Job 21:28
Job 21:28 in Multiple Translations
For you say, ‘Where now is the nobleman’s house, and where are the tents in which the wicked dwell?’
For ye say, Where is the house of the prince? and where are the dwelling places of the wicked?
For ye say, Where is the house of the prince? And where is the tent wherein the wicked dwelt?
For you say, Where is the house of the ruler, and where is the tent of the evil-doer?
You may ask me, ‘Where is the home of the great man? Where is the place where the wicked live?’
For ye say, Where is the princes house? and where is the tabernacle of the wickeds dwelling?
For ye say, 'Where [is] the house of the noble? And where the tent — The tabernacles of the wicked?'
For you say, ‘Where is the house of the prince? Where is the tent in which the wicked lived?’
For ye say, Where is the house of the prince? and where are the dwelling places of the wicked?
For you say: Where is the house of the prince? and where are the dwelling places of the wicked?
You say, ‘What happened to the tents in which wicked people were living? The houses of evil rulers have been destroyed!’
Berean Amplified Bible — Job 21:28
BAB
Word Study
Hover over any word to see its amplified meaning. Click a word to explore its full definition and translation comparisons.
Amplified text is generated using scripting to tie together English translations for comparison. Always refer to the core BSB translation and original Hebrew/Greek text for accuracy. Anomalies may occur.
Job 21:28 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
כִּ֤י
תֹֽאמְר֗וּ
אַיֵּ֥ה
בֵית
נָדִ֑יב
וְ֝/אַיֵּ֗ה
אֹ֤הֶל
מִשְׁכְּנ֬וֹת
רְשָׁעִֽים
כִּ֤י
kîy
H3588
for
Conj
תֹֽאמְר֗וּ
ʼâmar
H559
to say
V-Qal-Imperf-2mp
אַיֵּ֥ה
ʼayêh
H346
where?
Part
בֵית
bayith
H1004
place
N-ms
נָדִ֑יב
nâdîyb
H5081
noble
Adj
וְ֝/אַיֵּ֗ה
ʼayêh
H346
where?
Conj | Part
אֹ֤הֶל
ʼôhel
H168
tent
N-ms
מִשְׁכְּנ֬וֹת
mishkân
H4908
tabernacle
N-mp
רְשָׁעִֽים
râshâʻ
H7563
wicked
Adj
Hebrew Word Study
Select any word above to explore its original meaning, root, and usage across Scripture.
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Hebrew Word Reference — Job 21:28
כִּ֤י
kîy
H3588
"for"
Conj
A conjunction used to show cause or connection, as in Genesis 2:23 where Adam says the woman is bone of his bone because she was taken out of him. It is often translated as 'for', 'because', or 'since'.
Definition: 1) that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since 1a) that 1a1) yea, indeed 1b) when (of time) 1b1) when, if, though (with a concessive force) 1c) because, since (causal connection) 1d) but (after negative) 1e) that if, for if, indeed if, for though, but if 1f) but rather, but 1g) except that 1h) only, nevertheless 1i) surely 1j) that is 1k) but if 1l) for though 1m) forasmuch as, for therefore
Usage: Occurs in 3910 OT verses. KJV: and, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else, even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, + nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, + (al-) though, + till, truly, + until, when, whether, while, whom, yea, yet. See also: Genesis 1:4; Genesis 26:16; Genesis 42:15.
תֹֽאמְר֗וּ
ʼâmar
H559
"to say"
V-Qal-Imperf-2mp
This Hebrew word means to say or speak, and it's used in many different ways in the Bible. It can mean to command, promise, or think, and it's translated in the KJV as 'answer', 'appoint', or 'command'.
Definition: 1) to say, speak, utter 1a) (Qal) to say, to answer, to say in one's heart, to think, to command, to promise, to intend 1b) (Niphal) to be told, to be said, to be called 1c) (Hithpael) to boast, to act proudly 1d) (Hiphil) to avow, to avouch Aramaic equivalent: a.mar (אֲמַר "to say" H0560)
Usage: Occurs in 4337 OT verses. KJV: answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [idiom] plainly, promise, publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), [idiom] still, [idiom] suppose, talk, tell, term, [idiom] that is, [idiom] think, use (speech), utter, [idiom] verily, [idiom] yet. See also: Genesis 1:3; Genesis 18:23; Genesis 25:32.
אַיֵּ֥ה
ʼayêh
H346
"where?"
