Job 20

SECOND SERIES.

Job 20:1-29.

REPLY OF

ZOPHAR.

2. Therefore--Rather, the more excited I feel by Job's speech, the

more for that very reason shall my reply be supplied by my calm

consideration. Literally, "Notwithstanding; my calm thoughts (as in

Job 4:13)

shall furnish my answer, because of the excitement (haste) within me"

[UMBREIT].

3. check of my reproach--that is, the castigation intended as a

reproach (literally, "shame") to me.

spirit of . . . understanding--my rational spirit; answering to

"calm thoughts"

(Job 20:2).

In spite of thy reproach urging me to "hastiness." I will answer in

calm reason.

5. the hypocrite--literally, "the ungodly"

(Ps 37:35, 36).

6.

(Isa 14:13;

Ob 3, 4).

7. dung--in contrast to the haughtiness of the sinner

(Job 20:6);

this strong term expresses disgust and the lowest degradation

(Ps 83:10;

1Ki 14:10).

8.

(Ps 73:20).

9. Rather "the eye followeth him, but can discern him no more." A

sharp-looking is meant

(Job 28:7;

Job 7:10).

10. seek to please--"Atone to the poor" (by restoring the property

of which they had been robbed by the father)

[DE WETTE]. Better than

English Version, "The children" are reduced to the humiliating

condition of "seeking the favor of those very poor," whom the father

had oppressed. But UMBREIT translates as Margin.

his hands--rather, "their (the children's) hands."

their goods--the goods of the poor. Righteous retribution!

(Ex 20:5).

11.

(Ps 25:7),

so Vulgate. GESENIUS has "full of youth";

namely, in the fulness of his youthful strength he shall be laid

in the dust. But "bones" plainly alludes to Job's disease, probably to

Job's own words

(Job 19:20).

UMBREIT translates, "full of his secret

sins," as in

Ps 90:8;

his secret guilt in his time of seeming righteousness, like secret

poison, at last lays him in the dust. The English Version is

best. Zophar alludes to Job's own words

(Job 17:16).

with him--His sin had so pervaded his nature that it accompanies

him to the grave: for eternity the sinner cannot get rid of it

(Re 22:11).

12. be--"taste sweet." Sin's fascination is like poison sweet

to the taste, but at last deadly to the vital organs

(Pr 20:17;

Job 9:17, 18).

hide . . . tongue--seek to prolong the enjoyment by keeping the

sweet morsel long in the mouth (so

Job 20:13).

14. turned--Hebrew denotes a total change into a disagreeable

contrary

(Jer 2:21;

compare

Re 10:9, 10).

gall--in which the poison of the asp was thought to lie. It rather

is contained in a sack in the mouth. Scripture uses popular language,

where no moral truth is thereby endangered.

15. He is forced to disgorge his ill-gotten wealth.

16. shall suck--It shall turn out that he has sucked the poison, &c.

17. floods--literally, "stream of floods," plentiful streams flowing

with milk, &c.

(Job 29:6;

Ex 3:17).

Honey and butter are more fluid in the East than with us and are poured

out from jars. These "rivers" or water brooks are in the sultry East

emblems of prosperity.

18. Image from food which is taken away from one before he can

swallow it.

restitution--(So

Pr 6:31).

The parallelism favors the English Version rather than the

translation of GESENIUS, "As a possession to be

restored in which he rejoices not."

he shall not rejoice--His enjoyment of his ill-gotten gains shall

then be at an end

(Job 20:5).

19. oppressed--whereas he ought to have espoused their cause

(2Ch 16:10).

forsaken--left helpless.

house--thus leaving the poor without shelter

(Isa 5:8;

Mic 2:2).

20. UMBREIT translates, "His inward parts

know no rest" from desires.

his belly--that is, peace inwardly.

not save--literally, "not escape with that which," &c., alluding

to Job's having been stripped of his all.

21. look for--rather, "because his goods," that is, prosperity

shall have no endurance.

22. shall be--rather, "he is (feeleth) straitened." The next clause

explains in what respect.

wicked--Rather, "the whole hand of the miserable (whom he had

oppressed) cometh upon him"; namely, the sense of his having oppressed

the poor, now in turn comes with all its power (hand) on him. This

caused his "straitened" feeling even in prosperity.

23. Rather, "God shall cast (may God send)

[UMBREIT] upon him the

fury of His wrath to fill his belly!"

while . . . eating--rather, "shall rain it upon him for his food!"

Fiery rain, that is, lightning

(Ps 11:6;

alluding to Job's misfortune,

Job 1:16).

The force of the image is felt by picturing to one's self the opposite

nature of a refreshing rain in the desert

(Ex 16:4;

Ps 68:9).

24. steel--rather, "brass." While the wicked flees from one danger,

he falls into a greater one from an opposite quarter

[UMBREIT].

25. It is drawn--Rather, "He (God) draweth (the sword,

Jos 5:13)

and (no sooner has He done so, than) it cometh out of (that is, passes

right through) the (sinner's) body"

(De 32:41, 42;

Eze 21:9, 10).

The glittering sword is a happy image for lightning.

gall--that is, his life

(Job 16:13).

"Inflicts a deadly wound."

terrors--Zophar repeats Bildad's words

(Job 17:11;

Ps 88:16; 55:4).

26. All darkness--that is, every calamity that befalls the wicked

shall be hid (in store for him) in His (God's) secret places, or treasures

(Jude 13;

De 32:34).

not blown--not kindled by man's hands, but by God's

(Isa 30:33;

the Septuagint in the Alexandrian Manuscript reads "unquenchable

fire,"

Mt 3:12).

Tact is shown by the friends in not expressly mentioning, but alluding

under color of general cases, to Job's calamities; here

(Job 1:16)

UMBREIT explains it, wickedness, is a

"self-igniting fire"; in it lie the principles of destruction.

ill . . . tabernacle--Every trace of the sinner must be obliterated

(Job 18:15).

27. All creation is at enmity with him, and proclaims his guilt, which

he would fain conceal.

28. increase--prosperity. Ill got--ill gone.

flow away--like waters that run dry in summer; using Job's own metaphor

against himself

(Job 6:15-17;

2Sa 14:14;

Mic 1:4).

his wrath--God's.

29. appointed--not as a matter of chance, but by the divine "decree"

(Margin) and settled principle.