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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
Two Centuries of Reception
2 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 will not rejoice on the division of the rivers, the streams flowing with honey and curds.” These words mean that those rivers were divided on Mount Calvary, and the streams derived from the rivers signify the gifts of the Spirit communicated by the revelation of the Gospel.
20. The Lord saith in the Gospel; He that believeth in Me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. [John 7, 38. 39.] Where the Evangelist subjoins, saying, But this spake He of the Spirit, which they that believe on Him should receive. And so ‘the streamlets of the river’ are the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Charity is ‘a streamlet of the river,’ faith is ‘a streamlet of the river,’ hope is ‘a streamlet of the river.’ But because no hypocrite ever loves either God or his neighbour, when he makes the transitory glory of the world his aim, he does not see the streamlets of the river, in that he is not watered with the overflowing of charity. Whereas the hypocrite goes after present gains, he disregards future blessings, and not having faith, he sees not in the mind ‘the streamlet of the river,’ inasmuch as faith is the evidence of things not seen. [Heb. 11, 1] And while the hypocrite clings to the things that are seen, he makes light of those, which are not seen, therefore he does not see the ‘streamlets of the river’ in desire, in that he is taken up with visible things alone. And it is written, For what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? [Rom. 8, 24] He then would have seen ‘streamlets of the river’ if he had shut his eyes to the glory of this world, and opened them to the love of the heavenly country. And observe that he does not say ‘streams,’ but ‘streamlets.’ For the ‘streamlets of the river’ may be taken for those spiritual gifts, which trickle in such fine streams from heavenly sources into the soul of him that loveth, that they can never be compassed by the mouth of the flesh. For it is often the case that the spirit of him that loves is filled with such a mighty gift of contemplation, that it has power to see what it has not power to utter. Now the ‘torrent river’ is the inundation of the Holy Spirit itself, which in exuberant outpouring is gathered in the soul of him in contemplation, when his mind is full beyond what he is able to comprehend. And it is necessary to be known, that when the grace of the Holy Spirit bathes us, it fills us with ‘honey and butter’ equally. For ‘honey’ falls from above, but ‘butter’ is drawn from the milk of animals, and so ‘honey’ is from the air, ‘butter’ from the flesh. But the Only-begotten Son of the Most High Father, while He is God above all things, was made Man one among all things. Who when he replenished us with the sweetness of His Divine Nature and the mystery of His Incarnation, satisfied us with ‘honey and butter’ at once. And so seeing that the Holy Spirit rejoices the soul It has filled, at once with the sweetness of His divinity and the belief of His Incarnation, these are described as ‘the streamlets of the torrent river of honey and butter’ together, in that they both refresh the soul with sweetness by the exalted knowledge of God, and anoint it with the mystery of the Benefit [Charismatis] by the grace of the Incarnation. But whereas this hypocrite, being dissipated in outward regards, does not taste these interior gifts, he adjoins to what after punishments he is tending.
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Summary
Job 20:17 articulates Zophar's unwavering conviction regarding the inevitable and severe judgment awaiting the wicked. In this verse, he vividly declares that those who live in defiance of God will be utterly deprived of the choicest and most abundant blessings, symbolized by the rich imagery of "rivers, floods, the brooks of honey and butter." This pronouncement serves as a stark counterpoint to any temporary prosperity the wicked might enjoy, underscoring their ultimate and complete denial of true, lasting delight and divine favor, a deprivation far more profound than any material loss.
Context
Literary Context
Job 20:17 is a forceful declaration embedded within Zophar the Naamathite's second and final speech, found in Job 20. Throughout the dialogues, Zophar, like his companions Eliphaz and Bildad, operates from a rigid retribution theology, asserting that suffering is always a direct consequence of sin, and prosperity is an immediate reward for righteousness. In this discourse, Zophar aggressively defends divine justice by painting a detailed and often exaggerated portrait of the wicked person's fleeting success and their ultimate, comprehensive downfall. His argument directly challenges Job's persistent claims of innocence and his lamentations over his undeserved suffering, implying that Job's plight must stem from unconfessed sin. The verse in question serves as a climactic assertion of the wicked's ultimate deprivation, reinforcing Zophar's conviction that God's justice is absolute and that the apparent prosperity of the unrighteous is transient, invariably leading to a complete reversal of fortune and a denial of all true blessings.
