Job 21:15 Meaning and Explanation
“What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? and what profit should we have, if we pray unto him?”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The wicked dismiss God with scorn, asking why they should serve Him or what profit prayer could bring.
What Does Job 21:15 Mean?
Job lets the wicked speak for themselves, and their words drip with contempt. They reduce service to God to a question of profit and find no return worth their trouble. Prayer, to them, is a poor investment, and the Almighty Himself is treated as a nobody.
The question 'what profit?' reveals a heart that knows the price of everything and the worth of nothing. To serve God for what one can get is not to know Him at all. Yet there is profit beyond reckoning in fearing the Lord, though it is not the kind that fills a barn. The deepest gain is communion with God, a treasure the scornful cannot see and the faithful would not trade.
Job 21:15 in the Original Language
Shaddai (שַׁדַּי), 'the Almighty' -- an ancient title for God stressing His overpowering might and sufficiency.
Frequently Asked Questions About Job 21:15
What does Job 21:15 mean?
The wicked dismiss God with scorn, asking why they should serve Him or what profit prayer could bring.