Zophar's Hasty Response
Study note
Zophar says Job's words have disturbed him deeply and he must respond quickly. He states an ancient principle: the triumph of wicked people is short, and the joy of the godless lasts only a moment. Even if they reach to the heavens, they will perish like their own waste.
1 Then Zophar from Naamah spoke again and said, Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said,
2 'My racing thoughts are pushing me to respond, because I am deeply upset inside.' Therefore do my thoughts cause me to answer, and for this I make haste.
3 'What you said was an insult to me, but something inside me knows exactly how to answer.' I have heard the check of my reproach, and the spirit of my understanding causeth me to answer.
4 'You must know this -- it has been true since the very beginning, ever since human beings first walked on this earth:' Knowest thou not this of old, since man was placed upon earth,
5 'the celebration of wicked people is always short-lived. The happiness of a godless person lasts only a moment.' That the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment?
The Wicked Person's Wealth Turns to Poison
Study note
Zophar describes how the wicked vanish like a dream. Their children must make things right with the poor. Sin tastes sweet in their mouth, but it turns to poison in their stomach. They will vomit up the riches they swallowed. They oppressed the poor and stole houses they did not build. Their greed never knew satisfaction.
6 'Even if their greatness soars to the heavens and their head pokes through the clouds,' Though his excellency mount up to the heavens, and his head reach unto the clouds;
7 'they will still be wiped out forever, tossed away like their own garbage. People who used to see them will say, "Whatever happened to that person?"' Yet he shall perish for ever like his own dung: they which have seen him shall say, Where is he?
8 'They will vanish like a dream and never be found again. They will be chased away like a vision you see in the night.' He shall fly away as a dream, and shall not be found: yea, he shall be chased away as a vision of the night.
9 'The people who used to see them will never see them again. The place they called home will never look at them again.' The eye also which saw him shall see him no more; neither shall his place any more behold him.
10 'Their own children will have to pay back the poor. Their own hands will have to give back the riches they stole.' His children shall seek to please the poor, and his hands shall restore their goods.
11 'Their bones may be full of youthful energy, but that energy will end up lying in the dirt right next to them.' His bones are full of the sin of his youth, which shall lie down with him in the dust.
12 'Doing evil might taste sweet in their mouth, and they might savor it by hiding it under their tongue,' Though wickedness be sweet in his mouth, though he hide it under his tongue;
13 'rolling it around and refusing to spit it out, keeping it there where they can enjoy it,' Though he spare it, and forsake it not; but keep it still within his mouth:
14 'but that sweet food will turn bitter and sour in their stomach. It will become deadly snake venom inside them.' Yet his meat in his bowels is turned, it is the gall of asps within him.
15 'They gulp down riches, but then they throw them right back up. God reaches into their belly and yanks it all out.' He hath swallowed down riches, and he shall vomit them up again: God shall cast them out of his belly.
16 'They will end up drinking cobra poison. A viper's fangs will be what kills them.' He shall suck the poison of asps: the viper's tongue shall slay him.
17 'They will never get to enjoy rivers that flow with honey and cream.' He shall not see the rivers, the floods, the brooks of honey and butter.
18 'Whatever they worked so hard for will go right back. They will never get to enjoy what they earned from their business deals.' That which he laboured for shall he restore, and shall not swallow it down: according to his substance shall the restitution be, and he shall not rejoice therein.
19 'This happens because they stomped on the poor and walked away from them. They grabbed houses that other people built.' Because he hath oppressed and hath forsaken the poor; because he hath violently taken away an house which he builded not;
God's Anger Falls on the Wicked
Study note
Zophar says the wicked will find no peace. Nothing they have will last. When they are full and comfortable, God will pour out his burning anger on them. They will try to flee from iron weapons, but bronze arrows will strike them. The heavens will expose their guilt and the earth will rise up against them. Everything they have will be swept away. Zophar's conclusion: this is the inheritance God gives to the wicked.
20 'Their greed never had an off switch. There was nothing they wanted that they would not take.' Surely he shall not feel quietness in his belly, he shall not save of that which he desired.
21 'Nothing was left after they devoured everything. That is exactly why their good life will not last.' There shall none of his meat be left; therefore shall no man look for his goods.
22 'Right in the middle of having everything, misery will show up. Suffering will hit them with full force.' In the fulness of his sufficiency he shall be in straits: every hand of the wicked shall come upon him.
23 'When their stomach is about to be full, God will dump his burning fury on them, raining it down like a meal.' 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.
24 'They might dodge one weapon, but a bronze-tipped arrow will go right through them.' He shall flee from the iron weapon, and the bow of steel shall strike him through.
25 'The arrow gets pulled from their body, and its gleaming tip comes out of their insides. Total terror washes over them.' It is drawn, and cometh out of the body; yea, the glittering sword cometh out of his gall: terrors are upon him.
26 'Complete darkness is stored up for their hidden treasures. A fire that nobody lit will burn them up and destroy whatever is left in their tent.' 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.
27 'The sky itself will reveal their guilt, and the earth will rise up to testify against them.' The heaven shall reveal his iniquity; and the earth shall rise up against him.
28 'Everything in their house will be swept away, carried off on the day God lets his anger loose.' The increase of his house shall depart, and his goods shall flow away in the day of his wrath.
29 'This is what God has in store for wicked people. This is the future he has assigned to them.' This is the portion of a wicked man from God, and the heritage appointed unto him by God.