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Commentary on Job 20 verses 10–22
The instances here given of the miserable condition of the wicked man in this world are expressed with great fulness and fluency of language, and the same thing returned to again and repeated in other words. Let us therefore reduce the particulars to their proper heads, and observe,
I. What his wickedness is for which he is punished.
1.The lusts of the flesh, here called the sins of his youth (Job 20:11); for those are the sins which, at that age, people are most tempted to. The forbidden pleasures of sense are said to be sweet in his mouth (Job 20:12); he indulges himself in all the gratifications of the carnal appetite, and takes an inordinate complacency in them, as yielding the most agreeable delights. That is the satisfaction which he hides under his tongue, and rolls there, as the most dainty delicate thing that can be. He keeps it still within his mouth (Job 20:13); let him have that, and he desires no more; he will never part with that for the spiritual and divine pleasures of religion, which he has no relish or nor affection for. His keeping it still in his mouth denotes his obstinately persisting in his sin (he spares it when he should kill and mortify it, and forsakes it not, but holds it fast, and goes on frowardly in it), and also his re-acting of his sin by revolving it and remembering it with pleasure, as that adulterous woman (Eze 23:19) who multiplied her whoredoms by calling to remembrance the days of her youth; so does this wicked man here. Or his hiding it and keeping it under his tongue denotes his industrious concealment of his beloved lust. Being a hypocrite, his haunts of sin are secret, that he may save the credit of his profession; but he who knows what is in the heart knows what is under the tongue too, and will discover it shortly.
2.The love of the world and the wealth of it. It is in worldly wealth that he places his happiness, and therefore he sets his heart upon it. See here, (1.) How greedy he is of it (Job 20:15): He has swallowed down riches as eagerly as ever a hungry man swallowed down meat; and is still crying, "Give, give." It is that which he desired (Job 20:20); it was, in his eye, the best gift, and that which he coveted earnestly. (2.) What pains he takes for it: It is that which he laboured for (Job 20:18), not by honest diligence in a lawful calling, but by an unwearied prosecution of all ways and methods, per fas, per nefas - right or wrong, to be rich. We must labour, not to be rich (Pro 23:4), but to be charitable, that we may have to give (Eph 4:28), not to spend. (3.) What great things he promises himself from it, intimated in the rivers, the floods, the brooks of honey and butter (Job 20:17); his being disappointed of them supposes that he had flattered himself with the hopes of them: he expected rivers of sensual delights.
3.Violence and oppression, and injustice in his poor neighbours, Job 20:19. This was the sin of the giants of the old world, and a sin that, as much as any, brings God's judgments upon nations and families. It is charged upon this wicked man, (1.) That he has forsaken the poor, taken no care of them, shown no kindness to them, nor made any provision for them. At first perhaps, for a pretence, he gave alms like the Pharisees, to gain a reputation; but, when he had served his turn by this practice, he left it off, and forsook the poor, whom before he seemed to be concerned for. Those who do good, but not from a good principle, though they may abound in it, will not abide in it. (2.) That he has oppressed them, crushed them, taken all advantages against them to do them a mischief. To enrich himself, he has robbed the spital, and made the poor poorer. (3.) That he has violently taken away their houses, which he had no right to, as Ahab took Naboth's vineyard, not by secret fraud, by forgery, perjury, or some trick in law, but avowedly, and by open violence.
II. What his punishment is for this wickedness.
1.He shall be disappointed in his expectations, and shall not find that satisfaction in his worldly wealth which he vainly promised himself (Job 20:17): He shall never see the rivers, the floods, the brooks of honey and butter, with which he hoped to glut himself. The world is not that to those who love it, and court it, and admire it, which they fancy it will be. The enjoyment sinks far below the raised expectation.
2.He shall be diseased and distempered in his body; and how little comfort a man has in riches if he has not health! Sickness and pain, especially it they be in extremity, embitter all his enjoyments. This wicked man has all the delights of sense wound up to the height of pleasurableness; but what real happiness can he enjoy when his bones are full of the sins of his youth (Job 20:11), that is, of the effects of those sins? By his drunkenness and gluttony, his uncleanness and wantonness, when he was young, he contracted those diseases which are painful to him long after, and perhaps make his life very miserable, and, as Solomon speaks, consume his flesh and his body, Pro 5:11. Perhaps he was given to fight when he was young, and then made nothing of a cut or a bruise in a fray; but he feels it in his bones long after. But can he get no ease, no relief? No, he is likely to carry his pains and diseases with him to the grave, or rather they are likely to carry him thither, and so the sins of his youth shall lie down with him in the dust; the very putrefying of his body in the grave is to him the effect of sin (Job 24:19), so that his iniquity is upon his bones there, Eze 32:27. The sin of sinners follows them to the other side death.
