Job 18:20

Translation
King James Version
They that come after him shall be astonied at his day, as they that went before were affrighted.
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KJV (with Strong's)
They that come after H314 him shall be astonied H8074 at his day H3117, as they that went before H6931 were affrighted H270 H8178.
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Complete Jewish Bible
Those who come after will be appalled at his fate, just as those there before were struck with horror.
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Berean Standard Bible
Those in the west are appalled at his fate, while those in the east tremble in horror.
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American Standard Version
They that come after shall be astonished at his day, As they that went before were affrighted.
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World English Bible Messianic
Those who come after shall be astonished at his day, as those who went before were frightened.
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Geneva Bible (1599)
The posteritie shalbe astonied at his day, and feare shall come vpon the ancient.
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Young's Literal Translation
At this day westerns have been astonished And easterns have taken fright.
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See also
Psalms 37:13Jeremiah 50:27Ezekiel 21:25Job 19:13Job 19:19Luke 19:42Psalms 137:7
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SUMMARY

Job 18:20 encapsulates a core tenet of Bildad's second speech, where he rigidly articulates his theology of divine retribution. He emphatically declares that the catastrophic downfall of the wicked will be so utterly public and devastating that it will evoke profound shock, terror, and desolation in both contemporary witnesses and future generations. This verse functions as a stark and unyielding warning, intended by Bildad to compel Job to acknowledge his presumed wickedness, thereby reinforcing Bildad's unwavering conviction in a direct, visible, and terrifying consequence for sin.

CONTEXT

  • Literary Context: Job 18:20 is deeply embedded within Bildad the Shuhite's second discourse to Job, forming a critical part of his argument in Job 18. This speech immediately follows Job's impassioned and bewildered lament in Job 16-17, where Job continues to assert his innocence and appeal directly to God, expressing his profound confusion over his inexplicable suffering. Bildad, increasingly exasperated by Job's perceived defiance and refusal to confess sin, intensifies his rhetoric by painting a vivid and terrifying picture of the wicked's inevitable demise. Throughout Job 18, Bildad systematically details the comprehensive destruction awaiting the ungodly, from their extinguished light and snared feet to their forgotten memory and terror-stricken end. This verse serves as a powerful culmination, emphasizing the enduring public spectacle of their judgment, designed to leave no doubt that Job's current plight perfectly matches the description of the wicked's fate.
  • Historical & Cultural Context: The book of Job is situated within the broader tradition of ancient Near Eastern (ANE) wisdom literature, which frequently explored the intricate relationship between human conduct and divine blessing or curse. A dominant, though often simplistic, form of "retribution theology" permeated much of this ancient thought: righteousness was widely believed to lead to prosperity and well-being, while wickedness was invariably expected to result in suffering and calamity. Bildad, much like Job's other companions, operates firmly within this established traditional framework. In ANE societies, a person's "day" (referring to the culmination of their life, a significant event like death, or their ultimate judgment) and their enduring legacy were profoundly important. To be "astonied" or "affrighted" by someone's end implied a public disgrace so severe that it extended beyond the individual, impacting their family, reputation, and memory for generations. This cultural emphasis on public perception and the lasting memory of one's fate underscores the extreme severity of the judgment Bildad describes.
  • Key Themes: This verse powerfully contributes to several key themes within the book of Job and broader biblical theology. Foremost is the theme of Retribution Theology, as Bildad presents a rigid, deterministic view that all suffering is a direct consequence of sin—a perspective the book ultimately challenges regarding Job's specific case. The verse also highlights the Public and Enduring Nature of Judgment, suggesting that the wicked's downfall is not a private affair but a public spectacle designed to instill fear and serve as a warning, impacting both contemporaries and future generations. The intense emotional reactions of "astonishment" and "affright" underscore the Terror and Awe of Divine Justice as perceived by Bildad. Finally, while Bildad's application is flawed, the verse implicitly touches upon the broader biblical theme of God's Ultimate Justice, affirming that evil will not go unpunished, even if the timing and manifestation of that justice are not always as simplistic as human wisdom might assume (Psalm 37:35-36 or Proverbs 10:29).

EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

Key Word Analysis

  • astonied (Hebrew, shâmêm', H8074): This word (H8074) conveys a profound sense of desolation, horror, or utter astonishment, often implying a shock that leaves one speechless or numb. It suggests a reaction far beyond mere surprise, indicating a deep unsettling of the soul in the face of something truly dreadful or awe-inspiring. In the context of judgment, it points to the overwhelming impact of the wicked's demise on observers, rendering them utterly stunned.
  • his day (Hebrew, yôwm', H3117): While literally meaning "day" (H3117), in this context, "his day" refers metaphorically to the time of the wicked person's downfall, calamity, or ultimate judgment. It signifies the culmination of their wicked life and the moment of their public reckoning, marking the definitive end of their prosperity and the beginning of their lasting infamy.
  • affrighted (Hebrew, saʻar', H8178): This term (H8178) denotes a tempest or a terror, signifying a state of being filled with dread, overwhelming fear, or a violent trembling reaction. The parallelism with "astonied" emphasizes the consistent and intense emotional response across different generations to the fate of the wicked, underscoring the horrific and terrifying nature of their judgment.

Verse Breakdown

  • "They that come after [him] shall be astonied at his day": This clause speaks of future generations—those who will hear about or witness the lasting consequences of the wicked person's judgment. They will be utterly shocked, desolated, and horrified by the severity and public nature of the wicked's end. The judgment is so profound that its impact transcends immediate contemporaries, becoming a terrifying and enduring historical example.
  • "as they that went before were affrighted": This parallel clause refers to past generations or the contemporaries who witnessed similar judgments. They were filled with intense terror and dread. The comparison highlights the consistent and universal nature of the reaction to the wicked's demise, implying that such judgments are a recurring, terrifying pattern of divine retribution. Bildad uses this comparison to suggest that Job's experience is merely another instance of this well-established principle.

Literary Devices

Bildad employs several potent literary devices to amplify the impact of his pronouncement. The most prominent is Parallelism, specifically a form of synonymous parallelism. The phrase "They that come after [him] shall be astonied at his day, as they that went before were affrighted" uses this structure to draw a strong correlation between the reactions of different temporal groups. "They that come after" and "they that went before" represent distinct generations, yet both experience intense negative reactions ("astonied" and "affrighted") to the wicked's "day." This parallelism emphasizes the universal and enduring nature of the terror inspired by divine judgment. The use of Hyperbole is also evident, as Bildad's language is highly intensified to convey the extreme and memorable nature of the wicked's downfall, likely exaggerating the immediate and public visibility of such judgments to press his point against Job. Furthermore, the verse utilizes vivid Imagery of profound emotional distress and public spectacle, painting a graphic picture of a judgment so severe that it leaves an indelible mark of fear and awe on all who witness or hear of it.

THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS

While Bildad's application of this principle to Job was flawed and ultimately challenged by the book's narrative, the underlying theological truth that sin has consequences and that God is ultimately just resonates throughout Scripture. This verse encapsulates a common, albeit incomplete, understanding of divine justice prevalent in the ancient world, where immediate and visible retribution was often expected. The book of Job, however, serves to complicate this simplistic view, demonstrating that suffering is not always a direct result of personal sin and that God's ways are far more complex and mysterious than human wisdom can fully grasp. Nevertheless, the Bible consistently affirms that a day of reckoning awaits all, and that God will ultimately set all things right, revealing His perfect justice and holiness.

REFLECTION AND APPLICATION

Job 18:20, though spoken by a friend with a flawed understanding of Job's specific situation, still carries a powerful, albeit nuanced, message for believers today. It serves as a sober reminder that actions have consequences, and a life persistently lived in defiance of God's ways can indeed lead to profound and public downfall, impacting one's legacy and the perceptions of others. While we must vigilantly guard against the simplistic judgment of others' suffering, this verse underscores the seriousness of sin and the ultimate reality of God's justice. It encourages us to live with integrity, not merely to avoid negative consequences, but primarily because it aligns with God's character and purposes. It also calls us to trust in God's perfect timing and inscrutable wisdom, even when the immediate scales of justice seem unbalanced, knowing with certainty that His ultimate judgment is both righteous and inevitable.

Questions for Reflection

  • How does this verse challenge or affirm your understanding of divine justice in the world today, especially concerning the suffering of the righteous and the prosperity of the wicked?
  • In what ways might we, like Bildad, be tempted to offer simplistic, formulaic explanations for suffering or misfortune, rather than embracing the complexity of God's sovereignty and purposes?
  • What does it mean to live a life that honors God, regardless of immediate consequences or public perception, trusting in His ultimate vindication and the revelation of His perfect justice?

