Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Job 21:29
Have ye not asked them that go by the way? and do ye not know their tokens,
29. them that go by the way ] The travellers; here those who have travelled far, or come from a distance, and are full of experience.
do ye not know their tokens ] Or, regard. Their “tokens” are no doubt the proofs, or examples which they bring forward. The word “regard,” or have respect to, is so used ch. Job 34:19. In other places it means “not to acknowledge,” to repudiate; with this sense the meaning would be, and ye will not (surely) reject their tokens.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
29, 30. Travellers give a different account of the fate of the wicked; they tell that he is spared in the day of destruction:
29 Have ye not asked them that go by the way,
And do ye not regard their tokens,
30 That the wicked is spared in the day of destruction,
That they are led forth in the day of wrath?
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Have ye not asked them that go by the way? – Travelers, who have passed into other countries, and who have had an opportunity of making observations, and of learning the opinions of those residing there. The idea of Job is, that they might have learned from such travelers that such people were reserved for future destruction, and that calamity did not immediately overtake them. Information was obtained in ancient times by careful observation, and by traveling, and they who had gone into other countries would be highly regarded concerning point like this. They could speak of what they had observed of the actual dealings of God there, and of the sentiments of sages there. The idea is, that they would confirm the truth of what Job had said, that the wicked were often prosperous and happy.
And do ye not know their tokens – The signs, or intimations which they have given of the actual state of things in other countries, perhaps by the inscriptions, records, and proverbs, by which they had signified the result of their inquiries.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 29. Have ye not asked them that go by the way?] This appears to be Job’s answer. Consult travellers who have gone through different countries; and they will tell you that they have seen both examples – the wicked in great prosperity in some instances, while suddenly destroyed in others. See at the end of the chapter. See Clarke on Job 21:34.
Do ye not know their tokens] Mr. Good translates the whole verse thus: “Surely thou canst never have inquired of men of travel; or thou couldst not have been ignorant of their tokens. Hadst thou made proper inquiries, thou wouldst have heard of their awful end in a thousand instances. And also of their prosperity.” See at the end of this chapter. See Clarke on Job 21:34.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
These are the words, either,
1. Of Jobs friends, who thus continue their former discourse by a second inquiry; or rather,
2. Of Job himself, who answers one question with another. You may learn this, which is the matter of our debate, to wit, that good men are oft afflicted, and that wicked men do commonly live and die in great prosperity, and are not punished in this world, even from
them that go by the way, i.e. either from travellers, who having seen and observed many persons, and places, and events, are more capable judges of this matter; or from any person that passeth along the high-way, from every one that you meet with. It is so vulgar and trivial a thing, that no man of common sense is ignorant of it.
Their tokens, i.e. the examples, or evidences, or signs of this truth, which they that go by the way can produce. They will show here and there in divers places the goodly houses, and castles, and other monuments of power and dignity which wicked potentates have erected, and to this day do possess, and in which divers of them live and die. He alludes here to those
tokens which are set up in high-ways for the direction of those who travel in them.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
29. Job, seeing that the friendswill not admit him as an impartial judge, as they consider hiscalamities prove his guilt, begs them to ask the opinion oftravellers (La 1:12), who havethe experience drawn from observation, and who are no way connectedwith him. Job opposes this to Bildad (Job8:8) and Zophar (Job 20:4).
tokensrather,”intimations” (for example, inscriptions, proverbs,signifying the results of their observation), testimony. Literally,”signs” or proofs in confirmation of the word spoken (Isa7:11).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Have ye not asked them that go by the way?…. Did you not ask every traveller you met with on the road the above question? not which was the way to Job’s house, which they knew very well, but in what condition that and his sons were? or what was the case of him and his family? and what was his character? or what was thought of him now since his unhappy circumstances?
and do ye not know their tokens? by which it might be known in what a plight he and his family were, and what were the marks, signs, and characters they gave of him: “have ye not asked?” c. the sense seems to be this, that if they had not asked, they might and should have asked of travellers the above things relating to himself and family, and then they would not have needed to put the above question about his house and tabernacles or, if they had inquired of his character of any travellers, they would have given them it, that he was a generous hospitable man, a man truly good, strictly just and upright, and not the wicked man and the hypocrite as they had traduced him; for Job’s house had been open to strangers and travellers, and he was well known by them, and they were ready to give him a good character, see
Job 31:32; or, if they had inquired of them concerning the stately houses and palaces of wicked men that had lived in times past, whether there were any of them standing; they could have told them they were, and where they were, and given them such signs and tokens, and such proof and evidence of them they could not deny; and indeed, if they had been inquired of about the thing in controversy between Job and his friends, concerning the prosperity of the wicked, and the afflictions of the godly, as they by travelling became acquainted with persons and things, and made their observations on them, they could have easily pointed out instances of wicked men living and dying in prosperous circumstances, and of good men being greatly afflicted and distressed, if not all their days, yet great part of them; and they could have given such plain signs and tokens, and such clear and manifest proofs of those things, as could not have been gainsaid: and this may be understood of travellers in a spiritual sense, and who are the best judges of such a case, and are travellers through the wilderness of this world, and pass through many tribulations in it; and, being bound for another and better country, an heavenly one, are pilgrims, strangers, and sojourners here; have no abiding, but are passing on in the paths of faith, truth, and holiness, till they come to the heavenly Canaan; if any of those who are yet on the road, and especially if such could be come at who have finished their travels, and the question be put to them, they would all unite in this doctrine, which Abraham, the spiritual traveller, is represented delivering to the rich wicked man in hell; that wicked men have their good things in this life, and good men their evil things, Lu 16:25; and particularly would agree in saying what follows.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(29) Their tokensi.e., the marks and evidences of their experience, and the conclusions at which they had arrived.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
29. Them that go by the way “Wayfaring men,” who travelled largely, probably in connexion with caravans. Such travellers became popular intelligencers, and were often sent for and consulted by kings. The routes of these caravans embraced even the homes of the patriarchs, (Gen 37:25.) and thus became agencies for the diffusing of religious knowledge.
