Suffer me that I may speak; and after that I have spoken, mock on.
Job 21:3 stands in chapters 3-31, which are the arguments or colloquies between Job and his three friends about the cause and object of human suffering and about Job's afflictions. That debate is carried on through three rounds of speeches by each of them. Within it, chapter 21 is Job continuing his reply to his friends who have accused him. More specifically, it is his answer to Zophar's second speech on the portion of the wicked.
The verse itself is his plea to his friends to let him speak, allowing them to mock only after he has finished speaking. He asks for this hearing because he believes their condemnation of him is unjust. He speaks from human wisdom and observation as one who knew his own integrity yet could not understand God's dealings with him, though he did not charge God foolishly. Behind his perplexity, God saw the end from the beginning and was working out what would glorify Himself forever after, give comfort and hope to thousands of suffering ones, and prove a blessing to Job. The surrounding answer teaches that the wicked prosper here in this life while their punishment is future. The weekly reading division ends partway through this continuing reply.
Job 21:3 stands in chapters 3-31, which are the arguments or colloquies between Job and his three friends about the cause and object of human suffering and about Job's afflictions. That debate is carried on through three rounds of speeches by each of them. Within it, chapter 21 is Job continuing his reply to his friends who have accused him. More specifically, it is his answer to Zophar's second speech on the portion of the wicked.
The verse itself is his plea to his friends to let him speak, allowing them to mock only after he has finished speaking. He asks for this hearing because he believes their condemnation of him is unjust. He speaks from human wisdom and observation as one who knew his own integrity yet could not understand God's dealings with him, though he did not charge God foolishly. Behind his perplexity, God saw the end from the beginning and was working out what would glorify Himself forever after, give comfort and hope to thousands of suffering ones, and prove a blessing to Job. The surrounding answer teaches that the wicked prosper here in this life while their punishment is future. The weekly reading division ends partway through this continuing reply.