Job 20:15 - Zophar: Destruction Awaits the Wicked

Audio Bible

Context

Zophar: Destruction Awaits the Wicked
…14yet in his stomach his food sours into the venom of cobras within him. 15He swallows wealth but vomits it out; God will force it from his stomach. 16He will suck the poison of cobras; the fangs of a viper will kill him.…

Cross References

Proverbs 13:11
Dishonest wealth will dwindle, but what is earned through hard work will be multiplied.Proverbs 21:6
Making a fortune by a lying tongue is a vanishing mist, a deadly pursuit.Jeremiah 17:11
Like a partridge hatching eggs it did not lay is the man who makes a fortune unjustly. In the middle of his days his riches will desert him, and in the end he will be the fool.”Psalm 62:10
Place no trust in extortion or false hope in stolen goods. If your riches increase, do not set your heart upon them.Ecclesiastes 5:13-14
There is a grievous evil I have seen under the sun: wealth hoarded to the harm of its owner, / or wealth lost in a failed venture, so when that man has a son there is nothing to pass on.James 5:1-3
Come now, you who are rich, weep and wail over the misery to come upon you. / Your riches have rotted and moths have eaten your clothes. / Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and consume your flesh like fire. You have hoarded treasure in the last days.Luke 12:20-21
But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be required of you. Then who will own what you have accumulated?’ / This is how it will be for anyone who stores up treasure for himself but is not rich toward God.”Matthew 6:19-20
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. / But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.1 Timothy 6:9-10
Those who want to be rich, however, fall into temptation and become ensnared by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. / For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. By craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.Proverbs 10:2
Ill-gotten treasures profit nothing, but righteousness brings deliverance from death.Proverbs 11:4
Riches are worthless in the day of wrath, but righteousness brings deliverance from death.Ezekiel 7:19
They will throw their silver into the streets, and their gold will seem unclean. Their silver and gold cannot save them in the day of the wrath of the LORD. They cannot satisfy their appetites or fill their stomachs with wealth, for it became the stumbling block that brought their iniquity.Zephaniah 1:18
Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to deliver them on the Day of the LORD’s wrath. The whole earth will be consumed by the fire of His jealousy.” For indeed, He will make a sudden end of all who dwell on the earth.Matthew 19:23-24
Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. / Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”Mark 10:23-25
Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!” / And the disciples were amazed at His words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! / It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

Proverbs 23:8
The morsel which thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, and lose thy sweet words.

Matthew 27:3,4
Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, …

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Job 20

He swallows wealth
This phrase suggests the insatiable greed and consumption of wealth by the wicked. In the context of Job, it reflects the belief that those who accumulate wealth unjustly will ultimately find it unsatisfying. The imagery of "swallowing" wealth can be connected to the broader biblical theme of the futility of earthly riches, as seen in Ecclesiastes 5:10, where it is stated that those who love money will never have enough.

but vomits it out;
The act of vomiting wealth indicates a forced expulsion, suggesting that ill-gotten gains will not remain with the wicked. This can be seen as a divine retribution where the wealth that was greedily consumed is forcibly removed. This imagery is consistent with the biblical principle that what is unjustly gained will not bring lasting satisfaction or security, as echoed in Proverbs 13:11, which speaks of wealth gained hastily diminishing.

God will force it from his stomach.
This phrase emphasizes divine intervention and justice. It is God who ensures that the wicked cannot retain their ill-gotten wealth. This reflects the biblical theme of God's sovereignty and justice, where He acts to uphold righteousness. The imagery of God forcing wealth from the stomach underscores the inevitability of divine judgment. This can be related to the broader biblical narrative of God's justice, as seen in the story of the rich fool in Luke 12:16-21, where God calls the man to account for his misplaced trust in wealth.

Persons / Places / Events

1. Zophar the Naamathite
One of Job's three friends who comes to comfort him. Zophar is known for his harsh and direct speeches, often emphasizing God's justice and the consequences of wickedness.

2. Job
The central figure of the Book of Job, a man known for his righteousness and suffering. Job's account is a profound exploration of faith, suffering, and divine justice.

3. God
The ultimate authority and judge in the account. God's role is central in the unfolding of Job's trials and the eventual restoration.

4. Wealth
In this context, wealth symbolizes the material gains and prosperity that the wicked might acquire unjustly.

5. Justice
An underlying theme in Zophar's speech, emphasizing the divine retribution that awaits those who gain wealth through unrighteous means.

Teaching Points

The Temporary Nature of Ill-Gotten Wealth
Wealth acquired through unjust means is fleeting and ultimately unsatisfying. God ensures that such wealth does not bring lasting joy or security.

Divine Justice and Accountability
God holds individuals accountable for their actions, and there is a divine justice that ensures the wicked do not prosper indefinitely.

Contentment and Righteousness
True contentment comes from living a life of righteousness and integrity, rather than pursuing wealth at any cost.

The Consequences of Greed
Greed leads to destructive outcomes, both spiritually and materially. It is important to guard one's heart against the love of money.

Verse 15. - He hath swallowed down riches and he shall vomit them up again. The wicked man shall be made to disgorge his ill-gotten gains. Either fear, or remorse, or a judicial sentence will force him to make restitution (see ver. 10). God shall cast them out of his belly. Whatever is the immediate motive of the restitution: it will really be God's doing. He will cause the fear, or the remorse, or bring about the judicial sentence. Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

He swallows
בָּ֭לַע (bā·la‘)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1104: To swallow down, swallow up, engulf

wealth
חַ֣יִל (ḥa·yil)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2428: A force, an army, wealth, virtue, valor, strength

but vomits it out;
וַיְקִאֶ֑נּוּ (way·qi·’en·nū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine singular
Strong's 6958: Spue out, vomit out, up, up again

God
אֵֽל׃ (’êl)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 410: Strength -- as adjective, mighty, the Almighty

will force it
יוֹרִשֶׁ֥נּוּ (yō·w·ri·šen·nū)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine singular
Strong's 3423: To occupy, to seize, to rob, to inherit, to expel, to impoverish, to ruin

from his stomach.
מִ֝בִּטְנ֗וֹ (mib·biṭ·nōw)
Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 990: The belly, the womb, the bosom, body of anything

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