Part
The Hebrew word for where, used to ask for the location of someone or something. It appears in various biblical contexts, including rhetorical questions.
Definition: 1) where? 1a) of persons, things 1b) rhetorical
Usage: Occurs in 40 OT verses. KJV: where. See also: Genesis 18:9; Isaiah 33:18; Psalms 42:4.
בֵית
bayith
H1004
"place"
N-ms
The Hebrew word for house refers to a dwelling place, including a family home, temple, or even the human body. It appears in various contexts, such as the temple in Jerusalem or the household of a family. In the Bible, it is often used to describe a place of worship or a family's living space.
Definition: nm place, origin, between
Usage: Occurs in 1712 OT verses. KJV: court, daughter, door, [phrase] dungeon, family, [phrase] forth of, [idiom] great as would contain, hangings, home(born), (winter) house(-hold), inside(-ward), palace, place, [phrase] prison, [phrase] steward, [phrase] tablet, temple, web, [phrase] within(-out). See also: Genesis 6:14; Exodus 8:5; Numbers 1:45.
נָדִ֑יב
nâdîyb
H5081
"noble"
Adj
Noble or generous, describing someone of high rank or character, like a prince, or a person with a willing and liberal heart, as seen in the stories of David and Solomon.
Definition: : noble n m 1) noble one adj 2) inclined, willing, noble, generous 1a) incited, inclined, willing 1b) noble, princely (in rank) 1c) noble (in mind and character)
Usage: Occurs in 26 OT verses. KJV: free, liberal (things), noble, prince, willing (hearted). See also: Exodus 35:5; Psalms 113:8; Psalms 47:10.
וְ֝/אַיֵּ֗ה
ʼayêh
H346
"where?"
Conj | Part
The Hebrew word for where, used to ask for the location of someone or something. It appears in various biblical contexts, including rhetorical questions.
Definition: 1) where? 1a) of persons, things 1b) rhetorical
Usage: Occurs in 40 OT verses. KJV: where. See also: Genesis 18:9; Isaiah 33:18; Psalms 42:4.
אֹ֤הֶל
ʼôhel
H168
"tent"
N-ms
The Hebrew word for a tent, often used to describe the tabernacle or a nomad's home. In Exodus 33:7-11, it refers to the sacred tent where God meets with Moses.
Definition: : tent 1) tent 1a) nomad's tent, and thus symbolic of wilderness life, transience 1b) dwelling, home, habitation 1c) the sacred tent of Jehovah (the tabernacle) Also means: o.hel (אֹ֫הֶל ": home" H0168H)
Usage: Occurs in 314 OT verses. KJV: covering, (dwelling) (place), home, tabernacle, tent. See also: Genesis 4:20; Leviticus 14:23; Joshua 22:4.
מִשְׁכְּנ֬וֹת
mishkân
H4908
"tabernacle"
N-mp
The tabernacle was a special tent where God met with the Israelites, as described in Exodus and Leviticus. It was a portable place of worship, like a dwelling place for God. The Israelites carried it with them.
Definition: 1) dwelling place, tabernacle 1a) dwelling-place 1b) dwellings Aramaic equivalent: mish.kan (מִשְׁכַּן "habitation" H4907)
Usage: Occurs in 129 OT verses. KJV: dwelleth, dwelling (place), habitation, tabernacle, tent. See also: Exodus 25:9; Numbers 3:23; Psalms 26:8.
רְשָׁעִֽים
râshâʻ
H7563
"wicked"
Adj
This word describes someone who is morally wrong, a bad person who is guilty of crime or sin against God or others. It is used to describe the wicked in biblical stories, such as in the book of Genesis.
Definition: 1) wicked, criminal 1a) guilty one, one guilty of crime (subst) 1b) wicked (hostile to God) 1c) wicked, guilty of sin (against God or man)
Usage: Occurs in 248 OT verses. KJV: [phrase] condemned, guilty, ungodly, wicked (man), that did wrong. See also: Genesis 18:23; Psalms 101:8; Psalms 1:1.
Study Notes — Job 21:28
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Job 21:28 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Job 21:28
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Job 21:28
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Job 21:28
- Trapp's Commentary on Job 21:28
- Ellicott's Commentary on Job 21:28
- Adam Clarke's Commentary on Job 21:28
- Cambridge Bible on Job 21:28
- Barnes' Notes on Job 21:28
- Whedon's Commentary on Job 21:28
- Sermons on Job 21:28
Context — Job: God Will Punish the Wicked
26But together they lie down in the dust, and worms cover them both.
