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Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

Job 21:8

Their seed - Their children - their posterity.

Is established in their sight - Around them, where they may often see them - where they may enjoy their society. The friends of Job had maintained, with great positiveness and earnestness, that the children of wicked people would be cut off. See Job 18:19; Job 20:28. This position Job now directly controverts, and says that it is a fact, that so far from being cut off, they are often established in the very presence of their ungodly parents, and live and prosper. How, he asks, is this consistent with the position, that God deals with people in this life according to their character?

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See also Job 21:8 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Job 21:8. _THEIR SEED IS ESTABLISHED_] They see their own _children_ grow up, and become settled in the land; and behold their _children's children_ also; so that their generations are not cut o...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    CHAPTER 21 JOB'S REPLY _ 1. Hear my solemn words--then mock on (Job 21:1)_ 2. His testimony concerning the experiences of the wicked (Job 21:7) 3. Your answers are nothing but falsehoods (Job 21:27...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    JOB 21. JOB'S REPLY. Zophar was graphic and vigorous, but had nothing to say. Nevertheless his speech suggests to Job his next argument. The facts are quite the opposite of what Zophar has said: the w...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    They have the additional felicity of seeing their children grow up beside them a pathetic touch from the hand of the man whose sons had been taken from him....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    The mystery is, Why do the wicked prosper? They live long, they see their children grow up, and their homes are peaceful (Job 21:7). Their cattle thrives (Job 21:10). Their children and they pass a mi...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    This great mystery of the prosperity of the wicked in God's providence Job now unfolds on both its sides: first, they and all belonging to them prosper, and they die in peace, although in conscious go...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    MARK ME, AND BE ADMONISHED, &C.— The coldest reader cannot be insensible of the beauties of the poetry in this speech of Job. We will not, therefore, attempt to point them out, but attend to the threa...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    2. The wicked enjoy great peace and plenty. (Job 21:7-16) TEXT 21:7-16 7 WHEREFORE DO THE WICKED LIVE, Become old, yea, wax mighty in power? 8 Then- seed is established with them in their sight,...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    _THEIR SEED IS ESTABLISHED IN THEIR SIGHT WITH THEM, AND THEIR OFFSPRING BEFORE THEIR EYES._ In opposition to Job 18:19; Job 5:4; Jeremiah 12:1; Psalms

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    Unlike Job, who had lost all his children at a stroke....

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    JOB'S SIXTH SPEECH Zophar, like the other friends, had insisted on the certain retribution for sin which befalls the wicked in this life. Now at length these views draw from Job a direct contradictio...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    Job described the good lives of some evil people. Previously, Job had lived a good life like this. He had many animals. And he had many children. And Job’s own children enjoyed their parties. Job was...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    JOB, A SERVANT OF GOD Job _KEITH SIMONS_ Words in boxes (except for words in brackets) are from the Bible. This commentary has been through Advanced Checking. CHAPTER 21 JOB REPLIES TO ZOPHAR’S...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    THEIR SEED IS ESTABLISHED IN THEIR SIGHT. — Not only are they mighty in power themselves, but they leave their power to their children after them (comp. Psalms 17:14). This contradicts what Eliphaz ha...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    זַרְעָ֤ם נָכֹ֣ון לִ פְנֵיהֶ֣ם עִמָּ֑ם וְ֝ צֶא

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    XVIII. ARE THE WAYS OF THE LORD EQUAL? Job 21:1 Job SPEAKS WITH less of personal distress and a more collected mind than before Job begins a reply to Zophar. His brave hope of vindication has forti...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    “SHALL ANY TEACH GOD?” Job 21:1 After a brief introduction, in which he claims the right to reply, Job 21:1, Job brings forward a new argument. He affirms that his friends are wrong in assuming that...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    Here, as in the first cycle, Job answered not merely Zophar, but the whole argument. First of all, he set over against their statement and illustrations the fact patent to all that often the wicked ar...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _Sight. The Jews esteemed this as the greatest blessing and mark of God's favour. Yet it was also equivocal, as it was often possessed by the wicked. (Calmet)_...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    (8) Their seed is established in their sight with them, and their offspring before their eyes. (9) Their houses are safe from fear, neither is the rod of God upon them. (10) Their bull gendereth, and...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY COVERS CHAPTER S 4 THROUGH 31. As to the friends of Job, they do not call for any extended remarks. They urge the doctrine that God's earthly government is a full measure and...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    THEIR SEED IS ESTABLISHED IN THEIR SIGHT WITH THEM,.... Which is to be understood not of seed sown in the earth, and of the permanence and increase of that, but of their children; to have a numerous p...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    Their seed is established in their sight with them, and their offspring before their eyes. Ver. 8. _Their seed is established in their sight with them_] Some understand it of their seed sown in the f...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    Their seed is established in their sight with them; their posterity, their children, endure, they remain, they surround the wicked, so that the latter have the benefit and the enjoyment of their compa...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    JOB POINTS OUT THE DIFFERENCE IN CALAMITIES BEFALLING MEN...

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    JOB SILENCES ZOPHAR (vv.1-34). The callous cruelty of Zophar's speech would surely cause some men to be bitterly angry, but while Job was incensed by such treatment, he did not lose his temper. He...

  • Mark Dunagan Commentaries

    Their children are not cut off (Job 20:26), rather they watch their children grow up and mature....

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    7-16 Job says, Remarkable judgments are sometimes brought upon notorious sinners, but not always. Wherefore is it so? This is the day of God's patience; and, in some way or other, he makes use of the...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    THEIR SEED; either, 1. The fruits of their ground; or rather, 2. Their children; as it is explained in the next branch of the verse, the words both here and there used being commonly so understood....

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Job 21:8 descendants H2233 established H3559 (H8737) sight H6440 offspring H6631 eyes H5869 Job 5:3-4

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Job's answer to Zophar in which he denies any secret sin. CHARACTERS: God, Job, three friends. CONCLUSION: The providences of God in the government of this world are sometimes hard to be u...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Job 21:2. _Consolations._ נחם _nicham,_ though mostly translated consolation, comfort &c., as in Isaiah 40:1; is in several places understood of a change of mind, or of repentance. So in Judges 21., w...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _But Job answered and said._ JOB’S THIRD ANSWER There is more logic and less passion in this address than in any of Job’s preceding speeches. He felt the dogma of the friends to be opposed-- I. To...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    JOB—NOTE ON JOB 21:1 Job’s response closes the second cycle of the dialogue with his friends. ⇐ ⇔...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    JOB—NOTE ON JOB 21:7 Job argues that, contrary to what his friends have been saying (e.g., Job 18:5), the WICKED often prosper and their OFFSPRING

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    _JOB’S REPLY TO ZOPHAR’S SECOND SPEECH_ The ungodly, instead of experiencing the miseries indicated by Zophar, often, perhaps generally, enjoy continued ease and prosperity in this life. I. INTRODUC...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION JOB 21:1 Job answers Zophar, as he had answered Bildad, in a single not very lengthy chapter. After a few caustic introductory remarks (verses 2-4), he takes up the challenge which Zophar...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    By Chuck Smith This time shall we turn to the book of Job, chapter 21. Zophar has just concluded in chapter 20 his second speech in which, again, he sort of just gives some of the traditions and quote...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    Job 18:19; Job 20:10; Job 20:28; Job 5:3; Job 5:4;...

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