FAQ

Was Bildad's view of justice entirely wrong?

Answer: No, not entirely. The Bible consistently teaches that sin has consequences and that God is a righteous judge who will ultimately bring all deeds to light (Ecclesiastes 12:14). Bildad's fundamental error lay not in the existence of divine justice, but in his rigid, simplistic, and misapplied understanding of it to Job's unique situation. He assumed a direct, immediate, and visible cause-and-effect relationship between sin and suffering, failing to account for other divine purposes for suffering, such as testing, refining, or demonstrating God's sovereignty, as the book of Job ultimately reveals. The book profoundly challenges the notion that human suffering is always a direct punishment for personal sin, highlighting the inscrutability of God's ways (Isaiah 55:8-9).

What does "astonied" mean in modern English?

Answer: In modern English, "astonied" (from the King James Version) means to be greatly astonished, shocked, or filled with overwhelming surprise, often bordering on dread, horror, or desolation. It conveys a sense of profound unsettledness and awe at the magnitude of what is witnessed, suggesting a reaction far stronger than mere surprise. It implies being struck dumb or paralyzed by the sheer impact of an event, particularly one that is terrifying, devastating, or awe-inspiring in its severity.

CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT

Job 18:20, with its chilling depiction of the wicked's public and terrifying downfall, finds its ultimate Christ-centered fulfillment not in a similar judgment for believers, but in the profound reversal and substitutionary work of Jesus Christ. The "day" of judgment that Bildad describes for the wicked is a terrifying prospect, one that humanity justly deserves due to its inherent sinfulness. However, for those who believe, Christ has absorbed that very "astonishment" and "affright" on their behalf. The cross of Calvary was the ultimate public spectacle, a "day" when the Son of God, though perfectly innocent, was "made to be sin for us" (2 Corinthians 5:21). He endured the full weight of divine wrath, taking upon Himself the very judgment that would otherwise leave all generations "astonied" and "affrighted." Through His perfect sacrifice, believers are eternally spared the terror of that "day" of reckoning, for their sins have been fully paid for. While the ultimate "day" for the wicked will indeed be one of "affright" and "astonishment" as they face the Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:11-15), for those in Christ, their "day" is one of salvation, vindication, and eternal life, secured by the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). Thus, what Bildad intended as a terrifying warning of divine retribution becomes, in Christ, a glorious testament to God's ultimate mercy and perfect justice, perfectly displayed in His Son.

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Commentary on Job 18 verses 11–21

Bildad here describes the destruction itself which wicked people are reserved for in the other world, and which, in some degree, often seizes them in this world. Come, and see what a miserable condition the sinner is in when his day comes to fall.

I. See him disheartened and weakened by continual terrors arising from the sense of his own guilt and the dread of God's wrath (Job 18:11, Job 18:12): Terror shall make him afraid on every side. The terrors of his own conscience shall haunt him, so that he shall never be easy. Wherever he goes, these shall follow him; which way soever he looks, these shall stare him in the face. It will make him tremble to see himself fought against by the whole creation, to see Heaven frowning on him, hell gaping for him, and earth sick of him. He that carries his own accuser, and his own tormentor, always in his bosom, cannot but be afraid on every side. This will drive him to his feet, like the malefactor, who, being conscious of his own guilt, takes to his heels and flees when none pursues, Pro 28:1. But his feet will do him no service; they are fast in the snare, Job 18:9. The sinner may as soon overpower the divine omnipotence as flee from the divine omniscience, Amo 9:2, Amo 9:3. No marvel that the sinner is dispirited and distracted with fear, for, 1. He sees his ruin approaching: Destruction shall be ready at his side, to seize him whenever justice gives the word, so that he is brought into desolation in a moment, Psa 73:19. 2. He feels himself utterly unable to grapple with it, either to escape it or to bear up under it. That which he relied upon as his strength (his wealth, power, pomp, friends, and the hardiness of his own spirit) shall fail him in the time of need, and be hunger-bitten, that is, it shall do him no more service than a famished man, pining away for hunger, would do in work or war. The case being thus with him, no marvel that he is a terror to himself. Note, The way of sin is a way of fear, and leads to everlasting confusion, of which the present terrors of an impure and unpacified conscience are earnests, as they were to Cain and Judas.

