Logos Bible Study

Job 20:4–11

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20:4“Surely you know8 that it has been from old,

ever since humankind was placed9 on the earth,

20:5that the elation of the wicked is brief,10

the joy of the godless11 lasts but a moment.12

20:6Even though his stature13 reaches to the heavens

and his head touches the clouds,

20:7he will perish forever, like his own excrement;14

those who used to see him will say, ‘Where is he?’

20:8Like a dream he flies away, never again to be found,15

and like a vision of the night he is put to flight.

20:9People16 who had seen him will not see him again,

and the place where he was

will recognize him no longer.

20:10His sons must recompense17 the poor;

his own hands18 must return his wealth.

20:11His bones19 were full of his youthful vigor,20

but that vigor will lie down with him in the dust.

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Footnotes

  1. 8 The has “Do you not know?” The question can be interpreted as a rhetorical question affirming that Job must know this. The question serves to express the conviction that the contents are well-known to the audience (see §150.e).
  2. 9 Heb “from the putting of man on earth.” The infinitive is the object of the preposition, which is here temporal. If “man” is taken as the subjective genitive, then the verb would be given a passive translation. Here “man” is a generic, referring to “mankind” or “the human race.”
  3. 10 The expression in the text is “quite near.” This indicates that it is easily attained, and that its end is near.
  4. 11 For the discussion of חָנֵף (khanef, “godless”) see Job 8:13.
  5. 12 The phrase is “until a moment,” meaning it is short-lived. But see J. Barr, “Hebrew ’ad, especially at Job 1:18 and Neh 7:3,” 27 (1982): 177–88.
  6. 13 The word שִׂיא (si’) has been connected with the verb נָשָׂא (nasa’, “to lift up”), and so interpreted here as “pride.” The form is parallel to “head” in the next part, and so here it refers to his stature, the part that rises up and is crowned. But the verse does describe the pride of such a person, with his head in the heavens.
  7. 14 There have been attempts to change the word here to “like a whirlwind,” or something similar. But many argue that there is no reason to remove a coarse expression from Zophar.
  8. 15 Heb “and they do not find him.” The verb has no expressed subject, and so here is equivalent to a passive. The clause itself is taken adverbially in the sentence.
  9. 16 Heb “the eye that had seen him.” Here a part of the person (the eye, the instrument of vision) is put by metonymy for the entire person.
  10. 17 The early versions confused the root of this verb, taking it from רָצַץ (ratsats, “mistreat”) and not from רָצָה (ratsah, “be please with”). So it was taken to mean, “Let inferiors destroy his children.” But the verb is רָצָה (ratsah). This has been taken to mean “his sons will seek the favor of the poor.” This would mean that they would be reduced to poverty and need help from even the poor. Some commentators see this as another root רָצָה (ratsah) meaning “to compensate; to restore” wealth their father had gained by impoverishing others. This fits the parallelism well, but not the whole context that well.
  11. 18 Some commentators are surprised to see “his hands” here, thinking the passage talks about his death. Budde changed it to “his children,” by altering one letter. R. Gordis argued that “hand” can mean offspring, and so translated it that way without changing anything in the text (“A note on YAD,” 62 [1943]: 343).
  12. 19 “Bones” is often used metonymically for the whole person, the bones being the framework, meaning everything inside, as well as the body itself.
  13. 20 This line means that he dies prematurely—at the height of his youthful vigor.

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

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

Do you not know this from of old,

since man was placed on earth,

that the exulting of the wicked is short,

and the joy of the godless but for a moment?

Though his height mount up to the heavens,

and his head reach to the clouds,

he will perish forever like his own dung;

those who have seen him will say, ‘Where is he?’

He will fly away like a dream and not be found;

he will be chased away like a vision of the night.

The eye that saw him will see him no more,

nor will his place any more behold him.

His children will seek the favor of the poor,

and his hands will give back his wealth.

His bones are full of his youthful vigor,

but it will lie down with him in the dust.

Copyright 2001 Crossway Bibles

NIVNew International Version (2011)

“Surely you know how it has been from of old,

ever since mankind was placed on the earth,

that the mirth of the wicked is brief,

the joy of the godless lasts but a moment.

Though the pride of the godless person reaches to the heavens

and his head touches the clouds,

he will perish forever, like his own dung;

those who have seen him will say, ‘Where is he?’

Like a dream he flies away, no more to be found,

banished like a vision of the night.

The eye that saw him will not see him again;

his place will look on him no more.

His children must make amends to the poor;

his own hands must give back his wealth.

The youthful vigor that fills his bones

will lie with him in the dust.

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

CSBChristian Standard Bible

Don’t you know that ever since antiquity,

from the time a human was placed on earth,

the joy of the wicked has been brief

and the happiness of the godless has lasted only a moment?

Though his arrogance reaches heaven,

and his head touches the clouds,

he will vanish forever like his own dung.

Those who know him will ask, “Where is he?”

He will fly away like a dream and never be found;

he will be chased away like a vision in the night.

The eye that saw him will see him no more,

and his household will no longer see him.

His children will beg from the poor,

for his own hands must give back his wealth.

His frame may be full of youthful vigor,

but it will lie down with him in dust.

Copyright 2017 Holman Bible Publishers

NLTNew Living Translation

“Don’t you realize that from the beginning of time,

ever since people were first placed on the earth,

the triumph of the wicked has been short lived

and the joy of the godless has been only temporary?

Though the pride of the godless reaches to the heavens

and their heads touch the clouds,

yet they will vanish forever,

thrown away like their own dung.

Those who knew them will ask,

‘Where are they?’

They will fade like a dream and not be found.

They will vanish like a vision in the night.

Those who once saw them will see them no more.

Their families will never see them again.

Their children will beg from the poor,

for they must give back their stolen riches.

Though they are young,

their bones will lie in the dust.

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

“Did you know this from of old,

since the setting of the human being on earth,

that the rejoicing of the wicked is short,

and the joy of the godless lasts only a moment?

Even though his stature mounts up to the heaven,

and his head reaches to the clouds,

he will perish forever like his dung;

those who have seen him will say, ‘Where is he?’

He will fly away like a dream, and they will not find him,

and he will be chased away like a vision of the night.

The eye that saw him will not see him again,

and his place will no longer behold him.

His children will seek favors from the poor,

and his hands will return his wealth.

His bones were full of his vigor,

but it will lie down with him on the dust.

Copyright 2012 Lexham Press

KJV 1900King James Version

Knowest thou not this of old,

Since man was placed upon earth,

That the triumphing of the wicked is short,

And the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment?

Though his excellency mount up to the heavens,

And his head reach unto the clouds;

Yet he shall perish for ever like his own dung:

They which have seen him shall say, Where is he?

He shall fly away as a dream, and shall not be found:

Yea, he shall be chased away as a vision of the night.

The eye also which saw him shall see him no more;

Neither shall his place any more behold him.

His children shall seek to please the poor,

And his hands shall restore their goods.

His bones are full of the sin of his youth,

Which shall lie down with him in the dust.

Public Domain