3.He shall be disquieted and troubled in his mind: Surely he shall not feel quietness in his belly, Job 20:20. He has not that ease in his own mind that people think he has, but is in continual agitation. The ill-gotten wealth which he has swallowed down makes him sick, and, like undigested meat, is always upbraiding him. Let none expect to enjoy that comfortably which they have gotten unjustly. The unquietness of his mind arises, (1.) From his conscience looking back, and filling him with the fear of the wrath of God against him for his wickedness. Even that wickedness which was sweet in the commission, and was rolled under the tongue as a delicate morsel, becomes bitter in the reflection, and, when it is reviewed, fills him with horror and vexation. In his bowels it is turned (Job 20:14) like John's book, in his mouth as sweet as honey, but, when he had eaten it, his belly was bitter, Rev 10:10. Such a thing is sin; it is turned into the gall of asps, than which nothing is more bitter, the poison of asps (Job 20:16), than which nothing more fatal, and so it will be to him; what he sucked so sweetly, and with so much pleasure, will prove to him the poison of asps; so will all unlawful gains be. The fawning tongue will prove the viper's tongue. All the charming graces that are thought to be in sin will, when conscience is awakened, turn into so many raging furies. (2.) From his cares, looking forward, Job 20:22. In the fulness of his sufficiency, when he thinks himself most happy, and most sure of the continuance of his happiness, he shall be in straits, that is, he shall think himself so, through the anxieties and perplexities of his own mind, as that rich man who, when his ground brought forth plentifully, cried out, What shall I do? Luk 12:17.
4.He shall be dispossessed of his estate; that shall sink and dwindle away to nothing, so that he shall not rejoice therein, Job 20:18. He shall not only never rejoice truly, but not long rejoice at all. (1.) What he has unjustly swallowed he shall be compelled to disgorge (Job 20:15): He swallowed down riches, and then thought himself sure of them, and that they were as much his own as the meat he had eaten; but he was deceived: he shall vomit them up again; his own conscience perhaps may make him so uneasy in the keeping of what he has gotten that, for the quiet of his own mind, he shall make restitution, and that not with the pleasure of a virtue, but the pain of a vomit, and with the utmost reluctancy. Or, if he do not himself refund what he has violently taken away, God will, by his providence, force him to it, and bring it about, one way or other, that ill-gotten goods shall return to the right owners: God shall cast them out of his belly, while yet the love of the sin is not cast out of his heart. So loud shall the clamours of the poor, whom he has impoverished, be against him, that he shall be forced to send his children to them to soothe them and beg their pardon (Job 20:10): His children shall seek to please the poor, while his own hands shall restore them their goods with shame (Job 20:18): That which he laboured for, by all the arts of oppression, shall he restore, and shall not so swallow it down as to digest it; it shall not stay with him, but according to his shame shall the restitution be; having gotten a great deal unjustly, he shall restore a great deal, so that when every one has his own he will have but little left for himself. To be made to restore what was unjustly gotten, by the sanctifying grace of God, as Zaccheus was, is a great mercy; he voluntarily and cheerfully restored four-fold, and yet had a great deal left to give to the poor, Luk 19:8. But to be forced to restore, as Judas was, merely by the horrors of a despairing conscience, has none of that benefit and comfort attending it, for he threw down the pieces of silver and went and hanged himself. (2.) He shall be stripped of all he has and become a beggar. He that spoiled others shall himself be spoiled (Isa 33:1); for every hand of the wicked shall be upon him. The innocent, whom he has wronged, sit down by their loss, saying, as David, Wickedness proceedeth from the wicked, but my hand shall not be upon him, Sa1 24:13. But though they have forgiven him, though they will make no reprisals, divine justice will, and often makes the wicked to avenge the quarrel of the righteous, and squeezes and crushes one bad man by the hand of another upon him. Thus, when he is plucked on all sides, he shall not save of that which he desired (Job 20:20), not only he shall not save it all, but he shall save nothing of it. There shall none of his meat (which he coveted so much, and fed upon with so much pleasure) be left, Job 20:21. All his neighbours and relations shall look upon him to be in such bad circumstances that, when he is dead, no man shall look for his goods, none of his kindred shall expect to be a penny the better for him, nor be willing to take out letters of administration for what he leaves behind him. In all this Zophar reflects upon Job, who had lost all and was reduced to the last extremity.
