1 Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said,
2 Therefore do my thoughts cause me to answer, and for this I make haste.
3 I have heard the check of my reproach, and the spirit of my understanding causeth me to answer.
4 Knowest thou not this of old, since man was placed upon earth,
5 That the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment?
6 Though his excellency mount up to the heavens, and his head reach unto the clouds;
7 Yet he shall perish for ever like his own dung: they which have seen him shall say, Where is he?
8 He shall fly away as a dream, and shall not be found: yea, he shall be chased away as a vision of the night.
9 The eye also which saw him shall see him no more; neither shall his place any more behold him.
10 His children shall seek to please the poor, and his hands shall restore their goods.
11 His bones are full of the sin of his youth, which shall lie down with him in the dust.
12 Though wickedness be sweet in his mouth, though he hide it under his tongue;
13 Though he spare it, and forsake it not; but keep it still within his mouth:
14 Yet his meat in his bowels is turned, it is the gall of asps within him.
15 He hath swallowed down riches, and he shall vomit them up again: God shall cast them out of his belly.
16 He shall suck the poison of asps: the viper's tongue shall slay him.
17 He shall not see the rivers, the floods, the brooks of honey and butter.
18 That which he laboured for shall he restore, and shall not swallow it down: according to his substance shall the restitution be, and he shall not rejoice therein.
19 Because he hath oppressed and hath forsaken the poor; because he hath violently taken away an house which he builded not;
20 Surely he shall not feel quietness in his belly, he shall not save of that which he desired.
21 There shall none of his meat be left; therefore shall no man look for his goods.
22 In the fulness of his sufficiency he shall be in straits: every hand of the wicked shall come upon him.
23 When he is about to fill his belly, God shall cast the fury of his wrath upon him, and shall rain it upon him while he is eating.
24 He shall flee from the iron weapon, and the bow of steel shall strike him through.
25 It is drawn, and cometh out of the body; yea, the glittering sword cometh out of his gall: terrors are upon him.
26 All darkness shall be hid in his secret places: a fire not blown shall consume him; it shall go ill with him that is left in his tabernacle.
27 The heaven shall reveal his iniquity; and the earth shall rise up against him.
28 The increase of his house shall depart, and his goods shall flow away in the day of his wrath.
29 This is the portion of a wicked man from God, and the heritage appointed unto him by God.
1 Then answered H6030 Zophar H6691 the Naamathite, H5284 and said, H559
2 Therefore do my thoughts H5587 cause me to answer, H7725 and for this I make haste. H2363
3 I have heard H8085 the check H4148 of my reproach, H3639 and the spirit H7307 of my understanding H998 causeth me to answer. H6030
4 Knowest H3045 thou not this of old, H5703 since man H120 was placed H7760 upon earth, H776
5 That the triumphing H7445 of the wicked H7563 is short, H7138 and the joy H8057 of the hypocrite H2611 but for a moment? H7281
6 Though his excellency H7863 mount up H5927 to the heavens, H8064 and his head H7218 reach H5060 unto the clouds; H5645
7 Yet he shall perish H6 for ever H5331 like his own dung: H1561 they which have seen H7200 him shall say, H559 Where H335 is he?
8 He shall fly away H5774 as a dream, H2472 and shall not be found: H4672 yea, he shall be chased away H5074 as a vision H2384 of the night. H3915
9 The eye H5869 also which saw H7805 him shall see him no more; H3254 neither shall his place H4725 any more behold H7789 him.