II. See him devoured and swallowed up by a miserable death; and miserable indeed a wicked man's death is, how secure and jovial soever his life was. 1. See him dying, arrested by the first-born of death (some disease, or some stroke that has in it a more than ordinary resemblance of death itself; so great a death, as it is called, Co2 1:10, a messenger of death that has in it an uncommon strength and terror), weakened by the harbingers of death, which devour the strength of his skin, that is, it shall bring rottenness into his bones and consume them. His confidence shall then be rooted out of his tabernacle (Job 18:14), that is, all that he trusted to for his support shall be taken from him, and he shall have nothing to rely upon, no, not his own tabernacle. His own soul was his confidence, but that shall be rooted out of the tabernacle of the body, as a tree that cumbered the ground. "Thy soul shall be required of thee." 2. See him dead, and see his case then with an eye of faith. (1.) He is then brought to the king of terrors. He was surrounded with terrors while he lived (Job 18:11), and death was the king of all those terrors; they fought against the sinner in death's name, for it is by reason of death that sinners are all their lifetime subject to bondage (Heb 2:15), and at length they will be brought to that which they so long feared, as a captive to the conqueror. Death is terrible to nature; our Saviour himself prayed, Father, save me from this hour. But to the wicked it is in a special manner the king of terrors, both as it is a period to that life in which they placed their happiness and a passage to that life where they will find their endless misery. How happy then are the saints, and how much indebted to the Lord Jesus, by whom death is so far abolished, and the property of it altered, that this king of terrors becomes a friend and servant! (2.) He is then driven from the light into darkness (Job 18:18), from the light of this world, and his prosperous condition in it, into darkness, the darkness of the grave, the darkness of hell, into utter darkness, never to see light (Psa 49:19), not the least gleam, nor any hopes of it. (3.) He is then chased out of the world, hurried and dragged away by the messengers of death, sorely against his will, chased as Adam out of paradise, for the world is his paradise. It intimates that he would fain stay here; he is loth to depart, but go he must; all the world is weary of him, and therefore chases him out, as glad to get rid of him. This is death to a wicked man.

III. See his family sunk and cut off, Job 18:15. The wrath and curse of God light and lie, not only upon his head and heart, but upon his house too, to consume it with the timber and stones thereof, Zac 5:4. Death itself shall dwell in his tabernacle, and, having expelled him, shall take possession of his house, to the terror and destruction of all that he leaves behind. Even the dwelling shall be ruined for the sake of its owner: Brimstone shall be scattered upon his habitation, rained upon it as upon Sodom, to the destruction of which this seems to have reference. Some think he here upbraids Job with the burning of his sheep and servants with fire from heaven. The reason is here given why his tabernacle is thus marked for ruin: Because it is none of his; that is, it was unjustly got, and kept, from the rightful owner, and therefore let him not expect either the comfort or the continuance of it. His children shall perish, either with him or after him, Job 18:16. So that, his roots being in his own person dried up beneath, above his branch (every child of his family) shall be cut off. Thus the houses of Jeroboam, Baasha, and Ahab, were cut off; none that descended from them were left alive. Those who take root in the earth may expect it will thus be dried up; but, if we be rooted in Christ, even our leaf shall not wither, much less shall our branch be cut off. Those who consult the true honour of their family, and the welfare of its branches, will be afraid of withering it by sin. The extirpation of the sinner's family is mentioned again (Job 18:19): He shall neither have son nor nephew, child nor grandchild, to enjoy his estate and bear up his name, nor shall there be any remaining in his dwelling akin to him. Sin entails a curse upon posterity, and the iniquity of the fathers is often visited upon the children. Herein, also, it is probable that Bildad reflects upon the death of Job's children and servants, as a further proof of his being a wicked man; whereas all that are written childless are not thereby written graceless; there is a name better than that of sons and daughters.

IV. See his memory buried with him, or made odious; he shall either be forgotten or spoken of with dishonour (Job 18:17): His remembrance shall perish from the earth; and, if it perish thence, it perishes wholly, for it was never written in heaven, as the names of the saints are, Luk 10:20. All his honour shall be laid and lost in the dust, or stained with perpetual infamy, so that he shall have no name in the street, departing without being desired. Thus the judgments of God follow him, after death, in this world, as an indication of the misery his soul is in after death, and an earnest of that everlasting shame and contempt to which he shall rise in the great day. The memory of the just is blessed, but the name of the wicked shall rot, Pro 10:7.

