Logos Bible Study

Job 20:23–29

The NET BibleOther versions

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20:23“While he is49 filling his belly,

God50 sends his burning anger51 against him,

and rains down his blows upon him.52

20:24If he flees from an iron weapon,

then an arrow53 from a bronze bow pierces him.

20:25When he pulls it out54 and it comes out of his back,

the gleaming point55 out of his liver,

terrors come over him.

20:26Total darkness waits to receive his treasures;56

a fire which has not been kindled57

will consume him

and devour what is left in his tent.

20:27The heavens reveal his iniquity;

the earth rises up against him.

20:28A flood will carry off his house,

rushing waters on the day of God’s wrath.

20:29Such is the lot God allots the wicked,

and the heritage of his appointment58 from God.”

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Footnotes

  1. 49 D. J. A. Clines observes that to do justice to the three jussives in the verse, one would have to translate “May it be, to fill his belly to the full, that God should send … and rain” (Job [], ). The jussive form of the verb at the beginning of the verse could also simply introduce a protasis of a conditional clause (see §109.h, i). This would mean, “if he [God] is about to fill his [the wicked’s] belly to the full, he will send.…” The reads “when he has filled his belly.” These fit better, because the context is talking about the wicked in his evil pursuit being cut down.
  2. 50 “God” is understood as the subject of the judgment.
  3. 51 Heb “the anger of his wrath.”
  4. 52 Heb “rain down upon him, on his flesh.” Dhorme changes עָלֵימוֹ (’alemo, “upon him”) to “his arrows”; he translates the line as “he rains his arrows upon his flesh.” The word בִּלְחוּמוֹ (bilkhumo,“his flesh”) has been given a wide variety of translations: “as his food,” “on his flesh,” “upon him, his anger,” or “missiles or weapons of war.”
  5. 53 Heb “a bronze bow pierces him.” The words “an arrow from” are implied and are supplied in the translation; cf. “pulls it out” in the following verse.
  6. 54 The has “he draws out [or as a passive, “it is drawn out/forth”] and comes [or goes] out of his back.” For the first verb שָׁלַף (shalaf, “pull, draw”), many commentators follow the and use שֶׁלַח (shelakh, “a spear”). It then reads “and a shaft comes out of his back,” a sword flash comes out of his liver.” But the verse could also be a continuation of the preceding.
  7. 55 Possibly a reference to lightnings.
  8. 56 Heb “all darkness is hidden for his laid up things.” “All darkness” refers to the misfortunes and afflictions that await. The verb “hidden” means “is destined for.”
  9. 57 Heb “not blown upon,” i.e., not kindled by man. But G. R. Driver reads “unquenched” (“Hebrew notes on the ‘Wisdom of Jesus Ben ’,” 53 [1934]: 289).
  10. 58 For the word אִמְרוֹ (’imro) some propose reading “his appointment,” and the others, “his word.” Driver shows that “the heritage of his appointment” means “his appointed heritage” (see §135.n).

The NET Bible First Edition, Copyright 1996-2005 by Biblical Studies Press

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

To fill his belly to the full,

God will send his burning anger against him

and rain it upon him into his body.

He will flee from an iron weapon;

a bronze arrow will strike him through.

It is drawn forth and comes out of his body;

the glittering point comes out of his gallbladder;

terrors come upon him.

Utter darkness is laid up for his treasures;

a fire not fanned will devour him;

what is left in his tent will be consumed.

The heavens will reveal his iniquity,

and the earth will rise up against him.

The possessions of his house will be carried away,

dragged off in the day of God’s wrath.

This is the wicked man’s portion from God,

the heritage decreed for him by God.”

Copyright 2001 Crossway Bibles

NIVNew International Version (2011)

When he has filled his belly,

God will vent his burning anger against him

and rain down his blows on him.

Though he flees from an iron weapon,

a bronze-tipped arrow pierces him.

He pulls it out of his back,

the gleaming point out of his liver.

Terrors will come over him;

total darkness lies in wait for his treasures.

A fire unfanned will consume him

and devour what is left in his tent.

The heavens will expose his guilt;

the earth will rise up against him.

A flood will carry off his house,

rushing waters on the day of God’s wrath.

Such is the fate God allots the wicked,

the heritage appointed for them by God.”

Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 Biblica, Inc.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

When he fills his stomach,

God will send his burning anger against him,

raining it down on him while he is eating.

If he flees from an iron weapon,

an arrow from a bronze bow will pierce him.

He pulls it out of his back,

the flashing tip out of his liver.

Terrors come over him.

Total darkness is reserved for his treasures.

A fire unfanned by human hands will consume him;

it will feed on what is left in his tent.

The heavens will expose his iniquity,

and the earth will rise up against him.

The possessions in his house will be removed,

flowing away on the day of God’s anger.

This is the wicked person’s lot from God,

the inheritance God ordained for him.

Copyright 2017 Holman Bible Publishers

NLTNew Living Translation

May God give them a bellyful of trouble.

May God rain down his anger upon them.

When they try to escape an iron weapon,

a bronze-tipped arrow will pierce them.

The arrow is pulled from their back,

and the arrowhead glistens with blood.

The terrors of death are upon them.

Their treasures will be thrown into deepest darkness.

A wildfire will devour their goods,

consuming all they have left.

The heavens will reveal their guilt,

and the earth will testify against them.

A flood will sweep away their house.

God’s anger will descend on them in torrents.

This is the reward that God gives the wicked.

It is the inheritance decreed by God.”

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

When his stomach fills up, God will send his burning anger upon him,

and he will let it rain down upon him as his food.

“He will flee from an iron weapon,

but an arrow of bronze will pierce him.

He draws it forth, and it comes out from his body,

and the glittering point comes from his gall-bladder;

terrors come upon him.

Total darkness is hidden for his treasures;

an unfanned fire will devour him;

the remnant will be consumed in his tent.

The heavens will reveal his guilt,

and the earth will rise up against him.

The products of his house will be carried away

like gushing waters on the day of his wrath.

This is a wicked human being’s portion from God

and the inheritance of his decree from God.”

Copyright 2012 Lexham Press

KJV 1900King James Version

When he is about to fill his belly,

God shall cast the fury of his wrath upon him,

And shall rain it upon him while he is eating.

He shall flee from the iron weapon,

And the bow of steel shall strike him through.

It is drawn, and cometh out of the body;

Yea, the glittering sword cometh out of his gall:

Terrors are upon him.

All darkness shall be hid in his secret places:

A fire not blown shall consume him;

It shall go ill with him that is left in his tabernacle.

The heaven shall reveal his iniquity;

And the earth shall rise up against him.

The increase of his house shall depart,

And his goods shall flow away in the day of his wrath.

This is the portion of a wicked man from God,

And the heritage appointed unto him by God.

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