Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Job 21:19
God layeth up his iniquity for his children: he rewardeth him, and he shall know [it].
19 21. A conceivable objection, and its answer by Job. The verses read,
19. God (say ye) layeth up his iniquity for his children.
Let him recompense it unto himself, that he may know it;
20. Let his own eyes see his destruction,
And let him drink of the wrath of the Almighty;
21. For what concern hath he in his house after him,
When the number of his months is cut off?
To his argument that the wicked suffer no calamities Job supposes that his friends may object, founding on the old doctrine of retribution, that if the man himself do not suffer, his children shall be visited for his iniquity (Exo 20:5); and his answer is, Let the man himself suffer. The expression “that he may know it” means “that he may feel it.”
The word “concern” means “pleasure” as A. V., but also, interest in, care for; so Coverdale, For what careth he what become of his household after his death? The phrase “when the number of his months is cut off” means, when his life is ended. The words might also mean, when the (full) number of his months is dealt out, distributed to himself when his own life is prolonged to its full measure. But it is not necessary to regard the wicked man as so abandoned as to be destitute of interest in his children even in his life-time, and indifferent to their fate provided his own days be prolonged. Job’s objection to the doctrine that a man’s iniquity is visited on his children is that this is no punishment of the wicked man himself, for he hath no concern in or knowledge of his children’s fate after his death (ch. Job 14:21). From the Prophetic Books of this age it appears that the ancient doctrine of retribution, the doctrine that the fathers have eaten sour grapes and the children’s teeth are set on edge (Eze 18:2), had begun to awaken questionings, cf. Jer 31:29 seq., and in this book such doubts are, naturally, brought to a point.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
God layeth up his iniquity for his children – Margin, that is, the punishment of iniquity. This is a reference evidently to the opinion which they had maintained. It may be rendered, You say that God layeth up iniquity, etc. They had affirmed that not only did God, as a great law, punish the wicked in this life, but that the consequences of their sins passed over to their posterity; or, if they were not punished, yet the calamity would certainly come on their descendants; see Job 18:19-20; Job 20:10, Job 20:28. This is the objection which Job now adverts to. The statement of the objection, it seems to me, continues to Job 21:22, where Job says, that no one can teach God knowledge, or prescribe to him what he should do, and then goes on to say, that the fact was far different from what they maintained; that there was no such exact distribution of punishments; but that one died in full strength, and another in the bitterness of his soul, and both laid down in the dust, together. This view seems to me to give better sense than any other interpretation which I have seen proposed.
He rewardeth him, and he shall know it – That is, you maintain that God will certainly reward him in this life, and that his dealings with him shall so exactly express the divine view of his conduct, that he shall certainly know what God thinks of his character. This opinion they had maintained throughout the argument, and this Job as constantly called in question.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 19. God layeth up his iniquity for his children] This is according to the declaration of God, Ex 20:5: “Visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me.” This always supposes that the children, who are thus visited, have copied their parents’ example; or that ill-gotten property is found in their hands, which has descended to them from their wicked fathers; and of this God, in his judgments, strips them. It is, however, very natural to suppose that children brought up without the fear of God will walk in the sight of their own eyes, and according to the imaginations of their own hearts.
He rewardeth him, and he shall know it.] He shall so visit his transgressions upon him, that he shall at last discern that it is God who hath done it. And thus they will find that there would have been profit in serving him, and safety in praying unto him. But this they have neglected, and now it is too late.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
God layeth up, to wit, in his treasures, Rom 2:5.
His iniquity, or rather, the punishment of his iniquity, i.e. he will punish him both in his person and in his posterity.
He shall know it, i.e. he shall live to see the destruction of his children.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
19. Equally questionable is thefriends’ assertion that if the godless himself is not punished, thechildren are (Job 18:19; Job 20:10);and that God rewardeth him here for his iniquity, and that heshall know it to his cost. So “know” (Ho9:7).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
God layeth up his iniquity for his children,…. This is a prevention of an objection which Job foresaw his friends would make, and therefore takes it up and answers to it; you will say, that, be it so, that the wicked are for the most part prosperous, and their prosperity continues; God does not punish them now for their sins in their own persons, yet he will punish them in their children, for whom he reserves the punishment of their iniquity: this way go many of the Jewish commentators y, in which they are followed by many Christian interpreters z; and, as it seems, very rightly; now this Job grants, that so it is, God takes notice of the iniquities of men, and lays them up in his mind, and puts them down in the book of his remembrance; he reserves the punishment of their iniquities for their children, iniquity being often put for the punishment of it; this is laid up among his stores of vengeance, and is treasured up against the day of wrath; and when they have filled up the measure of their father’s sins by their own transgressions, the deserved punishment shall be inflicted, according to Ex 20:5; but this will not clear the case, nor support the notions and sentiments of Job’s friends, who had all along given out, that wicked men are punished themselves as well as their children; and that, if they are at any time in prosperous circumstances, it is only for a little while; and therefore agreeably to such notions God should take other methods with them, not punish their children only, but themselves, as Job argues in answer to the objection in Job 21:18:
he rewarded him, and he shall know [it]; or “he should reward him, and he should know it” a; and so the word “should” is to be put instead of “shall” in Job 21:20, which directs to the true sense of these clauses: and the meaning of Job is, that according to the sentiments of his friends, God should reward a wicked man while he lives in his own body, and not in his posterity only; he should render to them a just recompence of reward of their evil works, the demerit of their sins; and in such a manner, that they should know it, be sensible of it, and feel it themselves, and perceive the evil of sin in the punishment of it; see Ho 9:7.