And do ye not know their tokens Know, , signifies find strange, that is, despise, (Furst,) or to be ignorant of, (GESENIUS, Thes.,) or mistake. (Arnheim.) Either intentionally or carelessly they have misinterpreted the tokens of these travellers. These tokens were “proofs,” “arguments,” (Psa 86:17,) according to Gesenius and Dillmann, or memorabilia, “things worthy of note.” (Zockler.) Hitzig conjectures that the word , token, is used metaphorically for a kind of tessera recognised by the host. A Punic passage in the “Poenulus” of Plautus, act v, scene i, Kenrick thus reads “A sign of truth shall be the tessera of hospitality which I carry with me.” (See the comment in his “Phoenicia,” p. 181.) The report of these travellers is, that the punishment of the wicked is in the future life, you (the friends) pervert it, and say that it is always in the present life. Thus Hahn, Stickel, etc.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Job 21:29 Have ye not asked them that go by the way? and do ye not know their tokens,
Ver. 29. Have ye not asked them that go by the way? ] The cause of their rash judgment, Job showeth here to be their ignorance of things known to every ordinary passenger, and such as whereof there are many pregnant proofs and examples everywhere. Some, by them that go by the way, understand men by experience, such as have gone many voyages, &c., made many observations in their travels of things remarkable; their notes are here called their tokens. By those that go by the way, others understand Abraham, the Hebrew (so he is called, Gen 14:13 that is, that Trans-Euphratean, or, he that passed over the river Euphrates, when he passed by the way from Chaldea to Canaan), and his progeny, Isaac and Jacob, who were passengers and pilgrims, and could tell, by experience, that men greatly afflicted may be yet favoured of God, and in due time delivered. Abraham had ten sore trials, and yet was the friend of God. Isaac, besides many other sharp afflictions all along his pilgrimage, was blind for over twenty years before his death. Few and evil were the days of the years of Jacob, his whole life almost one continuous affliction, and yet it was, Jacob have I loved. Of all this Job likely was not ignorant, and why should his friends?
And do ye not know their tokens?
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Have ye not. ? Figure of speech Erotesis. App-6.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
go by: Psa 129:8
Reciprocal: Job 12:7 – But ask
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Job 21:29-30. Have ye not asked them that go by the way? In these verses we have an answer to the preceding question; as if he had said, Even the travellers that pass along the road can inform you: it is so vulgar a thing that no man of common sense is ignorant of it. They can give you tokens, examples, or evidences of this truth. That the wicked is reserved to the day of destruction That they are not punished as they deserve in the present world, and therefore that they shall be in the next. They shall be brought forth to the day of wrath The day of future and final wrath, when God will judge the world in righteousness, and render unto every man according to his deeds, even indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil. I believe, says Dr. Dodd, from Peters, that by the day of destruction and the day of wrath, mentioned in this verse, can be meant no other than the future day of judgment; which, to the wicked and ungodly, is everywhere represented in Scripture as a day of wrath, a day of destruction and perdition. See 2Th 1:9; 2Pe 3:7. And it is remarkable that Job, when he declares to his friends that he had been all along withheld from sinning by a pious awe of the divine justice, (meaning, as I apprehend, the thoughts of a future judgment,) uses a like expression, Job 31:23. Destruction from God was a terror to me; , aid, the very same word as is used here. To understand it of a temporal destruction is to suppose Job to cut the neck of his own argument, and to fall in directly with the reasoning of his friends; for thus it would stand, (Job 21:27,) Behold I know your thoughts, &c. I know what you would insinuate by the speeches which you make; such as this which follows, Job 21:28, Where is the house? &c. As if you should say, What is become of the house of Job, who lived like a prince? Or what, in general, is the portion of the wicked? Does not a great and sure destruction overtake them? This is evidently the meaning of the question; the answer immediately follows, Job 21:29, Ask those who go by the way, &c. Now if this were meant of a temporal destruction, it directly confirms the insinuation of his friends, and the inference would be unavoidable; therefore Job must needs be wicked. The sense I contend for, must, therefore, needs be the true one.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
21:29 Have ye {q} not asked them that go by the way? and do ye not know their tokens,
(q) Who through long travailing have experience and tokens of it, that is, that the wicked prosper, and the godly live in affliction.