Job 14 · Verse 21

Job 14:21

His sons come to honour, and he knoweth it not; and they are brought low, but he perceiveth it not of them.
Job 14:21, King James Version

Job 14:21 in other translations

BSBIf his sons receive honor, he does not know it; if they are brought low, he is unaware.
WEBHis sons come to honor, and he doesn’t know it. They are brought low, but he doesn’t perceive it of them.
ASVHis sons come to honor, and he knoweth it not; And they are brought low, but he perceiveth it not of them.
YLTHonoured are his sons, and he knoweth not; And they are little, and he attendeth not to them.
DARBYHis sons come to honour, and he knoweth it not; and they are brought low, and he perceiveth it not.
BBEHis sons come to honour, and he has no knowledge of it; they are made low, but he is not conscious of it.
WebsterHis sons come to honor, and he knoweth it not; and they are brought low, but he perceiveth it not of them.

What does Job 14:21 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
21. One striking trait is selected from the sad picture of the severance of the dead from all that passes in the world (Ec 9:5), namely, the utter separation of parents and children.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 21 His sons come to honor - When dead, he is equally indifferent and unconscious whether his children have met with a splendid or oppressive lot in life; for as to this world, when man dies, in that day all his thoughts perish.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Job 14:16-22

Job's faith and hope spake, and grace appeared to revive; but depravity again prevailed. He represents God as carrying matters to extremity against him. The Lord must prevail against all who contend with him. God may send disease and pain, we may lose all comfort in those near and dear to us, every hope of earthly happiness may be destroyed, but God will receive the believer into realms of eternal happiness. But…

Read the full comment on Job 14:16-22 →

Job 14:21 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

יִכְבְּד֣וּyikh.be.Duthey are honoredH3513
בָ֭נָיוVa.navsons hisH1121
וְלֹ֣אve.Lo'and notH3808
יֵדָ֑עye.Da'he knowsH3045
וְ֝יִצְעֲר֗וּve.yitz.'a.Ruand they may be insignificantH6819
וְֽלֹא\־ve.lo'-and notH3808
יָבִ֥יןya.Vinhe perceivesH995
לָֽמוֹ\׃la.mo<to> it

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Job 14:21

  • Ecclesiastes 9:5

    For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.

  • Ecclesiastes 2:18-19

    Yea, I hated all my labour which I had taken under the sun: because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me. And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have shewed myself wise under the sun. This is also vanity.

  • Isaiah 63:16

    Doubtless thou art our father, though Abraham be ignorant of us, and Israel acknowledge us not: thou, O Lord, art our father, our redeemer; thy name is from everlasting.

  • Isaiah 39:7-8

    And of thy sons that shall issue from thee, which thou shalt beget, shall they take away; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon. Then said Hezekiah to Isaiah, Good is the word of the Lord which thou hast spoken. He said moreover, For there shall be peace and truth in my days.

  • Psalms 39:6

    Surely every man walketh in a vain shew: surely they are disquieted in vain: he heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them.

  • 1 Samuel 4:20

    And about the time of her death the women that stood by her said unto her, Fear not; for thou hast born a son. But she answered not, neither did she regard it.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
he knoweth it not.
1Sa 4:20; Ps 39:6; Ec 2:18,19; 9:5; Isa 39:7,8; 63:16

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Job 14:20

    Thou prevailest for ever against him, and he passeth: thou changest his countenance, and sendest him away.

  • Job 14:21

    His sons come to honour, and he knoweth it not; and they are brought low, but he perceiveth it not of them.

  • Job 14:22

    But his flesh upon him shall have pain, and his soul within him shall mourn.

Read all of Job 14

Job 14:21 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Sus hijos serán honrados, y él no lo sabrá; ó serán humillados, y no entenderá de ellos.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Ses fils sont honorés, et il ne le sait pas; ils sont abaissés, et il ne s’en aperçoit pas.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Seine Kinder kommen zu Ehren, und er weiß es nicht; und sie werden gering, und er achtet nicht auf sie.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Sive nobiles fuerint filii ejus, sive ignobiles, non intelliget.