Historical & Cultural Context
The potent imagery of "rivers, floods, the brooks of honey and butter" would have resonated profoundly with an ancient Near Eastern audience. In a predominantly arid region, stable water sources like "rivers" (pᵉlaggâh), "floods" (or wadis, nâhâr), and "brooks" (nachal) were synonymous with life, fertility, and sustained prosperity. The absence of such water meant desolation, famine, and death. "Honey" (dᵉbash) and "butter" (chemʼâh, often referring to curds or rich milk products) were highly prized luxury items, representing the richest produce of the land and ultimate abundance. This combination of imagery powerfully evokes the biblical description of the promised land as a "land flowing with milk and honey" (e.g., Exodus 3:8), which was the epitome of divine blessing, fertility, and provision. By stating the wicked "shall not see" these things, Zophar asserts their complete and irreversible denial of such ultimate, lasting blessing, regardless of any temporary earthly acquisitions they might gain.
Key Themes
This verse significantly contributes to several prominent themes within the book of Job and broader wisdom literature. Firstly, it underscores the theme of Divine Retribution and Justice, albeit from Zophar's limited and ultimately flawed perspective. He asserts that God will inevitably punish the wicked by withholding His choicest blessings, aligning with a common, though often oversimplified, understanding of divine justice in the ancient world. Secondly, it highlights the Transience of Wicked Prosperity, arguing that any success enjoyed by the unrighteous is superficial and short-lived, inevitably leading to a complete downfall. This stands in stark contrast to Job's experience and his insistence on his blamelessness despite his suffering. Thirdly, the verse explores the Nature of True Blessing, suggesting that genuine, lasting satisfaction and abundance come from God's favor and provision, not from material accumulation alone. Zophar's argument, though misapplied to Job, reflects a biblical principle found in other wisdom texts, such as the contrast between the righteous and the wicked in Psalm 1. The friends' consistent emphasis on a direct, immediate correlation between sin and suffering is a central theological tension throughout the book, ultimately challenged and refined by God's own discourse in Job 38-41.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
A primitive root meaning to see, literally or figuratively, with numerous applications including discerning, perceiving, experiencing, or enjoying. In this context, "shall not see" implies a complete lack of access to, experience of, or benefit from the promised blessings, extending beyond mere visual perception to a total deprivation.
From a root meaning "to divide," this term refers to a runlet, gully, or division, often used to describe smaller streams or channels, or even divisions of water. While "rivers" can denote large waterways, here, in conjunction with "floods" and "brooks," it contributes to a comprehensive picture of all forms of water sources, emphasizing the complete absence of life-giving and fertile provisions.
From an unused root meaning "to be gummy," this word denotes honey (from its stickiness) or, by analogy, syrup. It was a highly valued, sweet, and luxurious food item in the ancient world, symbolizing the best produce of the land, richness, and delight. Its presence signified abundance and prosperity.
This term refers to curdled milk or cheese, or butter. Like honey, it was a highly prized and nourishing food item, emblematic of the richness, fertility, and choicest provisions of the land. It represented a life of ease, plenty, and the bounty of God's creation.
Verse Breakdown
"He shall not see"
This initial phrase immediately establishes the theme of ultimate denial and deprivation. The wicked individual, despite any temporary gains or apparent success, will be fundamentally cut off from the most significant and life-sustaining sources of blessing. "Not see" implies not merely a lack of visual access, but a complete inability to experience, possess, benefit from, or truly enjoy these ultimate provisions. It speaks to a profound and irreversible exclusion.
"the rivers, the floods, the brooks"
This expands upon the initial statement, using a progression from larger to smaller water sources. "Rivers" (pᵉlaggâh) can refer to channels or runlets, "floods" (nâhâr) can denote perennial streams or even large rivers, and "brooks" (nachal) typically refer to wadis or winter torrents. The cumulative effect of these terms is to emphasize a comprehensive and absolute denial of all forms of water-related abundance, from the grandest, most consistent sources to the smallest, seasonal trickles. This signifies a total lack of life-giving resources and fertility, leading to desolation.
"of honey and butter"
This final phrase specifies the nature of the abundance being denied, moving from water sources to agricultural bounty. "Honey and butter" are rich, luxurious, and highly desirable food items, emblematic of the choicest produce and ultimate prosperity. Their inclusion signifies that the wicked will be deprived not just of basic sustenance, but of the very best, most delightful, and most satisfying aspects of life—those blessings often associated with divine favor and a land of plenty. This completes the picture of total deprivation, encompassing both vital resources and luxurious comforts.
Literary Devices
Job 20:17 is rich in Symbolism and Imagery. The "rivers, floods, and brooks" are not merely literal bodies of water but powerful symbols of life, sustenance, fertility, and comprehensive abundance in an arid land. Similarly, "honey and butter" symbolize the choicest provisions, luxury, and the epitome of delight and prosperity, echoing the biblical ideal of the Promised Land. The phrase employs Merism by listing various water sources (rivers, floods, brooks) to convey the totality of water-related blessings, from the largest to the smallest, indicating a complete and utter deprivation. The statement "He shall not see..." functions as a form of Metonymy or Synecdoche, where "seeing" stands for experiencing, possessing, and enjoying. The overall effect is one of Hyperbole, as Zophar exaggerates the extent of the wicked's ultimate denial to underscore his point about their inevitable and complete downfall, painting a vivid and stark picture of their future desolation.
Theological and Thematic Connections
While Zophar's application of this principle to Job's suffering was ultimately flawed and condemned by God (Job 42:7), the underlying theological truth about the ultimate fate of the wicked and the nature of true blessing holds significant weight within biblical theology. The verse, through its vivid imagery of deprivation, affirms the principle that God is just and that lasting prosperity and genuine satisfaction are not found in wickedness or temporary earthly gains. It points to a divine order where ultimate, enduring blessings are withheld from those who persist in unrighteousness, even if their judgment is not immediately apparent. This perspective aligns with the broader wisdom tradition that often contrasts the fleeting success of the wicked with the enduring blessedness of the righteous, encouraging trust in God's sovereign justice and His provision of true, spiritual riches.
Reflection and Application
Job 20:17, despite its context in Zophar's flawed argument, serves as a powerful reminder for believers today about the nature of true blessedness and the fleeting illusion of worldly prosperity. It challenges us not to be swayed or discouraged by the temporary successes of those who disregard God's ways, for their apparent abundance is ultimately hollow and unsustainable. Instead, it calls us to re-evaluate our own pursuits, encouraging us to seek lasting treasures and genuine satisfaction that are rooted in God's eternal provisions rather than in transient earthly gains. The "rivers, floods, the brooks of honey and butter" that truly matter are the spiritual blessings and eternal life found in Christ, which far surpass any temporary prosperity the world can offer. This verse encourages a steadfast trust in God's ultimate justice, reminding us that while the timing of divine judgment may not always align with human expectations, God's perfect righteousness ensures that wickedness will not go unpunished and that true, lasting blessings are reserved for those who honor Him. It prompts us to consider where our ultimate hope and security truly lie, guiding us away from the deceptive allure of worldly success and towards the enduring richness of a life lived in communion with God.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Is Zophar's statement in Job 20:17 entirely true, or is it flawed?
Zophar's statement contains a kernel of truth but is flawed in its rigid application to Job's specific situation. The underlying principle that the wicked will ultimately be deprived of true, lasting blessing is affirmed throughout Scripture (e.g., Psalm 1:4-6), and their prosperity is often described as fleeting and illusory (Psalm 73:18-20). However, Zophar, like Job's other friends, misapplies this principle by assuming that all suffering is a direct and immediate consequence of sin, and therefore Job's suffering must be due to hidden wickedness. The book of Job ultimately demonstrates that God's ways are more complex than the friends' simplistic retribution theology allows, and that suffering can serve purposes beyond immediate punishment. So, the statement is true as a general principle of divine justice regarding ultimate outcomes, but false as an explanation for Job's specific, blameless suffering.
What do "honey and butter" symbolize in this verse and other biblical texts?
In Job 20:17 and throughout the Bible, "honey and butter" (or milk/curds) symbolize the choicest, most abundant, and most luxurious provisions of the land. They represent a state of extreme fertility, prosperity, and delight. This imagery is most famously used to describe the Promised Land as a "land flowing with milk and honey" (Exodus 3:8, Deuteronomy 27:3), signifying ultimate divine blessing and a life of ease and plenty under God's favor. Therefore, the denial of "honey and butter" to the wicked signifies a complete deprivation of true satisfaction, lasting joy, and the richest blessings that come from God, emphasizing their ultimate spiritual and material destitution.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
While Zophar's words in Job 20:17 speak of the wicked being denied earthly abundance, their ultimate and profound fulfillment is found in the spiritual realities offered through Jesus Christ. The "rivers, floods, and brooks of honey and butter" that the wicked "shall not see" foreshadow the true, eternal satisfaction and life-giving sustenance that are exclusively found in Christ. Worldly prosperity, even at its most luxurious, is fleeting and ultimately leaves the soul thirsty and hungry. Jesus, however, declares Himself to be the "bread of life" (John 6:35) and offers "living water" (John 4:14) that truly satisfies the deepest longings of the human heart. The ultimate "land flowing with milk and honey" is not a physical place but the new creation, the eternal kingdom of God, where God dwells with His people and there will be no more sorrow or pain (Revelation 21:1-4). Those who reject Christ, the very source of all true spiritual abundance and eternal life, will indeed be denied access to these eternal "rivers of life" and the "honey and butter" of God's glorious presence, experiencing instead an ultimate and eternal spiritual deprivation that far outweighs any temporary earthly loss. In Christ, believers find enduring joy, peace, and an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for them (1 Peter 1:4).