10 His children H1121 shall seek to please H7521 the poor, H1800 and his hands H3027 shall restore H7725 their goods. H202
11 His bones H6106 are full H4390 of the sin of his youth, H5934 which shall lie down H7901 with him in the dust. H6083
12 Though wickedness H7451 be sweet H4985 in his mouth, H6310 though he hide H3582 it under his tongue; H3956
13 Though he spare H2550 it, and forsake H5800 it not; but keep it still H4513 within H8432 his mouth: H2441
14 Yet his meat H3899 in his bowels H4578 is turned, H2015 it is the gall H4846 of asps H6620 within H7130 him.
15 He hath swallowed down H1104 riches, H2428 and he shall vomit them up again: H6958 God H410 shall cast them out H3423 of his belly. H990
16 He shall suck H3243 the poison H7219 of asps: H6620 the viper's H660 tongue H3956 shall slay H2026 him.
17 He shall not see H7200 the rivers, H6390 the floods, H5104 the brooks H5158 of honey H1706 and butter. H2529
18 That which he laboured H3022 for shall he restore, H7725 and shall not swallow it down: H1104 according to his substance H2428 shall the restitution H8545 be, and he shall not rejoice H5965 therein.
19 Because he hath oppressed H7533 and hath forsaken H5800 the poor; H1800 because he hath violently taken away H1497 an house H1004 which he builded H1129 not;
20 Surely he shall not feel H3045 quietness H7961 in his belly, H990 he shall not save H4422 of that which he desired. H2530
21 There shall none of his meat H400 be left; H8300 therefore shall no man look H2342 for his goods. H2898
22 In the fulness H4390 H4390 of his sufficiency H5607 he shall be in straits: H3334 every hand H3027 of the wicked H6001 shall come H935 upon him.
23 When he is about to fill H4390 his belly, H990 God shall cast H7971 the fury H2740 of his wrath H639 upon him, and shall rain H4305 it upon him while he is eating. H3894
24 He shall flee H1272 from the iron H1270 weapon, H5402 and the bow H7198 of steel H5154 shall strike him through. H2498
25 It is drawn, H8025 and cometh out H3318 of the body; H1465 yea, the glittering sword H1300 cometh out H1980 of his gall: H4846 terrors H367 are upon him.
26 All darkness H2822 shall be hid H2934 in his secret places: H6845 a fire H784 not blown H5301 shall consume H398 him; it shall go ill H3415 with him that is left H8300 in his tabernacle. H168
27 The heaven H8064 shall reveal H1540 his iniquity; H5771 and the earth H776 shall rise up H6965 against him.
28 The increase H2981 of his house H1004 shall depart, H1540 and his goods shall flow away H5064 in the day H3117 of his wrath. H639
29 This is the portion H2506 of a wicked H7563 man H120 from God, H430 and the heritage H5159 appointed H561 unto him by God. H410
1 Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said,
2 Therefore do my thoughts give answer to me, Even by reason of my haste that is in me.
3 I have heard the reproof which putteth me to shame; And the spirit of my understanding answereth me.
4 Knowest thou `not' this of old time, Since man was placed upon earth,
5 That the triumphing of the wicked is short, And the joy of the godless but for a moment?
6 Though his height mount up to the heavens, And his head reach unto the clouds;
7 Yet he shall perish for ever like his own dung: They that have seen him shall say, Where is he?
8 He shall fly away as a dream, and shall not be found: Yea, he shall be chased away as a vision of the night.
9 The eye which saw him shall see him no more; Neither shall his place any more behold him.
10 His children shall seek the favor of the poor, And his hands shall give back his wealth.
11 His bones are full of his youth, But it shall lie down with him in the dust.
12 Though wickedness be sweet in his mouth, Though he hide it under his tongue,
13 Though he spare it, and will not let it go, But keep it still within his mouth;
14 Yet his food in his bowels is turned, It is the gall of asps within him.
15 He hath swallowed down riches, and he shall vomit them up again; God will cast them out of his belly.
16 He shall suck the poison of asps: The viper's tongue shall slay him.
17 He shall not look upon the rivers, The flowing streams of honey and butter.
18 That which he labored for shall he restore, and shall not swallow it down; According to the substance that he hath gotten, he shall not rejoice.
19 For he hath oppressed and forsaken the poor; He hath violently taken away a house, and he shall not build it up.
20 Because he knew no quietness within him, He shall not save aught of that wherein he delighteth.
21 There was nothing left that he devoured not; Therefore his prosperity shall not endure.
22 In the fulness of his sufficiency he shall be in straits: The hand of every one that is in misery shall come upon him.