V. See a universal amazement at his fall, Job 18:20. Those that see it are affrighted, so sudden is the change, so dreadful the execution, so threatening to all about him: and those that come after, and hear the report of it, are astonished at it; their ears are made to tingle, and their hearts to tremble, and they cry out, Lord, how terrible art thou in thy judgments! A place or person utterly ruined is said to be made an astonishment, Deu 28:37; Ch2 7:21; Jer 25:9, Jer 25:18. Horrible sins bring strange punishments.

VI. See all this averred as the unanimous sense of the patriarchal age, grounded upon their knowledge of God and their many observations of his providence (Job 18:21): Surely such are the dwellings of the wicked, and this is the place (this the condition) of him that knows not God! See here what is the beginning, and what is the end, of the wickedness of this wicked world. 1. The beginning of it is ignorance of God, and it is a wilful ignorance, for there is that to be known of him which is sufficient to leave them for ever inexcusable. They know not God, and then they commit all iniquity. Pharaoh knows not the Lord, and therefore will not obey his voice. 2. The end of it, and that is utter destruction. Such, so miserable, are the dwellings of the wicked. Vengeance will be taken of those that know not God, Th2 1:8. For those whom he has not honour from he will get himself honour upon. Let us therefore stand in awe and not sin, for it will certainly be bitterness in the latter end.

Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 11–21. Public domain.
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Gregory the DialogistAD 604
27. For he will then let himself loose against the righteous with such a measure of iniquity, that even the hearts of the very Elect shall be struck with no small consternation. Whence it is written, Insomuch that if it were possible, they shall deceive the very Elect. [Mat. 24, 24] Which, clearly, is said, not because the Elect shall fall, but because they shall tremble with terrible alarms. Now at that time both the latest Elect and the first Elect are described as maintaining the conflict for righteousness against him, in that both they that shall be found among the Elect at the end of the world, are destined to be laid low in the death of the flesh, and they too who proceeded from the former divisions of the world, i.e. Enoch and Elijah, shall be brought back amongst men, and shall be exposed to the savageness of his cruelty still in their mortal flesh. This one’s forces let loose in such terrible power, ‘the latest are astonied at, and the first do dread,’ in that, though in respect of this, viz. that he is lifted up by a spirit of pride, they despise all his temporal power, yet in respect of this, that they are themselves still in mortal flesh, wherein they are liable to suffer temporal anguish, they dread the very punishments, which they bear with resolution; so that there is in them at one and the same time both constancy derived from virtue, and alarm proceeding from the flesh; in that though they be of the number of the Elect, so that they cannot be overcome by torments, yet from this only that they are men, they fear the very torments, that they overcome. So let it be said, In his days the last shall be astonied, and terror shall seize on the first. In that he shall then show forth such signs, and do things so cruel and hard hearted, as to force them to astonishment, whom he shall find at the end of the world, and to pierce with the pang of carnal death the first fathers, who are reserved for his extirpation. Therefore whereas he has described many particulars relating to all the wicked, or to the head of the wicked himself.
Gregory the DialogistAD 604
MORALS ON THE BOOK OF JOB 14.26-28
That these words are to be understood as speaking of the antichrist is shown when it is added, “In his days the last shall be astonished, and horror shall seize on the first.” He will then let himself loose against the righteous with such a measure of iniquity that even the hearts of the very elect shall be struck with no small consternation. Hence it is written, “Insomuch that if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect,” which clearly isn’t said because the elect shall fall but because they shall tremble with terrible alarms. Now, at that time, both the latest elect and the first elect are described as maintaining the conflict for righteousness against him. They that shall be found among the elect at the end of the world are destined to be laid low in the death of the flesh. And they too who proceeded from the former times of the world, that is, Enoch and Elijah, shall be brought back among humankind and shall be exposed to the savageness of his cruelty while still in their mortal flesh. This one’s forces will be let loose with such terrible power that “the latest are astonished at, and the first do dread.” … Then he adds, “Surely such are the dwellings of the ungodly, such is the place of those who do not know God,” in that he who is now lifted up from ignorance of God is then brought to his own “dwellings” where his own wickedness plunges him into woes. One day he finds “darkness his place,” who while he made himself glad here in the counterfeit light of righteousness, was occupying the place of another. For bad people act deceitfully, striving to possess for themselves the righteous person’s good name, as of another place. But they are then brought to their own place, when they are tormented with everlasting fire, as the deserved punishment of their iniquity.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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