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Read the Bible

King James Version

Job 21:15

What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? and what profit should we have, if we pray unto him?

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Amusements and Worldly Pleasures;   Character;   Infidelity;   Prayer;   Prayerlessness;   Rich, the;   Scoffing;   Skepticism;   Vanity;   Wicked (People);   Worldliness;   The Topic Concordance - Desire;   Wickedness;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Amusements and Pleasures, Worldly;   Character of the Wicked;   Sin;   Vanity;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Prayer;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Greatness of God;   Hypocrisy;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Gadara;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Job, the Book of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Wealth;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Intercession;   Job, Book of;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for January 20;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Who is the Almighty, that we should serve him,and what will we gain by pleading with him?”
Hebrew Names Version
What is Shaddai, that we should serve him? What profit should we have, if we pray to him?'
English Standard Version
What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? And what profit do we get if we pray to him?'
New Century Version
Who is the Almighty that we should serve him? What would we gain by praying to him?'
New English Translation
Who is the Almighty, that we should serve him? What would we gain if we were to pray to him?'
Amplified Bible
'Who [and what] is the Almighty, that we should serve Him? And what would we gain if we plead with Him?'
New American Standard Bible
'Who is the Almighty, that we should serve Him, And what would we gain if we plead with Him?'
World English Bible
What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? What profit should we have, if we pray to him?'
Geneva Bible (1587)
Who is the Almightie, that we should serue him? and what profit should we haue, if we should pray vnto him?
Legacy Standard Bible
Who is the Almighty, that we should serve Him,And what would we profit if we entreat Him?'
Berean Standard Bible
Who is the Almighty, that we should serve Him, and what would we gain if we pray to Him?'
Contemporary English Version
What do we gain from praying and worshiping you?
Complete Jewish Bible
What is Shaddai, that we should serve him? What do we gain if we pray to him?'
Darby Translation
What is the Almighty that we should serve him? and what are we profited if we pray unto him?
Easy-to-Read Version
And they say, ‘Who is God All-Powerful? We don't need to serve him! It will not help to pray to him!'
George Lamsa Translation
Moreover, they say, Who is God, that we should serve him? And what would we gain, that we should pray to him?
Good News Translation
They think there is no need to serve God nor any advantage in praying to him.
Lexham English Bible
Who is Shaddai that we should serve him, or what would we benefit when we plead with him?'
Literal Translation
What is the Almighty, that we should serve Him? And what do we profit if we entreat Him?
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
What maner of felowe is the Allmightie, that we shulde serue him? What profit shulde we haue, to submitte oure selues vnto him?
American Standard Version
What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? And what profit should we have, if we pray unto him?
Bible in Basic English
What is the Ruler of all, that we may give him worship? and what profit is it to us to make prayer to him?
JPS Old Testament (1917)
What is the Almighty, that we should serve Him? And what profit should we have, if we pray unto Him?'--
King James Version (1611)
What is the Almightie, that wee should serue him? and what profite should we haue, if we pray vnto him?
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Who is the almightie that we should serue him? And what profite should we haue if we should pray vnto him?
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
What is the Mighty One, that we should serve him? and what profit is there that we should approach him?
English Revised Version
What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? and what profit should we have, if we pray unto him?
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Who is Almiyti God, that we serue him? and what profitith it to vs, if we preien him?
Update Bible Version
What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? And what profit should we have, if we pray to him?
Webster's Bible Translation
What [is] the Almighty, that we should serve him? and what profit should we have, if we pray to him?
New King James Version
Who is the Almighty, that we should serve Him? And what profit do we have if we pray to Him?'
New Living Translation
Who is the Almighty, and why should we obey him? What good will it do us to pray?'
New Life Bible
Who is the All-powerful, that we should serve Him? What would we have more than we have if we prayed to Him?'
New Revised Standard
What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? And what profit do we get if we pray to him?'
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? Or what shall we profit, that we should urge him?
Douay-Rheims Bible
Who is the Almighty, that we should serve him? and what doth it profit us if we pray to him?
Revised Standard Version
What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? And what profit do we get if we pray to him?'
Young's Literal Translation
What [is] the Mighty One that we serve Him? And what do we profit when we meet with Him?'
New American Standard Bible (1995)
'Who is the Almighty, that we should serve Him, And what would we gain if we entreat Him?'