27Behold, I know your thoughts full well, the schemes by which you would wrong me.
28For you say, ‘Where now is the nobleman’s house, and where are the tents in which the wicked dwell?’
29Have you never asked those who travel the roads? Do you not accept their reports? 30Indeed, the evil man is spared from the day of calamity, delivered from the day of wrath.Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Job 8:22 | Your enemies will be clothed in shame, and the tent of the wicked will be no more.” |
| 2 | Job 20:7 | he will perish forever, like his own dung; those who had seen him will ask, ‘Where is he?’ |
| 3 | Habakkuk 2:9–11 | Woe to him who builds his house by unjust gain, to place his nest on high and escape the hand of disaster! You have plotted shame for your house by cutting off many peoples and forfeiting your life. For the stones will cry out from the wall, and the rafters will echo it from the woodwork. |
| 4 | Psalms 37:36 | yet he passed away and was no more; though I searched, he could not be found. |
| 5 | Zechariah 5:4 | I will send it out, declares the LORD of Hosts, and it will enter the house of the thief and the house of him who swears falsely by My name. It will remain inside his house and destroy it, down to its timbers and stones.” |
| 6 | Psalms 52:5–6 | Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin; He will snatch you up and tear you away from your tent; He will uproot you from the land of the living. Selah The righteous will see and fear; they will mock the evildoer, saying, |
| 7 | Numbers 16:26–34 | And he warned the congregation, “Move away now from the tents of these wicked men. Do not touch anything that belongs to them, or you will be swept away because of all their sins.” So they moved away from the dwellings of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. Meanwhile, Dathan and Abiram had come out and stood at the entrances to their tents with their wives and children and infants. Then Moses said, “This is how you will know that the LORD has sent me to do all these things, for it was not my own doing: If these men die a natural death, or if they suffer the fate of all men, then the LORD has not sent me. But if the LORD brings about something unprecedented, and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them and all that belongs to them so that they go down alive into Sheol, then you will know that these men have treated the LORD with contempt.” As soon as Moses had finished saying all this, the ground beneath them split open, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them and their households—all Korah’s men and all their possessions. They went down alive into Sheol with all they owned. The earth closed over them, and they vanished from the assembly. At their cries, all the people of Israel who were around them fled, saying, “The earth may swallow us too!” |
| 8 | Job 1:3 | and he owned 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 female donkeys, and a very large number of servants. Job was the greatest man of all the people of the East. |
| 9 | Job 31:37 | I would give account of all my steps; I would approach Him like a prince.)— |
Job 21:28 Summary
Job 21:28 is talking about how some people think that the wicked will always be punished, but Job is saying that this isn't always true, and we can see examples of this in the Bible, such as in Psalms 73:3-12 and Jeremiah 12:1-4. This verse is reminding us that God's ways are not our ways, and that His justice and sovereignty are beyond our understanding, as seen in Isaiah 55:8-9. We can trust in God's goodness and justice, even when we don't understand what is happening, and we can remember that He is always working for our good, as seen in Romans 8:28.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the context of Job 21:28 and how does it relate to the rest of the chapter?
Job 21:28 is part of Job's response to his friends, who have been questioning God's justice and suggesting that the wicked will always be punished, as seen in Job 21:26-27, and this verse specifically addresses their thoughts on the matter, which is also referenced in Psalms 37:35-36.
Who are the nobleman and the wicked in Job 21:28?
The nobleman and the wicked in this verse are likely references to the rich and powerful, and those who do evil, respectively, as seen in similar passages such as Proverbs 21:20 and Isaiah 57:1.
What is the main point of Job 21:28 and how does it relate to the rest of the Bible?
The main point of Job 21:28 is to highlight the friends' misconception that the wicked will always be punished, and this idea is also addressed in other parts of the Bible, such as in Ecclesiastes 7:15 and Jeremiah 12:1-4.
How does Job 21:28 relate to the concept of God's justice and sovereignty?
Job 21:28 shows that Job's friends are trying to understand God's justice and sovereignty, and this is a theme that is explored throughout the book of Job, as well as in other parts of the Bible, such as in Romans 9:20-24 and Isaiah 45:9.
Reflection Questions
- What are some ways that I have seen the wicked prosper in my own life, and how has that affected my faith?
