Chapter Summary
Core Passages from Job 20
Job 20:5that the exulting of the wicked is short, and the joy of the godless but for a moment?
Zophar lays out his core belief that any happiness evil people experience is temporary and fragile, setting the stage for his entire argument.Job 20:19For he has crushed and abandoned the poor; he has seized a house that he did not build.
He specifically accuses the wicked man of social injustice, like oppressing the poor, to justify the suffering he believes is deserved.Job 20:29This is the wicked man's portion from God, the heritage decreed for him by God."
Zophar concludes with absolute certainty, stating that a terrible fate is the destiny God himself has assigned to every wicked person.
Historical & Cultural Context
Zophar's Impatient Rebuttal
This chapter marks the second round of speeches between Job and his friends. Job finished a moving declaration in chapter 19, expressing deep pain but also an unshakable hope in a living Redeemer. Zophar, however, seems to feel insulted by Job's refusal to confess sin. He completely ignores Job's statement of faith and launches his own speech, not to comfort, but to condemn, driven by his rigid belief system.
A Sermon on Divine Retribution
Instead of engaging with Job's personal suffering, Zophar delivers a generic but graphic sermon on the fate of the wicked. He draws on what he considers ancient, undeniable wisdom to prove his point. In his mind, Job's situation is simple: since Job is suffering, he must be wicked, and Zophar is here to describe exactly what that means.
Zophar's Portrait of the Wicked Man's Doom
Zophar, one of Job's three friends, takes the stage for his second speech. Feeling insulted by Job's claims of innocence, he unleashes a torrent of accusations disguised as timeless wisdom. In this chapter, Zophar paints a vivid and gruesome picture of the wicked man's life, arguing that any success is fleeting and that divine punishment is inevitable, all in an effort to prove Job is guilty.
The Brief Triumph of the Wicked (Job 20:1-11)
1 Then Zophar the Naamathite answered and said:
2 Therefore my thoughts answer me, because of my haste within me.
3 I hear censure that insults me, and out of my understanding a spirit answers me.
4 Do you not know this from of old, since man was placed on earth,
5 that the exulting of the wicked is short, and the joy of the godless but for a moment?
6 Though his height mount up to the heavens, and his head reach to the clouds,
7 he will perish forever like his own dung; those who have seen him will say, 'Where is he?'
8 He will fly away like a dream and not be found; he will be chased away like a vision of the night.
9 The eye that saw him will see him no more, nor will his place any more behold him.
10 His children will seek the favor of the poor, and his hands will give back his wealth.
11 His bones are full of his youthful vigor, but it will lie down with him in the dust.
Commentary:
Zophar argues that the success of the wicked is impressive but vanishes quickly, leaving no positive legacy.
The Poison of Ill-Gotten Gain (Job 20:12-19)
12 “Though evil is sweet in his mouth, though he hides it under his tongue,
13 Though he is greedy for gain, he will not let it go.
14 yet his food is turned in his stomach; it is the venom of cobras within him.
15 He swallows down riches and vomits them up again; God casts them out of his belly.
16 He will suck the poison of cobras; the tongue of a viper will kill him.
17 He will not look upon the rivers, the streams flowing with honey and curds.
18 That which he labored for he will give back and will not swallow it down; from the profit of his trading he will get no enjoyment.
19 For he has crushed and abandoned the poor; he has seized a house that he did not build.
Commentary:
The wicked man's greed and sin, though momentarily enjoyable, become a source of internal poison and torment.
The Sudden Strike of God's Anger (Job 20:20-25)
20 "Because he knew no contentment in his belly, he will not let anything in which he delights escape him."
21 “No survivor remains in his tent; his wealth is consumed by the burning.”
22 In the fullness of his sufficiency he will be in distress; the hand of everyone in misery will come against him.
23 When he is about to fill his belly, God will send his burning anger against him and rain it upon him into his body.
24 He will flee from an iron weapon; a bronze arrow will strike him through.
25 It is drawn forth and comes out of his body; the glittering point comes out of his gallbladder; terrors come upon him.
Commentary:
At the peak of his prosperity, the wicked man will be struck down by God's sudden and inescapable wrath.
The Final, Cosmic Verdict (Job 20:26-29)
26 All darkness is laid up for his treasures; a fire not fanned will devour him; what is left in his tent will be consumed.
27 The heavens will reveal his iniquity, and the earth will rise up against him.
28 The possessions of his house will be carried away, dragged off in the day of God's wrath.
29 This is the wicked man's portion from God, the heritage decreed for him by God."
Commentary:
Zophar concludes that total destruction is the God-ordained destiny for every wicked person, with all creation confirming the verdict.
Unpacking Zophar's Rigid Theology
The Doctrine of Retribution
Zophar is a prime example of someone who holds a strict belief in retribution - the idea that God rewards the good and punishes the wicked in this life. For him, there are no exceptions. Suffering is always a direct consequence of sin. This chapter shows the harshness of this worldview when applied without compassion or nuance.
The Fleeting Nature of Evil
A central theme is that the success and joy of the unrighteous are temporary illusions. Zophar uses powerful imagery of dreams that vanish and dung that decays to emphasize how quickly their influence and wealth will disappear, leaving nothing of value behind.
The Inescapability of Divine Judgment
Zophar paints a picture of a God whose justice is active and unavoidable. The wicked man cannot hide or escape. Judgment will come suddenly and completely, from God himself, with both heaven and earth acting as witnesses against him.
Lessons from Misguided Counsel
Zophar's harsh words in Job 20:29 show the danger of assuming you know why someone is suffering. He was completely certain Job was wicked, but he was wrong. This reminds you to approach others' pain with humility and compassion, not with easy answers or accusations.
Zophar sees ill-gotten gain as poison that ultimately destroys a person, as described in Job 20:14-15. This challenges you to examine your own ambitions. True, lasting value is found not in what you can accumulate, but in living with integrity and caring for others.
We all face situations where a friend is hurting and we want to fix it with a simple explanation. Zophar's speech is a powerful reminder that life and faith are often more mysterious than that. It encourages you to listen more than you speak and to offer presence instead of platitudes when someone is in pain.
A Rigid View of Divine Justice
In this chapter, Zophar presents a clear but tragically incomplete picture of God's justice. He argues passionately that God operates on a simple system of retribution, where sin is always met with swift and terrible punishment. While containing elements of truth about the consequences of evil, his message is misapplied and lacks compassion. It serves as a powerful warning that possessing correct doctrines is not enough. They must be applied with wisdom, humility, and love.
What This Means for Us Today
Zophar's speech is a stark reminder of the danger of a simplistic faith that has all the answers. It challenges us to sit with those who suffer without feeling the need to explain their pain away. True friendship and faith sometimes mean embracing the mystery and offering presence instead of pronouncements.
- In what area of my life do I rely on overly simple answers instead of wrestling with difficult questions?
- Who in my life needs my silent presence more than my well-intentioned advice?
- How can I cultivate a faith that is comfortable with mystery and trusts God even when I don't understand?
Further Reading
Immediate Context
Connections Across Scripture
The psalmist wrestles with the same problem as Job - the prosperity of the wicked - but comes to a different, more faith-filled conclusion.
Jesus directly refutes the idea that tragedy is always a direct punishment for a person's specific sin.
Paul speaks about sowing and reaping, offering a New Testament perspective on the consequences of living a life of sin versus a life in the Spirit.
Discussion Questions
- Zophar is confident he is defending God, but his words are hurtful to Job. When can 'defending God' or 'speaking truth' actually cause harm?
- Zophar uses vivid, almost violent, imagery to describe the fate of the wicked (Job 20:14, 23). Why do you think he is so graphic, and how does this kind of language affect the person who is suffering?
- Job 21 will show Job arguing that the wicked often prosper. How does Zophar's black-and-white worldview in Job 20 fail to account for the complexities and injustices we see in the world?