1Und Zophar, der Naamathiter, antwortete und sprach: 2Darum geben meine Gedanken mir Antwort, und deswegen bin ich innerlich erregt: 3Eine Zurechtweisung, mir zur Schande, höre ich; aber mein Geist antwortet mir aus meiner Einsicht. 4Weißt du dieses, daß von jeher, seitdem der Mensch auf die Erde gesetzt wurde, 5der Jubel der Gesetzlosen kurz und die Freude des Ruchlosen für einen Augenblick war? 6Stiege auch seine Höhe bis zum Himmel hinauf, und rührte sein Haupt an die Wolken: 7gleich seinem Kote vergeht er auf ewig; die ihn gesehen haben, sagen: Wo ist er? 8Wie ein Traum verfliegt er, und man findet ihn nicht, und er wird hinweggescheucht wie ein Nachtgesicht. 9Das Auge hat ihn erblickt und sieht ihn nimmer wieder, und seine Stätte gewahrt ihn nicht mehr. 10Seine Kinder müssen die Armen begütigen, und seine Hände sein Vermögen zurückgeben. 11Seine Knochen waren voll seiner Jugendkraft, und sie liegt mit ihm in dem Staube. - 12Wenn das Böse in seinem Munde süß war, und er es verbarg unter seiner Zunge, 13und es aufsparte und nicht fahren ließ und es zurückhielt unter seinem Gaumen: 14so ist doch nun seine Speise in seinen Eingeweiden verwandelt; Natterngalle ist in seinem Innern. 15Reichtum hat er verschlungen, und er speit ihn aus: aus seinem Bauche treibt Gott ihn heraus. 16Natterngift sog er ein: es tötet ihn die Zunge der Otter. 17Nicht darf er sich laben an Bächen, flutenden Strömen von Honig und Milch. 18Das Errungene gibt er zurück, und er darf es nicht verschlingen; gemäß dem Vermögen, das er erworben, darf er sich nicht freuen. 19Denn er hat mißhandelt, verlassen die Armen; Häuser hat er an sich gerissen und wird sie nicht ausbauen. 20Denn er kannte keine Ruhe in seinem Innern: mit seinem Teuersten wird er nicht entrinnen. 21Nichts entging seiner Freßgier; darum wird sein Wohlstand nicht dauernd sein. 22In der Fülle seines Überflusses wird er in Bedrängnis sein; die Hand jedes Notleidenden wird über ihn kommen. 23Es wird geschehen: um seinen Bauch zu füllen, wird Gott die Glut seines Zornes in ihn entsenden, und sie auf ihn regnen lassen in sein Fleisch hinein. 24Flieht er vor den eisernen Waffen, so wird der eherne Bogen ihn durchbohren. 25Er zieht am Pfeile, und er kommt aus dem Leibe hervor, und das glänzende Eisen aus seiner Galle: Schrecken kommen über ihn. 26Eitel Finsternis ist aufgespart für seine Schätze; ein Feuer, das nicht angeblasen ist, wird ihn fressen, wird verzehren, was in seinem Zelte übriggeblieben. 27Der Himmel wird seine Ungerechtigkeit enthüllen, und die Erde sich wider ihn erheben. 28Der Ertrag seines Hauses wird weggeführt werden, wird zerrinnen am Tage seines Zornes. - 29Das ist das Teil des gesetzlosen Menschen von Gott und das von Gott ihm zugesprochene Los.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 2 REPLY OF ZOPHAR. (Job 20:1-29)
Therefore--Rather, the more excited I feel by Job's speech, the more for that very reason shall my reply be supplied by my calm consideration. Literally, "Notwithstanding; my calm thoughts (as in
Job 4:13) shall furnish my answer, because of the excitement (haste) within me" [UMBREIT].
3 check of my reproach--that is, the castigation intended as a reproach (literally, "shame") to me.
spirit of . . . understanding--my rational spirit; answering to "calm thoughts" (
Job 20:2). In spite of thy reproach urging me to "hastiness." I will answer in calm reason.
5 the hypocrite--literally, "the ungodly" (
Ps 37:35-
Ps 37:36).
6 (
Isa 14:13;
Obad 1:3-
Obad 1:4).
7 dung--in contrast to the haughtiness of the sinner (
Job 20:6); this strong term expresses disgust and the lowest degradation (
Ps 83:10;
1Kgs 14:10).
8 (
Ps 73:20).
9 Rather "the eye followeth him, but can discern him no more." A sharp-looking is meant (
Job 28:7;
Job 7:10).
10 seek to please--"Atone to the poor" (by restoring the property of which they had been robbed by the father) [DE WETTE]. Better than English Version, "The children" are reduced to the humiliating condition of "seeking the favor of those very poor," whom the father had oppressed. But UMBREIT translates as Margin.
his hands--rather, "their (the children's) hands."
their goods--the goods of the poor. Righteous retribution! (
Exod 20:5).
