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Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

Job 21:15

Verse Job 21:15. What is the Almighty] What allegiance do we owe to him? We feel no obligation to obey him; and what profit can we derive from prayer? We are as happy as flesh and blood can make us: our kingdom is of this world; we wish for no other portion than that which we have.

Those who have never prayed as they ought know nothing of the benefits of prayer.

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See also Job 21:15 in other biblical comments:

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    WHAT IS THE ALMIGHTY, THAT WE SHOULD SERVE HIM? - compare for similar expressions, Exodus 5:2; Proverbs 30:9. The meaning here is, “What claim has the Almighty, or who is he, that we should be bound t...

  • 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...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    WHAT. ? Figure of speech _Erotesis._ App-6. THE ALMIGHTY. Hebrew Shaddai. App-4....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    All this joy and prosperity they enjoyed though they had bidden God depart from them and renounced His service. _Therefore they say_ Rather, THOUGH (lit. and) THEY SAID. Their godlessness was not mer...

  • 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...

  • 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...

  • Charles Simeon's Horae Homileticae

    DISCOURSE: 472 CONDUCT OF SINNERS TOWARDS GOD Job 21:14. _Therefore they say unto God, Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways. What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? and...

  • 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

    _WHAT IS THE ALMIGHTY, THAT WE SHOULD SERVE HIM? AND WHAT PROFIT SHOULD WE HAVE, IF WE PRAY UNTO HIM?_ (Cf. Jeremiah 2:20, "I will not serve" (God), margin; Proverbs 30:9; Exodus 5:2, Pharaoh, "Who is...

  • 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, 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...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    Evil people do not want to serve anyone. Especially, they do not want to serve God. They only care about their own pleasure. They do not pray because they say, ‘We will not benefit if we pray. Prayer...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    מַה ־שַׁדַּ֥י כִּֽי ־נַֽעַבְדֶ֑נּוּ וּ מַה ־נ

  • 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...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    (14) Therefore they say unto God, Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways. (15) What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? and what profit should we have, if we pray unto him?...

  • 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

    WHAT [IS] THE ALMIGHTY, THAT WE SHOULD SERVE HIM?.... "Who is he" t? as some render it; or what is there in him, in his nature, in his excellencies and perfections, that should oblige us to serve him?...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    What [is] the Almighty, that we should serve him? and what profit should we have, if we pray unto him? Ver. 15. _What is the Almighty, that we should serve him?_] Here the rottenness of their hearts...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _What is the Almighty, that we should serve him?_ What is he to us? What excellence is there in him? What advantage have we, or can we expect from him? Strange that ever creatures should speak so inso...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    What is the Almighty that we should serve Him? And what profit should we have if we pray unto Him? Filled with haughty self-assurance, they account the service of God and prayer to Him as useless....

  • 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

    "WHO IS THE ALMIGHTY, THAT WE SHOULD SERVE HIM?" This is what Pharaoh asked Moses (Exodus 5:3). "AND WHAT WOULD WE GAIN IF WE ENTREAT HIM?" Prayer and serving God is profitless the wicked claim, for t...

  • 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

    What excellency is there in him? and what advantage have we or can we expect from him?...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Job 21:15 Almighty H7706 serve H5647 (H8799) profit H3276 (H8686) pray H6293 (H8799) What is -...

  • Sermon Bible Commentary

    Job 21:15 I. No man can hold the Christian view of God's personality and dominion without his whole intellectual nature being ennobled. The finer and clearer our conceptions of the Divine idea, the n...

  • 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

    _What profit should we have, if we pray unto Him?_ THE PROFITABLENESS OF RELIGION Let me first lay down the doctrine, that no man can hold the Christian view of God’s personality and dominion without...

  • 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

    Exodus 5:2; Hosea 13:6; Isaiah 30:11; Isaiah 45:19; Job 34:9;...

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