Job 21:11
in Job 21They send forth their little ones like a flock; their children skip about,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
They send forth their little ones like a flock, And their children dance.
KJV
They send forth their little ones like a flock, and their children dance.
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This verse in Job 21
Commentary
12 notes on this verse"And their children play before them, taking up the psaltery and harp." Our children take up the psaltery and the harp, praising and glorifying God. But "their [the heretics'] children," who are foolish in themselves, also "play taking up the psaltery and the harp." Every time they usurp the words of the Old Testament, they play and mock the oracles of the Law and the Prophets. By taking up the harmonies that were once the psaltery of the law and the prophetic harp, they play with them.
This site's exposition
Their bulls breed without fail
on Job 21:10-11
The picture turns to increase without loss: "Their bulls breed without fail; their cows bear calves and do not miscarry". Gill reads the verses as chosen because they mirror the picture of Job's house in chapter 1, now enjoyed by men his friends call wicked.
This site's exposition
They send forth their little ones like a flock
Barnes calls it an image of prosperity, children as many as a flock around a man's dwelling. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown picture lambs sent out to pasture and skipping in play. The children of the wicked are safe.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
"And they remain as eternal sheep." What is the meaning of these words? They are those words that Christ spoke, "My sheep hear my voice, and I give them eternal life." The faithful are the eternal sheep; the heretics are imitators. They want to imitate the flock of Christ. They ordain their own bishops, presbyters, deacons, doctors, congregation and catechumens, and by imitating the eternal sheep they fulfill the prediction, "And they appear as eternal sheep." They clearly are not eternal sheep but "appear as eternal sheep."
Since you believe to be wise and to know the reason why I suffer these afflictions, now answer my question. Why does it happen that very often many impious persons reach an old age in their wealth?… Their fields produce large crops, and they are …
The Medieval Church2 voices
As a consequence he speaks about the prosperity of the sons, and he first places the great number of the offspring when he says, "They have come forth," namely, walking in the streets and not prevented by death. "Their little ones like flocks," in their …
Ver. 11. Their little ones go forth like flocks, and their children revel in sports. 48. That as there are greater stores bestowed on them to have the possession of, so great numbers may spring up to keep them safe. But whereas he said, revel in sports, lest we should imagine that the mere sport of the children in the house of the wicked by itself was too mean and poor, he adds, saying.
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Here is none of that care taken of their children which Abraham took of his, to teach them the way of the Lord, Gen. xviii. Their children do not pray, or say their catechism, but dance, and sing, and rejoice at the sound of the organ. Sensual pleasures are all the delights of carnal people, and as men are themselves so they breed their children.
4 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
They send forth their little ones like a flock,....
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
They send forth their little ones - Their numerous and happy children they send forth to plays and pastimes. Like a flock - In great numbers. This is an exquisitely beautiful image of prosperity. What can be more so than a group of happy children around a man’s dwelling? And their children dance - Dance for joy. They are playful and sportive, like the lambs of the flock.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
send forth--namely, out of doors, to their happy sports under the skies, like a joyful flock sent to the pastures. little ones--like lambkins. children--somewhat older than the former. dance--not formal dances; but skip, like lambs, in joyous and healthful play.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
They send forth their little ones - It is not very clear whether this refers to the young of the flocks or to their children. The first clause may mean the former, the next clause the latter; while the young of their cattle are in flocks, their numerous children are healthy and vigorous, and dance for joy.
The words behind it
5 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| יְשַׁלְּח֣וּ | yeshalechu | they send forth | H7971 → | 845 times |
| כַ֭צֹּאן | khatzon | like <the> flock | H6629 → | 274 times |
| עֲוִילֵיהֶ֑ם | ʾavileihem | young boys their | H5759 → | |
| וְ֝יַלְדֵיהֶ֗ם | veyaldeihem | and children their | H3206 → | 89 times |
| יְרַקֵּדֽוּן׃ | yerakedun | they leap about ! | H7540 → |
יְשַׁלְּח֣וּthey send forth
yeshalechuH7971 →845 times
כַ֭צֹּאןlike <the> flock
khatzonH6629 →274 times
עֲוִילֵיהֶ֑םyoung boys their
ʾavileihemH5759 →
וְ֝יַלְדֵיהֶ֗םand children their
veyaldeihemH3206 →89 times
יְרַקֵּדֽוּן׃they leap about !
yerakedunH7540 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
5 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Psalms 107:41But He lifts the needy from affliction and increases their families like flocks.
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 2:8
He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap. He seats them among princes and bestows on them a throne of honor. For the foundations of the earth…
- Isaiah 49:20–22
Yet the children of your bereavement will say in your hearing, ‘This place is too small for us; make room for us to live here.’
- Esther 8:15–17
Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal garments of blue and white, with a large gold crown and a purple robe of fine linen. And the city of Susa shouted…
- 1 Samuel 2:21
So the LORD attended to Hannah, and she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew up in the presence of the LORD.
- Job 8:7
Though your beginnings were modest, your latter days will flourish.
- 1 Samuel 2:8
About Job
This page draws on 12 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Gregory the Dialogist, Morals on the Book of Job, Book XV; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Olympiodorus of Alexandria, COMMENTARY ON JOB 21:6-14; Origen of Alexandria, FRAGMENTS ON JOB 15.25; Origen of Alexandria, FRAGMENTS ON JOB 15.23 and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Job.