Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Job 21:18
They are as stubble before the wind, and as chaff that the storm carrieth away.
They are as stubble before the wind – According to the interpretation proposed of the previous verse, this may be read as a question, How often is it that the wicked are made like stubble? You say that God deals with people exactly according to their characters, and that the wicked are certainly subjected to calamities; but how often does this, in fact, occur? Is it a uniform law? Do they not, in fact, live in prosperity, and arrive at a good old age? It is not uncommon in the Scriptures to compare the wicked with stubble, and to affirm that they shall be driven away, as the chaff is driven by the wind; see the notes at Isa 17:13.
The storm carrieth away – Margin, stealeth away. This is a literal translation of the Hebrew. The idea is that of stealing away before one is aware, as a thief carries off spoil.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 18. They are as stubble before the wind] “His fan is in his hand; he will thoroughly cleanse his floor, and the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire. Therefore the wicked shall not stand in the judgment, but shall be like the chaff which the wind driveth away.” Were not this a common thought, I should have supposed that the author of this book borrowed it from Ps 1:4. The original signifies that they shall be carried away by a furious storm; and borne off as booty is by the swift-riding robbers of the desert, who make a sudden irruption, and then set off at full speed with their prey.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
i.e. Their destruction shall be speedy, and certain, and irrecoverable.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
18. Job alludes to a likesentiment of Bildad (Job 18:18),using his own previous words (Job13:25).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
They are as stubble before the wind,…. Or how oft “are they as stubble?” c. or how oft does God do the above things, “so that they are”, or “become, as stubble before the wind” u,
and as chaff that the storm carrieth, or “steals away” x? hastily, suddenly, at an unawares like a thief: wicked men are comparable to stubble and chaff for the vanity of their minds, their emptiness of all good things; for their lightness, the levity and inconstancy of their hearts, their principles and practices; for their uselessness and unprofitableness to God and men, to themselves and their fellow creatures; for their being fit fuel for everlasting burnings, their end like these being to be burned; and whose destruction is inevitable and irresistible, and can no more be withstood and prevented than stubble and chaff can stand before a strong wind and a stormy tempest: but is this their common case now? are they usually tossed to and fro with the wind of adversity, and the storms of desolating judgments? are they not, on the other hand, seen in great power, and spreading themselves like a green bay tree; taking root, increasing in outward prosperity, and bringing forth the fruit of it? see Ps 37:35.
u “ut sint velut palea”, Tigurine version; so Broughton, “quoties sunt”, Junius Tremellius “quoties fiunt”, Piscator, Michaelis. x “furatus est eam”, Montanus; “suffuratur”, Vatablus; “furatur”, Drusius, Cocceius, Schultens.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
18. As stubble To be read as a question: (how oft) are they as stubble before the wind? etc. (Compare Job 20:8-9.)
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Job 21:18 They are as stubble before the wind, and as chaff that the storm carrieth away.
Ver. 18. They are as stubble before the wind ] Lest any man should say, How can these things befall those that are so strongly set and firmly built? Well enough, saith Job, since when they are best bottomed or underlaid, they are but as stubble before the wind, &c. Haec consideranda, saith Mercer, these things would be laid to heart, for hereby it appeareth that the wicked shall be destroyed suddenly, and certainly, certo, cito, penitus, Isa 17:13 . That they can no more stand before a punishing God than thistle down before a whirlwind, or a glass bottle before a cannon shot.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
They: i.e. [How oft] they.
stubble = crushed straw. Hebrew. teben (not kash = straw.
wind. Hebrew. ruach. App-9.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
as stubble: Job 13:25, Exo 15:7, Psa 1:4, Psa 35:5, Psa 83:13, Isa 5:24, Isa 17:13, Isa 29:5, Isa 40:24, Isa 41:15, Isa 41:16, Jer 13:24, Hos 13:3, Nah 1:10, Mat 3:12
carrieth: Heb. stealeth
Reciprocal: Job 27:20 – a tempest Job 30:22 – liftest me Ecc 8:10 – so Isa 57:13 – but the Zep 2:2 – as
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Job 21:18. They are as stubble before the wind, &c. That is, their destruction shall be speedy, certain, and irrecoverable. Thus he goes on to concede to his adversaries, that wicked men are sometimes thus severely punished, as they in their speeches had been fond of representing; but then he had before shown, that they were sometimes as remarkably prosperous; and this made way for a third particular, which is indeed his general assertion all along, and the medium by which he endeavoured to convince them of the rashness of their censures and suspicions of him; namely, that things are dealt out here promiscuously, and without any strict regard to merit or demerit. Dodd.