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Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Job 20:10–22. His three-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
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.
Historical interpretation
Six Centuries of Reception
3 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
Select a marker to jump to its quote. Markers stagger vertically where authors wrote within a few decades of each other.
They have theories that are not sweet but as the gall of asps, that is, evil; and those theories come from the wine of their doctrine. "For their wine comes from the vine of Sodom." The gall of asps is in the belly of the heretics and those who declare impious dogmas contrary to truth.
15. What bread is in the belly, the same is fulness of earthly gratification in the mind. So let the hypocrite now be filled to the full with the praises tendered him, let him revel in honours, ‘his bread in his belly is turned into the gall of asps,’ because the fulness of transitory enjoyment, in the final Retribution, will be turned to bitterness, in that what here passed for the praise of greatness is discovered to have been ‘the gall of asps,’ i.e. the prompting of evil spirits. For the wicked then perceive that they are infected with the venom of the old serpent, when, being delivered over to avenging flames, they are tormented along with that prompter of theirs. And so this ‘bread’ has one sort of taste in the mouth, and another in the belly, in that the joy of transitory pleasure is sweet, while it is tasted here by a chewing of teeth, as it were, but it turns bitter in the belly, because when the joy is past it is swallowed to his ruing.
16. Or indeed forasmuch as bread is not unsuitably taken for the sense of the Holy Scriptures, which refreshes the mind and furnishes it with the sinews of right practice, and the hypocrite generally makes it his object to be well instructed in the mysteries of Holy Writ, not that he may live by them, but that it may appear to the rest of the world how learned he is, his ‘bread in his bowels is turned into the gall of asps,’ in that whilst he boasts of the knowledge of the Sacred Law, he converts the draught of life into a cup of poison to himself, and dies in a state of reprobation from the same cause, whence he appeared to derive instruction unto life. Nor is this again unfitly taken to be the meaning, that while the hypocrite sometimes applies himself to the word of instruction for display, being blinded by God’s judgment, he takes in a wrong sense that very word which he seeks in a wrong spirit. But when he falls into heretical error, it is his fate, that as by the ‘gall of asps,’ so the unhappy wretch perishes by ‘bread;’ and in his own self instruction he finds death, because in the words of life he never sought life. But it often happens that the sentences of divine warning, even if they be understood rightly by the hypocrite, forasmuch as he neglects to observe them in practice, are lost to him even before the course of the present life is at an end, so that it is taken from him to know, what while he knew he refused to practise.
“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 20:14 presents a stark and visceral image from Zophar the Naamathite's second discourse, asserting the ultimate futility and self-destructive nature of the wicked's prosperity. Through a powerful metaphor, Zophar contends that what the unrighteous consume for their gain or pleasure—their "meat"—will inevitably turn into a deadly, corrosive poison within them. This symbolizes the internal bitterness, agony, and spiritual decay that accompanies ill-gotten wealth and unrepentant sin, demonstrating that even if outward success is temporarily maintained, true prosperity is corrupted from within.
Context
Literary Context
This verse is embedded within Zophar's second and final speech to Job, found in Job chapter 20. Following Eliphaz and Bildad, Zophar enters the debate with an impassioned, almost vitriolic, defense of the traditional retribution theology. He argues vehemently that the triumph of the wicked is exceedingly brief, like a dream that vanishes upon waking, as detailed in Job 20:5-8. Zophar insists that the wicked's ill-gotten gains will not bring them lasting satisfaction or benefit; rather, divine judgment will consume them from within. Verse 14 serves as a particularly vivid expression of this internal corruption, building on earlier assertions that the wicked's abundance will not endure and their children will suffer (Job 20:10-13). This graphic imagery underscores Zophar's conviction that the consequences of wickedness are inherent to the sin itself, leading inevitably to self-destruction and internal torment.
