Job 21:9
New International Version
Their homes are safe and free from fear; the rod of God is not on them.

New Living Translation
Their homes are safe from every fear, and God does not punish them.

English Standard Version
Their houses are safe from fear, and no rod of God is upon them.

Berean Standard Bible
Their homes are safe from fear; no rod of punishment from God is upon them.

King James Bible
Their houses are safe from fear, neither is the rod of God upon them.

New King James Version
Their houses are safe from fear, Neither is the rod of God upon them.

New American Standard Bible
Their houses are safe from fear, And the rod of God is not on them.

NASB 1995
Their houses are safe from fear, And the rod of God is not on them.

NASB 1977
Their houses are safe from fear, Neither is the rod of God on them.

Legacy Standard Bible
Their houses are safe from dread, And the rod of God is not on them.

Amplified Bible
“Their houses are safe from fear; And the rod of God is not on them.

Christian Standard Bible
Their homes are secure and free of fear; no rod from God strikes them.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Their homes are secure and free of fear; no rod from God strikes them.

American Standard Version
Their houses are safe from fear, Neither is the rod of God upon them.

Contemporary English Version
They have no worries at home, and God never punishes them.

English Revised Version
Their houses are safe from fear, neither is the rod of God upon them.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Their homes are free from fear, and God doesn't use his rod on them.

Good News Translation
God does not bring disaster on their homes; they never have to live in terror.

International Standard Version
Their houses are safe from fear, and God's chastisement never visits them.

Majority Standard Bible
Their homes are safe from fear; no rod of punishment from God is upon them.

NET Bible
Their houses are safe and without fear; and no rod of punishment from God is upon them.

New Heart English Bible
Their houses are safe from fear, neither is the rod of God upon them.

Webster's Bible Translation
Their houses are safe from fear, neither is the rod of God upon them.

World English Bible
Their houses are safe from fear, neither is the rod of God upon them.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Their houses [are] peace without fear, "" Nor [is] a rod of God on them.

Young's Literal Translation
Their houses are peace without fear, Nor is a rod of God upon them.

Smith's Literal Translation
Their houses peace from fear, and the rod of God not upon them.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Their houses are secure and peaceable, and the rod of God is not upon them.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Their houses have been secure and peaceable, and there is no staff of God over them.

New American Bible
Their homes are safe, without fear, and the rod of God is not upon them.

New Revised Standard Version
Their houses are safe from fear, and no rod of God is upon them.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Their houses are safe from fear, neither is the rod of God upon them.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Their households are quieted of fear and there is no rod of God upon them
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Their houses are safe, without fear, Neither is the rod of God upon them.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Their houses are prosperous, neither have they any where cause for fear, neither is there a scourge from the Lord upon them.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Job: God will Punish the Wicked
8Their descendants are established around them, and their offspring before their eyes. 9Their homes are safe from fear; no rod of punishment from God is upon them. 10Their bulls breed without fail; their cows bear calves and do not miscarry.…

Cross References
Psalm 73:3-12
For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. / They have no struggle in their death; their bodies are well-fed. / They are free of the burdens others carry; they are not afflicted like other men. ...

Jeremiah 12:1-2
Righteous are You, O LORD, when I plead before You. Yet about Your judgments I wish to contend with You: Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all the faithless live at ease? / You planted them, and they have taken root. They have grown and produced fruit. You are ever on their lips, but far from their hearts.

Psalm 37:35
I have seen a wicked, ruthless man flourishing like a well-rooted native tree,

Psalm 49:16-19
Do not be afraid when a man grows rich, when the splendor of his house increases. / For when he dies, he will carry nothing away; his abundance will not follow him down. / Though in his lifetime he blesses his soul—and men praise you when you prosper— ...

Ecclesiastes 8:14
There is a futility that is done on the earth: There are righteous men who get what the actions of the wicked deserve, and there are wicked men who get what the actions of the righteous deserve. I say that this too is futile.

Malachi 3:15
So now we call the arrogant blessed. Not only do evildoers prosper, they even test God and escape.’”

Psalm 10:5-6
He is secure in his ways at all times; Your lofty judgments are far from him; he sneers at all his foes. / He says to himself, “I will not be moved; from age to age I am free of distress.”

Psalm 17:14
from such men, O LORD, by Your hand—from men of the world whose portion is in this life. May You fill the bellies of Your treasured ones and satisfy their sons, so they leave their abundance to their children.

Proverbs 1:32
For the waywardness of the simple will slay them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them.

Isaiah 57:1-2
The righteous perish, and no one takes it to heart; devout men are taken away, while no one considers that the righteous are taken away from the presence of evil. / Those who walk uprightly enter into peace; they find rest, lying down in death.

Luke 12:16-21
Then He told them a parable: “The ground of a certain rich man produced an abundance. / So he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, since I have nowhere to store my crops?’ / Then he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and will build bigger ones, and there I will store up all my grain and my goods. ...