14. For the evil that he delights in he ‘spares,’ because he does not, by practising penance, hunt it down in himself. Whence too it is added; and forsake it not. For if he had the mind to ‘forsake,’ he would not ‘spare’ it, but would pursue it closely. Now he ‘keeps it within his throat;’ because he so retains it in thought, that he never utters it in speech.
“Their bones are full of marrow and will lie down in the dust with them.” By the “marrow” that is inside the bones, the author signifies prosperity. That is, from his former prosperity he will pass to a profound abasement, so that he will not be inferior to the dead.
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SUMMARY
Job 20:13, delivered within Zophar's second discourse, vividly illustrates the wicked individual's tenacious grip on sin, portraying it as a delightful morsel cherished and held within the mouth. This potent imagery underscores the deceptive allure and persistent embrace of evil, which, though initially perceived as sweet, is ultimately revealed as a source of bitter and destructive consequences. The verse encapsulates Zophar's rigid, albeit ultimately flawed, retribution theology, wherein suffering is presented as an immediate and direct outcome of unconfessed wickedness.
CONTEXT
Literary Context: Job 20:13 is situated within Zophar the Naamathite's final and most vehement speech (Job 20), a discourse characterized by its unyielding condemnation of the wicked and an unwavering commitment to the doctrine of immediate divine retribution. This verse directly builds upon the preceding verse, Job 20:12, which introduces the unsettling notion of the wicked person finding evil "sweet in his mouth." Verse 13 expands on this visceral metaphor, emphasizing the deliberate and persistent choice to cling to sin, thereby setting the stage for the inevitable reversal and bitter outcome detailed in Job 20:14-15. Zophar's speech, mirroring the arguments of Eliphaz and Bildad, serves to accuse Job of hidden iniquity, employing generalized principles about the fate of the wicked to explain Job's inexplicable suffering. This approach significantly advances the central theological debate of the book concerning the true nature of divine justice and the perplexing reality of undeserved suffering.
Historical & Cultural Context: The Book of Job is set in the ancient Near East, likely during a patriarchal era, although its precise historical dating remains a subject of scholarly debate. The cultural milieu is deeply rooted in wisdom traditions, which frequently grappled with profound questions concerning the relationship between righteousness, prosperity, and adversity. Zophar's arguments, along with those of Job's other companions, embody a prevalent "retribution theology" common in both ancient Israel and the broader ANE. This theological framework posits that God unfailingly blesses the righteous with prosperity and punishes the wicked with suffering. While this perspective finds echoes in covenant blessings and curses (e.g., Deuteronomy 28), the friends present it as an absolute, simplistic, and universally applicable rule, a premise that the overarching narrative of the Book of Job ultimately challenges, refines, and transcends. The vivid imagery of savoring food, as employed in this verse, was a widely understood metaphor for delight, enjoyment, or deep satisfaction across many ancient cultures.
Key Themes: This verse significantly contributes to several profound themes woven throughout the Book of Job. Firstly, it powerfully illustrates the deceptive nature of sin, portraying it as something initially "sweet" and desirable, yet inevitably leading to ruin and destruction. Secondly, it underscores the inherent human propensity to cling to evil, even when its destructive consequences become apparent, thereby emphasizing the deliberate and conscious choice involved in unrepentant sin. Thirdly, it serves as a stark example of the friends' rigid retribution theology, which dogmatically asserts that the wicked will invariably face swift and severe punishment—a framework they erroneously apply to Job's suffering. Lastly, by dramatically setting up the reversal of fortune described in the subsequent verses, Job 20:13 contributes to the overarching theme of divine justice and its ultimate triumph, even as it highlights the friends' flawed and limited understanding of God's complex ways and timing.
