Job 20
DortZophar sheweth he hath reason to answer Job, 1, etc. Rehearseth that prosperity of the wicked doth soon perish, 4. Etc. That God doth plague them in all things, many ways, 10. The conclusion of this Rehearsal, 29.
1. Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said.
2. Therefore [i.e. by reason of that which Job had pronounced just now, above 19.19. threatening his friends with the judgement of God, because of their perverse judgement and evil speaking against him.] do my thoughts [see of this word, above chap.4.on verse 13.] answer me; [Oth. Return, viz. To answer Job: for he had done it once already, above chap.11.] and for this is my hastening in me. [Other, for my sake, in my behalf, viz. To maintain my credit and reputation.]
3. I have heard a reproof which putteth me to shame: [Heb. A reproof, or, correction of my shame, i.e. which is accompanied with my shame and discredit; in regard that Job doth charge us therein of ignorance and indiscretion. Shame, or reproached or ashamed. 1 Sam.13.13. and above chap.19.5.] but the spirit [understand the holy spirit, from whom true knowledge and utterance proceedeth, Numbers 11:29. 1 Cor.12.11. or understand the soul of man, which is not onely endued with a reasonable understanding, but likewise illuminated with supernatural knowledge by Regeneration.] shall answer for me out of mine understanding. [i.e. in a well-ordered and composed manner, without any distemper of mind, or foolish passion; or above my understanding.]
4. Knowest thou this? From over, from that (God) hath set man upon earth, [Comp.ab.ch.3.on v.20. and below here v.23. & 25. Where the word God is likewise inserted.]
5. That the shouting of the wicked [or, the joyous exclamation, i.e. their joy and jollity, chear and merriment, proceeding from their outward prosperity.] hath been from hard-by, [id est, began but very lately; So few Gods, are called, Gods come from hard-by, Deuteronomy 32. Verse 17. i.e. but newly come in, lately set up. Compare above 17.12.] and the joy of the hypocrite for a moment.
6. If his height did climb up to the heaven; [i.e. were never so excellent. See Gen.11.on v.4.] And his head reached to the clouds.
7. He shall perish for ever like his dung: [Compare 1 Kings 14:10.] Those that had seen him, shall say where is he.
8. He shall flee away as a dream [i.e. very hastily and deceitfully; for even as the remembrance of a dream doth suddenly pass away, so also commonly one findeth nothing, being awake, of what one dreamt, but delusion, Isa.29.7,8.] That one shall not find him, and he shall be chased away as a vision of the night, [viz. That which doth appear to the fancy of a man is his dream.]
9. The eyes that saw him, shall do it no more: [Heb. Shall not add, i.e. shall see him no more. Compare Gen.8.on v.10.] And his place shall no more behold him, [i.e. he shall not be seen nor found any more in his place. See above chap.7.on v.10.]
10. His children shall seek to please the poor; [as who should yet be poorer then the common sort of poor, or, because they should stand in fear of the poor, which were oppressed by their fathers, least they should call them to account now, before the judgement seat.] And his hands shall be forced to turn his substance out again. [i.e. the goods and means which he extorted from the poor by violence.]
11. His bones shall be full of his hidden (sins): [Compare, Psal.90.8. and the annot. Some do understand it of the sins of the youth, i.e. the sins committed in the time of his youth, together with the plagues and diseases which use to follow such sins of youth, as the just judgements of God.] Every one of which shall lay down with him upon the dust. [Everyone of which, viz. Of those bones full fraught with the plagues of his youthful sins, which shall all hang upon and cleave unto him till his death. Oth. Every one, viz. Of the secret sins of his youth. The sense is one and the same.]
12. If the evil [viz. Of sin and wickedness. So Genesis 6:5. 1 Sam.17.18. Psalms 28:4. &c.] Be sweet [i.e. pleasant and delightful, as some dainty morsel in the mouth: for as such being held a little upon the palate, doth for a while much please and delight one; but afterward comes up again very bitterly, or causeth much pain and griping as in the body, so may sin yield some delight indeed for a time, but the punishment which followeth upon it, is accompanied with unspeakeable torment. Compare Prov.5.3,4.] In his mouth [i.e. in his judgement and affection. So the word mouth is taken to a contrary purpose, Psal.119.103.] He that hiding the same under his tongue, [viz. For to retain the relish, that is, the pleasure of sin so much the longer. Compare the next verse.]
13. He saving the same, [understand that same evil of sin, which here, as before is compared to dainty delicious meat.] And forsaking it not, but keeping it in the midst of his palate.
14. His meat shall be changed in his entrails: [Heb. His bread, &c. He continueth the former comparison.] The Gall of Vipers [whose poison killeth very suddenly] shall be in the inmost of him. [i.e. in his heart or soul. So 1 Kin.3.28. Psa.49.12. & 55.5. & 62.5. & 94.19. Jer.9.8. & 31.33.]
15. He hath swallowed up goods [i.e. gathered the same with a great deal of eagerness, greediness and unsatiableness. He judgeth Job here, as if his good had been ill gotten goods shall thrive with him, as the meat with him that is fain very painfully to disgorge it; or, as the strongest poison becometh him that drunk it up.] God shall expel it out of his belly.
16. He shall suck the poison of vipers, the tongue of the serpent shall put him to death.
17. He shall not see the streams, rivers, brooks [understand hereby a great and mighty abundance of all manner of wealth. So Psal.46.5. Isa.41.18. John 7:38.] of honey and butter [by these things and such like, the Scriptures use to intimate the choicest blessings of this temporal life. See Exod.3.8. 2 Kings 18:32. and 29.6. and the annot.]