Historical & Cultural Context
The Book of Job is set in the ancient Near East, a region where divine justice and the relationship between human conduct and divine favor were central concerns. In this cultural milieu, health, prosperity, and a long life were often seen as direct indicators of God's blessing and righteousness, while suffering, illness, and misfortune were commonly attributed to sin. Zophar's perspective reflects this prevailing wisdom tradition, where a strict cause-and-effect relationship between sin and suffering was assumed. The imagery of "gall of asps" would have been immediately understood by an ancient audience as a reference to a highly potent and deadly snake venom, likely from a cobra or viper, known for its swift and agonizing effects. This highlights the cultural understanding of poisons as agents of internal destruction, a fitting metaphor for the perceived internal consequences of divine judgment on the wicked. The concept of internal corruption as a form of divine retribution was deeply ingrained in the worldview of the time.
Key Themes
Zophar's speech, and specifically Job 20:14, contributes to several major themes within the Book of Job, even as his application to Job is ultimately flawed. Firstly, it emphasizes the Illusory Prosperity of the wicked. What appears to be beneficial or nourishing ("meat") is ultimately deceptive, turning into a source of harm and destruction. This theme challenges superficial understandings of success and material gain. Secondly, the verse powerfully illustrates Internal Corruption. The poison originates not from an external attack, but "in his bowels" and "within him," signifying that the consequences of wickedness are inherent to the sin itself, leading to self-inflicted decay and spiritual emptiness. This internal decay is a profound aspect of divine justice. Thirdly, Zophar's words underscore a rigid view of Divine Retribution, asserting that God's justice ensures the wicked will face severe and inescapable judgment, often manifesting as internal misery and decay, regardless of outward appearances. This concept resonates with other wisdom literature, such as Psalm 73:18-19, which speaks of the wicked being set in slippery places and suddenly consumed by terrors.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This word fundamentally means "bread" or "food," referring to sustenance, nourishment, or anything consumed for benefit. In this context, it symbolizes the gains, pleasures, or material wealth acquired by the wicked. The profound irony lies in the fact that what is intended for life and satisfaction becomes, through divine judgment or inherent consequence, an agent of death and destruction.
This primitive root signifies "to turn about or over," implying a radical change, reversal, or perversion. Here, it describes the complete transformation of the "meat" from something beneficial into something harmful. It's not merely digested, but fundamentally altered in its nature, indicating a divine or inherent reversal of expected outcome, where what was sought for good becomes evil.
This powerful phrase combines "gall" (H4846), meaning bitterness, bile, or venom, with "asps" (H6620), referring to a highly venomous serpent, likely a cobra. Together, they vividly depict a lethal, agonizing poison. This imagery is not merely about physical sickness but represents the spiritual and moral decay, the intense bitterness, and the destructive, fatal consequences that consume the wicked from within, as their ill-gotten gains become a source of torment and death.
Verse Breakdown
"Yet his meat in his bowels is turned"
This clause introduces the central metaphor of the verse. The "meat" (representing ill-gotten gains, unrighteous pleasures, or sustenance acquired through wicked means) is not merely consumed but undergoes a radical, internal transformation. The phrase "is turned" (from the verb hâphak) implies a complete reversal or perversion, where something intended for nourishment becomes its antithesis—a source of corruption and death. This turning happens "in his bowels" (H4578, referring to the intestines or inner being), signifying that the destructive consequences are not external but deeply internal, affecting the very core of the wicked person's being.
"[it is] the gall of asps within him"
This second clause explicitly identifies the nature of the transformation and its devastating effect. The "meat" has become "the gall of asps," a deadly, bitter poison. The "gall of asps" is a vivid and terrifying image of potent venom, emphasizing the agonizing and fatal nature of the internal corruption. The repetition of "within him" (H7130, referring to the innermost part or heart) reinforces the idea that the source of destruction is not merely an external judgment but the inherent, self-destructive nature of the wicked's choices and gains, which ultimately consume them from the inside out, leading to profound misery and spiritual death.
Literary Devices
The primary literary device employed in Job 20:14 is Metaphor. Zophar uses the vivid and repulsive image of food turning into snake venom within the body to represent the spiritual and moral consequences of wickedness. The "meat" is a metaphor for the temporary gains, fleeting pleasures, or ill-gotten wealth of the wicked, while the "gall of asps" metaphorically represents the intense bitterness, internal agony, and destructive judgment that these unrighteous acquisitions ultimately bring. This metaphor is highly effective due to its visceral nature, evoking a strong sense of internal corruption, suffering, and inevitable decay. The verse also employs powerful Imagery, creating a repulsive and unsettling picture of internal decay that underscores the severity of Zophar's warning and the inherent destructiveness of sin. Furthermore, there is an element of Irony, as what is consumed for sustenance and enjoyment becomes the very agent of destruction, highlighting the deceptive and self-defeating nature of sin and unrighteous prosperity.