- How can I trust in God's justice and sovereignty when I see evil people succeeding?
- What are some ways that I can remember that God's ways are not my ways, and that His justice and sovereignty are beyond my understanding, as seen in Isaiah 55:8-9?
- How can I apply the lesson of Job 21:28 to my own life, and trust in God's goodness and justice even when I don't understand what is happening?
Gill's Exposition on Job 21:28
For ye say,.... Or "have said", or "[I know] that ye say"; or "[that] ye are about to say" (a); it is in your hearts and minds, and just ready to come out of your lips, and what you will say next:
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Job 21:28
For ye say, Where is the house of the prince? and where are the dwelling places of the wicked? Ye say - referring to Zophar (Job 20:7).
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Job 21:28
Ye say, to wit, in your minds. Where is the house of the prince? i.e. it is no where, it is lost and gone. This is spoken either, 1. Of Job, or his eldest son, whose house God had lately overthrown. Or rather, 2. In general of wicked princes or potentates, as the following answer showeth. So the meaning of the question is, that it was apparent from common observation, that eminent judgments, even in this life, were sooner or later the portion of all ungodly men. Where are the dwelling-places of the wicked? which is added to limit the former expression, and to show that he spoke only of wicked princes.
Trapp's Commentary on Job 21:28
Job 21:28 For ye say, Where [is] the house of the prince? and where [are] the dwelling places of the wicked?Ver. 28. For ye say, Where is the house of the prince?] Ye say though not in so many words, yet upon the matter, Where is this man’ s (Job’ s) princely pomp and port, that but even now was so splendid? A prince they called Job in a jeer, and by contraries, Per ironiam et antiphrasin, saith Vatablus, because he had been rich, and should have been liberal and munificent, but had not been so. The apostle calleth the Pharisees and philosophers, in like sort, "princes of this world," 1 Corinthians 2:8. And where are the dwelling places] The palaces, large and lofty, ut sunt praetoria et principum aedes, as the houses of princes use to be (Junius). Lavater rendereth it, The tabernacle of tabernacles, as gentlemen’ s houses among us are called, places, halls, courts, &c., Tahernaculum habitaculorum. Of the wicked?] viz. Of Job and his children, the eldest son’ s especially, which was blown down, Job 1:18. As if it might not befall a good man also to have his house plundered, burnt, his children brained, &c. They had often in their discourses jerked at Job’ s children.
Ellicott's Commentary on Job 21:28
(28) Of the prince—i.e., of the generous, virtuous, princely man?—the antithesis to the wicked man. “Behold I know your thoughts, for ye say, How can we tell who is virtuous and who is wicked? and consequently we know not to which catalogue you belong.” They had all along been insinuating that, though he seemed to be righteous, he was really wicked.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on Job 21:28
Verse 28. For ye say, Where is the house of the prince?] In order to prove your point, ye ask, Where is the house of the tyrant and oppressor? Are they not overthrown and destroyed? And is not this a proof that God does not permit the wicked to enjoy prosperity?
Cambridge Bible on Job 21:28
28. house of the prince] “Prince” here perhaps in a bad sense like the classical “tyrant,” cf. Isaiah 13:2. the dwelling places of the wicked] Or, the tents in which the wicked dwelt, lit. the tent of the dwellings of the wicked. The question, Where is the house of the prince? implies that it has been swept away and has disappeared.
Barnes' Notes on Job 21:28
For ye say, Where is the house of the prince? - That is, you maintain that the house of the wicked man, in a high station, will be certainly over thrown.
Whedon's Commentary on Job 21:28
28. The house of the prince — Compare Job 15:34; Job 18:15; Job 20:6-7. His friends seem to him, in response to what they regarded as his special pleading for the wicked, to reply, Where is your own house and sumptuous pavilion?
Sermons on Job 21:28
| Sermon | Description | |
|---|---|---|
|
The Dangers of Irreverence Before God by Robert Wurtz II | In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of preaching the word of God with reverence and fear. He criticizes a fellow preacher for not preaching God strongly enough a |
|
An Alarm to the Unconverted 4 of 5 by Joseph Alleine | In this sermon, Christ is calling upon the listeners to arise and take possession of the good land that is promised to them. The preacher encourages the audience to view the glory |
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The Sheep by Harriet N. Cook | Harriet N. Cook preaches about the significance of sheep and lambs in the Bible, highlighting how they are frequently mentioned and the beautiful descriptions given about them. She |