Job 21:17

"Behold, their prosperity is not in their hand. The counsel of the wicked is far from me."

Key Reflection

In Job 21:17, Elihu challenges the notion that the wicked are always punished for their evil deeds. He suggests that the prosperity of the wicked often persists beyond what one might expect from divine justice, implying a form of irony. The verse highlights the complexity of God's sovereignty and the inconsistent experience of judgment or punishment among humanity, challenging Job’s initial assumption that the wicked would face retribution promptly.

From the Scholars: Barnes' Notes

How oft is the candle of the wicked put out? -Margin, “lamp.” A light, or a lamp, was an image of prosperity. There is, probably, an allusion here to what had been maintained by Bildad,Job 18:5-6, that the light of the wicked would be extinguished, and their dwellings made dark; see the notes at those verses. Job replies to this by asking how often it occurred. He inquires whether it was a frequent thing. By this, he implies that it was not universal; that it was a less frequent occurrence than they supposed.

Related Verses

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