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Commentary on Job 11 verses 13–20
Zophar, as the other two, here encourages Job to hope for better times if he would but come to a better temper.
I. He gives him good counsel (Job 11:13, Job 11:14), as Eliphaz did (Job 5:8), and Bildad, Job 8:5. He would have him repent and return to God. Observe the steps of that return. 1. He must look within, and get his mind changed and the tree made good. He must prepare his heart; there the work of conversion and reformation must begin. The heart that wandered from God must be reduced - that was defiled with sin and put into disorder must be cleansed and put in order again - that was wavering and unfixed must be settled and established; so the word here signifies. The heart is then prepared to seek God when it is determined and fully resolved to make a business of it and to go through with it. 2. He must look up, and stretch out his hands towards God, that is, must stir up himself to take hold on God, must pray to him with earnestness and importunity, striving in prayer, and with expectation to receive mercy and grace from him. To give the hand to the Lord signifies to yield ourselves to him and to covenant with him, Ch2 30:8. This Job must do, and, for the doing of it, must prepare his heart. Job had prayed, but Zophar would have him to pray in a better manner, not as an appellant, but as a petitioner and humble suppliant. 3. He must amend what was amiss in his own conversation, else his prayers would be ineffectual (Job 11:14): "If iniquity be in thy hand (that is, if there be any sin which thou dost yet live in the practice of) put it far away, forsake it with detestation and a holy indignation, stedfastly resolving not to return to it, nor ever to have any thing more to do with it. Eze 18:31; Hos 14:9; Isa 30:22. If any of the gains of iniquity, any goods gotten by fraud or oppression, be in thy hand, make restitution thereof" (as Zaccheus, Luk 19:8), "and shake thy hands from holding them," Isa 33:15. The guilt of sin is not removed if the gain of sin be not restored. 4. He must do his utmost to reform his family too: "Let not wickedness dwell in thy tabernacles; let not thy house harbour or shelter any wicked persons, any wicked practices, or any wealth gotten by wickedness." He suspected that Job's great household had been ill-governed, and that, where there were many, there were many wicked, and the ruin of his family was the punishment of the wickedness of it; and therefore, if he expected God should return to him, he must reform what was amiss there, and, though wickedness might come into his tabernacles, he must not suffer it to dwell there, Psa 101:3, etc.
II. He assures him of comfort if he took this counsel, Job 11:15, etc. If he would repent and reform, he should, without doubt, be easy and happy, and all would be well. Perhaps Zophar might insinuate that, unless God did speedily make such a change as this in his condition, he and his friends would be confirmed in their opinion of him as a hypocrite and a dissembler with God. A great truth, however, is conveyed, That, the work of righteousness will be peace, and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever, Isa 32:17. Those that sincerely turn to God may expect,
1.A holy confidence towards God: "Then shalt thou lift up thy face towards heaven without spot; thou mayest come boldly to the throne of grace, and not with that terror and amazement expressed," Job 9:34. If our hearts condemn us not for hypocrisy and impenitency, then have we confidence in our approaches to God and expectations from him, Jo1 3:21. If we are looked upon in the face of the anointed, our faces, that were dejected, may be lifted up - that were polluted, being washed with the blood of Christ, may be lifted up without spot. We may draw near in full assurance of faith when we are sprinkled from an evil conscience, Heb 10:22. Some understand this of the clearing up of his credit before men, Psa 37:6. If we make our peace with God, we may with cheerfulness look our friends in the face.
2.A holy composedness in themselves: Thou shalt be stedfast, and shalt not fear, not be afraid of evil tidings, thy heart being fixed, Psa 112:7. Job was now full of confusion (Job 10:15), while he looked upon God as his enemy and quarrelled with him; but Zophar assures him that, if he would submit and humble himself, his mind would be composed, and he would be freed from those frightful apprehensions he had of God, which put him into such an agitation. The less we are frightened the more we are fixed, and consequently the more fit we are for our services and for our sufferings.
