22 Is anyone able to give teaching to God? for he is the judge of those who are on high. 23 One comes to his end in complete well-being, full of peace and quiet: 24 His buckets are full of milk, and there is no loss of strength in his bones. 25 And another comes to his end with a bitter soul, without ever tasting good. 26 Together they go down to the dust, and are covered by the worm.
27 See, I am conscious of your thoughts, and of your violent purposes against me; 28 For you say, Where is the house of the ruler, and where is the tent of the evil-doer? 29 Have you not put the question to the travellers, and do you not take note of their experience? 30 How the evil man goes free in the day of trouble, and has salvation in the day of wrath? 31 Who will make his way clear to his face? and if he has done a thing, who gives him punishment for it? 32 He is taken to his last resting-place, and keeps watch over it. 33 The earth of the valley covering his bones is sweet to him, and all men come after him, as there were unnumbered before him.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Job 21:22-33
Commentary on Job 21:17-26
(Read Job 21:17-26)
Job had described the prosperity of wicked people; in these verses he opposes this to what his friends had maintained about their certain ruin in this life. He reconciles this to the holiness and justice of God. Even while they prosper thus, they are light and worthless, of no account with God, or with wise men. In the height of their pomp and power, there is but a step between them and ruin. Job refers the difference Providence makes between one wicked man and another, into the wisdom of God. He is Judge of all the earth, and he will do right. So vast is the disproportion between time and eternity, that if hell be the lot of every sinner at last, it makes little difference if one goes singing thither, and another sighing. If one wicked man die in a palace, and another in a dungeon, the worm that dies not, and the fire that is not quenched, will be the same to them. Thus differences in this world are not worth perplexing ourselves about.
Commentary on Job 21:27-34
(Read Job 21:27-34)
Job opposes the opinion of his friends, That the wicked are sure to fall into visible and remarkable ruin, and none but the wicked; upon which principle they condemned Job as wicked. Turn to whom you will, you will find that the punishment of sinners is designed more for the other world than for this, Jude 1:14,15. The sinner is here supposed to live in a great deal of power. The sinner shall have a splendid funeral: a poor thing for any man to be proud of the prospect of. He shall have a stately monument. And a valley with springs of water to keep the turf green, was accounted an honourable burial place among eastern people; but such things are vain distinctions. Death closes his prosperity. It is but a poor encouragement to die, that others have died before us. That which makes a man die with true courage, is, with faith to remember that Jesus Christ died and was laid in the grave, not only before us, but for us. That He hath gone before us, and died for us, who is alive and liveth for us, is true consolation in the hour of death.