Job 21:17 Meaning and Explanation
“How oft is the candle of the wicked put out! and how oft cometh their destruction upon them! God distributeth sorrows in his anger.”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →Job challenges the claim that the wicked are routinely snuffed out, questioning how often judgment really falls in this life.
What Does Job 21:17 Mean?
Job takes up his friends' favorite image. They had said the lamp of the wicked is put out; Job asks, with pointed irony, how often that actually happens. He is not denying that judgment comes, but disputing his friends' claim that it always comes swiftly and visibly.
The 'candle put out' is the ancient picture of a life and household extinguished. Job's question forces an honest look: the timing of God's justice is not as predictable as his friends pretend. Scripture affirms that God will indeed render to each according to his deeds, yet often in His own time, not ours. Faith trusts the certainty of that reckoning without presuming to schedule it.
Job 21:17 in the Original Language
ner (נֵר), 'candle' -- a lamp, a frequent image for one's life, household, and continuing legacy.
Frequently Asked Questions About Job 21:17
What does Job 21:17 mean?
Job challenges the claim that the wicked are routinely snuffed out, questioning how often judgment really falls in this life.