Job 21:19 Meaning and Explanation
“God layeth up his iniquity for his children: he rewardeth him, and he shall know it.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Job challenges the idea that God merely stores up a sinner's punishment for his children; better, he argues, that the sinner himself feel it.
What Does Job 21:19 Mean?
Job engages a common saying that God defers a sinner's punishment onto his descendants. Job protests this as no real justice. He insists it would be better for God to repay the wrongdoer himself, so that he personally knows the recompense of his deeds.
Job is reaching for a deeper principle of justice, that each soul should answer for its own choices. Scripture later makes this explicit: the soul that sins, it shall die, and the son shall not bear the iniquity of the father. Job's instinct points toward the God who judges each heart rightly and personally. No one slips past that final accounting by hiding behind another, and none is condemned for a guilt not his own.
Job 21:19 in the Original Language
avon (עָוֹן), 'iniquity' -- guilt or perversity, the moral crookedness that brings its own due penalty.
Frequently Asked Questions About Job 21:19
What does Job 21:19 mean?
Job challenges the idea that God merely stores up a sinner's punishment for his children; better, he argues, that the sinner himself feel it.