11 (
Ps 25:7), so Vulgate. GESENIUS has "full of youth"; namely, in the fulness of his youthful strength he shall be laid in the dust. But "bones" plainly alludes to Job's disease, probably to Job's own words (
Job 19:20). UMBREIT translates, "full of his secret sins," as in
Ps 90:8; his secret guilt in his time of seeming righteousness, like secret poison, at last lays him in the dust. The English Version is best. Zophar alludes to Job's own words (
Job 17:16).
with him--His sin had so pervaded his nature that it accompanies him to the grave: for eternity the sinner cannot get rid of it (
Rev 22:11).
12 be--"taste sweet." Sin's fascination is like poison sweet to the taste, but at last deadly to the vital organs (
Pro 20:17;
Job 9:17-
Job 9:18).
hide . . . tongue--seek to prolong the enjoyment by keeping the sweet morsel long in the mouth (so
Job 20:13).
14 turned--Hebrew denotes a total change into a disagreeable contrary (
Jer 2:21; compare
Rev 10:9-
Rev 10:10).
gall--in which the poison of the asp was thought to lie. It rather is contained in a sack in the mouth. Scripture uses popular language, where no moral truth is thereby endangered.
15 He is forced to disgorge his ill-gotten wealth.
16 shall suck--It shall turn out that he has sucked the poison, &c.
17 floods--literally, "stream of floods," plentiful streams flowing with milk, &c. (
Job 29:6;
Exod 3:17). Honey and butter are more fluid in the East than with us and are poured out from jars. These "rivers" or water brooks are in the sultry East emblems of prosperity.
18 Image from food which is taken away from one before he can swallow it.
restitution--(So
Pro 6:31). The parallelism favors the English Version rather than the translation of GESENIUS, "As a possession to be restored in which he rejoices not."
he shall not rejoice--His enjoyment of his ill-gotten gains shall then be at an end (
Job 20:5).
19 oppressed--whereas he ought to have espoused their cause (
2Chr 16:10).
forsaken--left helpless.
house--thus leaving the poor without shelter (
Isa 5:8;
Mic 2:2).
20 UMBREIT translates, "His inward parts know no rest" from desires.
his belly--that is, peace inwardly.
not save--literally, "not escape with that which," &c., alluding to Job's having been stripped of his all.
21 look for--rather, "because his goods," that is, prosperity shall have no endurance.
22 shall be--rather, "he is (feeleth) straitened." The next clause explains in what respect.
wicked--Rather, "the whole hand of the miserable (whom he had oppressed) cometh upon him"; namely, the sense of his having oppressed the poor, now in turn comes with all its power (hand) on him. This caused his "straitened" feeling even in prosperity.
23 Rather, "God shall cast (may God send) [UMBREIT] upon him the fury of His wrath to fill his belly!"
while . . . eating--rather, "shall rain it upon him for his food!" Fiery rain, that is, lightning (
Ps 11:6; alluding to Job's misfortune,
Job 1:16). The force of the image is felt by picturing to one's self the opposite nature of a refreshing rain in the desert (
Exod 16:4;
Ps 68:9).
24 steel--rather, "brass." While the wicked flees from one danger, he falls into a greater one from an opposite quarter [UMBREIT].
25 It is drawn--Rather, "He (God) draweth (the sword,
Josh 5:13) and (no sooner has He done so, than) it cometh out of (that is, passes right through) the (sinner's) body" (
Deut 32:41-
Deut 32:42;
Ezek 21:9-
Ezek 21:10). The glittering sword is a happy image for lightning.
gall--that is, his life (
Job 16:13). "Inflicts a deadly wound."
terrors--Zophar repeats Bildad's words (
Job 17:11;
Ps 88:16;
Ps 55:4).
26 All darkness--that is, every calamity that befalls the wicked shall be hid (in store for him) in His (God's) secret places, or treasures (
Jude 1:13;
Deut 32:34).
not blown--not kindled by man's hands, but by God's (
Isa 30:33; the Septuagint in the Alexandrian Manuscript reads "unquenchable fire,"
Matt 3:12). Tact is shown by the friends in not expressly mentioning, but alluding under color of general cases, to Job's calamities; here (
Job 1:16) UMBREIT explains it, wickedness, is a "self-igniting fire"; in it lie the principles of destruction.
ill . . . tabernacle--Every trace of the sinner must be obliterated (
Job 18:15).
27 All creation is at enmity with him, and proclaims his guilt, which he would fain conceal.
28 increase--prosperity. Ill got--ill gone.
flow away--like waters that run dry in summer; using Job's own metaphor against himself (
Job 6:15-
Job 6:17;
2Sam 14:14;
Mic 1:4).
his wrath--God's.
29 appointed--not as a matter of chance, but by the divine "decree" (Margin) and settled principle.