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Commentary on Job 20 verses 1–9
Here, I. Zophar begins very passionately, and seems to be in a great heat at what Job had said. Being resolved to condemn Job for a bad man, he was much displeased that he talked so like a good man, and, as it should seem, broke in upon him, and began abruptly (Job 20:2): Therefore do my thoughts cause me to answer. He takes no notice of what Job had said to move their pity, or to evidence his own integrity, but fastens upon the reproof he gave them in the close of his discourse, counts that a reproach, and thinks himself therefore obliged to answer, because Job had bidden them be afraid of the sword, that he might not seem to be frightened by his menaces. The best counsel is too often ill taken from an antagonist, and therefore usually may be well spared. Zophar seemed more in haste to speak than became a wise man; but he excuses his haste with two things: - 1. That Job had given him strong provocation (Job 20:3): "I have heard the check of my reproach, and cannot bear to hear it any longer." Job's friends, I doubt, had spirits too high to deal with a man in his low condition; and high spirits are impatient of contradiction, and think themselves affronted if all about them do not say as they say; they cannot bear a check but they call it the check of their reproach, and then they are bound in honour to return it, if not to draw upon him that gave it. 2. That his own heart gave him a strong instigation. His thoughts caused him to answer (Job 20:2), for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks; but he fathers the instigation (Job 20:3) upon the spirit of his understanding: that indeed should cause us to answer; we should rightly apprehend a thing and duly consider it before we speak of it; but whether it did so here or no is a question. Men often mistake the dictates of their passion for the dictates of their reason, and therefore think they do well to be angry.
II. Zophar proceeds very plainly to show the ruin and destruction of wicked people, insinuating that because Job was destroyed and ruined he was certainly a wicked man and a hypocrite. Observe,
1.How this doctrine is introduced, Job 20:4, where he appeals, (1.) To Job's own knowledge and conviction: "Knowest thou not this? Canst thou be ignorant of a truth so plain? Or canst thou doubt of a truth which has been confirmed by the suffrages of all mankind?" Those know little who do not know that the wages of sin is death. (2.) To the experience of all ages. It was known of old, since man was placed upon the earth; that is, ever since man was made he has had this truth written in his heart, that the sin of sinners will be their ruin; and ever since there were instances of wickedness (which there were soon after man was placed on the earth) there were instances of the punishments of it, witness the exclusions of Adam and Cain. When sin entered into the world death entered with it: all the world knows that evil pursues sinners, whom vengeance suffers not to live (Act 28:4), and subscribes to that (Isa 3:11), Woe to the wicked; it shall be ill with him, sooner or later.
2.How it is laid down (Job 20:5): The triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment. Observe, (1.) He asserts the misery, not only of those who are openly wicked and profane, but of hypocrites, who secretly practice wickedness under a show and profession of religion, because such a wicked man he looked upon Job to be; and it is true that a form of godliness, if it be made use of for a cloak of maliciousness, does but make bad worse. Dissembled piety is double iniquity, and the ruin that attends it will be accordingly. The hottest place in hell will be the portion of hypocrites, as our Saviour intimates, Mat 24:51. (2.) He grants that wicked men may for a time prosper, may be secure and easy, and very merry. You may see them in triumph and joy, triumphing and rejoicing in their wealth and power, their grandeur and success, triumphing and rejoicing over their poor honest neighbours whom they vex and oppress: they feel no evil, they fear none. Job's friends were loth to own, at first, that wicked people might prosper at all (Job 4:9), until Job proved it plainly (Job 9:24, Job 12:6), and now Zophar yields it; but, (3.) He lays it down for a certain truth that they will not prosper long. Their joy is but for a moment, and will quickly end in endless sorrow. Though he be ever so great, and rich, and jovial, the hypocrite will be humbled, and mortified, and made miserable.
