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Read the Bible

King James Version

Job 21:19

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

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Children;   Heredity;   Sin;   Wicked (People);   Thompson Chain Reference - Home;   Parent's Sins;   Parental;   Sin;   Sins;   The Topic Concordance - Wickedness;   Wrath;  

Dictionaries:

- Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Greatness of God;   Hypocrisy;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Job, the Book of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Wealth;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
God reserves a person’s punishment for his children.Let God repay the person himself, so that he may know it.
Hebrew Names Version
You say, 'God lays up his iniquity for his children.' Let him recompense it to himself, that he may know it.
English Standard Version
You say, ‘God stores up their iniquity for their children.' Let him pay it out to them, that they may know it.
New Century Version
It is said, ‘God saves up a person's punishment for his children.' But God should punish the wicked themselves so they will know it.
New English Translation
You may say, ‘God stores up a man's punishment for his children!' Instead let him repay the man himself so that he may know it!
Amplified Bible
"You say, 'God stores away [the punishment of] man's wickedness for his children.' Let God repay him so that he may know and experience it.
New American Standard Bible
"You say, 'God saves up a person's wrongdoing for his sons.' Let God repay him so that he may know it.
World English Bible
You say, 'God lays up his iniquity for his children.' Let him recompense it to himself, that he may know it.
Geneva Bible (1587)
God wil lay vp the sorowe of the father for his children: when he rewardeth him, hee shall knowe it.
Legacy Standard Bible
You say, ‘God stores away a man's wickedness for his sons.'Let God repay him so that he may know it.
Berean Standard Bible
It is said that God lays up one's punishment for his children. Let God repay the man himself, so that he may know it.
Contemporary English Version
You say, "God will punish those sinners' children in place of those sinners." But I say, "Let him punish those sinners themselves until they really feel it.
Complete Jewish Bible
God lays up for their children [the punishment for their] iniquity. He should lay it on [the wicked] themselves, so that they can feel it!
Darby Translation
+God layeth up [the punishment of] his iniquity for his children; he rewardeth him, and he shall know [it]:
Easy-to-Read Version
But you say, ‘God is saving their punishment for their children.' No! Let God punish the evil people themselves so that they will know what they have done!
George Lamsa Translation
God reserves mans iniquity for his children; he pays it back to him, and he shall know it.
Good News Translation
You claim God punishes a child for the sins of his father. No! Let God punish the sinners themselves; let him show that he does it because of their sins.
Lexham English Bible
‘God stores up his iniquity for his children'? Then let him repay it to him that he may know.
Literal Translation
God stores up his iniquity for his sons; He repays him, and he knows.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And though God saue their childre from soch sorowe, yet wil he so rewarde theselues, that they shal knowe it.
American Standard Version
Ye say, God layeth up his iniquity for his children. Let him recompense it unto himself, that he may know it:
Bible in Basic English
You say, God keeps punishment stored up for his children. Let him send it on the man himself, so that he may have the punishment of it!
JPS Old Testament (1917)
'God layeth up his iniquity for his children!'--let Him recompense it unto himself, that he may know it.
King James Version (1611)
God layeth vp his iniquitie for his children: he rewardeth him, and he shall know it.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
God wyll lay vp the sorowe of the father for his children: & when he rewardeth him, he shall know it.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Let his substance fail to supply his children: God shall recompense him, and he shall know it.
English Revised Version
Ye say, God layeth up his iniquity for his children. Let him recompense it unto himself, that he may know it.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
God schal kepe the sorewe of the fadir to hise sones; and whanne he hath yoldun, thanne he schal wite.
Update Bible Version
[You say], God lays up his iniquity for his sons. Let him recompense it to himself, that he may know it:
Webster's Bible Translation
God layeth up his iniquity for his children: he rewardeth him, and he shall know [it].
New King James Version
They say, 'God lays up one's [fn] iniquity for his children';Let Him recompense him, that he may know it.
New Living Translation
"‘Well,' you say, ‘at least God will punish their children!' But I say he should punish the ones who sin, so that they understand his judgment.
New Life Bible
You say, ‘God stores up a man's punishment for his sons.' Let God punish him so that he may know it.
New Revised Standard
You say, ‘God stores up their iniquity for their children.' Let it be paid back to them, so that they may know it.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Shall, GOD, reserve, for his children, his sorrow? Let him recompense him so that he may know it;
Douay-Rheims Bible
God shall lay up the sorrow of the father for his children: and when he shall repay, then shall he know.
Revised Standard Version
You say, 'God stores up their iniquity for their sons.' Let him recompense it to themselves, that they may know it.
Young's Literal Translation
God layeth up for his sons his sorrow, He giveth recompense unto him -- and he knoweth.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"You say, 'God stores away a man's iniquity for his sons.' Let God repay him so that he may know it.

