Job 21:11

"Their bulls breed without fail. Their cows calve, and don’t miscarry."

Key Reflection

In Job 21:11, the text contrasts the prosperity of the wicked with that of the righteous. The verse suggests that the wealthy and perhaps evil individuals experience unbroken success in their cattle; their bulls consistently breed and produce offspring, while their cows give birth without miscarriage. This prosperity is presented as a form of blessing, indicating the material abundance enjoyed by those who might be seen as unjust or morally corrupt from a divine perspective. Such textual details highlight the poet's observation that moral status does not necessarily correlate with one’s earthly fortunes in ancient Near Eastern society.

From the Scholars: Barnes' Notes

They send forth their little ones -Their numerous and happy children they send forth to plays and pastimes. Like a flock -In great numbers. This is an exquisitely beautiful image of prosperity. What can be more so than a group of happy children around a man’s dwelling? And their children dance -Dance for joy. They are playful and sportive, like the lambs of the flock. It is the skip of playfulness and exultation that is referred to here, and not the set and formal dance where children are instructed in the art; the sportiveness of children in the fields, the woods, and on the lawn, and not the set step taught in the dancing-school.

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