23 When he is about to fill his belly, `God' will cast the fierceness of his wrath upon him, And will rain it upon him while he is eating.
24 He shall flee from the iron weapon, And the bow of brass shall strike him through.
25 He draweth it forth, and it cometh out of his body; Yea, the glittering point cometh out of his gall: Terrors are upon him.
26 All darkness is laid up for his treasures: A fire not blown `by man' shall devour him; It shall consume that which is left in his tent.
27 The heavens shall reveal his iniquity, And the earth shall rise up against him.
28 The increase of his house shall depart; `His goods' shall flow away in the day of his wrath.
29 This is the portion of a wicked man from God, And the heritage appointed unto him by God.
1 And Zophar the Naamathite answereth and saith: --
2 Therefore my thoughts cause me to answer, And because of my sensations in me.
3 The chastisement of my shame I hear, And the spirit of mine understanding Doth cause me to answer:
4 This hast thou known from antiquity? Since the placing of man on earth?
5 That the singing of the wicked `is' short, And the joy of the profane for a moment,
6 Though his excellency go up to the heavens, And his head against a cloud he strike --
7 As his own dung for ever he doth perish, His beholders say: `Where `is' he?'
8 As a dream he fleeth, and they find him not, And he is driven away as a vision of the night,
9 The eye hath not seen him, and addeth not. And not again doth his place behold him.
10 His sons do the poor oppress, And his hands give back his wealth.
11 His bones have been full of his youth, And with him on the dust it lieth down.
12 Though he doth sweeten evil in his mouth, Doth hide it under his tongue,
13 Hath pity on it, and doth not forsake it, And keep it back in the midst of his palate,
14 His food in his bowels is turned, The bitterness of asps `is' in his heart.
15 Wealth he hath swallowed, and doth vomit it. From his belly God driveth it out.
16 Gall of asps he sucketh, Slay him doth the tongue of a viper.
17 He looketh not on rivulets, Flowing of brooks of honey and butter.
18 He is giving back `what' he laboured for, And doth not consume `it'; As a bulwark `is' his exchange, and he exults not.
19 For he oppressed -- he forsook the poor, A house he hath taken violently away, And he doth not build it.
20 For he hath not known ease in his belly. With his desirable thing he delivereth not himself.
21 There is not a remnant to his food, Therefore his good doth not stay.
22 In the fulness of his sufficiency he is straitened. Every perverse hand doth meet him.
23 It cometh to pass, at the filling of his belly, He sendeth forth against him The fierceness of His anger, Yea, He raineth on him in his eating.
24 He fleeth from an iron weapon, Pass through him doth a bow of brass.
25 One hath drawn, And it cometh out from the body, And a glittering weapon from his gall proceedeth. On him `are' terrors.
26 All darkness is hid for his treasures, Consume him doth a fire not blown, Broken is the remnant in his tent.
27 Reveal do the heavens his iniquity, And earth is raising itself against him.
28 Remove doth the increase of his house, Poured forth in a day of His anger.
29 This `is' the portion of a wicked man from God. And an inheritance appointed him by God.
1 And Zophar the Naamathite answered and said,
2 Therefore do my thoughts give me an answer, and for this is my haste within me.
3 I hear a reproof putting me to shame; and [my] spirit answereth me by mine understanding.
4 Knowest thou [not] this, that of old, since man was placed upon earth,
5 The exultation of the wicked is short, and the joy of the ungodly man but for a moment?
6 Though his height mount up to the heavens, and his head reach unto the clouds,
7 Like his own dung doth he perish for ever; they which have seen him shall say, Where is he?
8 He flieth away as a dream, and is not found; and is chased away as a vision of the night.
9 The eye which saw him shall [see him] not again; and his place beholdeth him no more.
10 His children shall seek the favour of the poor, and his hands restore his wealth.
11 His bones were full of his youthful strength; but it shall lie down with him in the dust.
12 Though wickedness be sweet in his mouth [and] he hide it under his tongue,
13 [Though] he spare it, and forsake it not, but keep it within his mouth,
14 His food is turned in his bowels; it is the gall of asps within him.
15 He hath swallowed down riches, but he shall vomit them up again: ùGod shall cast them out of his belly.
16 He shall suck the poison of asps; the viper's tongue shall kill him.
17 He shall not see streams, rivers, brooks of honey and butter.
18 That which he laboured for shall he restore, and not swallow down; its restitution shall be according to the value, and he shall not rejoice [therein].