3.A comfortable reflection upon their past troubles (Job 11:16): "Thou shalt forget thy misery, as the mother forgets her travailing pains, for joy that the child is born; thou shalt be perfectly freed from the impressions it makes upon thee, and thou shalt remember it as waters that pass away, or are poured out of a vessel, which leave no taste or tincture behind them, as other liquors do. The wounds of thy present affliction shall be perfectly healed, not only without a remaining scar, but without a remaining pain." Job had endeavoured to forget his complaint (Job 9:27), but found he could not; his soul had still in remembrance the wormwood and the gall: but here Zophar puts him in a way to forget it; let him by faith and prayer bring his griefs and cares to God, an leave them with him, and then he shall forget them. Where sin sits heavily affliction sits lightly. If we duly remember our sins, we shall, in comparison with them, forget our misery, much more if we obtain the comfort of a sealed pardon and a settled peace. He whose iniquity is forgiven shall not say, I am sick, but shall forget his sickness, Isa 33:24.
4.A comfortable prospect of their future peace. This Zophar here thinks to please Job with, in answer to the many despairing expressions he had used, as if it were to no purpose for him to hope ever to see good days again in this world: "Yea, but thou mayest" (says Zophar) "and good nights too." A blessed change he here puts him in hopes of.
(1.)That though now his light was eclipsed it should shine out again, and more brightly than ever (Job 11:17), - that even his setting sun should out-shine his noon-day sun, and his evening be fair and clear as the morning, in respect both of honour and pleasure. - that his light should shine out of obscurity (Isa 58:10), and the thick and dark cloud, from behind which his sun should break forth, would serve as a foil to its lustre, - that it should shine even in old age, and those evil days should be good days to him. Note, Those that truly turn to God then begin to shine forth; their path is as the shining light which increases, the period of their day will be the perfection of it, and their evening to this world will be their morning to a better.
(2.)That, though now he was in a continual fear and terror, he should live in a holy rest and security, and find himself continually safe and easy (Job 11:18): Thou shalt be secure, because there is hope. Note, Those who have a good hope, through grace, in God, and of heaven, are certainly safe, and have reason to be secure, how difficult soever the times are through which they pass in this world. He that walks uprightly may thus walk surely, because, though there are trouble and danger, yet there is hope that all will be well at last. Hope is an anchor of the soul, Heb 6:19. "Thou shalt dig about thee," that is, "Thou shalt be as safe as an army in its entrenchments." Those that submit to God's government shall be taken under his protection, and then they are safe both day and night. [1.] By day, when they employ themselves abroad: "Thou shalt dig in safety, thou and thy servants for thee, and not be again set upon by the plunderers, who fell upon thy servants at plough," Job 1:14, Job 1:15. It is no part of the promised prosperity that he should live in idleness, but that he should have a calling and follow it, and, when he was about the business of it, should be under the divine protection. Thou shalt dig and be safe, not rob and be safe, revel and be safe. The way of duty is the way of safety. [2.] By night, when they repose themselves at home: Thou shalt take thy rest (and the sleep of the labouring man is sweet) in safety, notwithstanding the dangers of the darkness. The pillar of cloud by day shall be a pillar of fire by night: "Thou shalt lie down (Job 11:19), not forced to wander where there is no place to lay thy head on, nor forced to watch and sit up in expectation of assaults; but thou shalt go to bed at bedtime, and not only shall non hurt thee, but none shall make thee afraid nor so much as give thee an alarm." Note, It is a great mercy to have quiet nights and undisturbed sleeps; those say so that are within the hearing of the noise of war. And the way to be quiet is to seek unto God and keep ourselves in his love. Nothing needs make those afraid who return to God as their rest and take him for their habitation.
(3.)That, though now he was slighted, yet he should be courted: "Many shall make suit to thee, and think it their interest to secure thy friendship." Suit is made to those that are eminently wise or reputed to be so, that are very rich or in power. Zophar knew Job so well that he foresaw that, how low soever this present ebb was, if once the tide turned, it would flow as high as ever; and he would be again the darling of his country. Those that rightly make suit to God will probably see the day when others will make suit to them, as the foolish virgins to the wise, Give us of your oil.
