Job 18 21
What is Job 18:21 about? Read the meaning and summary with full commentary explained, historical context, verse insights, word analysis, and cross-references.
Job chapter 18 - Bildad’s Terrifying Portrait Of Doom
Job 18 documents Bildad’s second speech, which focuses almost entirely on the grisly fate of the unrighteous, using metaphors of traps, snares, and disease. He aims to terrify Job into a confession by painting a picture of a man whose memory is wiped from the earth and whose 'tent' is consumed by brimstone.
Job 18:21
ESV: Surely such are the dwellings of the unrighteous, such is the place of him who knows not God."
KJV: Surely such are the dwellings of the wicked, and this is the place of him that knoweth not God.
NIV: Surely such is the dwelling of an evil man; such is the place of one who does not know God."
NKJV: Surely such are the dwellings of the wicked, And this is the place of him who does not know God."
NLT: They will say, 'This was the home of a wicked person,
the place of one who rejected God.'"
Meaning
Job 18:21 is Bildad's concluding assertion in his second speech, proclaiming the certain and severe fate of the wicked. He posits that the destructive calamities observed are inherently the portion of those who reject God and live in unrighteousness. This verse consolidates Bildad's rigid theological framework where suffering directly indicates hidden sin and a fundamental ignorance of God.
Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ps 1:4 | "The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away." | Fate of the wicked. |
| Ps 1:5-6 | "The wicked will not stand... nor sinners... The way of the wicked will perish." | Divine judgment and destruction of the unrighteous. |
| Ps 9:17 | "The wicked shall return to Sheol, all the nations that forget God." | Wicked condemned to death/underworld. |
| Ps 73:17-19 | "You set them in slippery places; you make them fall... In a moment they are utterly swept away..." | Sudden and complete destruction of the wicked. |
| Prov 10:25 | "When the whirlwind passes, the wicked is no more, but the righteous has an everlasting foundation." | The transient nature and demise of the wicked. |
| Prov 11:7 | "When a wicked man dies, his hope perishes..." | The unrighteous have no lasting hope or legacy. |
| Isa 3:10-11 | "Tell the righteous... woe to the wicked! It shall be ill with him..." | Retribution: blessing for righteous, woe for wicked. |
| Mal 4:1 | "For behold, the day is coming... all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble." | Consuming fire and final judgment for the wicked. |
| Hos 4:6 | "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge..." | Direct link between lack of knowledge (of God) and destruction. |
| Jer 9:23-24 | "Let not the wise man boast... but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me." | The true knowledge and boast is in knowing God. |
| John 17:3 | "And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God..." | Eternal life is relational knowledge of God. |
| Rom 1:28 | "And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind..." | Not acknowledging God leads to moral corruption. |
| Rom 2:8-9 | "but for those who are self-seeking... there will be wrath and fury." | Wrath for those who do not obey the truth. |
| Gal 6:7-8 | "Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap." | Spiritual law of sowing and reaping; consequences for sin. |
| 2 Thess 1:7-9 | "when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven... in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God." | Explicit New Testament connection to judgment for those not knowing God. |
| 2 Pet 2:20-21 | "For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world... they are again entangled... the last state has become worse." | Worse judgment for those who abandon true knowledge. |
| Luke 13:1-5 | "Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners...? No, I tell you..." | Jesus directly challenges the notion that suffering equates to greater sin. |
| John 9:2-3 | "Who sinned, this man or his parents... Jesus answered, 'It was not that this man sinned, or his parents...'" | Jesus refutes the direct cause-effect view of sin and suffering. |
| Job 21:7-9 | "Why do the wicked live, reach old age, and grow mighty in power?" | Job's counter-argument, observing that the wicked often prosper, challenging the friends' premise. |
| Ps 37:35-36 | "I have seen a wicked, ruthless man... yet he passed away... he was gone." | The prosperity of the wicked is fleeting. |
Context
Job 18:21 concludes Bildad's second speech (Job 18:1-21) to Job. Bildad, like Eliphaz, rigidly adheres to the traditional understanding of retributive justice: that the wicked are consistently punished in this life, implying Job's suffering must stem from his secret wickedness. In this chapter, Bildad describes in vivid, terrifying detail the ruin of the wicked—their light extinguished, strength broken, offspring destroyed, memory obliterated, and home invaded by terror. Verse 21 summarizes this harsh prognosis, explicitly linking it to "the unrighteous" and "him who does not know God." Historically, this reflects a common ancient Near Eastern (ANE) wisdom belief system where prosperity indicated divine favor and misfortune indicated divine judgment for sin, often functioning as a form of social and theological order maintenance. Bildad's words serve as a direct polemic against Job's fervent insistence on his innocence and implicitly challenge the notion that God’s justice might operate beyond immediate human comprehension or a simple quid pro quo.