19 For he hath oppressed, hath forsaken the poor; he hath violently taken away a house that he did not build.
20 Because he knew no rest in his craving, he shall save nought of what he most desired.
21 Nothing escaped his greediness; therefore his prosperity shall not endure.
22 In the fulness of his sufficiency he shall be in straits; every hand of the wretched shall come upon him.
23 It shall be that, to fill his belly, he will cast his fierce anger upon him, and will rain it upon him into his flesh.
24 If he have fled from the iron weapon, the bow of brass shall strike him through.
25 He draweth it forth; it cometh out of his body, and the glittering point out of his gall: terrors are upon him.
26 All darkness is laid up for his treasures: a fire not blown shall devour him; it shall feed upon what is left in his tent.
27 The heavens shall reveal his iniquity, and the earth shall rise up against him.
28 The increase of his house shall depart, flowing away in the day of his anger.
29 This is the portion of the wicked man from God, and the heritage appointed to him by ùGod.
1 Then Zophar the Naamathite answered,
2 "Therefore do my thoughts give answer to me, Even by reason of my haste that is in me.
3 I have heard the reproof which puts me to shame; The spirit of my understanding answers me.
4 Don't you know this from old time, Since man was placed on earth,
5 That the triumphing of the wicked is short, The joy of the godless but for a moment?
6 Though his height mount up to the heavens, And his head reach to the clouds,
7 Yet he shall perish forever like his own dung, Those who have seen him shall say, 'Where is he?'
8 He shall fly away as a dream, and shall not be found: Yes, he shall be chased away like a vision of the night.
9 The eye which saw him shall see him no more, Neither shall his place any more see him.
10 His children shall seek the favor of the poor. His hands shall give back his wealth.
11 His bones are full of his youth, But youth shall lie down with him in the dust.
12 "Though wickedness is sweet in his mouth, Though he hide it under his tongue,
13 Though he spare it, and will not let it go, But keep it still within his mouth;
14 Yet his food in his bowels is turned. It is cobra venom within him.
15 He has swallowed down riches, and he shall vomit them up again. God will cast them out of his belly.
16 He shall suck cobra venom. The viper's tongue shall kill him.
17 He shall not look at the rivers, The flowing streams of honey and butter.
18 That for which he labored he shall restore, and shall not swallow it down; According to the substance that he has gotten, he shall not rejoice.
19 For he has oppressed and forsaken the poor. He has violently taken away a house, and he shall not build it up.
20 "Because he knew no quietness within him, He shall not save anything of that in which he delights.
21 There was nothing left that he didn't devour, Therefore his prosperity shall not endure.
22 In the fullness of his sufficiency, distress shall overtake him: The hand of everyone who is in misery shall come on him.
23 When he is about to fill his belly, God will cast the fierceness of his wrath on him. It will rain on him while he is eating.
24 He shall flee from the iron weapon. The bronze arrow shall strike him through.
25 He draws it forth, and it comes out of his body. Yes, the glittering point comes out of his liver. Terrors are on him.
26 All darkness is laid up for his treasures. An unfanned fire shall devour him. It shall consume that which is left in his tent.