Contextual Overview

7 Wherefore do the wicked live, become old, yea, are mighty in power? 8 Their seed is established in their sight with them, and their offspring before their eyes. 9 Their houses are safe from fear, neither is the rod of God upon them. 10 Their bull gendereth, and faileth not; their cow calveth, and casteth not her calf. 11 They send forth their little ones like a flock, and their children dance. 12 They take the timbrel and harp, and rejoice at the sound of the organ. 13 They spend their days in wealth, and in a moment go down to the grave. 14 Therefore they say unto God, Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways. 15 What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? and what profit should we have, if we pray unto him? 16 Lo, their good is not in their hand: the counsel of the wicked is far from me.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

What is: Exodus 5:2, Psalms 12:4, Proverbs 30:9, Hosea 13:6

and what: Job 34:9, Job 35:3, Isaiah 30:11, Malachi 1:13, Malachi 1:14

if we: Isaiah 45:19, Matthew 7:7, John 16:24

Reciprocal: Genesis 4:14 - from thy Genesis 25:32 - and what Job 1:9 - Doth Job Job 2:9 - retain Job 8:3 - Almighty Job 8:6 - thou wert Job 22:2 - as he that Job 22:17 - Depart Psalms 14:4 - and Psalms 73:13 - Verily Psalms 73:27 - lo Psalms 94:4 - boast Psalms 119:155 - for they Psalms 139:20 - for they speak Proverbs 1:29 - that Isaiah 43:22 - thou hast been Jeremiah 9:6 - refuse Jeremiah 44:16 - we Jeremiah 44:18 - we have Hosea 7:13 - fled Zephaniah 1:12 - The Lord Malachi 3:14 - It is Matthew 25:24 - I knew Mark 5:17 - General Luke 8:37 - besought Luke 19:21 - because Romans 1:28 - as they did Romans 3:11 - seeketh James 3:5 - so

Cross-References

Genesis 21:1
And the Lord visited Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did unto Sarah as he had spoken.
Genesis 21:3
And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac.
Genesis 21:14
And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba.
Genesis 21:22
And it came to pass at that time, that Abimelech and Phichol the chief captain of his host spake unto Abraham, saying, God is with thee in all that thou doest:
Genesis 21:25
And Abraham reproved Abimelech because of a well of water, which Abimelech's servants had violently taken away.
2 Kings 3:9
So the king of Israel went, and the king of Judah, and the king of Edom: and they fetched a compass of seven days' journey: and there was no water for the host, and for the cattle that followed them.
Psalms 63:1
O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;
Isaiah 44:12
The smith with the tongs both worketh in the coals, and fashioneth it with hammers, and worketh it with the strength of his arms: yea, he is hungry, and his strength faileth: he drinketh no water, and is faint.
Jeremiah 14:3
And their nobles have sent their little ones to the waters: they came to the pits, and found no water; they returned with their vessels empty; they were ashamed and confounded, and covered their heads.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