3.How it is illustrated, Job 20:6-9. (1.) He supposes his prosperity to be very high, as high as you can imagine, Job 20:6. It is not his wisdom and virtue, but his worldly wealth or greatness, that he accounts his excellency, and values himself upon. We will suppose that to mount up to the heavens, and, since his spirit always rises with his condition, you may suppose that with it his head reaches to the clouds. He is every way advanced; the world has done the utmost it can for him. He looks down upon all about him with disdain, while they look up to him with admiration, envy, or fear. We will suppose him to bid fair for a universal monarchy. And, though he cannot but have made himself many enemies before he arrived to this pitch of prosperity, yet he thinks himself as much out of the reach of their darts as if he were in the clouds. (2.) He is confident that his ruin will accordingly be very great, and his fall the more dreadful for his having risen so high: He shall perish for ever, Job 20:7. His pride and security were the certain presages of his misery. This will certainly be true of all impenitent sinners in the other world; they shall be undone, for ever undone. But Zophar means his ruin in this world; and indeed sometimes notorious sinners are remarkably cut off by present judgments; they have reason enough to fear what Zophar here threatens even the triumphant sinner with. [1.] A shameful destruction: He shall perish like his own dung or dunghill, so loathsome is he to God and all good men, and so willing will the world be to part with him, Psa 119:119; Isa 66:24. [2.] A surprising destruction. He will be brought into desolation in a moment (Psa 73:19), so that those about him, that saw him but just now, will ask, "Where is he? Could he that made so great a figure vanish and expire so suddenly?" [3.] A swift destruction, Job 20:8. He shall fly away upon the wings of his own terrors, and be chased away by the just imprecations of all about him, who would gladly get rid of him. [4.] An utter destruction. It will be total; he shall go away like a dream, or vision of the night, which was a mere phantasm, and, whatever in it pleased the fancy, it is quite gone, and nothing of it remains but what serves us to laugh at the folly of. It will be final (Job 20:9): The eye that saw him, and was ready to adore him, shall see him no more, and the place he filled shall no more behold him, having given him an eternal farewell when he went to his own place, as Judas, Act 1:25.
The pride of the hypocrite is said to “mount up as high as the heavens,” when his highmindedness has the appearance of leading a heavenly life. And his “head, as it were, reaches to the clouds,” when the leading part, that is, his intellect, is thought to equal the merits of the saints that have gone before. Yet “he perishes at last like his own dung,” because at his death, when he is led to torments, being full of the dung of evil habits, he is trampled underfoot by evil spirits.… It generally happens that the life of the hypocrite is discovered by all people at the end to be damnable, for it to be made apparent by plainer marks of what sort it was. Those who formerly saw him happy shall then say of him when dead, “Where is he?” For neither is he seen here, where he was elated, nor in the rest of eternity, which he was supposed to receive. Concerning the brevity of the hypocrite’s life, it is yet further added fittingly, “He will fly away like a dream and not be found; he will be chased away like a vision of the night.” What else is the life of the hypocrite but the vision of a phantom that exhibits the facade that it does not possess in truth?
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SUMMARY
Job 20:6, embedded within Zophar's second discourse, employs striking hyperbole to depict the seemingly insurmountable, yet ultimately ephemeral, ascent of the wicked. It vividly portrays an unrighteous individual reaching the zenith of perceived power, influence, or pride, as if their "excellency" could literally touch the heavens and their "head" could pierce the clouds. This extreme portrayal of elevation serves as a dramatic rhetorical setup for the swift and inevitable downfall that Zophar insists awaits all who live wickedly, thereby reinforcing the traditional retribution theology espoused by Job's friends.
CONTEXT
Literary Context: Job 20:6 is a pivotal statement within Zophar the Naamathite's second and final contribution to the dialogue, which begins in Job 20:1. Zophar, like his companions Eliphaz and Bildad, is firmly convinced that suffering is a direct consequence of sin, and prosperity is a clear indicator of divine favor. His speech is characterized by a zealous defense of this conventional wisdom, directly countering Job's persistent assertions of innocence despite his profound suffering. In this particular verse, Zophar uses highly exaggerated language to illustrate the peak of a wicked person's pride and ostensible success. This hyperbolic description is immediately juxtaposed with the sudden and utter destruction that follows in Job 20:7, serving to magnify the perceived height of the wicked's power and making their subsequent collapse all the more dramatic and illustrative of divine judgment. The verse functions as a rhetorical device, setting a high bar for the wicked's apparent triumph only to demonstrate the swiftness of their demise.