y Nachmanides, Jarchi, Ben Gersom, Bar Tzemach. z Beza, Cocceius, Schultens. a “redderet illi, et (hoc) sciret”, Beza; “retribueret ipsi potius, et sentiret”, Cocceius.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(19) God layeth up his iniquity (i.e., the punishment of it) for his children, may be the hypothetical reply of the antagonists in the mouth of Job, and the second clause his own retort: Let him repay it to himself that he may know it.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
19. Iniquity also signifies “calamity,” “wealth” a network of meanings exceedingly suggestive. One of the positions taken by the friends of Job was, “God layeth up the iniquity of the wicked for his children,” (Job 5:4; Job 20:10😉 if he does not visit it upon the parents, he certainly does upon the children. Horace has a similar thought:
Delicta majorum immeritus lues Romane.
Thou, O Roman, innocent
Shalt suffer for the sins of thy ancestors.
Cicero, on the other hand, denounces the principle that “if a wicked man die without suffering for his crimes, the gods should inflict a punishment on his children, his children’s children, and all his posterity.” ( De Nat. Deorum, 3:38.) Job’s reply commences with the second clause, which should read: Upon him (the wicked man himself) should He (God) requite that he may know, that is, feel it the transgressor is the proper person to suffer.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Job 21:19 God layeth up his iniquity for his children: he rewardeth him, and he shall know [it].
Ver. 19. God layeth up his iniquity for his children ] That is, the punishment of his iniquity, while he visiteth the sins of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generation of them that hate him, Exo 20:5 . Neither doth this contradict that of the prophet Ezekiel, “The son, shall not die for the iniquity of his father,” Eze 18:17 ; nor that of the apostle, “Every man shall bear his own burden,” Gal 6:5 ; for the meaning of those words is, that no man be damned for the sin of his father, nor one man for the sin of another, unless by commission, or approbation, or some way or other he make it his own. But for temporal punishments there is none but (by occasion of others’ sin) may have their portion in them; and wicked parents leave Job’s legacy to their children; 2Sa 3:29 yea, though they prove to be good children, 1Ki 14:12-13 , for whom God layeth up their parents’ iniquity in the treasures of his justice to be produced in due tine.
He rewardeth him
And he shall know it
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
GOD = [How oft] Eloah.
his: i.e. the lawless man’s children.
iniquity. Hebrew. ‘avert, App-44. Put by Figure of speech Metonymy (of Cause), for punishment brought on by it.
children = sons.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
iniquity
i.e. the punishment of his iniquity.
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
layeth: Job 22:24, Deu 32:34, Mat 6:19, Mat 6:20, Rom 2:5
iniquity: that is, the punishment of his iniquity, Gen 4:7, Isa 53:4-6, 2Co 5:21
for his: Exo 20:5, Psa 109:9-31, Isa 14:21, Eze 18:14, Eze 18:19, Eze 18:20, Mat 23:31-35
he rewardeth: Deu 32:41, 2Sa 3:39, Psa 54:5, Mat 16:27, 2Ti 4:14, Rev 18:6
he shall: Mal 3:18
Reciprocal: 2Ki 10:6 – your master’s sons Job 14:17 – sealed up Job 21:31 – repay Isa 9:9 – And all Hos 13:12 – General
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Job 21:19-20. God layeth up Namely, in his treasures; his iniquity
Or rather, the punishment of his iniquity; that is, He will punish him both in his person and in his posterity. His eyes shall see his destruction That is, he shall be destroyed, as to see death, is to die, Psa 89:48; Heb 11:5; and to see affliction, or any kind of evil, is to feel it, Psa 90:15; and to see good, is to enjoy it, Job 7:7; Job 9:25. Or, this phrase may be emphatical; he shall foresee his ruin hastening toward him, and not be able to prevent or avoid it: he shall sensibly feel himself sinking and perishing, which aggravates his misery. He shall drink of the wrath of the Almighty Not sip or taste, but drink; which word commonly denotes receiving abundance of the thing spoken of.