What [is] the Almighty, that we should serve him?.... "Who is he" t? as some render it; or what is there in him, in his nature, in his excellencies and perfections, that should oblige us to serve him? One would think the attribute of "Almighty", they own and acknowledge, is sufficient to engage to it, since he is the lawgiver that is able to save and to destroy, even to destroy with an everlasting destruction, both body and soul in hell, who obey him not; but fulness of riches, power, and authority, swell the mind with pride, and put men on asking such questions, and running such lengths as these; see Exodus 5:2. The question is full of atheism, and suggests there was nothing in God excellent or worthy of any regard, or on account of which he should be served and worshipped; as if he was a mere idol, which is nothing in the world; and that he was indeed nothing in it, neither did good nor evil, nor concerned himself with the affairs of men; had forsaken the earth, and took no notice of what was doing is it; at least, the question supposes that such think themselves under no obligations to serve him, and shows them to be sons of Belial, without a yoke; that they neither are nor can he subject to the law of God without his grace; they are not willing God should reign over them, nor to be obedient to his commands and ordinances; but are for freeing themselves from all obligations to him, and choose to serve various lusts and pleasures; be the vassals of sin and Satan, rather than be the worshippers of God:

and what profit should we have if we pray unto him? Prayer is one part of the service of God, and may be here put for the whole: this, as all the rest, is very disagreeable to a natural man, who, as he is biased entirely by profit and gain, thinks there is nothing to be got by religious exercises; he observing, that the worshippers of God, as to external things, fare worse than those who do not pray unto him, or do not serve and worship him; see Malachi 3:14; though there is much profit, and many things, and those most excellent and valuable, got by prayer; for whatsoever good men ask in prayer, believing, they receive, Matthew 7:7. The Targum is

"if we pray in his Word,''

in the name of the essential Word, the Son of God; whereas to ask or pray in his name is the only way of succeeding; and such, who do ask in faith in his name, have what they ask for, John 14:15.

t מה "quis est?" V. L.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? - compare for similar expressions, Exodus 5:2; Proverbs 30:9. The meaning here is, “What claim has the Almighty, or who is he, that we should be bound to obey and worship him? What authority has he over us? Why should we yield our will to his, and why submit to his claims?” This is the language of the human heart everywhere. Man seeks to deny the authority of God over him, and to feel that he has no claim to his service. He desires to be independent. He would cast off the claims of God. Forgetful that he made, and that he sustains him; regardless of his infinite perfections and of the fact that he is dependent on him every moment, he asks with contempt, what right God has to set up a dominion over him. Such is man - a creature of a day - dependent for every breath he draws on that Great Being, whose government and authority he so contemptuously disowns and rejects!

And what profit should we have, if we pray unto him? - What advantage would it be to us should we worship him? Men still ask this question, or, if not openly asked, they “feel” the force of it in their hearts. Learn hence,

(1) That wicked people are influenced by a regard to “self” in the inquiry about God, and in meeting his claims. They do not ask what is “right,” but what “advantage” will accrue to them.

(2) If they see no immediate benefit arising from worshipping God, they will not do it. Multitudes abstain from prayer, and from the house of God, because they cannot see how their self-interest would be promoted by it.

(3) Men “ought” to serve God, without respect to the immediate, selfish, and personal good that may follow to themselves. It is a good in itself to worship God. It is what is “right;” what the conscience says “ought” to be done yet

(4) It is not difficult to answer the question which the sinner puts. There is an advantage in calling upon God. There is

(a) the possibility of obtaining the pardon of sin by prayer - an immense and unspeakable “profit” to a dying and guilty man;

(b) a peace which this world cannot furnish - worth more than all that it costs to obtain it;

(c) support in trial in answer to prayer - in a world of suffering of more value than silver and gold;

(d) the salvation of friends in answer to prayer - an object that should be one of intense interest to those who love their friends:

(e) eternal life - the “profit” of which who can estimate? What are the few sacrifices which religion requires, compared with the infinite and immortal blessings which may be obtained by “asking” for them? ‘Profit! ‘ What can be done by man that will be turned to so good an account as to pray? Where can man make so good an investment of time and strength as by calling on God to save his soul, and to bless his friends and the world?

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Job 21:15. What is the Almighty — What allegiance do we owe to him? We feel no obligation to obey him; and what profit can we derive from prayer? We are as happy as flesh and blood can make us: our kingdom is of this world; we wish for no other portion than that which we have.

Those who have never prayed as they ought know nothing of the benefits of prayer.


 
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