Job 21:31

Job 21:31 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Who shall declare his way to his face? and who shall repay him what he hath done?
• New International Version (NIV)Who denounces their conduct to their face? Who repays them for what they have done?
• English Standard Version (ESV)Who declares his way to his face, and who repays him for what he has done?
• New King James Version (NKJV)Who condemns his way to his face? And who repays him for what he has done?

Context of Job 21:31

29But you should ask people who travel to different places. You should listen to the things that they say. 30They would tell you that wicked people do not always suffer. When trouble comes, they continue to be safe. When God is angry with people, wicked people escape punishment. No one speaks against them to say that they are guilty. No one punishes them for the bad things that they have done. 32When a wicked person dies, people bury him with honour. Guards watch over his grave. 33A big crowd of people come to his funeral. They make a heap of earth over his body, in the valley where he rests happily.

Job 21:31 word by word

מִֽי־יַגִּ֣יד עַל־פָּנָ֣יו דַּרְכּ֑וֹ וְהֽוּא־עָ֝שָׂ֗ה מִ֣י יְשַׁלֶּם־לֽוֹ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Who shall declareנָגַדnâgad · to tellH5046
• his wayדֶּ֫רֶךְderek · way: conductH1870
• to his faceפָּנֶהpânîym · faceH6440
• and who shall repayשָׁלֵםshâlam · to completeH7999
• he hath doneעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213

Cross-references for Job 21:31

• 2 Samuel 12:7Then Nathan said to David, ‘You are that man! This is what the Lord, Israel's God, says: “I chose you as king to rule over Israel. I saved you from Saul's power.
• 1 Kings 21:19Say to Ahab, “This is what the Lord says to you: You have murdered a man. You have taken the dead man's field for yourself.” Then say to him, “This is what the Lord says: In the place where the dogs drank Naboth's blood from the ground, dogs will drink your blood. Yes, they will drink your blood there too!” ’
• Psalms 50:21You did all these things, and I said nothing. So you thought that I was as bad as you are. But now I am warning you! I will tell you clearly what you have done wrong.
• Jeremiah 2:33You are very clever. You can always find someone to love. Even prostitutes could learn something from you!
• Mark 6:18John had said to him, ‘Herodias is your brother's wife. It is not right for you to have her as your wife.’
• Acts 24:25Paul continued to speak for some time. He said, ‘People need to do what is right. They need to stop themselves doing wrong things. One day, God will judge people for how they have lived.’ While Paul talked about these things, Felix became afraid. He said to Paul, ‘You can leave us now. At some time I may want to listen to you again. Then I will ask you to come to me again.’
• Galatians 2:11But later, when Peter came to Antioch, I spoke against him. I told him clearly that he had done something wrong.
• Job 21:19You may say, “God will punish a wicked person's children with the punishment that he deserves.” But I say that God should punish the wicked person himself. Then he will realize that he is wicked.
• Job 41:11Nobody has ever won against me to make me pay them anything. Everything in the whole world belongs to me.
• Deuteronomy 7:10But if his people turn against him, he will punish them as they deserve. He will quickly destroy them.
• Isaiah 59:13We have turned against the Lord. We have refused to obey him. We have chosen to be cruel to other people, and we have turned against the truth. We think about the lies that we can tell, and we use them to deceive people.
• Romans 12:19My friends, if someone has done bad things to you, do not try to punish them yourselves. Instead, let God be angry and punish them. This is what is written in the Bible: ‘The Lord God says, “When people do something wrong, I am the one who will punish them. I will pay them back.” ’
• James 2:13God will not forgive anyone who has not forgiven other people. But God is kind! He judges us, but even more than that, he forgives us!

Commentaries on Job 21:31

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 31Who shall declare his way to his face? - But while the wicked is in power, who shall dare to tell him to his face what his true character is? or, who shall dare to repay him the evil he has done? As such a person cannot have his punishment in this life, he must have it in another; and for this the day of wrath - the day of judgment, is prepared.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 31Who shall declare his way to his face? - That is, the face of the wicked. Who shall dare to rise up and openly charge him with his guilt? The idea is, that none would dare to do it, and that, therefore, the wicked man was not punished according to his character here, and was reserved to a day of future wrath. And who shall repay him what he hath done? - The meaning is, that many wicked people lived without being punished for their sins. No one was able to…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 27-34Verses 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…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 3131. That is, who dares to charge him openly with his bad ways? namely, in this present life. He shall, I grant (Job 21:30), be "repaid" hereafter.Read the comment

Topics related to Job 21:31

• Pride
• Wicked (People)

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