Job 20:1-9 · Bible study
Job 20:1-9 Commentary: Zophar's Harsh Answer
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Explore why Zophar responds so harshly to Job's confession of faith, asserting that the wicked's triumph is brief.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Zophar asserts that the prosperity of the wicked is fleeting and ends in total disgrace, applying this to Job as if his suffering proves his guilt.
- Key Words: “Triumphing” (רְנָנָה, renanah), a shout of joy; “short” (מִקָּרוֹב, mi-karov), near, brief; “moment” (רֶגַע, rega), an instant.
- Main Debate: Does Zophar’s principle hold true in every case? Job’s story challenges the idea that suffering is always divine punishment.
- Theological Theme: Retribution theology versus innocent suffering; the tension between God’s justice and the mystery of affliction.
- Best Use: As a caution against applying general truths about sin and judgment to individuals without knowing their heart, and as a prompt to examine how we speak to those who suffer.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
1Then Zophar the Naamathite replied:
2“So my anxious thoughts compel me to answer, because of the turmoil within me.
3I have heard a rebuke that insults me, and my understanding prompts a reply.
4Do you not know that from antiquity, since man was placed on the earth,
5the triumph of the wicked has been brief and the joy of the godless momentary?
6Though his arrogance reaches the heavens, and his head touches the clouds,
7he will perish forever, like his own dung; those who had seen him will ask, ‘Where is he?’
8He will fly away like a dream, never to be found; he will be chased away like a vision in the night.
9The eye that saw him will see him no more, and his place will no longer behold him.
WEB World English Bible 2000
1Then Zophar the Naamathite answered,
2“Therefore my thoughts answer me, even by reason of my haste that is in me.
3I have heard the reproof which puts me to shame. The spirit of my understanding answers me.
4Don’t you know this from old time, since man was placed on earth,
5that the triumphing of the wicked is short, the joy of the godless but for a moment?
6Though his height mount up to the heavens, and his head reach to the clouds,
7yet he will perish forever like his own dung. Those who have seen him will say, ‘Where is he?’
8He will fly away as a dream, and will not be found. Yes, he will be chased away like a vision of the night.
9The eye which saw him will see him no more, neither will his place see him any more.
KJV King James Version 1769
1Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said,
2Therefore do my thoughts cause me to answer, and for this I make haste.
3I have heard the check of my reproach, and the spirit of my understanding causeth me to answer.
4Knowest thou not this of old, since man was placed upon earth,
5That the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment?
6Though his excellency mount up to the heavens, and his head reach unto the clouds;
7Yet he shall perish for ever like his own dung: they which have seen him shall say, Where is he?
8He shall fly away as a dream, and shall not be found: yea, he shall be chased away as a vision of the night.
9The eye also which saw him shall see him no more; neither shall his place any more behold him.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
1Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said,
2Therefore do my thoughts give answer to me, Even by reason of my haste that is in me.
3I have heard the reproof which putteth me to shame; And the spirit of my understanding answereth me.
4Knowest thou notthis of old time, Since man was placed upon earth,
5That the triumphing of the wicked is short, And the joy of the godless but for a moment?
6Though his height mount up to the heavens, And his head reach unto the clouds;
7Yet he shall perish for ever like his own dung: They that have seen him shall say, Where is he?
8He shall fly away as a dream, and shall not be found: Yea, he shall be chased away as a vision of the night.
9The eye which saw him shall see him no more; Neither shall his place any more behold him.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
1And Zophar the Naamathite answereth and saith: --
2Therefore my thoughts cause me to answer, And because of my sensations in me.
3The chastisement of my shame I hear, And the spirit of mine understanding Doth cause me to answer:
4This hast thou known from antiquity? Since the placing of man on earth?
5That the singing of the wicked is short, And the joy of the profane for a moment,
6Though his excellency go up to the heavens, And his head against a cloud he strike--
7As his own dung for ever he doth perish, His beholders say: `Where is he?'
8As a dream he fleeth, and they find him not, And he is driven away as a vision of the night,
9The eye hath not seen him, and addeth not. And not again doth his place behold him.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
1And Zophar the Naamathite answered and said,
2Therefore do my thoughts give me an answer, and for this is my haste within me.
3I hear a reproof putting me to shame; and [my] spirit answereth me by mine understanding.
4Knowest thou [not] this, that of old, since man was placed upon earth,
5The exultation of the wicked is short, and the joy of the ungodly man but for a moment?
6Though his height mount up to the heavens, and his head reach unto the clouds,
7Like his own dung doth he perish for ever; they which have seen him shall say, Where is he?
8He flieth away as a dream, and is not found; and is chased away as a vision of the night.
9The eye which saw him shall [see him] not again; and his place beholdeth him no more.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
1Then Sophar the Naamathite answered, and said:
2Therefore various thoughts succeed one another in me, and my mind is hurried away to different things.
3The doctrine with which thou reprovest me, I will hear, and the spirit of my understanding shall answer for me.
4This I know from the beginning, since man was placed upon the earth,
5That the praise of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment.
6If his pride mount up even to heaven, and his head touch the clouds:
7In the end he shall be destroyed like a dunghill, and they that had seen him, shall say: Where is he?
8As a dream that fleeth away he shall not be found, he shall pass as a vision of the night:
9The eyes that had seen him, shall see him no more, neither shall his place any more behold him.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Job 20:1
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that Zophar states an ancient principle: the joy of the wicked is brief, and the godless flourish only for a moment. Adam Clarke calls Zophar "the most inveterate" of Job's enemies, noting his bitter tone and violation of charity. Barnes observes that Zophar presents this as "the settled arrangement of Providence" from the beginning of humanity on the earth. The Cambridge Bible adds that Zophar is "roused to indignation by Job's perverse blindness to unalterable principles." All agree that Zophar applies this truth directly to Job, assuming his suffering proves his wickedness. However, the commentators universally recognize that Zophar misapplies a true principle, the fleeting prosperity of the wicked, to a man whom God calls blameless. The consensus is that Zophar speaks truth about God's justice but errs in his diagnosis of Job's situation.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Traditional retribution reading: Zophar speaks an eternal truth: the wicked do not prosper forever; God's justice is seen in their downfall.
- Misapplied theology reading: Zophar is correct in principle but wrong to apply it to Job; the book of Job as a whole challenges this simplistic view.
- Flawed comforter reading: Zophar's harsh tone and haste show he is not speaking from godly wisdom but from anger, making his words unreliable even if partly true.
What is clear: Zophar asserts that the joy of the wicked is short and that God brings about their end, using vivid imagery of perishability and disappearance.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| The fate of the wicked | God will ultimately judge the wicked and bring their prosperity to an end. | Christians differ on whether this judgment is primarily earthly (as Zophar assumes) or eschatological (at the final judgment). Some see verses like this as supporting total annihilation of the wicked, while others emphasize eternal punishment. |
| Zophar's application to Job | Zophar believes Job's suffering proves he is wicked. | Most commentaries agree Zophar is wrong about Job, but some argue he was simply following the logic of retribution theology, while others condemn his harshness as a serious failure of compassion. |
| The meaning of 'perish like dung' | The phrase conveys extreme degradation and contempt. | Some interpreters see this as referring to the physical death and decay of the body. Others read it as a metaphor for eternal shame and destruction beyond death. |
| Zophar's authority to speak | Zophar claims his understanding comes from ancient tradition (v. 4). | Traditions differ on whether his speech is inspired truth that Job needed to hear, or a well-intentioned but misguided attempt to defend God's justice. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Job 20 opens the second cycle of speeches. Zophar, the third friend, speaks after Eliphaz (Job 15) and Bildad (Job 18). His words follow Job's profound confession of faith in chapter 19, where Job declares his belief in a living Redeemer and resurrection. Zophar seems impatient with Job's insistence on his innocence. In verse 2, he says his thoughts "answer" him because of "haste", the Hebrew חוּשׁ (chush) carries the sense of agitation or urgency. Barnes suggests Zophar is "in a great heat" at Job's speech.
Zophar grounds his argument in tradition: "Knowest thou not this of old, since man was placed upon earth?" The phrase "from antiquity" (מִנִּי־עַד, minni-'ad) and "since man was placed" (שִׂים אָדָם) echo the creation account, asserting that his principle is as old as humanity itself. This is the standard retribution theology of the ancient Near East: God punishes the wicked and rewards the righteous in this life. The imagery in verses 6, 9 draws from common biblical metaphors: the wicked's height reaching the clouds (Isaiah 14:13, 15), perishing like dung (2 Kings 9:37), and vanishing like a dream (Psalm 73:20, Isaiah 29:7, 8). Zophar's crude language, "like his own dung", shows his disgust and the depth of his contempt for the wicked, whom he equates with Job.
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note no significant textual variants in the Hebrew of Job 20:1, 9. The major translations (WEB, KJV, ASV, BSB, YLT, Darby, Douay) agree closely on the wording. Barnes mentions that the Septuagint renders verse 6 as "Though his gifts should go up to heaven, and his sacrifice should touch the clouds," but this is a paraphrase rather than a variant reading. The Hebrew text is stable and well-attested.
Reception History
Zophar's speech has been read across church history as both a true principle and a cautionary example. Early Christian writers, such as Gregory the Great in his Moralia in Job, treated Zophar's words as a valid warning against pride, though they noted his misapplication to Job. Medieval commentators often allegorized the images of dream and dung as symbols of worldly vanity. Reformation figures like John Calvin and Matthew Henry recognized the correctness of the general truth, the joy of the godless is brief, while pointing out Zophar's error in applying it to a righteous sufferer. In modern times, this passage is frequently used to illustrate the limits of retribution theology and the danger of offering simplistic answers to profound suffering. Hymns such as "Brief Life Is Here Our Portion" (from the Latin Brevis vitae spatium) echo the theme of fleeting worldly joy, though they do not directly quote Zophar.
Preaching This Verse
Three-Point Outline
- The Principle (vv. 4, 5): The triumph of the wicked is short, the joy of the godless momentary. This is presented as ancient wisdom, a truth that should be self-evident.
- The Picture (vv. 6, 7): Though the wicked ascend to the heavens in pride, they perish forever like dung, a shocking contrast from exaltation to utter degradation.
- The Permanence (vv. 8, 9): The wicked disappear like a dream or night vision, never to be seen again. Their place no longer knows them.
Five-Point Outline
- Zophar's Emotional State (vv. 1, 3): He speaks from agitation, having been reproached by Job. His haste shapes his response.
- The Ancient Maxim (vv. 4, 5): Unchanging truth: the joy of the godless is brief.
- Illustration of Pride (v. 6): The wicked's height reaches heaven, a motif of rebellious ambition.
- Crash and Disappearance (vv. 7, 8): Perishing like dung, flying away like a dream, total removal.
- Final Absence (v. 9): No trace remains; the eye that saw him sees him no more.
Illustration Hooks
- A skyscraper built too tall on a weak foundation: it looks impressive but will collapse quickly when the storm comes.
- A celebrity whose fame lasts only for one season, within a year, people ask, "Where is he now?"
- A bad dream that terrifies at night but fades instantly upon waking, leaving nothing behind.
Questions Your Congregation Is Asking
- If the wicked's joy is short, why do we see evil people thriving for decades?
- Does my suffering mean God is punishing me for hidden sin?
- How can I comfort a friend in pain without sounding like Zophar?
Leading a Discussion
Zophar's speech is a strong statement of retribution theology: the idea that God always punishes the wicked and rewards the righteous in this life. But when applied to Job, it fails. This discussion will help your group explore the limits of such thinking and learn how to better support those who suffer.
Discussion Questions
- What is Zophar's emotional state in verses 1, 3? What words or phrases show his attitude?
- According to verses 4, 5, what does Zophar claim has been true "from old time"? How does he use this principle to judge Job?
- Look at the images in verses 6, 9: height touching clouds, perishing like dung, flying away as a dream. What do these pictures communicate about the fate of the wicked?
- How does Zophar's speech compare with Job's earlier confession of faith in Job 19:25, 27? What assumptions does each man hold about God's justice?
- Why is Zophar's theology dangerous when applied to someone like Job? Where do we see similar thinking today?
- If you were Job, how would you feel hearing Zophar's words? What would you want your friends to say instead?
- How can we hold onto the truth that evil is temporary without using it to dismiss someone's legitimate pain?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Job 2:11 | Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this evil that had come on him, they each came from his own place: Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite; and they made an appointment together to come to sympathize with him and to comfort him. |
| Job 11:1 | Then Zophar, the Naamathite, answered, |
| Job 42:9 | So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did what Yahweh commanded them, and Yahweh accepted Job. |
| Job 4:2 | “If someone ventures to talk with you, will you be grieved? But who can withhold himself from speaking? |
| Job 13:19 | Who is he who will contend with me? For then I would hold my peace and give up the spirit. |
| Job 32:13 | Beware lest you say, ‘We have found wisdom. God may refute him, not man;’ |
| Job 32:20 | I will speak, that I may be refreshed. I will open my lips and answer. |
| Psalms 31:22 | As for me, I said in my haste, “I am cut off from before your eyes.” Nevertheless you heard the voice of my petitions when I cried to you. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke notes Zophar sees the wicked as someone driven by anger to attack Job and believes the proud will only enjoy brief success before being destroyed. He thinks such people will return to dust and never rise again.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes notes that Zophar uses the Hebrew word for short, "from near," to stress how fleeting the hypocrite's joy is. He distinguishes counterfeit joy from genuine piety, warning that the hypocrite's happiness, though it may seem lofty, will vanish like a dream or night vision.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
Zophar believes his thoughts speak to him in response to Job’s shameful words. His spirit then provides the answer that comes from his own understanding.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
Geneva Bible Notes notes that Zophar speaks quickly because he feels compelled to respond after hearing that the wicked’s joy is temporary. He believes such joy ends soon and that the proud will vanish forever like waste.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill sees Zophar's reply as driven by wounded pride, not divine insight. Unmoved by Job's suffering or confession of faith, Zophar attacks with fresh anger. His
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
Jamieson Fausset Brown notes the speaker will answer Job with calm thought despite feeling hurried because of Job’s words. He calls the person speaking hypocrites and describes them as dung and a sharp-looking thing that can no longer be seen.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil and Delitzsch insist the correct reading of the Hebrew in verse 7 is "like his dung," rejecting attempts to soften it into something more dignified. They see this revolting image as deliberately powerful: even if the wicked reach heaven, they vanish completely, like fuel burned to nothing.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange observes that Zophar reworks the friends' familiar theme of the wicked's brief prosperity into a personal attack. By describing the rich oppressor's sudden downfall, Zophar casts malicious suspicion on Job's own former wealth, implying its foundation was unrighteous.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry notes Zophar speaks out of anger after Job’s words upset him greatly. He feels he must reply because Job warned them of danger.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley notes that God sees every word and action and will bring judgment as a sword. He also says he speaks from certain knowledge rather than passion.