that it is a fact, that the wicked often have great prosperity; that they are not treated in this life according to their character; and that it is not a fact that men of eminent wickedness, as his friends maintained, would meet, in this life, with proportionate sufferings. He says, that the fact is, that they e…
clarkeJob 21:7: "Wherefore do the wicked live, become old, yea, are mighty in power?"
Wherefore do the wicked live - You have frequently asserted that the wicked are invariably punished in this life; and that the righteous are ever distinguished by the strongest marks of God's providential kindness; how then does it come that many wicked men live long and prosperously, and at last die in peace, without any evidence whatever of God's displeasure? This is a fact that is occurring daily; none can deny i…
This isn't just a lament about injustice; it's Job exposing a perceived contradiction in God's own character. He questions not only why the wicked prosper, but implies they thrive so exceptionally – living long, old, and powerful – that it seems to defy the very idea of a just God rewarding righteousness and punishing evil in this life.
Job is directly challenging his friends' core belief that all suffering is a direct consequence of sin in this life. He points out the undeniable reality that wicked people often live long, prosperous lives, accumulating power and wealth, which seems to contradict the idea of divine justice being immediately apparent. This question sets the stage for Job to explore the mysteries of God's providence and the apparent unfairness in how life's blessings and burdens are distributed.
Job is directly challenging his friends' core belief that all suffering is a direct consequence of sin in this life. He points out the undeniable reality that wicked people often live long, prosperous lives, accumulating power and wealth, which seems to contradict the idea of divine justice being immediately apparent. This question sets the stage for Job to explore the mysteries of God's providence and the apparent unfairness in how life's blessings and burdens are distributed.
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Job's friends see earthly might as proof of divine favor. But Job knows that true security isn't found in power or wealth.
The phrase 'mighty in power' in Job 21:7, as noted in the commentaries, often carries implications of wealth and influence. Job's friends used such prosperity as evidence that the wicked were in good standing with God. Job, however, sees this earthly power and wealth as ultimately fleeting and deceptive.
A Deeper Reality
Job argues that this outward show of strength doesn't reflect God's true assessment or the ultimate destiny of the wicked. Their power is temporary, their wealth temporary, and their lives, though possibly long, will eventually end. The ease with which they 'spend their days in wealth' and 'go down to the grave' (as described later in Job 21) can be a hollow victory if it's not coupled with righteousness.
This perspective shifts the focus from outward appearances to the eternal. True security and lasting power are not found in earthly dominion or riches, but in a right relationship with God, something the wicked, by definition, reject. Their might is an illusion when measured against eternity.
c. 5th century BC
Post-Exilic Rebuilding of Jerusalem
Following the Babylonian exile, the Jewish people worked to rebuild their nation and temple. This period was fraught with challenges and the presence of opposition, highlighting the ongoing struggle between good and evil.
Unknown, but likely ancient Near East— this verse
Job's Contemporary Experience
Job's question arises from observing the prosperity of the wicked in his own time and region, a common experience across ancient cultures where the apparent success of evil challenged prevailing ideas of divine justice.
"Why do the wicked live, reach old age, and grow mighty in power?" — This isn't just a lament about injustice; it's Job exposing a perceived contradiction in God's own character. He questions not only why the wicked prosper, but implies they thrive so exceptionally…