Job 20:21

21 There was nothing left after he had eaten; therefore his prosperity will not endure.

Job 20:21 Meaning and Commentary

Job 20:21

There shall none of his meat be left
Not in his belly, all shall be cast up; none of his substance left for himself or others; none of his riches for his children or heirs, all being consumed: or this may respect either the profuseness or niggardliness of his living, that he should live in great luxury himself, but take no care of the poor; or else keep so mean a table, that there would be nothing left for the poor, not so much as a few crumbs to fall from it; but the first sense seems best; though some render the words, "there shall be none left for his meat" F2, or his substance; he shall leave no children, have no heirs, all his family shall be cut off, see ( Job 18:19 ) ;

therefore shall no man look for his goods;
for there shall be none to look for them; or rather there shall be none to look for, all being gone: a man in good circumstances of life, his heirs expect to enjoy much at his death, but when he is stripped of all, as Job was, his relations and friends are in no expectation of having anything at his death; and therefore do not think it worth their while to look out, or make an inquiry whether there is anything for them or not, see ( Job 20:28 ) .


FOOTNOTES:

F2 (wlkal dyrv Nya) "non erit superstes haeres qui ejus bonis fruetur"; so some in Mercer. Drusius.

Job 20:21 In-Context

19 For he has crushed and abandoned the poor, he has seized a house which he did not build.
20 "Because his greed knew no rest, he will not save anything in which he delights.
21 There was nothing left after he had eaten; therefore his prosperity will not endure.
22 In the fulness of his sufficiency he will be in straits; all the force of misery will come upon him.
23 To fill his belly to the full God will send his fierce anger into him, and rain it upon him as his food.
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1952 [2nd edition, 1971] by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.