Word analysis
Surely (אָכֵן - 'akhen): An emphatic adverb, meaning "truly," "indeed," "certainly." Bildad uses it to stress the absolute conviction and incontrovertible nature of his assertion, implying no doubt.
such (אֵלֶּה - 'elleh): A demonstrative pronoun, pointing back to the exhaustive list of misfortunes previously described in Job 18:5-20, thereby consolidating them into a definitive category.
are the dwellings (מִשְׁכְּנוֹת - mishk'not): Plural of מִשְׁכָּן (mishkan), meaning "dwelling place," "tabernacle," "habitation." This term encompasses one's home, stability, family, prosperity, and the entire framework of their settled life. Its destruction signifies complete ruin.
of the unrighteous (רָשָׁע - rasha'): Singular, "the wicked," "the guilty," "the unrighteous." This noun refers to someone who is actively sinful, defiant toward divine or human law, and ethically corrupt. Bildad implies Job belongs to this category.
and this (וְזֶה - v'zeh): A conjunction plus demonstrative pronoun, serving as a connector and reiterating "such," further linking the fate described to the specified person.
is the place (מְקוֹם - meqom): "place," "site," "station," "abode," or "position." Here, it signifies the permanent status, portion, or ultimate destiny of the individual.
of him who does not know God (לֹא יָדַע אֵל - lo' yada' 'el): A pivotal phrase:
- "know" (יָדַע - yada'): This is not merely intellectual acquaintance but deeply experiential, relational, and practical knowledge. It implies a covenant relationship, trust, and obedience to God.
- "God" (אֵל - 'el): A general, potent term for "God," highlighting a powerful deity.
- Significance: Bildad equates "the unrighteous" with "him who does not know God." This suggests that wickedness is rooted in a fundamental lack of an experiential and obedient relationship with the Divine. Such "ignorance" is not intellectual but a moral and relational failing, leading to deserved judgment.
Words-group analysis:
- "dwellings of the unrighteous": This phrase encapsulates the temporal and material possessions, family lineage, and perceived security of a wicked person. Bildad argues that all of this is destined for total destruction, emphasizing the transient and doomed nature of a life lived apart from God's way.
- "place of him who does not know God": This defines the ultimate destiny and the core spiritual deficiency of the individual Bildad condemns. It asserts that their outward misfortune (the "place" they occupy) directly corresponds to an inward, relational estrangement from God ("does not know God"), implying a divine decree based on their spiritual state.
Commentary
Job 18:21 forms the unequivocal summary of Bildad's "retribution theology" in his second speech. He adamantly affirms that suffering, the catastrophic ruin of "dwellings," and obliteration of one's "place" are the sure lot of the "unrighteous" and those who fundamentally "do not know God." This conviction is presented as absolute truth, serving as Bildad’s diagnostic conclusion regarding Job's intense affliction: that Job's pain must be evidence of hidden sin and a lack of true communion with God. The verse underscores the prevailing but simplistic theological framework among Job’s friends, where a direct, visible, and immediate correlation between sin and suffering is expected and maintained, thereby providing an easy but incorrect explanation for Job’s plight.
Bonus section
- The Hebrew parallelism in this verse reinforces the message through synonymous but distinct expressions ("dwellings of the unrighteous" / "place of him who does not know God"), intensifying the judgment pronounced.
- Bildad's rhetoric, like that of the other friends, is less about comfort or understanding Job and more about upholding a theological system perceived to be threatened by Job's blameless suffering.
- The friends' argument that God cannot punish an innocent person leads them to assume Job must be guilty, overlooking the complexities of divine purposes.
- The entire book of Job challenges the black-and-white, simplistic understanding of suffering that Bildad here articulates as absolute truth, moving towards a deeper, more mysterious understanding of God's ways and human trust in His sovereignty beyond comprehension.
Read job 18 chapter and explore various translations, from word-for-word KJV and ESV to thought-for-thought NIV and NLT.
Witness the escalation of the debate as Bildad uses fear-based theology to categorize Job’s suffering as divine judgment. Begin your study with job 18 summary.
Bildad mentions the 'firstborn of death,' which likely refers to a terminal disease that consumes the body. The ‘Word Secret’ is *Pachad*, meaning dread or terror, which Bildad believes is the constant companion of someone like Job who has supposedly rejected God. Discover the riches with job 18 commentary, containing expert led word study (original greek/hebrew) and passage level analysis.
Explore job 18 images, wallpapers, art, audio, video, maps, infographics and timelines