Job 20

What does Zophar say that is right?

1. 20:5 The triumphing of the wicked is short- Ps. 37:2, 9, 10, 35-36; Ps. 73:18-20; Prov. 10:2; 11:18; 13:11; 22:16.

2. 20:6-7 The LORD will bring down the pride of the wicked- Prov. 11:2; 16:18; 18:12; 29:23 Matt. 23:12; Luke 14:11; 18:14.

3. 20:8 The wicked will disappear like a dream- Ps. 73:19-20.

4. 20:9 Wicked will soon be gone- Ps. 37:35-36; his place will deny him- 20:9; Ps. 103:16.

5. 20:11 The wicked dies a premature death- Ps. 55:23; Prov. 2:22; 10:27. 

6. 20:24-25 The wicked cannot escape God’s judgment- Amos 5:18-20.

 How does Zophar point to Job as the wicked man?

Zophar uses Job’s own words against him. Things Job used to describe his status are said by Zophar to be pictures of the evil man. 

1. 20:4 Job knows his redeemer lives (19:25), but he does not know these time-honored truths. This seems to be a mockery of Job’s claim to know. 

2. 20:9 Job spoke of “eye that will see him no more” in 7:8. Zophar uses this to describe the wicked man. 

3. 20:9 the wicked man’s “place no longer beholds him” was spoken by Job in 7:10.

4. 20:16 poison fills the wicked 6:4

5. 20:23 Job’s children are killed when they are eating- 1:13, 18-19.

6. 20:25 God shoots arrows at Job in 6:4; 16:13 and the arrows do great damage 16:13.

7. 20:26 The fire of God devours and consumes in 1:16.

8. 20:27 heavens and earth reveal his sin- 16:18-19 and 20:27 will rise up against him- 19:25.

What is wrong what Zophar says?

1. The Bible does emphasize that wickedness ends in disaster. That is different, however, from thinking that all who experience disaster are wicked. 

2. It is striking that the friends focus on material loss. Are they materialist in the sense that they think the greatest of gains are material possessions?

3. In the last words of all the speeches by the friends in the first round, there was a call to return to God and the promise of blessings that will bring (5:17-27; 8:20-22; 11:13-20).

In the second round each of speeches, end their speeches with only words of judgment about the wicked who do not know God (15:34-35; 18:21; 20:29). Job’s time for repentance may be over from the friend’s perspective. Zophar does not mention anything of God’s mercy or compassion. Zophar intends this to announce Job’s judgment and not to offer him a chance to repent.  We do not preach, teach, and warn friends against their sin only to leave them in their distress, but we do so to point them back to the God who saves. 

4. They think all God’s scores must be settled in this life. “In the long term the righteous are blessed and the wicked are punished, but the long term extends beyond this life.”[1]

 Job 20 and Jesus

20:3 The word translated reproof in the NASB, NET in this verse is used to describe the chastening of the Suffering servant in Isaiah 53:5. Zophar was not willing to endure Job’s reproofs, but the Suffering Servant was willing to endure them on our behalf. 

Most of all Jesus answers Job 20 by demonstrating that one may look so guilty but indeed be innocent. It happened to Job and it happened to Jesus.

[1] Longman, 271. Hailey, 183, 165, 186 has good statements about Zophar’s statements about the ultimate destiny of the wicked being true but that does not always work itself out in this life.