Job 21 · Verse 13

Job 21:13

They spend their days in wealth, and in a moment go down to the grave.
Job 21:13, King James Version

Job 21:13 in other translations

BSBThey spend their days in prosperity and go down to Sheol in peace.
WEBThey spend their days in prosperity. In an instant they go down to Sheol.
ASVThey spend their days in prosperity, And in a moment they go down to Sheol.
YLTThey wear out in good their days, And in a moment to Sheol go down.
DARBYThey spend their days in prosperity, and in a moment go down to Sheol.
BBETheir days come to an end without trouble, and suddenly they go down to the underworld.
WebsterThey spend their days in wealth, and in a moment go down to the grave.

What does Job 21:13 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
13. wealth--Old English Version for "prosperity." in a moment--not by a lingering disease. Great blessings! Lengthened life with prosperity, and a sudden painless death (Psa 73:4).

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 13 They spend their days in wealth - There is a various reading here of some importance. In the text we have יבלו yeballu, they grow old, or wear out as with old age, terent vetustate; and in the margin, יכלו yechallu, they consume; and the Masora states that this is one of the eleven words which are written with ב beth and must be read with כ caph. Several editions have the former word in the text, and the latter in the margin; the former being what is called the kethib, the latter keri. יבלו yeballu, they grow old, or wear out, is the reading of the Antwerp, Paris, and London Polyglots; יכלו yechallu, they accomplish or spend, is the reading of the Complutensian Polyglot, thirteen of Kennicott's and De Rossi's MSS., the Septuagint, Chaldee, Syriac, and Arabic. The Vulgate has ducunt, "they lead or spend," from which our translation is borrowed. I incline to the former, as Job's argument derives considerable strength from this circumstance; they not only spend their days in faring sumptuously every day; but they even wear out so as to grow old in it; they are not cut off by any sudden judgment of God. This is fact; therefore your doctrine, that the wicked are cut off suddenly and have but a short time, is far from the truth. In a moment go down to the grave - They wear out their years in pleasure; grow old in their gay and giddy life; and die, as in a moment, without previous sickness; or, as Mr. Good has it, They quietly descend into the grave.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Job 21:7-16

Job says, Remarkable judgments are sometimes brought upon notorious sinners, but not always. Wherefore is it so? This is the day of God's patience; and, in some way or other, he makes use of the prosperity of the wicked to serve his own counsels, while it ripens them for ruin; but the chief reason is, because he will make it appear there is another world. These prospering sinners make light of God and religion, as…

Read the full comment on Job 21:7-16 →

Job 21:13 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.

יְכַלּ֣וּye.kha.luthey completeH3615
בַטּ֣וֹבva.Tovin the goodH2896
יְמֵיהֶ֑םye.mei.Hemdays theirH3117
וּ֝בְרֶ֗גַעu.ve.Re.ga'and in a momentH7281
שְׁא֣וֹלshe.'olSheolH7585
יֵחָֽתּוּ\׃ye.Cha.tuthey descendH5181

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

Cross references for Job 21:13

  • Job 36:11

    If they obey and serve him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures.

  • Psalms 73:4

    For there are no bands in their death: but their strength is firm.

  • Luke 12:19-20

    And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?

  • Matthew 24:38-39

    For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

  • Luke 17:28-29

    Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
They.
36:11; Ps 73:4; Mt 24:38,39; Lu 12:19,20; 17:28,29
wealth. or, mirth.

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

Context

  • Job 21:12

    They take the timbrel and harp, and rejoice at the sound of the organ.

  • Job 21:13

    They spend their days in wealth, and in a moment go down to the grave.

  • Job 21:14

    Therefore they say unto God, Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways.

Read all of Job 21

Job 21:13 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Gastan sus días en bien, y en un momento descienden á la sepultura.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Ils passent leurs jours dans le bonheur, et en un moment descendent dans le shéol.
German
Elberfelder 1871		In Wohlfahrt verbringen sie ihre Tage, und in einem Augenblick sinken sie in den Scheol hinab.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Ducunt in bonis dies suos, et in puncto ad inferna descendunt.