You say, ‘God lays up his iniquity for his children.’ Let him recompense it to himself, that he may know it.
Parallel Translations
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You say, ‘God lays up his iniquity for his children.’ Let him recompense it to himself, that he may know it.
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God layeth up his iniquity for his children: he rewardeth him, and he shall know it.
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'God layeth up his iniquity for his children!' — let Him recompense it unto himself, that he may know it.
Cross-references (22)
Passages linked to Job 21:19 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Exodus 20:5 you shall not bow yourself down to them, nor serve them, for I, Yahweh your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and on the fourth generation of those who hate me,
- Ezekiel 18:19-20 “Yet you say, ‘Why doesn’t the son bear the iniquity of the father?’ When the son has done that which is lawful and right, and has kept all my statutes, and has done them, he will surely live. The soul who sins, he shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be on him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be on him.
- Isaiah 14:21 Prepare for slaughter of his children because of the iniquity of their fathers, that they not rise up and possess the earth, and fill the surface of the world with cities.
- Isaiah 53:4-6 Surely he has borne our sickness and carried our suffering; yet we considered him plagued, struck by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities. The punishment that brought our peace was on him; and by his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray. Everyone has turned to his own way; and Yahweh has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
- Jeremiah 31:29 “In those days they will say no more, “ ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge.’
- Ezekiel 18:2 “What do you mean, that you use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge’?
- Deuteronomy 32:34 “Isn’t this laid up in store with me, sealed up among my treasures?
- Psalms 54:5 He will repay the evil to my enemies. Destroy them in your truth.
- Psalms 109:9-31 Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow. Let his children be wandering beggars. Let them be sought from their ruins. Let the creditor seize all that he has. Let strangers plunder the fruit of his labor. Let there be no one to extend kindness to him, neither let there be anyone to have pity on his fatherless children. Let his posterity be cut off. In the generation following let their name be blotted out. Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered by Yahweh. Don’t let the sin of his mother be blotted out. Let them be before Yahweh continually, that he may cut off their memory from the earth; because he didn’t remember to show kindness, but persecuted the poor and needy man, the broken in heart, to kill them. Yes, he loved cursing, and it came to him. He didn’t delight in blessing, and it was far from him. He clothed himself also with cursing as with his garment. It came into his inward parts like water, like oil into his bones. Let it be to him as the clothing with which he covers himself, for the belt that is always around him. This is the reward of my adversaries from Yahweh, of those who speak evil against my soul. But deal with me, Yahweh the Lord, for your name’s sake, because your loving kindness is good, deliver me; for I am poor and needy. My heart is wounded within me. I fade away like an evening shadow. I am shaken off like a locust. My knees are weak through fasting. My body is thin and lacks fat. I have also become a reproach to them. When they see me, they shake their head. Help me, Yahweh, my God. Save me according to your loving kindness; that they may know that this is your hand; that you, Yahweh, have done it. They may curse, but you bless. When they arise, they will be shamed, but your servant shall rejoice. Let my adversaries be clothed with dishonor. Let them cover themselves with their own shame as with a robe. I will give great thanks to Yahweh with my mouth. Yes, I will praise him among the multitude. For he will stand at the right hand of the needy, to save him from those who judge his soul.
- Ezekiel 18:14 “Now, behold, if he fathers a son, who sees all his father’s sins, which he has done, and fears, and does not such like;
- Matthew 23:31-35 Therefore you testify to yourselves that you are children of those who killed the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers. You serpents, you offspring of vipers, how will you escape the judgment of Gehenna? Therefore behold, I send to you prophets, wise men, and scribes. Some of them you will kill and crucify; and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city; that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zachariah son of Barachiah, whom you killed between the sanctuary and the altar.
- Romans 2:5 But according to your hardness and unrepentant heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath, revelation, and of the righteous judgment of God;
- 2 Corinthians 5:21 For him who knew no sin he made to be sin on our behalf; so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
- 2 Timothy 4:14 Alexander, the coppersmith, did much evil to me. The Lord will repay him according to his deeds,
- Revelation 18:6 Return to her just as she returned, and repay her double as she did, and according to her works. In the cup which she mixed, mix to her double.
- Genesis 4:7 If you do well, won’t it be lifted up? If you don’t do well, sin crouches at the door. Its desire is for you, but you are to rule over it.”
- Deuteronomy 32:41 if I sharpen my glittering sword, my hand grasps it in judgment; I will take vengeance on my adversaries, and will repay those who hate me.
- 2 Samuel 3:39 I am weak today, though anointed king. These men, the sons of Zeruiah are too hard for me. May Yahweh reward the evildoer according to his wickedness.”
- Job 22:24 Lay your treasure in the dust, the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks.
- Malachi 3:18 Then you shall return and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him who serves God and him who doesn’t serve him.
- Matthew 6:19-20 “Don’t lay up treasures for yourselves on the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break through and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consume, and where thieves don’t break through and steal;
- Matthew 16:27 For the Son of Man will come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and then he will render to everyone according to his deeds.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (16 sources)
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John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain Job 21:19 God layeth up his iniquity for his…
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.
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He rewardeth him] For every transgression and disobedience; that is, every commission and omission "receiveth a just recompense of reward," Heb 2:2. God will abate him nothing.
