Job 21 · Verse 20

Job 21:20

His eyes shall see his destruction, and he shall drink of the wrath of the Almighty.
Job 21:20, King James Version

Job 21:20 in other translations

BSBLet his eyes see his own destruction; let him drink for himself the wrath of the Almighty.
WEBLet his own eyes see his destruction. Let him drink of the wrath of the Almighty.
ASVLet his own eyes see his destruction, And let him drink of the wrath of the Almighty.
YLTHis own eyes see his destruction, And of the wrath of the Mighty he drinketh.
DARBYHis eyes shall see his destruction, and he shall drink of the fury of the Almighty.
BBELet his eyes see his trouble, and let him be full of the wrath of the Ruler of all!
WebsterHis eyes shall see his destruction, and he shall drink of the wrath of the Almighty.

What does Job 21:20 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
20. Another questionable assertion of the friends, that the sinner sees his own and his children's destruction in his lifetime. drink--(Psa 11:6; Is 51:17; La 4:21).

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 20 His eyes shall see his destruction - He shall perceive its approach, and have the double punishment of fearing and feeling; feeling a Thousand deaths in fearing One. He shall drink of the wrath - The cup of God's wrath, the cup of trembling, etc., is frequently expressed or referred to in the sacred writings, Deu 32:33; Isa 51:17-22; Jer 25:15; Rev 14:8. It appears to be a metaphor taken from those cups of poison which certain criminals were obliged to drink. A cup of the juice of hemlock was the wrath or punishment assigned by the Athenian magistrates to the philosopher Socrates.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Job 21:17-26

Job had described the prosperity of wicked people; in these verses he opposes this to what his friends had maintained about their certain ruin in this life. He reconciles this to the holiness and justice of God. Even while they prosper thus, they are light and worthless, of no account with God, or with wise men. In the height of their pomp and power, there is but a step between them and ruin. Job refers the…

Read the full comment on Job 21:17-26 →

Job 21:20 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.

יִרְא֣וּyir.'Ulet them seeH7200
עֵינָ֣יוei.novown eyes hisH5869
כִּיד֑וֹki.Dodestruction hisH3589
וּמֵחֲמַ֖תu.me.cha.Matand from [the] rage ofH2534
שַׁדַּ֣יsha.Dai[the] AlmightyH7706
יִשְׁתֶּֽה\׃yish.Tehlet him drinkH8354

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

Cross references for Job 21:20

  • Isaiah 51:17

    Awake, awake, stand up, O Jerusalem, which hast drunk at the hand of the Lord the cup of his fury; thou hast drunken the dregs of the cup of trembling, and wrung them out.

  • Revelation 14:10

    The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:

  • Psalms 75:8

    For in the hand of the Lord there is a cup, and the wine is red; it is full of mixture; and he poureth out of the same: but the dregs thereof, all the wicked of the earth shall wring them out, and drink them.

  • Job 27:19

    The rich man shall lie down, but he shall not be gathered: he openeth his eyes, and he is not.

  • Jeremiah 25:15-16

    For thus saith the Lord God of Israel unto me; Take the wine cup of this fury at my hand, and cause all the nations, to whom I send thee, to drink it. And they shall drink, and be moved, and be mad, because of the sword that I will send among them.

  • Luke 16:23

    And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

  • Revelation 19:15

    And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

  • Psalms 60:3

    Thou hast shewed thy people hard things: thou hast made us to drink the wine of astonishment.

  • Jeremiah 51:7

    Babylon hath been a golden cup in the Lord’s hand, that made all the earth drunken: the nations have drunken of her wine; therefore the nations are mad.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
see.
27:19; Lu 16:23
drink.
Ps 75:8; Isa 51:17; Jer 25:15,16; 51:7; Re 14:10; 19:15

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

Context

  • Job 21:19

    God layeth up his iniquity for his children: he rewardeth him, and he shall know it.

  • Job 21:20

    His eyes shall see his destruction, and he shall drink of the wrath of the Almighty.

  • Job 21:21

    For what pleasure hath he in his house after him, when the number of his months is cut off in the midst?

Read all of Job 21

Job 21:20 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Verán sus ojos su quebranto, y beberá de la ira del Todopoderoso.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Ses yeux verront sa calamité, et il boira de la fureur du Tout-puissant.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Seine Augen sollen sein Verderben sehen, und von dem Grimme des Allmächtigen trinke er!
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Videbunt oculi ejus interfectionem suam, et de furore Omnipotentis bibet.