Job 20

Job 20:1-29

Job 20. Second Speech of Zophar.—Zophar helps the return to the wider problem by appearing once more with a strong doctrine as to the shortness of the prosperity of the wicked. His theme is, Sin brings its own reward. Job 20:1-3. Zophar replies to Job’s exasperating words (Job 19:1-6). In Job 20:2 b mg. is probably to be followed. In Job 20:3 b Duhm, on the basis of LXX, reads, “and with wind void of understanding thou answerest me.” Job 20:4-29. The portion of the wicked. How short is his joy, how utter his destruction! In Job 20:4 the literal translation of the Heb. is “knowest thou this of old.” “In that case the question is a mocking one” (Peake). In Job 20:10 Budde reads for his “hands” his “children” with slight alteration and better sense.Job 20:11 says that while his bones are still full of youth “it” (his youth) is prematurely buried in the grave.Job 20:12 f. describes sin as a dainty morsel kept in the mouth; but (Job 20:14) it is poison when swallowed. In Job 20:15 the morsel swallowed becomes ill-gotten gam.

In Job 20:20 “within him” is lit, “in his belly,” which is regarded as the seat of insatiable greed. With Job 20:23 we come to the Divine judgment upon the wicked man; here mg. is to be preferred: “Let it be for the filling of his belly that God shall cast the fierceness of his wrath upon him, and shall rain it upon him as his food.”Job 20:24 represents the wicked man as attacked by warriors.Job 20:25 means that, hoping to save his life, he draws out the arrow which has struck him; but the terrors of death seize upon him.