And he shall know it] Know it to his cost. Vexation shall give understanding; he that, before this judgment came, would know nothing of the bitter effect of sin upon him and his, now hath his eyes forced open (as the blind mole is said to have by the pangs of death), and cry out with the lion in the snare, Si praescivissem, Oh! if I had foreknown the mischief, &c. The wicked are wise too late; the fool passeth on and is punished; he knows not the evil of sin till he feels it.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain God layeth up, to wit, in his treasures, Rom…
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.
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He shall know it, i.e. he shall live to see the destruction of his children.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain His eyes shall see his destruction,.... Or "should see…
His eyes shall see his destruction,.... Or "should see his destruction" (b); calamities coming upon himself and upon his children; or otherwise it will not affect him: but when a man has a personal experience of affliction as punishments of his sin, or with his own eyes sees his children in distressed circumstances on his account, this must sensibly affect him, and be a sore punishment to him; as it was to Zedekiah to have his children slain before his eyes, Jer 52:10;
and he shall drink of the wrath of the Almighty; or "he should drink" (c) of it now, according to the principles of Job's friends, even he in person, and not his posterity only; the wrath of God is on account of sin, and dreadful to bear: if the wrath of a temporal king is as the roaring of a lion, what must be the wrath of the Almighty God, the King of kings, and Lord of lords? this is frequently in Scripture compared to a cup, and is called a cup of trembling, of wrath and fury: and of which all the wicked of the earth shall drink sooner or later, Psa 75:8; but this they should do now, according to the notions of Job's friends, whereas they do not; waters of a full cup, though not in wrath indeed, are wrung out to the people of God, and, as they apprehend, in wrath, when the wicked drink wine in bowls, and the cup of their prosperity overflows.
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(b) "videret ejus oculi exitium suum", Beza, Cocceius. (c) "biberet", Beza, Cocceius.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain Layeth up - In his treasures, Rom. ii, 5.…
Layeth up - In his treasures, Rom. ii, 5. Iniquity - The punishment of his iniquity; he will punish him both in his person and in his posterity.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 19. God layeth up his iniquity for his…
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.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain Job 21:19-20. God layeth up — Namely, in his…
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.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain God layeth up his iniquity for his children -…
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.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain The sorrow. Protestants, "his iniquity." Marginal note, "that is…
The sorrow. Protestants, "his iniquity." Marginal note, "that is the punishment." (Haydock) --- The children shall share in his punishment, (Calmet) when they have been partakers, or imitators of his injustice. (Haydock) --- Know his offence, and whether there be a God (Calmet) and Providence. (Menochius)
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain Equally questionable is the friends' assertion that if the…
Equally questionable is the friends' assertion that if the godless himself is not punished, the children are (Job 18:19; Job 20:10); and that God rewardeth him here for his iniquity, and that he shall know it to his cost. So "know" (Hos 9:7).
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 19. Iniquity — און also signifies “calamity,” “wealth” —…
19. Iniquity — און 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.
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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.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 19–21. A conceivable objection, and its answer by Job.…
19–21. A conceivable objection, and its answer by Job. The verses read,
19. God (say ye) layeth up his iniquity for his children.—
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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.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (19) God layeth up his iniquity (i.e., the punishment…
(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.”
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain God layeth up his iniquity for his children. Job…
God layeth up his iniquity for his children. Job supposes his opponents to make this answer to his arguments. "God," they may say, "punishes the wicked man in his children". (comp. Exo_20:5) Job does not deny that he may do so, but suggests a better course in the next sentence. He rewardeth him; rather, let him recompense it on himself let him make the wicked man himself suffer, and then he shall know it. He shall perceive and know that he is receiving the due reward of his wickedness.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
C. I. Scofield 1917 · Public Domain i.e. the punishment of his iniquity.
iniquity
i.e. the punishment of his iniquity.
The Scofield Reference Bible (1917 edition), notes by C. I. Scofield — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 Connecting Statement:
Connecting Statement:
Job continues speaking to his friends.
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You say
These words are added by most versions in order to make it clear that the Job is quoting his friends in the next statement.
God lays up one's guilt for his children to pay
Guilt is spoken of as something that can be stored for later use. Here "to pay" refers to punishment for sin. AT: "God keeps a record of a person's sins, then he punishes the person's children for his wicked deeds" (See: Metaphor)
Let him pay it himself ... cut off?
Job now begins to state his own opinion. It may be helpful to state this explicitly. AT: "But I say, 'Let him pay it himself ... cut off?'" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)
Let his eyes see
Here "eyes" refers to the person. AT: "Let him see" (See: Synecdoche)
let him drink of the wrath of the Almighty
Here the wrath of God is spoken of as if it were a drink that a person can taste, and tasting is a metonym for experiencing the drink. Job wants the wicked person to experience God's punishment. (See: Metaphor and Metonymy)
For what does he care about his family after him when the number of his months is cut off?
Job uses this question to show that punishing the evil man's children is not effective. This can be stated in active form. AT: "For the wicked man does not care what happens to his family after he has died!" (See: Rhetorical Question and Active or Passive)
the number of his months is cut off
This is a polite way of saying that he dies. (See: Euphemism)
the number of his months
This refers to the length of his life.
translationWords
guilt
wrath
Almighty
family
cut off
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 21:19 you say: Job was quoting and rebutting his…
21:19 you say: Job was quoting and rebutting his friends’ arguments. • God will punish their children: These were the words of Eliphaz (5:4) and Zophar (20:10), but Job thought God should punish the ones who sin (see Ezek 18:19-20).
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.