¶ His children shall seek to please the poor, and his hands shall restore their goods.
His children {H1121} shall seek to please {H7521} the poor {H1800}, and his hands {H3027} shall restore {H7725} their goods {H202}.
His children will have to pay back the poor; his hands will restore their wealth.
His sons will seek the favor of the poor, for his own hands must return his wealth.
His children shall seek the favor of the poor, And his hands shall give back his wealth.
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Job 20:18
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]. -
Luke 19:8
And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore [him] fourfold. -
Job 27:16
Though he heap up silver as the dust, and prepare raiment as the clay; -
Job 27:17
He may prepare [it], but the just shall put [it] on, and the innocent shall divide the silver. -
Exodus 9:2
For if thou refuse to let [them] go, and wilt hold them still, -
Exodus 22:1
¶ If a man shall steal an ox, or a sheep, and kill it, or sell it; he shall restore five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep. -
Job 5:4
His children are far from safety, and they are crushed in the gate, neither [is there] any to deliver [them].
Job 20:10 KJV is part of Zophar the Naamathite's second speech, where he articulates his belief that the prosperity of the wicked is fleeting and their downfall inevitable, often affecting their descendants. This verse specifically describes a consequence of their unrighteousness: the children of the wicked will suffer humility and the wicked themselves will be forced to make restitution.
Context
This verse is found within Zophar's impassioned argument against Job, whom he wrongly presumes to be wicked. Zophar, like Job's other friends, adheres to a strict doctrine of retribution: righteousness leads to prosperity, and wickedness leads to suffering. In Job 20, he paints a vivid picture of the wicked person's brief triumph followed by a devastating reversal of fortune. Verse 10 details two specific aspects of this reversal, impacting both the wicked individual's descendants and their ill-gotten gains. While Zophar's overall theology is later corrected by God (Job 42:7), the verse itself speaks to biblical principles of justice and consequence.
Key Themes
Linguistic Insights
Practical Application
While Zophar's application of this principle to Job was flawed, the verse itself holds timeless truths: