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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 20:23–29. His two-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
Zophar, having described the many embarrassments and vexations which commonly attend the wicked practices of oppressors and cruel men, here comes to show their utter ruin at last.
I.Their ruin will take its rise from God's wrath and vengeance, Job 20:23.
The hand of the wicked was upon him (Job 20:22), every hand of the wicked. His hand was against every one, and therefore every man's hand will be against him. Yet, in grappling with these, he might go near to make his part good; but his heart cannot endure, nor his hands be strong, when God shall deal with him (Eze 22:14), when God shall cast the fury of his wrath upon him and rain it upon him. Every word here speaks terror. It is not only the justice of God that is engaged against him, but his wrath, the deep resentment of provocations given to himself; it is the fury of his wrath, incensed to the highest degree; it is cast upon him with force and fierceness; it is rained upon him in abundance; it comes on his head like the fire and brimstone upon Sodom, to which the psalmist also refers, Psa 11:6. On the wicked God shall rain fire and brimstone. There is no fence against this, but in Christ, who is the only covert from the storm and tempest, Isa 32:2. This wrath shall be cast upon him when he is about to fill his belly, just going to glut himself with what he has gotten and promising himself abundant satisfaction in it. Then, when he is eating, shall this tempest surprise him, when he is secure and easy, and in apprehension of no danger; as the ruin of the old world and Sodom came when they were in the depth of their security and the height of their sensuality, as Christ observes, Luk 17:26, etc. Perhaps Zophar here reflects on the death of Job's children when they were eating and drinking.
II.Their ruin will be inevitable, and there will be no possibility of escaping it (Job 20:24):
He shall flee from the iron weapon. Flight argues guilt. He will not humble himself under the judgments of God, nor seek means to make his peace with him. All his care is to escape the vengeance that pursues him, but in vain: if he escape the sword, yet the bow of steel shall strike him through. God has weapons of all sorts; he has both whet his sword and bent his bow (Psa 7:12, Psa 7:13); he can deal with his enemies cominus vel eminus - at hand or afar off. He has a sword for those that think to fight it out with him by their strength, and a bow for those that think to avoid him by their craft. See Isa 24:17, Isa 24:18; Jer 48:43, Jer 48:44. He that is marked for ruin, though he may escape one judgment, will find another ready for him.
III.It will be a total terrible ruin.
When the dart that has struck him through (for when God shoots he is sure to hit his mark, when he strikes he strikes home) comes to be drawn out of his body, when the glittering sword (the lightning, so the word is), the flaming sword, the sword that is bathed in heaven (Isa 34:5), comes out of his gall, O what terrors are upon him! How strong are the convulsions, how violent are the dying agonies! How terrible are the arrests of death to a wicked man!
IV.Sometimes it is a ruin that comes upon him insensibly, Job 20:26.
1.The darkness he is wrapped up in is a hidden darkness: it is all darkness, utter darkness, without the least mixture of light, and it is hid in his secret place, whither he has retreated and where he hopes to shelter himself; he never retires into his own conscience but he finds himself in the dark and utterly at a loss.
2.The fire he is consumed by is a fire not blown, kindled without noise, a consumption which every body sees the effect of, but nobody sees the cause of. It is plain that the gourd is withered, but the worm at the root, that causes it to wither, is out of sight. He is wasted by a soft gentle fire - surely, but very slowly. When the fuel is very combustible, the fire needs no blowing, and that is his case; he is ripe for ruin. The proud, and those that do wickedly, shall be stubble, Mal 4:1. An unquenchable fire shall consume him (so some read it), and that is certainly true of hell-fire.
V.It is a ruin, not only to himself, but to his family:
It shall go ill with him that is left in his tabernacle, for the curse shall reach him, and he shall be cut off perhaps by the same grievous disease. There is an entail of wrath upon the family, which will destroy both his heirs and his inheritance, Job 20:28.
1.His posterity will be rooted out: The increase of his house shall depart, shall either be cut off by untimely deaths or forced to run their country. Numerous and growing families, if wicked and vile, are soon reduced, dispersed, and extirpated, by the judgments of God.
2.His estate will be sunk. His goods shall flow away from his family as fast as ever they flowed into it, when the day of God's wrath comes, for which, all the while his estate was in the getting by fraud and oppression, he was treasuring up wrath.
VI.It is a ruin which will manifestly appear to be just and righteous, and what he has brought upon himself by his own wickedness; for (Job 20:27) the heaven shall reveal his iniquity, that is, the God of heaven, who sees all the secret wickedness of the wicked, will, by some means or other, let all the world know what a base man he has been, that they may own the justice of God in all that is brought upon him. The earth also shall rise up against him, both to discover his wickedness and to avenge it. The earth shall disclose her blood, Isa 26:21. The earth will rise up against him (as the stomach rises against that which is loathsome), and will no longer keep him. The heaven reveals his iniquity, and therefore will not receive him. Whither then must he go but to hell? If the God of heaven and earth be his enemy, neither heaven nor earth will show him any kindness, but all the hosts of both are and will be at war with him.
VII.Zophar concludes like an orator (Job 20:29):
This is the portion of a wicked man from God; it is allotted him, it is designed him, as his portion. He will have it at last, as a child has his portion, and he will have it for a perpetuity; it is what he must abide by: This is the heritage of his decree from God; it is the settled rule of his judgment, and fair warning is given of it. O wicked man! thou shalt surely die, Eze 33:8. Though impenitent sinners do not always fall under such temporal judgments as are here described (therein Zophar was mistaken), yet the wrath of God abides upon them, and they are made miserable by spiritual judgments, which are much worse, their consciences being either, on the one hand, a terror to them, and then they are in continual amazement, or, on the other hand, seared and silenced, and then they are given up to a reprobate sense and bound over to eternal ruin. Never was any doctrine better explained, or worse applied, than this by Zophar, who intended by all this to prove Job a hypocrite. Let us receive the good explication, and make a better application, for warning to ourselves to stand in awe and not to sin.
Historical interpretation
Four 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.
[The wrath of God strikes] both the circumcised, who act impiously against Christ, and the heretic and indeed any who are ungodly. The retribution of each is according to what has been shown above. Do you understand who is the overseer mentioned here? God is called “overseer,” and his bishops must endeavor in every way to put into practice his model, if they are good. And as one who emulates a royal model is honored, because he has emulated it in a proper way, so the blessed bishop who meditates upon the true bishop and imitates him also becomes like a god among humans. He really has in himself that bishop and has made himself a bishop in Jesus Christ.
“Let a day of wrath come upon him. This is the portion for the ungodly man from the Lord, and the possession of his goods appointed him by the all-seeing God.” Since he did not recognize the benevolence of God while he possessed his goods, the fullness of wrath is given him as his property and reward. Therefore the bishops, when they hear in holy Scripture that God is invoked with this name, must protect the dignity of his name by taking care of the safety of their herd with watchful guard and faith, being irreprehensible in life and adorned with doctrine.
39. For if, while placed in this life, he had been minded to act rightly, he would have had for his ‘portion’ with the Lord fellowship in the kingdom of heaven; but because he chose to be subjected to bad desires, his ‘portion from the Lord’ he found in torment, because he did not seek to obtain a share in the grace of that Lord. But it is well said, And the heritage of his words from the Lord. For he that is immersed in punishment for enormous deeds of wickedness perchance it was thought would never be judged for the words which he had spoken amiss. But when the strict justice of Almighty God exacts punishment from lost sinners for their froward deeds, it renders evil things to them even to the recompensing of their words, that they who are debtors for great transgressions, being consigned to punishment, may pay even the very last farthing. For they are spared the least misdemeanours, who rigorously lamented the greater evils in themselves. And those whom great sins weigh down even the very least alike put to pain in hell. Now holy men desire not to receive a portion from the Lord, but to have the Lord Himself for their portion. Hence the Prophet prays, saying, God is my portion forever [Ps. 73, 26]: but the wicked man, because he sought not to have the Lord Himself for his ‘portion,’ found fire for his ‘portion’ without the Lord, that being shut out from His face, because he did not seek to find joy in Him, he might be tormented beneath Him. These things Zophar brought forward in such a way, that by what he spoke against the hypocrite, he might strike a blow against the life of blessed Job, thinking that he who was stricken by the Lord, had not done with a simple heart all the good things which he had done. For him, whom he saw beneath the rod, he supposed to have displeased God. But the friends of blessed Job likewise maintain a likeness of heretics in this particular, in that whilst they see, in Holy Church, some, that live aright, groaning beneath the rod, they reckon that they have not good merit in good deeds, and set them down as bad men, whom they see afflicted with the scourge of God; not knowing, that is to say, that Many are the afflictions of the righteous [Ps. 43, 19], and that He scourgeth every man whom He receiveth. [Heb. 12, 6] But blessed Job, after the manner of the Holy and Universal Church, which bears with patience the darts of words at the hands of the froward, and, when she hears the sayings of the proud, never leaves the pathway of her humility, made answer with great humility of heart.
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Summary
Job 20:29 serves as the climactic and definitive statement in Zophar the Naamathite's final discourse, encapsulating his rigid theological conviction regarding the destiny of the wicked. He asserts that the suffering, downfall, and ultimate ruin of those who oppose God are not arbitrary misfortunes but a divinely ordained "portion" and "heritage." This verse powerfully articulates the core of the friends' flawed retribution theology, which struggles to reconcile Job's righteous suffering with their simplistic belief that all earthly calamity is a direct and immediate consequence of sin.
Context
Literary Context
This verse functions as the emphatic conclusion to Zophar's second and final speech, found in Job 20. Throughout this chapter, Zophar vividly describes the transient nature of the wicked's prosperity and their inevitable, catastrophic demise. He paints a grim picture of their wealth vanishing, their children facing hardship, and their lives ending in terror, all presented as direct and swift manifestations of divine judgment. Zophar's discourse is a pointed rebuttal to Job's earlier laments and his persistent assertions of innocence, particularly Job's challenging question as to why the wicked frequently prosper (e.g., Job 21). For Zophar, the immense suffering endured by Job is irrefutable evidence of his hidden iniquity, and this concluding verse solidifies Zophar's unwavering belief that God's justice operates on a clear, mechanistic principle: sin invariably leads to suffering.
Historical & Cultural Context
The book of Job is set in the ancient Near East, likely during a patriarchal era, though its precise dating remains a subject of scholarly debate. The cultural milieu reflects the prevalent wisdom traditions of the region, which often grappled with profound questions of justice, the nature of suffering, and the character of God. In many ancient societies, material prosperity was widely interpreted as a clear sign of divine favor, while misfortune or suffering was commonly viewed as an indicator of divine displeasure or punishment for transgression. This conventional retribution theology is staunchly upheld by Job's friends, including Zophar, who operate under the assumption that God's moral order is always immediately and visibly demonstrated in earthly circumstances. Their understanding of "heritage" (Hebrew: nachalah) would typically denote a positive, enduring inheritance, such as land or blessings from God. Zophar's striking use of this term here, to describe a negative, divinely assigned fate, is a powerful and ironic twist, underscoring the inescapable and permanent nature of the wicked's doom.
Key Themes
Zophar's speech, culminating in Job 20:29, brings to the forefront several significant theological themes, albeit often through a narrow and ultimately flawed interpretive lens. The most dominant theme is Divine Retribution, the conviction that God actively punishes the wicked, meting out their specific "portion" and "heritage" of suffering and destruction. This is inextricably linked to their understanding of God's Justice, which Zophar portrays as a simplified, cause-and-effect system where all earthly suffering serves as a direct and unambiguous indicator of sin. The broader narrative of the book of Job, particularly through God's profound speeches from the whirlwind, fundamentally challenges this simplistic perspective, revealing a far more intricate and mysterious picture of God's sovereignty, wisdom, and justice that transcends human comprehension. The verse also underscores the Consequences of Wickedness, powerfully asserting that a life lived in opposition to God leads to an inescapable negative outcome, divinely ordained. Finally, even within Zophar's limited theological framework, there is an implicit acknowledgment of the Sovereignty of God, as He is depicted as the ultimate authority who "appoints" destinies, whether for blessing or judgment.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This term, derived from the root meaning "to divide" or "to allot," refers to an assigned share, a part, or a specific allocation. While it can be used positively (e.g., a share of land, a blessing from God), Zophar employs it here to describe the specific, divinely determined lot or destiny assigned to the wicked. It emphasizes that this outcome is not random but a fixed, precise allocation from God, suggesting a measured and deliberate judgment rather than arbitrary misfortune.
Commonly used to denote an inheritance, particularly the land given by God to Israel (e.g., Numbers 26:53), this word signifies a lasting possession, an enduring legacy, or a patrimony. Zophar's application of nachălâh to the wicked's fate is deeply ironic and impactful. It implies that their punishment is not temporary or fleeting but a permanent, generational, and inescapable legacy, deeply woven into their very existence and passed down, much like a family inheritance. This usage powerfully underscores the certainty and perpetuity of their doom.
This word, derived from the verb "to say" or "to command," carries the weight of a divine decree, pronouncement, or authoritative declaration. In this context, it signifies that the wicked man's heritage is not merely a consequence that naturally unfolds but an explicit, authoritative declaration and ordination by God Himself. This reinforces the idea of direct divine agency and absolute certainty in their judgment, leaving no room for doubt in Zophar's mind about the ultimate source and inevitability of their dire fate.
Verse Breakdown
"This [is] the portion of a wicked man from God"
Zophar initiates his concluding statement with a definitive declaration, "This is," referring back to the detailed descriptions of the wicked's downfall presented throughout Job 20. He asserts that the grim fate he has described—their fleeting prosperity, their inevitable suffering, their ultimate destruction—is precisely the "portion" or allotted share specifically designated for a "wicked man." The crucial phrase "from God" immediately establishes the divine origin and ultimate authority behind this judgment, leaving no ambiguity about the source of their destiny. It is not accidental or circumstantial, but divinely ordained.
"and the heritage appointed unto him by God"
This second clause functions as a powerful parallel and intensification of the first. The term "heritage" reinforces the idea of a lasting, inescapable destiny, not merely a temporary allotment or a passing misfortune. The phrase "appointed unto him by God" further emphasizes the direct, intentional, and authoritative role of God in decreeing this fate. The repetition of the divine source, "from God" and "by God," acts as a potent rhetorical device, hammering home Zophar's unyielding conviction that the wicked's suffering is a direct, personal, and certain decree from the Almighty, leaving no room for appeal or escape.
Literary Devices
The verse masterfully employs several impactful literary devices to convey Zophar's message. Parallelism is prominently featured in the two clauses, where "the portion of a wicked man from God" is mirrored and amplified by "the heritage appointed unto him by God." This synonymous parallelism reinforces the central message of divine retribution and the certainty of the wicked's fate. The use of Irony is profound in Zophar's application of "heritage" (nachălāh). Traditionally, a heritage signifies a positive, lasting inheritance, often a blessing or a promised land from God. Here, it is ironically twisted to describe a negative, divinely ordained curse, highlighting the severity, permanence, and inescapable nature of the wicked's punishment. The Repetition of "from God" and "by God" serves as a powerful device for Emphasis, underscoring the divine agency and the absolute certainty of the judgment. This rhetorical technique leaves no doubt about Zophar's conviction that God is the direct and active orchestrator of the wicked's downfall, rendering their fate both inevitable and inescapable.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Job 20:29, while articulating a limited and ultimately challenged perspective on divine justice, nonetheless serves as a stark reminder of the pervasive biblical truth that actions carry consequences and that God is ultimately just. Zophar's rigid theology, which insists on immediate and visibly discernible retribution for sin, represents a common human inclination to simplify God's complex sovereignty and the profound mystery of suffering. However, the verse's insistence on God as the ultimate source of the "portion" and "heritage" for the wicked points to the broader theological theme of God's absolute authority over all destinies, even if His ways are not always immediately discernible or explicable to human understanding. The book of Job, in its entirety, profoundly challenges the simplistic notion that suffering always equates to sin, yet it never denies God's ultimate justice or His sovereign control over all things.
Reflection and Application
Zophar's concluding words in Job 20:29, though tragically misapplied to Job's righteous suffering, compel us to engage in a profound reflection on the nature of divine justice and the ultimate consequences of our choices. While we must diligently avoid the judgmental and simplistic spirit of Job's friends, who wrongly attributed Job's immense suffering to hidden sin, we are nonetheless soberly reminded that there are indeed ultimate, eternal consequences for wickedness, and that God's perfect justice will assuredly prevail. This verse encourages us to consider the long-term, eternal outcomes of our moral and spiritual choices, not merely in terms of immediate earthly prosperity or suffering, but in light of God's ultimate and unchangeable decrees. It challenges us to examine the alignment of our own lives with God's revealed will: are we living in obedience and faith, or are we pursuing paths that, though perhaps offering fleeting worldly gains, ultimately lead to a divinely appointed "portion" of judgment? Our motivation for pursuing righteousness should transcend mere fear of immediate retribution; it should stem from a deep reverence for a just, holy, and sovereign God who sees all and will ultimately bring all things to their righteous culmination. The verse underscores the paramount importance of living a life of integrity, recognizing that true peace, an enduring legacy, and an eternal "heritage" are found not in worldly accumulation, but in walking in humble obedience and unwavering faith.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Does Job 20:29 mean that all suffering is a direct punishment for sin?
No, not necessarily. While Zophar and Job's other friends firmly believed this, the overarching message of the book of Job itself profoundly challenges this simplistic view. Job's suffering is explicitly presented as not a result of his sin, but rather as part of a divine test of his faith and a profound demonstration of God's sovereign wisdom and power. The book teaches that while sin does indeed have consequences, and God is undeniably just, not all suffering is a direct, immediate, or proportionate punishment for specific wrongdoing. Jesus later clarifies this very point in John 9:3, stating that a man was born blind "not that this man sinned, nor his parents, but that the works of God should be revealed in him." Therefore, Job 20:29 primarily reflects Zophar's limited and ultimately flawed retribution theology, which the rest of the book of Job systematically refutes.
What is the significance of the repetition of "from God" and "by God" in this verse?
The repetition of "from God" and "by God" (or similar phrasing depending on the translation) is a powerful rhetorical device employed by Zophar to emphasize the undeniable divine origin and absolute certainty of the wicked man's fate. Zophar intends to leave no doubt that this "portion" and "heritage" is not accidental, nor is it merely a natural consequence of actions; rather, it is a direct, intentional, and inescapable decree from the Almighty. This repetition underscores Zophar's unwavering conviction in God's active involvement in meting out judgment, reinforcing the idea that the wicked cannot escape their divinely appointed doom. It highlights the perceived inevitability and divine authority behind the described punishment.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
While Job 20:29 speaks of the grim "portion" of the wicked, the New Testament profoundly reveals the ultimate "heritage" and "portion" that is found exclusively in Christ Jesus. The curse, judgment, and eternal separation that Zophar describes as the inevitable lot of the wicked is precisely what Jesus, the sinless Son of God, fully absorbed and triumphantly overcame on the cross. For all who are united "in Christ" through faith, the portion of divine wrath is removed, and they are instead granted an "inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you" (1 Peter 1:4). The "heritage appointed unto him by God" for the wicked becomes, for believers, the glorious and eternal inheritance of salvation, adoption as beloved children of God (Romans 8:17), and co-heirship with Christ Himself. Jesus, the perfectly righteous one, voluntarily "became sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God" (2 Corinthians 5:21), taking upon Himself the "portion" of judgment that was due to fallen humanity. Thus, Zophar's grim pronouncement, in its ultimate theological trajectory, serves as a powerful backdrop, highlighting the profound contrast between the just recompense for sin and the lavish grace and eternal inheritance secured for believers through the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29).