Job20

Zophar the Naamathite begins his second discourse, asserting that the prosperity of the wicked is fleeting and their joy momentary. He declares that despite their apparent success, they will perish, their ill-gotten gains will be vomited forth, and their wickedness will turn to bitter poison. Ultimately, God's wrath will consume them, revealing their iniquity and ensuring their destruction as their appointed heritage.
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Zophar Rebukes Job and States the Principle

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. ​

The Triumph of the Wicked Is Short

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Knowest thou not this of old, since man was placed upon earth, ​
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That the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment? ​
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Though his excellency mount up to the heavens, and his head reach unto the clouds;
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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. ​

Wickedness Turns to Poison

12
Though wickedness be sweet in his mouth, though he hide it under his tongue; ​
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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. ​
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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.
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Because he hath oppressed and hath forsaken the poor; because he hath violently taken away an house which he builded not; ​
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Surely he shall not feel quietness in his belly, he shall not save of that which he desired.
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There shall none of his meat be left; therefore shall no man look for his goods.

God's Sudden Judgment on the Wicked

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In the fulness of his sufficiency he shall be in straits: every hand of the wicked shall come upon him. ​
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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. ​
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He shall flee from the iron weapon, and the bow of steel shall strike him through.
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It is drawn, and cometh out of the body; yea, the glittering sword cometh out of his gall: terrors are upon him.
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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. ​
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The heaven shall reveal his iniquity; and the earth shall rise up against him. ​
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The increase of his house shall depart, and his goods shall flow away in the day of his wrath.
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This is the portion of a wicked man from God, and the heritage appointed unto him by God. ​

Study Notes for Job 20

Verse 1

This is Zophar’s second and final speech (he does not speak in the third cycle). He is agitated, feeling that Job has insulted him personally (v. 3) and is rushing to defend the traditional doctrine of immediate retribution.

Verse 3

Zophar claims his 'understanding' compels him to answer Job’s 'reproach,' framing his ensuing argument as a necessary defense of divine justice against Job’s perceived blasphemy.

Verse 4

Zophar appeals to 'ancient wisdom' (a common trope among the friends) to prove that the fate of the wicked has always been swift downfall, implying that Job's prolonged suffering must be due to hidden sin.

Verse 5

The term 'hypocrite' (Heb. *chanef*) often means 'godless' or 'profane' in Job. Zophar asserts the extreme brevity of prosperity for anyone who ignores God.

Verse 7

This vivid and dismissive simile emphasizes the utter worthlessness and final disposal of the wicked man, whose memory and legacy vanish entirely.

Verse 10

One consequence of the wicked man's ruin is that his children will be forced into servitude or poverty to repay the debts and restore the wealth unjustly acquired by their father.

Verse 11

Zophar suggests that the consequences of deep-seated, habitual corruption ('the sin of his youth') are physically embedded in the man and will accompany him to the grave.

Verse 12

Verses 12–14 use a powerful metaphor: though sin is tasted as sweet (like forbidden food), when it is internalized, it becomes lethal poison, illustrating the internal destructive power of greed and oppression.

Verse 15

The imagery of swallowing riches and then vomiting them up illustrates that wealth gained through evil means cannot be retained, as God actively forces the restitution.

Verse 17

'Rivers... of honey and butter' is a metaphorical description of extreme abundance and luxurious living, signifying the prosperity that the wicked man will ultimately be barred from enjoying.

Verse 19

Zophar specifies the crimes he believes Job must have committed: oppression of the poor and unjust land/property seizure, reflecting common abuses of power by the wealthy.

Verse 22

The judgment is sudden and comprehensive. Even when the wicked man thinks he has secured his future ('fulness of his sufficiency'), he will immediately face distress and financial ruin.

Verse 23

This verse describes divine wrath as an immediate, physical attack, raining down judgment even in the midst of feasting, highlighting the inescapable nature of God's retribution.

Verse 26

The 'fire not blown' emphasizes a supernatural, divine judgment that consumes the wicked man and his possessions without human effort or means.

Verse 27

Heaven and earth are personified as witnesses and prosecutors, confirming the universally recognized guilt of the wicked man. This emphasizes the cosmic scope of God's justice.

Verse 29

This serves as Zophar’s concluding summary statement, defining the inevitable fate of the godless—a fixed 'portion' or inheritance appointed directly by God—an argument Job vehemently rejects.

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