18. He shall restore the labour again [The labour, i.e. other mens goods, which they had gotten by their labour. So Deut.28.31. Job 39:14. Psal.78.46. and 109.11. the same he shall be made to restore unto those whom he had wronged and bereaved, being compelled to this surrender by the Magistrate.] and not swallow it down, [i.e. not spend, make use of or enjoy the same. This contradicteth not the swallowing spoken of above v.15. for that is to be understood of the unrighteous getting, and possessing goods for a time; but this, of the constant use and enjoyment.] After the substance of his change, he shall not leap up for joy [i.e. after, his wealth or means: implying, that after his being rich and mighty, he should grow poor and wretched, which is called his change. Or, according to the measure, greatness and multitude of the goods which he had gotten by stealing, cheating, robbing, shall his surrender be proportioned: and this also may well be called his change, because the same doth make him grow poor when he was rich.]
19. Because he hath oppressed, forsaken the poor, robbed an house, which he had not built up. [Oth. And he hath not built it, i.e. he hath robbed houses indeed, but never built any for the poor.]
20. Because he hath known no rest in his belly: [i.e. because he had a most insariable belly; See v.15. in his belly, i.e. in his heart, or inmost part. See above chap.15.on v.2. Or i his person, a part being taken for the whole] Therefore shall be keep nothing over of his desired goods. [Heb. Wish, or, desire, i.e. things, or goods much wished or longed for.]
21. There shall be nothing over for him to eat: therefore shall be not wait for his good. [viz. Because he shall be so plunged at once into streights, that he shall see no issue, nor ground for any hope of amendment.]
22. When his sufficiency shall be full. [i.e. when he shall have wealth and riches enough, to live a happy and contented life here.] He shall be afraid: all (or every) hand of the afflicted shall come upon him. [i.e. all the poor which were bereaved and undone by him, shall seek and endeavour to recover their own.]
23. Let there be (somewhat) for to fill his belly, [i.e. admit there be yet some provision left him of meat and drink to satisfy his want.] (God) shall send over him the heat of his anger, and rain over him, [viz. His plagues, and righteous judgements. Compare Psal.11.7.] Upon his meat. [viz. That it shall do him no good Oth. While he eateth. Compare Num.11.33.]
24. Let him be fled from the Iron weapons, the steel-bow shall shoot him through [Heb. Properly, go through him, the meaning is; grant that by flight he escape one danger, he shall be hit sure by the other, or, the other will not miss him. This same is likewise expressed by another phrase, Isaiah 24:18. Jeremiah 48:44. Amos 5:19.]
25. They shall draw (the sword), [the word sword is implied in the verb shalaph to draw out, which for the most part is used for the drawing of the sword. See Numb.22.c.23,31. Jud.8.20. and 9.54. and 20.2,25. 1 Sam.31.4. Oth. And he, (viz. God) shall draw. See above v.4. and 23. And below 21.17. and Deut.32.41,42.] It shall go out of the body and come forth glistering [Heb. And the glistering, hue, or splendour, (viz of the sword) shall come forth. Tus the Hebrew word is taken, Deut.32.41. Ezek.21.10,15. Nah.3.3. Hab.3.11.] out of his gall, [understand the innermost part of his body; whereby is implied a mortal plague, that is the destruction of the wicked.] terrors shall be upon him.
26. All darkness shall be hid in his hiding-places; [by darkness is understood the adversity and wretched estate, which God doth make to come upon him for his wickedness. See Gen.15.on verse 12. Some do understand it; that his hiding-places, where he thought to keep himself close and covered as in the dark, shall be light and discovered. By the hiding places are understood the private corners, and secret places, or means of retiring and sheltering, which the wicked endeavour to find out for the avoiding and escaping of the Judgements of God. The meaning is, that they shall be so far from finding any help or shelter in them, that therein shall be laid up nothing for them but mischief, and misery. Others there are, which understand hereby the close and hidden Treasures of the wicked, whereof they should not be able to enjoy any thing, but rather find them the means of all manner of trouble and vexation to themselves. See of the Hebrew word, Psalms 17:14.] a fire, [understand the wrath and vengeance of God, which is compared to a fire. See Deut.32.22. with the annotation. Item Isaiah 26:11. Jeremiah 15:14. Lam.2.3.] which is not blown up, [i.e. not kindled by any man, but proceedeth from the just judgement of God. It should seem, he hath a regard to what is said above chap.1.16. This may also be understood of the judgements of God in general, and of the fire of hell. Compare Isaiah 30:31.] shall devour him; it shall go ill with the remnant in his tent. [understand his family and posterity, treading in the steps of his wickedness.]
27. The heaven shall reveal his iniquity; and the earth shall raise up her self against him. [The sense is, That all the Creatures Celestial and terrestrial, spiritual and corporal, animate and inanimate shall be ready to minister and serve God in the executing of his righteous judgements against the wicked.]
28. The income of his house shall be carried away; [i.e. be spent and consumed, melt, waste and perish away.] it shall flow quite away [Heb. Be flowings away, or, pourings out, in the plural number] in the day of his anger. [Understand the day of the wrath of God: that is to say, the appointed time, wherein God will shew forth his indignation, by sending his just judgements abroad; Compare below 24.1. Proverbs 6:34. & 11.4. Isa.13.13. Lam.2.21. Ezek.22.24. Zep.1.15. Rom.2.5.]
29. This is the portion of the wicked man from God, [i.e. the reward, recompence, or punishment appointed by God for the wicked, according to his righteous Judgement. So also below 27.13. and 31.2. Psalms 50:18. Isaiah 17:14. and 57.6.] and the inheritance, [i.e. the same, which before was called the portion, so below 27.13. and 31.2.] of his discourses of God . [i.e. of the blasphemous, or reproachful words and discourses, which the wicked utter against God. Oth. Of his utterance from God, i.e. from, or by the just judgement, which God hath determined to execute against the wicked.]