III. Zophar concludes with a brief account of the doom of wicked people (Job 11:20): But the eyes of the wicked shall fail. It should seem, he suspected that Job would not take his counsel, and here tells him what would then come of it, setting death as well as life before him. See what will become of those who persist in their wickedness, and will not be reformed. 1. They shall not reach the good they flatter themselves with the hopes of in this world and in the other. Disappointments will be their doom, their shame, their endless torment. Their eyes shall fail with expecting that which will never come. When a wicked man dies his expectation perishes, Pro 11:7. Their hope shall be as a puff of breath (margin), vanished and gone past recall. Or their hope will perish and expire as a man does when he gives up the ghost; it will fail them when they have most need of it and when they expected the accomplishment of it; it will die away, and leave them in utter confusion. 2. They shall not avoid the evil which sometimes they frighten themselves with the apprehensions of. They shall not escape the execution of the sentence passed upon them, can neither out-brave it nor outrun it. Those that will not fly to God will find it in vain to think of flying from him.
Whoever seeks present glory doubtless dreads contempt. He who is ever hungering for gain is ever surely in fear of loss. For that very object, which seems medicine to him, wounds him with its loss. As he is riveted under fetters to things mutable and destined to perish, so he lies groveling beneath them far away from the stronghold of security. But, on the other hand, whoever is rooted in the desire of eternity alone is neither uplifted by good fortune nor shaken by adverse fortune. For while he has nothing in the world that he desires, there is nothing that he dreads from the world.… But herein, it is to be known, that when bad people deliver right sentiments, it is very hard for them not to let themselves be revealed by those things that they are secretly pursuing within. Hence Zophar adds, “Many will entreat your favor.” For the righteous do not keep themselves on the narrow paths of innocence with the aim in view that others may implore them. Whether heretics or any others that are perverse, all of them live with an appearance of innocence among each other; they have the desire to show themselves as intercessors on behalf of others when in their speech they convey the holy truths they are longing for. They also promise them to others as something great. And while they tell of heavenly things, they soon show by their pledges what their hearts are bent on. But lest by long continuance of promising earthly things, they may be made to appear as they are, they quickly return to words of uprightness. Then it is immediately added, “But the eyes of the wicked shall fail, and refuge shall perish from them.” By designation of “eyes,” the energy of the intention is presented to us. “Truth” testifies in the Gospel, saying, “If your eye shall be single, your whole body shall be full of light.” For in view of the fact that a pure intention has preceded our action, it may seem otherwise to men. Yet, to the eyes of our interior Judge, the body of the deed that follows is presented pure. Therefore “the eyes” of the wicked are the intentions of carnal desires in them; these fail for the reason that they are careless of their eternal interests and are ever looking for transitory interests.… What does the sinner hope for here in all his thoughts except to surpass others in power, to go beyond all people in the abundance of his possessions, to bow down his rivals in lording it over them, to display himself as an object of admiration to his followers, to gratify anger at will, to make himself known as kind and gracious when he is commended, whatever his appetite may long for, to acquiesce in all that pleasure dictates by the fulfilling of the thing?
41. That by the designation of ‘eyes’ the energy of the intention is set forth to us, ‘Truth’ testifies in the Gospel, saying, If thine eye shall be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. [Matt. 6, 22] Forasmuch as if a pure intention have preceded our action, howsoever it may seem otherwise to men, yet to the eyes of our interior Judge, the body of the deed that follows after is presented pure. Therefore the ‘eyes’ of the wicked are the intentions of carnal desires in them, and these fail for this reason, that they are careless of their eternal interests, and are ever looking for transitory advantages alone. For they aim to get themselves an earthly name, they wish above all things to grow and increase in temporal goods, they are daily advancing with the tide of transient things to the goal of death; but they think not to take account of the things of mortality upon the principles of their mortal nature. The life of the flesh is failing minute by minute, and yet the desire of the flesh is growing; property gotten is snatched off by an instant end, yet the eagerness in getting is not ended the more; but when death withdraws the wicked, then indeed their desires are ended with their life. And the eyes of these fail them through the Avenging of the Most High, for that they would not fail here by their own determination to earthly gratification. These same eyes of such persons the Psalmist had seen closed to their former enjoyment, when he said, In that day all their thoughts perish. [Ps. 146, 4] For they meet at once with eternal woes they had never thought on, and on a sudden lose the temporal goods, they had long while held and dealt with. And for these ‘all refuge shall perish,’ in that their iniquity finds not where to hide itself from the visitation of the searching Judge. For now, when the wicked undergo some slight mishaps or evil chances, they find a hiding-place for refuge, in that they forthwith have recourse to the enjoyment of earthly objects of desire. For that poverty torment them not, they beguile the spirit with riches. Or lest the contempt of their neighbours sink them, they exalt themselves with titles. If the body is cloyed with satiety, it is pampered with the variety of viands set before it. If the mind is weighed down by any impulse to sadness, it is immediately relieved by the beguilements of sportiveness being introduced. Here therefore they have as many places of refuge as they make for themselves entertainments of delight; but one time ‘refuge shall perish from them,’ in that their soul, when all these are gone, sees only itself and the Judge. Then the pleasure is withdrawn, but the guilt of pleasure is preserved; and ere long the miserable wretches learn by their perishing that they were perishable things they had possession of. Yet these as long as they live in the body never cease to seek after things of a nature to do them harm. Whence it is still further added,
And their hope shall be the abomination of the soul.
