Job 21:12Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Certainly, the Lord continues to extend His grace toward the unrighteous, demonstrating that His disdain is not directed at them, lest they assume, "Since God despises us, He will never grant us the opportunity for repentance." Although His providence may appear stern and severe towards the righteous, His love is abundantly offered to those who sin. The rewards that seem lacking in the present life for the virtuous are, in fact, future affirmations of the righteous deeds they have accomplished.

They take the tambourine and the lyre, rejoicing at the music of the organ (Job 21:12). It is as though he is stating directly that while the proud are inflated with arrogance and wealth, those who rely on them engage in fleeting entertainment. But, O blessed one, why do you elaborate so extensively on the allure of the lives of the ungodly? After you have taken so long to expound upon them, with just a single word you convey your true sentiment. And then the text continues:

I will speak earnestly and briefly reflect on the trials that lie ahead of me, for the agony afflicting my body is beyond description. Why do the unrighteous thrive and enjoy long lives filled with wealth? Their fields yield abundance; they take delight in their offspring, and their lives are filled with prosperity. They experience no fear, nor do they suffer any calamities from the Almighty. Their livestock do not produce stillborn or imperfect young; their wives do not endure loss in childbirth. They live carelessly and contentedly like livestock.

Job has ceased seeking solace from his companions; all he desires is for them to remain silent while he voices his grievances about his anguish to the very end (21:1-6). Their assertions about the punishment of the wicked who experience brief happiness are futile; in reality, there are numerous instances of the wicked who live and die in complete joy (7-13). They dismiss Divine Providence (14-15); they are untroubled by the suddenness of death (16-18), and the unfortunate fate of their descendants does not disturb them (19-21). Who, then, can explain to God the fairness in the distribution of joy and suffering among humanity (22)? Before God, the fate of both the wicked and the righteous culminates in the same death (23-26).