Who shall declare his way to his face? and who shall repay him what he hath done?
Parallel translations
- WEB Who shall declare his way to his face? Who shall repay him what he has done?
- BSB Who denounces his behavior to his face? Who repays him for what he has done?
- NKJV Who condemns his way to his face? And who repays him for what he has done?
- NASB “Who confronts him with his actions, And who repays him for what he has done?
- NLT No one criticizes them openly or pays them back for what they have done.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Job asks who dares to confront the powerful wicked man to his face or repay him for his deeds. In this life, no one holds him accountable.
Overview
Job observes that the prosperous wicked often escape human accountability; no one rebukes or punishes them. This deepens the problem he raises. Yet Scripture assures that what no human court achieves, God will accomplish, for He will repay each according to his deeds (Rom 2:6), ensuring that no evil finally goes unanswered.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 13
- Deut 7:10And repayeth them that hate him to their face, to destroy them: he will not be slack to him that hateth him, he will repay him to his face.
- Gal 2:11But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed.
- Rom 12:19Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
- Isa 59:13In transgressing and lying against the LORD, and departing away from our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood.
- Job 41:11Who hath prevented me, that I should repay him? whatsoever is under the whole heaven is mine.
- Jer 2:33–35Why trimmest thou thy way to seek love? therefore hast thou also taught the wicked ones thy ways.
- Mark 6:18For John had said unto Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother’s wife.
- Acts 24:25And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee.
- Jas 2:13For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.
- Ps 50:21These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes.
- Job 21:19God layeth up his iniquity for his children: he rewardeth him, and he shall know it.
- 1 Kgs 21:19–24And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Hast thou killed, and also taken possession? And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the LORD, In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine.
- 2 Sam 12:7–12And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul;
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Job's cry for a mediator who can lay his hand on both God and man, and his confidence that 'my Redeemer lives' and will stand on the earth, reaches forward to Jesus the living Redeemer.
How Job 21:31 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.