Theological and Thematic Connections
While Zophar's application of retribution theology to Job's suffering was ultimately flawed and incomplete, the principle articulated in Job 20:14 holds profound theological truth regarding the nature of sin and its inherent consequences. The verse powerfully illustrates that sin, particularly that which seeks self-enrichment or pleasure at the expense of righteousness, carries within it the seeds of its own destruction. What might appear outwardly beneficial or pleasurable—the "meat" of ill-gotten gains—is, in reality, a corrosive agent that brings internal bitterness, spiritual emptiness, and ultimate ruin. This internal decay is not merely a punishment inflicted from without, but an intrinsic result of choosing unrighteousness, demonstrating that true prosperity is not found in material accumulation but in spiritual integrity and alignment with God's ways. The deceptive nature of sin means its temporary sweetness inevitably turns into a bitter, deadly poison within the soul.
Reflection and Application
Job 20:14 serves as a potent reminder that the pursuit of gain or pleasure through unrighteous means, while seemingly satisfying in the short term, inevitably leads to internal bitterness and spiritual decay. It challenges us to look beyond superficial appearances of success and to discern the true nature of what we "consume" in our lives—whether it be wealth, power, fleeting pleasures, or even unhealthy relationships. The verse warns that compromising integrity, engaging in deceit, or accumulating unjustly acquired possessions will not bring lasting peace or satisfaction, but rather an internal "gall of asps" that poisons the soul, leading to deep-seated regret, anxiety, and spiritual emptiness. For believers, this underscores the call to seek righteousness, integrity, and a clear conscience before God, understanding that genuine, enduring prosperity is found in spiritual well-being and a life lived in accordance with divine wisdom, rather than in the deceptive allure of ill-gotten gains. It calls us to examine our motivations and methods, ensuring that our pursuits nourish our souls rather than corrupt them.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Was Zophar entirely wrong in his assessment of the wicked?
While Zophar's application of his theology to Job's specific situation was incorrect (Job was righteous, not wicked, and his suffering had a different divine purpose), the general principle he articulates about the ultimate fate of the wicked and the internal consequences of sin holds profound truth. The Bible consistently teaches that unrighteousness, though it may bring temporary gain and outward prosperity, ultimately leads to destruction, misery, and spiritual decay. Zophar's error was in assuming a direct, immediate, and visible cause-and-effect relationship between sin and suffering in every individual case, failing to account for God's sovereign purposes and the complexities of human suffering, as seen in Job's innocent affliction. His vivid description of the internal decay of the wicked, however, aligns with broader biblical wisdom that warns against the deceptive nature of sin and ill-gotten gain, as seen in Proverbs 1:32 or the entire narrative of Psalm 73.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Job 20:14, with its vivid portrayal of internal corruption and the self-destructive nature of sin, finds its ultimate answer and fulfillment in Jesus Christ. Humanity, in its fallen state, has indeed consumed the "meat" of sin—the deceptive allure of autonomy, self-gratification, and worldly gain—resulting in an internal "gall of asps" that poisons the heart, separates from God, and leads to spiritual death (Romans 3:23). This internal bitterness and spiritual death are the just wages of sin (Romans 6:23). However, Christ came not to condemn, but to offer true sustenance and life. He is the Bread of Life, whose flesh is true food and whose blood is true drink, offering eternal life to those who partake of Him (John 6:53-58). Through His atoning sacrifice on the cross, Jesus took upon Himself the full bitterness and poison of humanity's sin, becoming a curse for us, enduring the ultimate "gall of asps" so that we might be redeemed (Galatians 3:13). He transforms the heart of stone, removing the internal poison of sin and replacing it with His Spirit, leading to true righteousness, spiritual nourishment, and abundant life (Ezekiel 36:26-27). Thus, what sin turns into death, Christ transforms into eternal life, offering a divine antidote to the "gall of asps" within us and providing the only true, uncorrupted sustenance for the soul.