Contextual Overview

17 How oft is the candle of the wicked put out! and how oft cometh their destruction upon them! God distributeth sorrows in his anger. 18 They are as stubble before the wind, and as chaff that the storm carrieth away. 19 God layeth up his iniquity for his children: he rewardeth him, and he shall know it. 20 His eyes shall see his destruction, and he shall drink of the wrath of the Almighty. 21 For what pleasure hath he in his house after him, when the number of his months is cut off in the midst? 22 Shall any teach God knowledge? seeing he judgeth those that are high. 23 One dieth in his full strength, being wholly at ease and quiet. 24 His breasts are full of milk, and his bones are moistened with marrow. 25 And another dieth in the bitterness of his soul, and never eateth with pleasure. 26 They shall lie down alike in the dust, and the worms shall cover them.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

layeth: Job 22:24, Deuteronomy 32:34, Matthew 6:19, Matthew 6:20, Romans 2:5

iniquity: that is, the punishment of his iniquity, Genesis 4:7, Isaiah 53:4-6, 2 Corinthians 5:21

for his: Exodus 20:5, Psalms 109:9-31, Isaiah 14:21, Ezekiel 18:14, Ezekiel 18:19, Ezekiel 18:20, Matthew 23:31-35

he rewardeth: Deuteronomy 32:41, 2 Samuel 3:39, Psalms 54:5, Matthew 16:27, 2 Timothy 4:14, Revelation 18:6

he shall: Malachi 3:18

Reciprocal: 2 Kings 10:6 - your master's sons Job 14:17 - sealed up Job 21:31 - repay Isaiah 9:9 - And all Hosea 13:12 - General

Cross-References

Genesis 21:5
And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him.
Genesis 21:6
And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me.
Genesis 21:16
And she went, and sat her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bow shot: for she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lift up her voice, and wept.
Genesis 21:17
And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is.
Genesis 21:20
And God was with the lad; and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer.
Genesis 21:31
Wherefore he called that place Beersheba; because there they sware both of them.
Numbers 22:31
Then the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and he bowed down his head, and fell flat on his face.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

God layeth up his iniquity for his children,.... This is a prevention of an objection which Job foresaw his friends would make, and therefore takes it up and answers to it; you will say, that, be it so, that the wicked are for the most part prosperous, and their prosperity continues; God does not punish them now for their sins in their own persons, yet he will punish them in their children, for whom he reserves the punishment of their iniquity: this way go many of the Jewish commentators y, in which they are followed by many Christian interpreters z; and, as it seems, very rightly; now this Job grants, that so it is, God takes notice of the iniquities of men, and lays them up in his mind, and puts them down in the book of his remembrance; he reserves the punishment of their iniquities for their children, iniquity being often put for the punishment of it; this is laid up among his stores of vengeance, and is treasured up against the day of wrath; and when they have filled up the measure of their father's sins by their own transgressions, the deserved punishment shall be inflicted, according to Exodus 20:5; but this will not clear the case, nor support the notions and sentiments of Job's friends, who had all along given out, that wicked men are punished themselves as well as their children; and that, if they are at any time in prosperous circumstances, it is only for a little while; and therefore agreeably to such notions God should take other methods with them, not punish their children only, but themselves, as Job argues in answer to the objection in Job 21:18:

he rewarded him, and he shall know [it]; or "he should reward him, and he should know it" a; and so the word "should" is to be put instead of "shall" in Job 21:20, which directs to the true sense of these clauses: and the meaning of Job is, that according to the sentiments of his friends, God should reward a wicked man while he lives in his own body, and not in his posterity only; he should render to them a just recompence of reward of their evil works, the demerit of their sins; and in such a manner, that they should know it, be sensible of it, and feel it themselves, and perceive the evil of sin in the punishment of it; see Hosea 9:7.

y Nachmanides, Jarchi, Ben Gersom, Bar Tzemach. z Beza, Cocceius, Schultens. a ישלם אליו וידע "redderet illi, et (hoc) sciret", Beza; "retribueret ipsi potius, et sentiret", Cocceius.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

God layeth up his iniquity for his children - Margin, that is, “the punishment of iniquity.” This is a reference evidently to the opinion which “they” had maintained. It may be rendered, “You say that God layeth up iniquity,” etc. They had affirmed that not only did God, as a great law, punish the wicked in this life, but that the consequences of their sins passed over to their posterity; or, if “they” were not punished, yet the calamity would certainly come on their descendants; see Job 18:19-20; Job 20:10, Job 20:28. This is the objection which Job now adverts to. The statement of the objection, it seems to me, continues to Job 21:22, where Job says, that no one can teach God knowledge, or prescribe to him what he should do, and then goes on to say, that the “fact” was far different from what they maintained; that there was no such exact distribution of punishments; but that one died in full strength, and another in the bitterness of his soul, and both laid down in the dust, together. This view seems to me to give better sense than any other interpretation which I have seen proposed.

He rewardeth him, and he shall know it - That is, you maintain that God will certainly reward him in this life, and that his dealings with him shall so exactly express the divine view of his conduct, that he shall certainly know what God thinks of his character. This opinion they had maintained throughout the argument, and this Job as constantly called in question.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Job 21:19. God layeth up his iniquity for his children — This is according to the declaration of God, Exodus 20:5: "Visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me." This always supposes that the children, who are thus visited, have copied their parents' example; or that ill-gotten property is found in their hands, which has descended to them from their wicked fathers; and of this God, in his judgments, strips them. It is, however, very natural to suppose that children brought up without the fear of God will walk in the sight of their own eyes, and according to the imaginations of their own hearts.

He rewardeth him, and he shall know it. — He shall so visit his transgressions upon him, that he shall at last discern that it is God who hath done it. And thus they will find that there would have been profit in serving him, and safety in praying unto him. But this they have neglected, and now it is too late.


 
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