Job 21:20

20 His eyes shall see their slaying (His eyes shall see his own slaughter); and he shall drink of the strong vengeance of Almighty God.

Job 21:20 Meaning and Commentary

Job 21:20

His eyes shall see his destruction
Or "should see his destruction" ^F2; calamities coming upon himself and upon his children; or otherwise it will not affect him: but when a man has a personal experience of affliction as punishments of his sin, or with his own eyes sees his children in distressed circumstances on his account, this must sensibly affect him, and be a sore punishment to him; as it was to Zedekiah to have his children slain before his eyes, ( Jeremiah 52:10 ) ;

and he shall drink of the wrath of the Almighty;
or "he should drink"

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FOOTNOTES:

F3 of it now, according to the principles of Job's friends, even he in person, and not his posterity only; the wrath of God is on account of sin, and dreadful to bear: if the wrath of a temporal king is as the roaring of a lion, what must be the wrath of the Almighty God, the King of kings, and Lord of lords? this is frequently in Scripture compared to a cup, and is called a cup of trembling, of wrath and fury: and of which all the wicked of the earth shall drink sooner or later, ( Psalms 75:8 ) ; but this they should do now, according to the notions of Job's friends, whereas they do not; waters of a full cup, though not in wrath indeed, are wrung out to the people of God, and, as they apprehend, in wrath, when the wicked drink wine in bowls, and the cup of their prosperity overflows.

F2 (wyrk wnye wary) "videret ejus oculi exitium suum", Beza, Cocceius.
F3 (htvy) "biberet", Beza, Cocceius.

Job 21:20 In-Context

18 They shall be as chaff before the face of the wind; and as a dead spark, that the whirlwind scattereth abroad. (Be they ever like chaff before the face of the wind? or like a dead spark that the whirlwind scattereth abroad?)

19 (Ye say,) God shall keep the sorrow of the father to his sons; and when he hath yielded to them vengeance, then he shall know it. (Ye say, God shall put the father's punishment upon his sons; but I say, No! he shall yield vengeance to him who deserveth it, and he shall know it.)

20 His eyes shall see their slaying (His eyes shall see his own slaughter); and he shall drink of the strong vengeance of Almighty God.

21 For why what pertaineth it to him of his house(hold) after him, though the number of his months be half taken away? (For what careth him about his family, or his children, after him, when his own days and months be numbered?)

22 Whether any man shall teach God knowing, which deemeth them that be (on) high? (Shall anyone teach God knowledge, he who even judgeth those who be on high?)