Historical & Cultural Context: The book of Job is situated within the broader tradition of ancient Near Eastern wisdom literature, which frequently grappled with complex questions of divine justice, human suffering, and the nature of God's governance. The dominant cultural and theological paradigm among Job's friends, and indeed prevalent in much of the ancient world, was retribution theology—the deeply ingrained belief that God operates on a strict system of immediate reward for righteousness and punishment for sin. This perspective forms the bedrock of Zophar's entire argument. The imagery of "heavens" and "clouds" in this context would have been universally understood as potent symbols of ultimate height, power, and even the divine realm itself, thereby underscoring the audacious nature of human pride that dares to seemingly rival God's own elevated position. Furthermore, the cultural understanding of hubris (excessive pride or self-confidence) as an inevitable precursor to a catastrophic fall was a widespread principle, echoing wisdom found in various ancient traditions beyond the Israelite context.
Key Themes: Job 20:6 significantly contributes to several overarching themes explored within the book of Job and broader biblical theology. Firstly, it vividly illustrates the fleeting prosperity of the wicked. Zophar's depiction of the wicked's ascent, though seemingly glorious and unassailable, is presented as inherently temporary and unstable, a deceptive facade preceding inevitable ruin. This theme resonates throughout wisdom literature, finding parallels in passages like Psalm 73, which grapples with the apparent success of the ungodly before revealing their ultimate destruction. Secondly, the verse powerfully portrays human arrogance and pride. The imagery of "mounting up to the heavens" and "head reach unto the clouds" strongly conveys a profound sense of self-exaltation and hubris, a defiance of human limitations that biblically precedes a great fall, as articulated in Proverbs 16:18. Lastly, underlying Zophar's argument is an unwavering, albeit rigid, belief in divine sovereignty and justice. Despite the apparent success of the wicked, Zophar's message, consistent with the friends' perspective, is that no human elevation, however great, can escape the ultimate hand of divine judgment. This rigid view of justice, however, is precisely what Job's experience challenges, setting the theological stage for God's ultimate revelation and correction in Job 38-41.
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Job 20:6 is predominantly characterized by Hyperbole, which is the central literary device employed by Zophar. He exaggerates the wicked person's ascent to an impossible degree—their "excellency" cannot literally mount to the heavens, nor can their "head" literally reach the clouds. This deliberate exaggeration serves to underscore the extreme nature of the wicked's pride and perceived power, thereby making their subsequent, sudden downfall (described in the immediate following verses) all the more dramatic and impactful. The verse also utilizes vivid Imagery, creating a strong mental picture of vertical ascent, immense height, and the vastness of the sky. This powerful imagery evokes a sense of awe at the wicked's apparent triumph, only to highlight the inherent fragility and transience of such human-derived glory. Furthermore, the verse functions as a form of Foreshadowing, as this description of extreme elevation immediately precedes the pronouncement of the wicked's swift and utter destruction, building rhetorical tension and reinforcing Zophar's theological premise regarding divine justice.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Job 20:6, despite being spoken by Zophar with a flawed and rigid application to Job's unique suffering, articulates a profound biblical truth regarding the temporary nature of worldly power and the ultimate triumph of divine justice. It serves as a stark reminder that human pride and self-exaltation, no matter how seemingly grand or unassailable, are ultimately futile against the backdrop of God's absolute sovereignty. The verse powerfully illustrates the principle that what appears to be unassailable success for the wicked is merely a prelude to their inevitable judgment, a consistent theme woven throughout Scripture designed to comfort the righteous who may be perplexed or disheartened by the apparent prosperity of the ungodly.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
In a contemporary world often captivated by outward success, material wealth, and the pursuit of power and influence, Job 20:6 offers a profoundly sobering and counter-cultural perspective. It challenges us not to be swayed or disheartened when the unrighteous appear to prosper, or when individuals driven by arrogance and self-promotion seem to reach unimaginable heights of worldly achievement. This verse serves as a crucial reminder that such earthly exaltation, particularly when rooted in pride, injustice, or a disregard for God, is inherently unstable, fleeting, and ultimately illusory. Our ultimate trust must not be placed in the visible, temporary triumphs of humanity, but in the unseen, eternal justice and unwavering faithfulness of God. It calls us to cultivate a spirit of humility, recognizing that true and lasting elevation comes not from self-promotion or earthly striving, but from humbly submitting to God's will and trusting in His perfect timing and righteous judgment. When we observe the "excellency" of the wicked seemingly "mount up to the heavens," it should serve not as a cause for despair, but as a spiritual prompt to deepen our faith in a God who sees all, judges righteously, and will ultimately bring every hidden thing to light, ensuring that true justice prevails.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Is Zophar's statement in Job 20:6 an accurate theological truth about all wicked people?