42. What does the sinner hope for here in all his thoughts saving to surpass others in power, to go beyond all men in the abundance of his stores, to bow down his rivals in lording it over them, to display himself as an object of admiration to his followers, to gratify anger at will, to make himself known as kind and gracious when he is commended, whatever the appetite longs for to offer to it, to acquiesce in all that pleasure dictates by the fulfilling of the thing? Well then is their hope said to be ‘the abomination of the soul,’ for the very same objects which carnal men go after, all spiritual persons abominate, according to the sentence of righteousness. For that which sinners account pleasure, the righteous, surely, hold for pain. Therefore the hope of the wicked is the abomination of the soul, for the spirit is wasted while the body is at ease. For as the flesh is sustained by soft treatment, so is the soul by hard dealing; soothing appliances cherish the first, harsh methods exercise the last. The one is fed with enjoyment, the last thrives on bitterness. And as hardships wound the flesh, so softness kills the spirit, as things laborious kill the one, so things delightful destroy the other. Therefore the hope of carnal men is said to be the abomination of the soul; in that the spirit perishes for ever by the same means whereby the flesh lives pleasantly for a while.
43. Now Zophar would have said this aright, if blessed Job had not proclaimed it all more fully even by living accordingly. But whereas he sets himself to give an holier man admonition concerning the way of living, and to instruct one more skilled than himself with the tutorage of wisdom, he by his own act makes the weight of his words light, in that by letting in indiscreetness he undoes all that he says; in that he is pouring on the liquid element of knowledge into a full vessel. For the treasures of knowledge are possessed by the indiscreet just as treasures of corporal substance are often in the possession of fools. For some that are sustained by a full measure of earthly goods at times give largely even to those that have, that they may themselves seem to have them in fuller measure than all men. So the wicked, since they are imbued with truth, speak in some respects right even to those that are more light than they are, not that they may instruct others that hear them, but that they may make it appear with what a fund of instruction they are furnished. For they hold that they excel all men in wisdom, therefore they imagine that there is nothing that they can say to any man beyond the measure of their greatness. Thus all the wicked, thus all heretics are not afraid to instruct their betters with a high tone, in that they look upon all as inferior to themselves. But Holy Church recalls everyone that is high minded from the height of his self esteem, and fashions him anew by the hand of discretion in the jointing of equality.