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Zophar masterfully employs powerful Imagery and Metaphor in Job 20:13 to construct a vivid and unsettling portrayal of the wicked person's relationship with sin. The central Metaphor is that of sin as a "sweet" morsel that is deliberately held and savored "within his mouth." This culinary imagery effectively communicates the idea that the wicked find immediate gratification and perverse pleasure in their evil deeds, relishing them as one would a delectable food. This creates a strong visual of an individual consciously prolonging the enjoyment of wrongdoing, unwilling to swallow or spit it out. The phrases "spare it, and forsake it not" further utilize Repetition of the idea of clinging and refusal to release, emphasizing the tenacity, intentionality, and deep-seated nature of the wicked person's embrace of sin. This combination of literary devices makes Zophar's description profoundly impactful, highlighting both the deceptive allure of sin and the deliberate choice of the sinner to embrace it, thereby setting up a dramatic contrast with the bitter consequences described in the subsequent verses.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Job 20:13, though articulated by Zophar with a flawed and misapplied judgment toward Job, offers profound and enduring insights into the insidious nature of sin and the depths of human depravity. The striking imagery of holding evil "within his mouth" speaks eloquently to the insidious way sin can become not merely tolerated, but deeply cherished and internalized. It powerfully highlights the deceptive, fleeting pleasure that sin often offers initially, making it exceedingly difficult for individuals to release its tenacious grip. This "savoring" of evil reveals a heart that is not merely susceptible to temptation but actively delights in wrongdoing, choosing to prolong its presence rather than expelling it through genuine repentance. The verse thus serves as a timeless and urgent warning about the alluring power and tenacious hold of unrepentant sin, underscoring the universal truth that what may seem sweet and gratifying in the moment ultimately leads to bitter, destructive, and eternal consequences—a truth consistently affirmed and elaborated upon throughout the broader narrative of Scripture.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
The vivid imagery of Job 20:13, depicting the wicked person clinging to sin as a sweet morsel, serves as a powerful and convicting mirror for profound self-examination. While Zophar misapplied this truth to Job's blameless suffering, the underlying principle of a heart that savors evil remains profoundly relevant for all believers. This verse urgently challenges us to honestly confront the "sweet" sins, cherished habits, or hidden idols we might be holding onto, stubbornly refusing to "forsake" them, even when we know they are harmful, destructive, or directly contrary to God's holy will. It compels us to consider if there are areas in our lives where we are prolonging the perceived pleasure of wrongdoing, rather than decisively spitting it out in radical repentance and turning to Christ. True spiritual health, deep freedom, and authentic joy come not from clinging to the temporary, deceptive delights of sin, but from a decisive and continuous turning away from it, allowing God's transforming grace to cleanse, renew, and reorient our deepest desires towards righteousness. It is a profound call to a life of uncompromised integrity, where our inward disposition genuinely aligns with our outward confession, and where our ultimate delight is found in God's perfect righteousness, not in the fleeting and ultimately bitter pleasures of disobedience.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Is Zophar's assessment of the wicked person always accurate in the Bible?
Answer: While Zophar's description of a person tenaciously clinging to and savoring sin is a powerful and accurate portrayal of the human heart's propensity towards depravity, his application of this principle to Job is ultimately flawed within the broader narrative of the Book of Job. Zophar, like Job's other friends, operates under a rigid retribution theology, which simplistically assumes that all suffering is a direct and immediate consequence of specific, unconfessed sin. The book of Job itself profoundly challenges this simplistic view, demonstrating that righteous individuals can indeed suffer without having committed hidden iniquities. Therefore, while the vivid imagery of savoring sin is universally true about the nature of unrepentant evil and its allure, Zophar's specific judgment on Job based on this premise is shown to be incorrect and an oversimplification of God's complex and sovereign ways.
How does this verse relate to the concept of "delighting in sin"?
Answer: Job 20:13 directly and powerfully relates to the concept of "delighting in sin" through its vivid and visceral imagery of keeping evil "within his mouth." This phrase transcends mere temptation or occasional transgression; it signifies a deep, internal pleasure, satisfaction, and even enjoyment derived from wrongdoing. To "keep it still within his mouth" implies an active savoring, a deliberate prolongation of the experience, and an unwillingness to let it go. This stands in stark contrast to the righteous person who "delights in the law of the Lord" (Psalm 1:2). The verse highlights that the wicked person finds a perverse enjoyment and satisfaction in their sin, making it a cherished possession rather than something to be expelled, which ultimately leads to their inevitable downfall and destruction.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Job 20:13, with its stark imagery of the wicked clinging to and savoring sin, finds its ultimate contrast, profound resolution, and redemptive fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Fallen humanity, in its inherent depravity, is tragically prone to "keep" sin "within its mouth," finding a deceptive and fleeting sweetness in rebellion against God's holy commands, precisely as described in this poignant verse. However, Jesus, the perfect Lamb of God, never savored sin; He was utterly "without sin" (Hebrews 4:15) and lived a life of perfect, unwavering obedience to the Father's will. He did not cling to the allure of earthly power, personal comfort, or fleeting pleasure, but instead, "emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant" (Philippians 2:7) and courageously bore the full, bitter weight of humanity's sin on the cross. He became sin for us, though He knew no sin, so that "in him we might become the righteousness of God" (2 Corinthians 5:21). Through His atoning sacrifice and the empowering work of the Holy Spirit, believers are now enabled to "put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires" (Ephesians 4:22), effectively "spitting out" the cherished sin that once held them captive. In Christ, we are truly freed from sin's dominion, no longer compelled to savor its fleeting pleasures, but wonderfully enabled to delight in righteousness and live a life pleasing to God (Romans 6:11-14).