American Standard Version
Job 21:17
17How oft is it that the lamp of the wicked is put out?That their calamity cometh upon them?ThatGod distributeth sorrows in his anger?
Job 21:17 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)How oft is the candle of the wicked put out! and how oft cometh their destruction upon them! God distributeth sorrows in his anger.
- New International Version (NIV)“Yet how often is the lamp of the wicked snuffed out? How often does calamity come upon them, the fate God allots in his anger?
- English Standard Version (ESV)"How often is it that the lamp of the wicked is put out? That their calamity comes upon them? That God distributes pains in his anger?
- New King James Version (NKJV)“How often is the lamp of the wicked put out? How often does their destruction come upon them, The sorrows God distributes in His anger?
Context of Job 21:17
15What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? And what profit should we have, if we pray unto him? 16Lo, their prosperity is not in their hand: The counsel of the wicked is far from me. How oft is it that the lamp of the wicked is put out? That their calamity cometh upon them? ThatGod distributeth sorrows in his anger? 18That they are as stubble before the wind, And as chaff that the storm carrieth away? 19Ye say, God layeth up his iniquity for his children. Let him recompense it unto himself, that he may know it:
Read all of Job 21Job 21:17 word by word
כַּמָּ֤ה׀ נֵר־רְשָׁ֘עִ֤ים יִדְעָ֗ךְ וְיָבֹ֣א עָלֵ֣ימוֹ אֵידָ֑ם חֲ֝בָלִ֗ים יְחַלֵּ֥ק בְּאַפּֽוֹ׃Read the interlinear
Cross-references for Job 21:17
- Job 18:5Yea, the light of the wicked shall be put out, And the spark of his fire shall not shine.
- Proverbs 13:9The light of the righteous rejoiceth; But the lamp of the wicked shall be put out.
- Proverbs 20:20Whoso curseth his father or his mother, His lamp shall be put out in blackness of darkness.
- Proverbs 24:20For there shall be no reward to the evil man; The lamp of the wicked shall be put out.
- Matthew 25:8And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are going out.
- Psalms 32:10Many sorrows shall be to the wicked; But he that trusteth in Jehovah, lovingkindness shall compass him about.
- Psalms 90:7For we are consumed in thine anger, And in thy wrath are we troubled.
- Luke 12:46the lord of that servant shall come in a day when he expecteth not, and in an hour when he knoweth not, and shall cut him asunder, and appoint his portion with the unfaithful.
- Romans 2:8but unto them that are factious, and obey not the truth, but obey unrighteousness, shall be wrath and indignation,
Commentaries on Job 21:17
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17How oft is the candle of the wicked put out? - The candle or lamp is often used, both as the emblem of prosperity and of posterity. Oftentimes the rejoicing of the wicked is short; and, not unfrequently, his seed is cut off from the earth. The root is dried up, and the branch is withered. God distributeth sorrows in his anger - He must be incensed against those who refuse to know, serve, and pray unto him. In his anger, therefore, he portions out to each…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 17How oft is the candle of the wicked put out? - Margin, “lamp.” A light, or a lamp, was an image of prosperity. There is, probably, an allusion here to what had been maintained by Bildad, Job 18:5-6, that the light of the wicked would be extinguished, and their dwellings made dark; see the notes at those verses. Job replies to this by asking how often it occurred. He inquires whether it was a frequent thing. By this, he implies that it was not universal…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 17-26Verses 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…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 17the lamp of the wicked put out: Job disagreed with Bildad and the standard perspective of wisdom (18:5–6, 18; Proverbs 13:9; 20:20; 24:20; see God’s comments at Job 38:15).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1717. Job in this whole passage down to Job 21:21 quotes the assertion of the friends, as to the short continuance of the sinner's prosperity, not his own sentiments. In Job 21:22 he proceeds to refute them. "How oft is the candle" (lamp), &c., quoting Bildad's sentiment (Job 18:5, 6), in order to question its truth (compare Mt 25:8). how oft--"God distributeth," &c. (alluding to Job 20:23, 29). sorrows--Umbreit translates "snares," literally, "cords,"…Read the comment
Topics related to Job 21:17
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Job 21
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
American Standard Version — 1901 — Public Domain
Commentaries