Matthew 5:45
that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

James 5:5
You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in the day of slaughter.

1 Timothy 6:9-10
Those who want to be rich, however, fall into temptation and become ensnared by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. / For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. By craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.

2 Peter 2:13-14
The harm they will suffer is the wages of their wickedness. They consider it a pleasure to carouse in broad daylight. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their deception as they feast with you. / Their eyes are full of adultery; their desire for sin is never satisfied; they seduce the unstable. They are accursed children with hearts trained in greed.


Treasury of Scripture

Their houses are safe from fear, neither is the rod of God on them.

safe from fear.

Job 15:21
A dreadful sound is in his ears: in prosperity the destroyer shall come upon him.

Job 18:11
Terrors shall make him afraid on every side, and shall drive him to his feet.

Psalm 73:19
How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! they are utterly consumed with terrors.

the rod

Job 9:34
Let him take his rod away from me, and let not his fear terrify me:

Psalm 73:5
They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men.

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Fear Free Homes Houses Rod Safe
Job 21
1. Job shows that even in the judgment of man he has reason to be grieved
7. Sometimes the wicked prosper, though they despise God
16. Sometimes their destruction is manifest
21. The happy and unhappy are alike in death
27. The judgment of the wicked is in another world














Their homes are safe from fear;
This phrase reflects Job's observation of the apparent prosperity and security of the wicked. In the context of the ancient Near East, a home was not just a physical structure but a symbol of familial stability and blessing. The absence of fear suggests a life free from external threats such as war, theft, or natural disasters, which were common concerns in Job's time. This security contrasts with the covenantal promises in Deuteronomy 28, where obedience to God results in safety and peace. Job's lament highlights the perplexing reality that the wicked often enjoy these blessings without regard for God.

no rod of punishment from God is upon them.
The "rod of punishment" is a metaphor for divine discipline or correction. In biblical literature, the rod often symbolizes authority and correction, as seen in Proverbs 13:24, where it is associated with parental discipline. Job's statement challenges the retributive justice theology held by his friends, who argue that suffering is a direct result of sin. This phrase underscores the tension between human understanding of justice and the mysterious ways of God. It also foreshadows the New Testament revelation of grace, where God's patience and kindness lead to repentance (Romans 2:4), rather than immediate punishment. This paradox is central to the book of Job, as it explores the complexities of divine justice and human suffering.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Job
A man described as blameless and upright, who feared God and shunned evil. He is the central figure in the Book of Job, enduring immense suffering and questioning the justice of God.

2. Job's Friends
Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar, who visit Job to offer comfort but end up arguing that his suffering must be due to sin.

3. The Land of Uz
The setting of the Book of Job, traditionally considered to be in the region of Edom or northern Arabia.

4. God
The sovereign Creator who allows Job's testing and ultimately restores him.

5. The Wicked
In this context, those who seem to prosper despite their lack of righteousness, challenging the retributive justice perspective.
Teaching Points
The Mystery of God's Justice
God's ways are higher than our ways, and His justice may not always align with human expectations. We must trust in His ultimate wisdom and sovereignty.

The Prosperity of the Wicked
The apparent success of the wicked is temporary and should not lead us to envy or doubt God's justice. Their end is ultimately in God's hands.

Faith Amidst Suffering
Like Job, believers are called to maintain their faith and integrity even when circumstances seem unjust or incomprehensible.

The Importance of Perspective
Our understanding is limited, and we must seek God's perspective through prayer and scripture to navigate life's challenges.

Community and Counsel
Job's friends provide a cautionary example of how not to counsel those in distress. True comfort comes from empathy and pointing others to God's truth.(9) Their houses are safe from fear.--On the contrary, Zophar had just said that "a fire not blown should consume him" (Job 20:26), and Bildad (in Job 18:15) that "destruction should dwell in his tabernacle, and brimstone be scattered on his habitation."

Verse 9. - Their houses are safe from fear; literally, their houses are in peace without fear. Neither is the rod of God upon them. So Asaph, "They are not in trouble as other men, neither are they plagued like other men" (Psalm 73:5). The chastening rod of God does not seem to smite them.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Their homes
בָּתֵּיהֶ֣ם (bāt·tê·hem)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 1004: A house

are safe
שָׁל֣וֹם (šā·lō·wm)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7965: Safe, well, happy, friendly, welfare, health, prosperity, peace

from fear;
מִפָּ֑חַד (mip·pā·ḥaḏ)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6343: A, alarm

the rod
שֵׁ֖בֶט (šê·ḇeṭ)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 7626: Rod, staff, club, scepter, tribe

of God
אֱל֣וֹהַּ (’ĕ·lō·w·ah)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 433: God -- a deity, the Deity

is not
וְלֹ֤א (wə·lō)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

upon them.
עֲלֵיהֶֽם׃ (‘ă·lê·hem)
Preposition | third person masculine plural
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against


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OT Poetry: Job 21:9 Their houses are safe from fear neither (Jb)
Job 21:8
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