Answer: Zophar's statement in Job 20:6 and the subsequent verses articulate a principle found elsewhere in Scripture: the temporary nature of the wicked's prosperity and their ultimate downfall. However, Zophar, like Job's other friends, applies this principle too rigidly and simplistically to Job's specific situation. They believe Job's suffering must be a direct result of his sin, implying that his former "excellency" was a deceptive facade. While the general principle of divine justice holds true, the book of Job ultimately demonstrates that suffering is not always a direct consequence of sin, and God's ways are far more complex and multifaceted than the narrow retribution theology espoused by the friends. So, the principle itself is biblically sound, but its unqualified application by Zophar to Job's unique circumstances is flawed.
What does the imagery of "mounting up to the heavens" and "reaching unto the clouds" signify beyond literal height?
Answer: This imagery is a powerful hyperbole signifying extreme arrogance, hubris, and a perceived invincibility that borders on blasphemy. When one's "excellency" mounts to the heavens and their "head" reaches the clouds, it suggests a profound sense of self-exaltation that presumes to challenge or even usurp God's own supreme position. It speaks to a human pride that believes itself to be above accountability, beyond the reach of earthly judgment, and perhaps even divine intervention. It's a vivid metaphor for the pinnacle of human ambition and self-importance, which, in biblical wisdom literature, is consistently portrayed as a precursor to a great fall, as powerfully illustrated in Proverbs 16:18.
How does this verse contribute to the overall message of the book of Job?
Answer: Job 20:6 is a crucial component of the friends' sustained argument, which represents the prevailing, yet ultimately incomplete, theological framework of their time. It highlights their rigid adherence to retribution theology, where the wicked are inevitably brought low and the righteous are always blessed. This verse, with its dramatic imagery, serves to emphasize the friends' conviction that Job, having fallen from such a high position of prosperity, must be wicked. It thus sets up the central theological tension that the book of Job masterfully explores: the profound disconnect between the friends' simplistic view of divine justice and Job's inexplicable suffering. Ultimately, this tension prepares the reader for God's direct intervention, which transcends and corrects the limited human understanding of divine justice and sovereignty, revealing a deeper, more mysterious wisdom.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
While Job 20:6 vividly describes the fleeting, self-exalting pride of the wicked that inevitably leads to their catastrophic downfall, it finds its ultimate Christ-centered fulfillment in a profound and glorious reversal. The wicked seek to "mount up to the heavens" through their own "excellency" and arrogant pride, only to be cast down in judgment. In stark and redemptive contrast, Jesus Christ, who was truly divine and "though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped" (Philippians 2:6). Instead, He deliberately "emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men" (Philippians 2:7). He humbled Himself even further, becoming obedient to the point of death, "even death on a cross" (Philippians 2:8), the ultimate act of self-abasement and sacrificial love. It is precisely because of this unparalleled, divine humility and perfect obedience that God "highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name" (Philippians 2:9). Thus, the enduring biblical principle of divine reversal—that "whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted" (Matthew 23:12)—is perfectly embodied and gloriously fulfilled in the person and work of Christ. Unlike the wicked whose self-exaltation leads to ruin, Jesus' divine exaltation is the just and righteous reward for His perfect humility, offering a transformative model for all who would follow Him to 1 Peter 5:6.