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SUMMARY
Job 11:20 encapsulates Zophar the Naamathite's unyielding declaration concerning the ultimate destiny of the wicked. In his initial discourse to Job, Zophar adamantly asserts that those who persist in unrighteousness will inevitably encounter a complete and irreversible downfall. Their capacity to perceive a way out will vanish, any hope they cling to will prove utterly futile, and there will be no escape from the divine retribution he believes is their just desert. This verse serves as a stark, climactic pronouncement in Zophar's argument for God's immediate and punitive justice, standing in sharp contrast to the prosperity he promises the righteous.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Job 11:20 is rich in Imagery, painting a vivid and desolate picture of the wicked's ultimate despair and destruction. The phrase "the eyes of the wicked shall fail" employs Metonymy, where "eyes" stand not for physical sight but for their understanding, perception, and ability to find a way out of their predicament. This signifies a metaphorical blindness to truth and an inability to discern a path to escape. The most prominent literary device is the Simile found in "their hope [shall be as] the giving up of the ghost," which directly compares the vanishing hope of the wicked to the final, irreversible cessation of life at death. This comparison powerfully conveys the absolute futility, emptiness, and non-existence of their self-generated hope. Furthermore, there is a strong sense of Parallelism in the structure of the verse, where the failing eyes, the inability to escape, and the vanishing hope all reinforce the singular, bleak outcome for the wicked, creating a cumulative effect of inevitable doom and despair.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
While Zophar's application of this principle to Job was profoundly flawed and revealed a simplistic, mechanistic understanding of divine justice, the core theological truth embedded within Job 11:20 resonates powerfully throughout the entirety of Scripture: the way of the wicked ultimately leads to destruction, and any hope they construct, built on self-reliance or unrighteousness, is ultimately vain and destined to dissolve. This verse serves as a profound and sobering warning that a life lived in rebellion against God, characterized by persistent unrighteousness and a disregard for His divine ways, will inevitably culminate in despair and the dissolution of all false expectations. It affirms God's ultimate sovereignty and unwavering justice, assuring humanity that while the wicked may appear to prosper for a time, their end is one of futility, emptiness, and judgment, contrasting sharply with the enduring, steadfast, and living hope granted to those who place their trust in the Lord.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Job 11:20, despite its origin in Zophar's misguided and harsh counsel, offers profound insights for personal reflection and practical application in our lives today. It compels us to critically examine the very foundation of our own hope. Is our confidence placed in fleeting worldly achievements, transient material possessions, or the limited scope of human ingenuity—all of which are ultimately as ephemeral and insubstantial as a dying breath? Or is our hope securely anchored in the unchanging character, unfailing promises, and eternal faithfulness of God, a hope that transcends the uncertainties of life, the inevitability of suffering, and even the finality of death? This verse serves as a stark and necessary reminder that a life lived in rebellion against God, characterized by unrighteousness and a deliberate disregard for His divine will, ultimately leads to a spiritual dead end—a desolate place where all avenues of escape close, and all self-constructed hopes dissolve into nothingness. It powerfully underscores the biblical truth that true peace, genuine security, and lasting, unshakeable hope are found only in alignment with God's will and in His divine provision. This profound truth should motivate us not merely out of fear of retribution, but out of a deep and abiding desire for the authentic, enduring hope and abundant life that are found exclusively in God.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Does Job 11:20 imply that all suffering is a direct consequence of personal wickedness, as Zophar suggests?
Answer: No, Zophar's interpretation of suffering as a direct and immediate consequence of personal sin is precisely the flawed theology that the Book of Job, in its entirety, challenges and ultimately refutes. While the Bible certainly teaches that sin has consequences and that God is just, the Book of Job profoundly demonstrates that suffering is far more complex than a simplistic cause-and-effect retribution. Job, a man explicitly described as righteous, suffers immensely, thereby proving that not all suffering is punitive for personal wickedness. Zophar's statement in Job 11:20 accurately describes the ultimate and inevitable end of the wicked (those who persist in rebellion against God), but his fundamental error lies in applying this universal principle to Job's specific and unique situation. The book ultimately reveals that God's ways are mysterious and His justice operates on a grander, more nuanced, and often incomprehensible scale than Job's friends could ever comprehend, frequently allowing the righteous to suffer for purposes beyond human understanding, such as testing faith, refining character, or ultimately revealing God's glory.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Job 11:20, though uttered by Zophar with a limited and flawed understanding of suffering and divine justice, points prophetically to the ultimate reality of judgment and the profound nature of true hope, which finds its complete and glorious fulfillment in Jesus Christ. The "failing eyes" and "inescapable" fate of the wicked, so grimly described, are starkly contrasted with the spiritual sight and eternal security offered exclusively through Jesus. While the wicked's hope "gives up the ghost," proving to be utterly ephemeral, the hope of the believer is a living, enduring, and steadfast hope, anchored immutably in the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead (1 Peter 1:3). Jesus Himself declares, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me" (John 14:6), thereby offering the only true "escape" from the wages of sin and eternal death (Romans 6:23). The inherent futility of any self-generated or worldly hope is gloriously overcome by the "hope that does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit" (Romans 5:5). In Christ, the believer finds not a hope that vanishes like a dying breath, but an "anchor of the soul, firm and secure" (Hebrews 6:19), for He is truly "Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27). Thus, Zophar's grim pronouncement, when illuminated and viewed through the transformative lens of the Gospel, powerfully underscores humanity's desperate need for the salvation and living, eternal hope found solely in Jesus.