Job 21 · Verse 29

Job 21:29

Have ye not asked them that go by the way? and do ye not know their tokens,

Job 21:29, King James Version

Job 21:29 in other translations

BSB	Have you never asked those who travel the roads? Do you not accept their reports?
WEB	Haven’t you asked wayfaring men? Don’t you know their evidences,
ASV	Have ye not asked wayfaring men? And do ye not know their evidences,
YLT	Have ye not asked those passing by the way? And their signs do ye not know?
DARBY	Have ye not asked the wayfarers? and do ye not regard their tokens:
BBE	Have you not put the question to the travellers, and do you not take note of their experience?
Webster	Have ye not asked them that go by the way? and do ye not know their tokens,

What does Job 21:29 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

29. Job, seeing that the friends will not admit him as an impartial judge, as they consider his calamities prove his guilt, begs them to ask the opinion of travellers (La 1:12), who have the experience drawn from observation, and who are no way connected with him. Job opposes this to Bildad (Job 8:8) and Zophar (Job 20:4). tokens--rather, "intimations" (for example, inscriptions, proverbs, signifying the results of their observation), testimony. Literally, "signs" or proofs in confirmation of the word spoken (Is 7:11).

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 29 Have ye not asked them that go by the way? - This appears to be Job's answer. Consult travelers who have gone through different countries; and they will tell you that they have seen both examples - the wicked in great prosperity in some instances, while suddenly destroyed in others. See at the end of the chapter, Job 21:34 (note). Do ye not know their tokens - Mr. Good translates the whole verse thus: "Surely thou canst never have inquired of men of travel; or thou couldst not have been ignorant of their tokens. Hadst thou made proper inquiries, thou wouldst have heard of their awful end in a thousand instances. And also of their prosperity." See at the end of this chapter, Job 21:34 (note).

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Job 21:27-34

Job opposes the opinion of his friends, That the wicked are sure to fall into visible and remarkable ruin, and none but the wicked; upon which principle they condemned Job as wicked. Turn to whom you will, you will find that the punishment of sinners is designed more for the other world than for this, Jude 1:14, 15. The sinner is here supposed to live in a great deal of power. The sinner shall have a splendid…

Read the full comment on Job 21:27-34 →

Job 21:29 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.

הֲלֹ֣אha.Lo'¿ notH3808

שְׁ֭אֶלְתֶּםShe.'el.temhave you askedH7592

ע֣וֹבְרֵיov.rei[those who] pass by ofH5674

דָ֑רֶךְDa.rekh[the] roadH1870

וְ֝אֹתֹתָ֗םve.'o.to.Tamand signs theirH226

לֹ֣אlo'notH3808

תְנַכֵּֽרוּ\׃te.na.Ke.rudo you recognize?H5234

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

Cross references for Job 21:29

Psalms 129:8
Neither do they which go by say, The blessing of the Lord be upon you: we bless you in the name of the Lord.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

go by.
Ps 129:8

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

Context

Job 21:28
For ye say, Where is the house of the prince? and where are the dwelling places of the wicked?
Job 21:29
Have ye not asked them that go by the way? and do ye not know their tokens,
Job 21:30
That the wicked is reserved to the day of destruction? they shall be brought forth to the day of wrath.

Read all of Job 21

Job 21:29 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	¿No habéis preguntado á los que pasan por los caminos, por cuyas señas no negaréis,
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Ne l’avez-vous pas demandé à ceux qui passent par le chemin? Et n’avez-vous pas reconnu ce qui les distingue:
German Elberfelder 1871	Habt ihr nicht befragt, die des Weges vorüberziehen? und erkennet ihr ihre Merkmale nicht:
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Interrogate quemlibet de viatoribus, et hæc eadem illum intelligere cognoscetis: