Job 20:21 Meaning: When Greed Devours Everything
There was nothing left that he didn’t devour, therefore his prosperity will not endure.
There shall none of his meat be left; therefore shall no man look for his goods.
There was nothing left that he devoured not; Therefore his prosperity shall not endure.
There is not a remnant to his food, Therefore his good doth not stay.
Nothing escaped his greediness; therefore his prosperity shall not endure.
Meaning in one sentence
Job 20:21 describes how the greedy man's insatiable devouring leaves nothing, and his prosperity cannot endure. What this means for us today.
Context
In Job 20, Zophar the Naamathite gives his second speech. He insists that the wicked person's joy and prosperity are only temporary. This verse comes in a vivid description of a greedy man: someone who consumes everything without restraint, oppressing the poor and taking houses he did not build. Zophar says such a person leaves nothing, no remnant, no scrap, and so his prosperity cannot hold together. This is part of the friends' retribution theology, which the book of Job as a whole challenges through Job's innocent suffering.
Key Words
The Hebrew word translated 'devour' is achal, the same word used for a fire consuming everything in its path. It is not careful eating; it is destruction. The word for 'prosperity' (tuv) means goods, beauty, even the goodness of God. The greedy man treats God's good gifts as fuel. Nothing escapes him, the word sarid means 'survivor' or 'remnant,' so not even a scrap is left. And the verb 'endure' (yachil) comes from a root meaning to twist strong rope. His prosperity will not hold together. It unravels, because what is grasped without gratitude has no staying power.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians across traditions read this verse as part of Zophar's speech, not as an absolute divine promise. Many Protestant commentators see it describing the natural consequences of greed: insatiable appetite leaves a person empty. Catholic and Orthodox readers often connect it to the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16), where a prosperous man ends in torment, highlighting eternal stakes. Others note that the friends' speeches are not always correct, Job himself suffered while innocent. So the verse stands as a sober warning about greed, not a formula for judging anyone's spiritual state.
A common misunderstanding
A common misreading is taking this verse as a guarantee that every greedy person will lose all their wealth visibly before death. In fact, the friends' perspective is limited. Job's own story shows that suffering can come to the blameless. The verse better warns about the inner emptiness of greed, a prosperity that looks solid but cannot endure, not a promise of visible poverty for the wicked.
Living This Out
This week, notice what you are devouring. Not just food, time, attention, money, praise. Are you grabbing faster than you can enjoy? Do you leave nothing for others or for God? Try one small practice of letting go: leave the last bite, give away something you wanted to keep, quiet your heart before you consume. Greed is a hunger we all feel. But what we grasp never satisfies. What we receive with open hands is the only prosperity that endures.
Main takeaway: Insatiable greed leaves nothing behind but loss; true prosperity is found in contentment, not consumption.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
Some people want to take everything for themselves. But when you only take and never share, you end up with nothing. God wants us to enjoy what He gives and share with others.
For ages 9, 12
Zophar describes a greedy person like a vacuum cleaner that sucks up everything. But his prosperity doesn't last because he never learns to be thankful, share, or trust God. Real prosperity isn't about how much you get, it's about contentment and generosity. This week, notice when you want more than you need and practice being thankful for what you have.
Questions People Ask
Who is speaking in Job 20:21?
Zophar the Naamathite, one of Job's three friends. This is his second speech, where he describes the fate of the wicked from his perspective.
Does this verse mean all greedy people will become poor?
Not as a guaranteed outcome. The friends' speeches represent a limited theology that the book of Job challenges through Job's innocent suffering. The verse warns about the inner emptiness of greed, but it shouldn't be used to judge someone else's fortune or suffering.
What does 'no man look for his goods' mean in the King James Version?
In the KJV, 'look for' means 'expect.' The verse says that because the greedy man has devoured everything, no one will expect any inheritance or prosperity from him. Everything is gone.
How does Job 20:21 connect to the rich man and Lazarus?
In Luke 16:24, 25, the rich man who received good things in his lifetime ends in anguish, while Lazarus is comforted. Jesus said to him, <blockquote class="scripture"><p>“Son, remember that you, in your lifetime, received your good things, and Lazarus, in the same way, bad things. But here he is now comforted and you are in anguish.”</p><cite>— Luke 16:25 (WEB)</cite></blockquote>Both passages teach that greed and neglect of others lead to loss, whether in this life or the next.
For pastors & researchers
Hebrew interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study