27 The heavens shall reveal his iniquity, The earth shall rise up against him.
28 The increase of his house shall depart; They shall rush away in the day of his wrath.
29 This is the portion of a wicked man from God, The heritage appointed to him by God."
1 Then Zophar the Naamathite made answer and said,
2 For this cause my thoughts are troubling me and driving me on.
3 I have to give ear to arguments which put me to shame, and your answers to me are wind without wisdom.
4 Have you knowledge of this from early times, when man was placed on the earth,
5 That the pride of the sinner is short, and the joy of the evil-doer but for a minute?
6 Though he is lifted up to the heavens, and his head goes up to the clouds;
7 Like the waste from his body he comes to an end for ever: those who have seen him say, Where is he?
8 He is gone like a dream, and is not seen again; he goes in flight like a vision of the night.
9 The eye which saw him sees him no longer; and his place has no more knowledge of him.
10 His children are hoping that the poor will be kind to them, and his hands give back his wealth.
11 His bones are full of young strength, but it will go down with him into the dust.
12 Though evil-doing is sweet in his mouth, and he keeps it secretly under his tongue;
13 Though he takes care of it, and does not let it go, but keeps it still in his mouth;
14 His food becomes bitter in his stomach; the poison of snakes is inside him.
15 He takes down wealth as food, and sends it up again; it is forced out of his stomach by God.
16 He takes the poison of snakes into his mouth, the tongue of the snake is the cause of his death.
17 Let him not see the rivers of oil, the streams of honey and milk.
18 He is forced to give back the fruit of his work, and may not take it for food; he has no joy in the profit of his trading.
19 Because he has been cruel to the poor, turning away from them in their trouble; because he has taken a house by force which he did not put up;
20 There is no peace for him in his wealth, and no salvation for him in those things in which he took delight.
21 He had never enough for his desire; for this cause his well-being will quickly come to an end.
22 Even when his wealth is great, he is full of care, for the hand of everyone who is in trouble is turned against him.
23 God gives him his desire, and sends the heat of his wrath on him, making it come down on him like rain.
24 He may go in flight from the iron spear, but the arrow from the bow of brass will go through him;
25 He is pulling it out, and it comes out of his back; and its shining point comes out of his side; he is overcome by fears.
26 All his wealth is stored up for the dark: a fire not made by man sends destruction on him, and on everything in his tent.
27 The heavens make clear his sin, and the earth gives witness against him.
28 The produce of his house is taken away into another country, like things given into the hands of others in the day of wrath.
29 This is the reward of the evil man, and the heritage given to him by God.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Job 20
Commentary on Job 20 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 20
SECOND SERIES.
Job 20:1-29. Reply of Zophar.
2. Therefore—Rather, the more excited I feel by Job's speech, the more for that very reason shall my reply be supplied by my calm consideration. Literally, "Notwithstanding; my calm thoughts (as in Job 4:13) shall furnish my answer, because of the excitement (haste) within me" [Umbreit].
3. check of my reproach—that is, the castigation intended as a reproach (literally, "shame") to me.
spirit of … understanding—my rational spirit; answering to "calm thoughts" (Job 20:2). In spite of thy reproach urging me to "hastiness." I will answer in calm reason.
5. the hypocrite—literally, "the ungodly" (Ps 37:35, 36).
6. (Isa 14:13; Ob 3, 4).
7. dung—in contrast to the haughtiness of the sinner (Job 20:6); this strong term expresses disgust and the lowest degradation (Ps 83:10; 1Ki 14:10).
8. (Ps 73:20).
9. Rather "the eye followeth him, but can discern him no more." A sharp-looking is meant (Job 28:7; Job 7:10).
10. seek to please—"Atone to the poor" (by restoring the property of which they had been robbed by the father) [De Wette]. Better than English Version, "The children" are reduced to the humiliating condition of "seeking the favor of those very poor," whom the father had oppressed. But Umbreit translates as Margin.
his hands—rather, "their (the children's) hands."
their goods—the goods of the poor. Righteous retribution! (Ex 20:5).
11. (Ps 25:7), so Vulgate. Gesenius has "full of youth"; namely, in the fulness of his youthful strength he shall be laid in the dust. But "bones" plainly alludes to Job's disease, probably to Job's own words (Job 19:20). Umbreit translates, "full of his secret sins," as in Ps 90:8; his secret guilt in his time of seeming righteousness, like secret poison, at last lays him in the dust. The English Version is best. Zophar alludes to Job's own words (Job 17:16).
with him—His sin had so pervaded his nature that it accompanies him to the grave: for eternity the sinner cannot get rid of it (Re 22:11).
