Job 20 Zophar’s answer: the state and portion of the wicked, not withstanding for a time he may prosper and flourish.

Therefore; for this thy severe sentence and denunciation of God’s judgments against us, Job 19:29, which much more justly belongs to thyself and is actually executed upon thee; and because of thy reproaches, as it followeth, Job 20:3.

I have heard from thy mouth. Or, Shall I hear, to wit, with patience, and without a reply? Who can endure it? The check of my reproach, i.e. thy shameful and opprobrious reproofs of us, as if we and all thy friends were void of all humanity and natural affection towards them, and were haters, and…

i.e. This which I am now about to say. How canst thou, thou, I say, who pretendest to such an exact and universal knowledge of men and things, be ignorant of so notorious a thing, which wicked men sensibly feel, and good men diligently observe, and all men are forced to acknowledge, one time or…

Is short, Heb. is from near, i.e. from or for a little time; they have not long enjoyed it, and it will shortly vanish. The joy of the hypocrite: this he adds by way of reflection upon Job, who though he did clear himself from gross wickedness, yet might be guilty of deep hyprocrisy.

Though he be advanced to great dignity and authority in the world.

Like his own dung; which men cast away with contempt and abhorrency. Compare 1 Kings 14:10, 2 Kings 9:37. They which have seen him, with admiration at his felicity. Where is he? i.e. he is no where to be found; he is utterly lost and gone.

As a dream; which for the present makes a great show and noise, and highly affects the fancy, but hath nothing solid nor permanent in it; for as soon as the man awakes all vanisheth, and the remembrance of it is quickly lost.

i.e. It shall not acknowledge nor contain him. A figure called prosopopaeia, as Job 7:10. Or, neither shall it (i.e. the eye last mentioned) behold him any more in his place.

Shall seek to please the poor; either, 1. To get some small relief from them in their extreme necessity. Or rather, 2. Lest they should revenge themselves of them for the great and many injuries which their father did them, or seek to the magistrate for reparations.

His bones, i.e. his whole body, even the strongest parts of it, which may seem most remote from danger. Of the sin of his youth, Heb. of his youth, i.e. of his youthful pleasures and lusts, by a metonymy of the subject. And this may be understood either, 1.

In his mouth, i.e. to his taste, though it greatly please him for the present. Though he hide it under his tongue; as an epicure doth a sweet morsel, which he is loth to swallow, and therefore keeps and rolls it about his mouth that he may longer enjoy the pleasure of it: though he be highly…

Though he spare it, i.e. will not part with it; or gratify and obey it, instead of subduing and mortifying it. Keep it still within his mouth, to suck out all the sweetness or benefit of it, though it be very delightful to him.

Turned into another nature or quality, from sweet to bitter. The gall of asps, i.e. exceeding bitter and pernicious. Gall is most bitter; the gall of serpents is full of poison, which from thence is conveyed to their mouths by veins, as Pliny observes; and the poison of asps is most dangerous, and…

He shall vomit them up again, i.e. be forced to restore them with great shame and torment, as gluttons sometimes do loathe, and with grief and pain cast up, that meat which they have eaten and swallowed down with much greediness and delight.

That which he hath greedily and industriously sucked in as pleasant and wholesome nourishment, shall in the issue be as ungrateful and destructive to him as the poison or head (for the Hebrew word signifies both, and the poison lies in the head) of asps would be to one that sucketh it.

Not see, i.e. not enjoy, as that word is oft used as Ps. 106:5, Eccles. 2:1. The brooks of honey and butter; that abundant satisfaction and comfort, (oft signified by these or suchlike metaphors; as Ps. 36:8, Ps. 46:4, Isa. 7:15, Isa. 7:22, Isa.

That which he laboured for, Heb. labour, i.e. the goods which were gotten with labour; either, 1. By the labour of others; or rather, 2. By his own labour; which may relate as well to the goods of others, which he got not without pains and difficulty; or to his own goods honestly gotten by the…

By his oppression he brought men to utter poverty, and then forsook or left them in that forlorn estate, affording no mercy nor help to them. Or, some he made poor by his oppression, and others that were poor he suffered to perish for want of that relief which he should and might have afforded…

He shall not feel quietness in his belly, i.e. he shall have no peace nor satisfaction in his mind in all his gains, partly because of his perpetual fears and expectations of the wrath of God and man, which his guilty conscience knoweth that he deserves; and partly because they shall be speedily…

None of his meat be left for his own future use; but he shall be stripped of all. Therefore shall no man look for his goods; it being publicly known and observed that he was totally ruined, none of his kindred or friends shall trouble themselves to seek for any relics of his estate, as is usually…

In the fulness of his sufficiency he shall be in straits; i.e. the height of prosperity and abundance he shall be distressed and tormented, either by the horrors of an unquiet mind and guilty conscience, which makes him every moment expect Divine vengeance to fall upon his head; or rather, because…

When he is about to fill his belly, i.e. when he hath enough and abundance to satisfy all his appetites, and shall design to take the pleasure of all his gains, and to spend his days in epicurism and sensuality.

From the iron weapon, i.e. from the sword or spear; and so shall think himself out of danger. The bow; an arrow shot out of a bow. A distant, place and unknown hand shall unexpectedly fall upon him; so that he shall only go from one danger to another.

It is drawn; either, 1. A sword, which may be understood out of this Hebrew verb, which is for the most part used of that weapon, as Num. 22:23, Num. 22:31, Judg. 8:20;c., and out of the following branch of the verse. Or, 2.

All darkness, i.e. all sorts of miseries, both of soul, and body, and estate. Shall be hid, or, is hid, or laid up, to wit, by God for him. This phrase may note, that though it be not actually upon him, yet it is reserved and treasured up for him, and is kept as in a sure place, and shall…

The heaven shall reveal his iniquity, i.e. God shall be a swift witness against him by some extraordinary judgments: still he reflects upon Job’s case, and the fire from heaven, Job 1:0. The earth i.e. all creatures upon earth shall conspire with God to destroy him.

The increase of his house; either, 1. His posterity; or rather, 2. His estate, got by the labour, and employed for the use, of his family. Shall depart; shall be lost or taken away from him. See 2 Kings 20:17.

From God; who like a wise master of a feast gives to every man his proper portion, and as a just judge distributes to him according to his deserts. The heritage appointed unto him by God, Heb. the heritage (i.e.