Zophar and his friends, not satisfied with Job’s confession of faith, he in his turn replies, and in his preface gives his reasons why he made any answer at all, and was so quick in it, Job 20:1–3; and appeals to Job for the truth of an old established maxim, that the prosperity of wicked men and…

Then answered Zophar the Naamathite Notwithstanding the sad distressed condition Job was in, an account of which is given in the preceding chapter, enough to pierce a heart of stone, notwithstanding his earnest request to his friends to have pity on him, and notwithstanding the noble confession of…

Therefore do my thoughts cause me to answer Or “to return” [[0]] and appear upon the stage again, and enter the lists once more with his antagonist; he suggests as if he had intended to have said no more in this controversy, but observing what Job had said last, could not forbear replying:…

I have heard the check of my reproach He took it that Job had reproached him and his friends, by representing them as hardhearted men, and persecuting him wrongly in a violent manner; and he had observed the “check” or reproof given for it, by bidding them beware of the sword, and lest the…

Knowest thou not this of old Or “from eternity” [[6]], from the beginning of time, ever since the world was; as if he should say, if you are the knowing man you pretend to be, you must know this I am about to observe; and if you do not know it, you must be an ignorant man, since it is an ancient…

That the triumphing of the wicked is short Their outward prosperity and felicity, of which they make their boast, and in which they glory and triumph for a while; at first Job’s friends set out with this notion, that the wicked never flourished and prospered, but it always went ill with them in…

Though his excellency mount up to the heavens Though, in worldly grandeur and glory, he should arrive to such a pitch as the Assyrian monarch was ambitious of, as to ascend into heaven, exalt his throne above the stars of God, and be like the Most High; or be comparable to such a tree, by which the…

Yet he shall perish for ever like his own dung Not only in this world, but in the world to come, both in his outward substance here, and in his body in the grave, and in his soul to all eternity, and that in the most shameful and disgraceful manner; he shall perish in his own corruption, and like…

He shall fly away as a dream, and shall not be found Either as a dream which is forgotten, as Nebuchadnezzar’s was, and cannot be recovered; or as the matter and substance of a dream, which, though remembered, is a mere illusion; as when a hungry or thirsty man dreams he eats or drinks, but,…

The eye also which saw him shall see him no more In this world, concerned in the affairs of life, and busy in worldly employments, and especially in the grandeur he sometimes was, if not removed by death; but the former sense seems most agreeable by what follows, neither shall his place any more…

His children shall seek to please the poor In this and some following verses the miserable state of a wicked man is described, and which begins with his children, who are often visited in wrath for their parents’ sins, especially when they tread in their steps, and follow their example; and it is…

His bones are full of the sins of his youth Man is born in sin, and is a transgressor from the womb; and the youthful age is addicted to many sins, as pride, passion, lust, luxury, intemperance, and uncleanness; and these are sometimes brought to mind, and men are convinced of them, and corrected…

Though wickedness be sweet in his mouth Which may respect some particular sin, and by the context it seems to be the sin of covetousness, or of getting riches in an unlawful way, which is very sweet and pleasing to wicked men, while they are in such pursuits that succeed; and so Mr.

Though he spare it Not that he feeds sparingly on it, for he eats of it freely and plentifully, with great eagerness and greediness; it designs the gratefulness of it to him; he does not spit it out as loathsome, having tasted of it, but retains it as sweet and pleasant; he spares it as Saul did…

Yet his meat in his bowels is turned Or “his bread” [[16]], to which sin is compared, being what the sinner lives in, and lives upon; what he strengthens himself in and with, and by which he is nourished unto the day of slaughter, and by means of which he grows and proceeds to more ungodliness,…

He hath swallowed down riches Not his own, but another’s, which he has spoiled him of and devoured, with as much eagerness, pleasure, and delight, as a hungry man swallows down his food; having an excessive and immoderate love of riches, and an insatiable desire after them, which make him stop at…

He shall suck the poison of asps Or “the head of asps” [[19]]; for their poison lies in their heads, particularly in their “teeth” [[21]]; or rather is a liquor in the gums, yellow like oil [[22]]; according to Pliny [[23]], in copulation the male puts his head into the mouth of the female, which…

He shall not see the rivers Of water, or meet with any to assuage his thirst, which poison excites, and so makes a man wish for water, and desire large quantities; but this shall not be granted the wicked man; this might be illustrated in the case of the rich man in hell, who desired a drop of cold…

That which he laboured for shall he restore This explains what was before figuratively expressed by vomiting, ; and is to be interpreted either of that which another laboured for; so the Targum paraphrases it, “another’s labour;” and Mr.

Because he hath oppressed and hath forsaken the poor Having oppressed, crushed, and broken the poor to pieces, he leaves them so without pity and compassion for them, and without giving them any relief; he first by oppression makes them poor, or however poorer still, and then leaves them in such…

Surely he shall not feel quietness in his belly Or happiness in his children, so some in Bar Tzemach; rather shall have no satisfaction in his substance; though his belly is filled with hid treasure, it shall give him no contentment; he shall be a stranger to that divine art, but ever have a…

There shall none of his meat be left Not in his belly, all shall be cast up; none of his substance left for himself or others; none of his riches for his children or heirs, all being consumed: or this may respect either the profuseness or niggardliness of his living, that he should live in great…

In the fulness of his sufficiency he shall be in straits For though he may not only have a sufficient competency to live upon, but even a fulness of temporal blessings, have as much as heart can wish, or more, even good things, and plenty of them laid up for many years; yet amidst it all shall be…

When he is about to fill his belly Either in a literal sense, when he is about to take an ordinary meal to satisfy nature; or in a figurative sense, when he is seeking to increase his worldly riches, and his barns and coffers, and endeavouring to get satisfaction therein: God shall cast the fury of…

He shall flee from the iron weapon The sword, for fear of being thrust through with it; the flaming sword of justice God sometimes threatens to take, and whet, and make use of against ungodly men; the sword of God, as Bar Tzemach observes, is hereby figuratively expressed; fleeing from it, or an…

It is drawn, and cometh out of the body That is, the arrow with which a wicked man is stricken through; either it is drawn, and comes out of the quiver, as Broughton; or rather is drawn out of the body of a wicked man, being shot into it, and that in order that he may be cured of his wound if…

All darkness shall be hid in his secret places In such places of secrecy, where he may promise himself safety, he shall find more calamities of all sorts; or every kind of judgments shall find him out, and come upon him, sometimes signified by darkness, see ; or utter darkness, the blackness of…

The heaven shall reveal his iniquity Either God the Maker and Possessor of heaven, who dwells there, and is sometimes so called, ; who sees and knows all things, even those that are most secret, as well as more openly committed, and will make all manifest, sooner or later; or else the angels of…

The increase of his house shall depart Either his children or his substance. Some interpret it, as Kimchi [[7]] observes, of the walls of his house, because of what follows, “they shall flow away” as if he should say, the stones of his house shall fall down, and his habitation shall be destroyed,…

This is the portion of a wicked man from God All before related, and which is very different from the portion of a good man, which is God himself, both here and hereafter; the wicked man has indeed his portion from God, which he has assigned him, but his portion is not himself; nor is it with him,…