12. be—"taste sweet." Sin's fascination is like poison sweet to the taste, but at last deadly to the vital organs (Pr 20:17; Job 9:17, 18).
hide … tongue—seek to prolong the enjoyment by keeping the sweet morsel long in the mouth (so Job 20:13).
14. turned—Hebrew denotes a total change into a disagreeable contrary (Jer 2:21; compare Re 10:9, 10).
gall—in which the poison of the asp was thought to lie. It rather is contained in a sack in the mouth. Scripture uses popular language, where no moral truth is thereby endangered.
15. He is forced to disgorge his ill-gotten wealth.
16. shall suck—It shall turn out that he has sucked the poison, &c.
17. floods—literally, "stream of floods," plentiful streams flowing with milk, &c. (Job 29:6; Ex 3:17). Honey and butter are more fluid in the East than with us and are poured out from jars. These "rivers" or water brooks are in the sultry East emblems of prosperity.
18. Image from food which is taken away from one before he can swallow it.
restitution—(So Pr 6:31). The parallelism favors the English Version rather than the translation of Gesenius, "As a possession to be restored in which he rejoices not."
he shall not rejoice—His enjoyment of his ill-gotten gains shall then be at an end (Job 20:5).
19. oppressed—whereas he ought to have espoused their cause (2Ch 16:10).
forsaken—left helpless.
house—thus leaving the poor without shelter (Isa 5:8; Mic 2:2).
20. Umbreit translates, "His inward parts know no rest" from desires.
his belly—that is, peace inwardly.
not save—literally, "not escape with that which," &c., alluding to Job's having been stripped of his all.
21. look for—rather, "because his goods," that is, prosperity shall have no endurance.
22. shall be—rather, "he is (feeleth) straitened." The next clause explains in what respect.
wicked—Rather, "the whole hand of the miserable (whom he had oppressed) cometh upon him"; namely, the sense of his having oppressed the poor, now in turn comes with all its power (hand) on him. This caused his "straitened" feeling even in prosperity.
23. Rather, "God shall cast (may God send) [Umbreit] upon him the fury of His wrath to fill his belly!"
while … eating—rather, "shall rain it upon him for his food!" Fiery rain, that is, lightning (Ps 11:6; alluding to Job's misfortune, Job 1:16). The force of the image is felt by picturing to one's self the opposite nature of a refreshing rain in the desert (Ex 16:4; Ps 68:9).
24. steel—rather, "brass." While the wicked flees from one danger, he falls into a greater one from an opposite quarter [Umbreit].
25. It is drawn—Rather, "He (God) draweth (the sword, Jos 5:13) and (no sooner has He done so, than) it cometh out of (that is, passes right through) the (sinner's) body" (De 32:41, 42; Eze 21:9, 10). The glittering sword is a happy image for lightning.
gall—that is, his life (Job 16:13). "Inflicts a deadly wound."
terrors—Zophar repeats Bildad's words (Job 17:11; Ps 88:16; 55:4).
26. All darkness—that is, every calamity that befalls the wicked shall be hid (in store for him) in His (God's) secret places, or treasures (Jude 13; De 32:34).
not blown—not kindled by man's hands, but by God's (Isa 30:33; the Septuagint in the Alexandrian Manuscript reads "unquenchable fire," Mt 3:12). Tact is shown by the friends in not expressly mentioning, but alluding under color of general cases, to Job's calamities; here (Job 1:16) Umbreit explains it, wickedness, is a "self-igniting fire"; in it lie the principles of destruction.
ill … tabernacle—Every trace of the sinner must be obliterated (Job 18:15).
27. All creation is at enmity with him, and proclaims his guilt, which he would fain conceal.
28. increase—prosperity. Ill got—ill gone.
flow away—like waters that run dry in summer; using Job's own metaphor against himself (Job 6:15-17; 2Sa 14:14; Mic 1:4).
his wrath—God's.
29. appointed—not as a matter of chance, but by the divine "decree" (Margin) and settled principle.