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Zophar “makes haste” (20:2) to answer. Perhaps he is unnerved by Job's sudden exaltation of spirit: ‘Do you not understand’ (20:4), ‘Hypocrisy and wickedness last but a short time’ (20:5). He is in a reactive mode. He has felt the sting of Job's reply. “The sense is, ‘you have accused me of that which is ignominious and shameful, and under the impetuous feelings caused by such a charge I cannot refrain from replying’” (Barnes, note to 20:3).
Zophar counters with condemnation: “Though his excellency mount up to the heavens... Yet he shall perish for ever like his own dung” (20:7 and 8). “Though wickedness be sweet in his mouth... it is the gall of asps within him” (20:12-14). “This is the portion of a wicked man from God, and the heritage appointed unto him by God” (20:29). Even though the sin that the three are sure Job is guilty of is undiscovered, nevertheless, Zophar declares, “Heaven shall reveal his iniquity” (20:27). This counters Job's assertion that he will be redeemed. “His bones are full of the sin of his youth” (20:11, KJV). “The Hebrew literally is, ‘His bones are full of his secret things’ (ālūmay)” (Barnes, notes to 20:11). The friends remain convinced that Job is hiding something.
Notice that the word ‘sins of his youth’ is ‘youthful vigor’ in most modern translations. Scheindlin notes, “The word translated here as ‘sin’ normally means ‘youth,’ and many commentators understand it here to mean ‘youthful vigor.’ But it makes more sense to me to interpret it in the sense of its rare homonym, found also in Psalms 90:8. Well-being will be expressed in the very next chapter by the image of bones full of rich marrow (Job 21:24); this verse describes the wicked man as having bones full of sin.” (Scheindlin, pp. 191-192, note to 20:11). Scheindlin's translation: “while his bones, stuffed with his secret sin, lie rotting on the ground with him.” This translation flows with Zophar's attack much better than the usual translation. Job will respond to this that the wicked die with bones “moistened with marrow” (21:24).
Commentators see Zophar's retort as heated sanctimony, as in these two comments quoted by Vicchio: “He is sure that God is as hot and impatient as himself… the zealot makes his own opinions and sentiments the standard of divinity” (Vicchio 2020, loc. 5198; quoting Strahan), and “There is a magnified Zophar on the throne of the universe” (Vicchio 2020, loc. 5200; Quoting H.H. Rowley, Job, 1970. 175).
Zophar attacks the loftiness of Job's tone (19:25-27), by countering that ‘those with their head in the clouds’ (20:7 and 8, see: Penn-Lewis, page 86) ‘will still suffer the consequences of their iniquity.’ Zophar continues to believe that Job is hiding sin. Zophar, belittles Job's vision as a fleeting thing (20:8). Yet Job's vision is one of the most remarkable visions of all antiquity, “I know that my redeemer lives, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God” (19:25-26). The utter foolishness of this sneer would not be apparent for two-thousand years.
Without intending to, he also belittles the significance of Eliphaz's vision earlier (4:12-15). The fact that Eliphaz's vision has not been spoken of again would seem to indicate an admission on the part of the three friends that it was unreliable. Even still, as we have seen, the thoughts implanted tend to resurface (15:15).
Of the three, Zophar appears the most stiff in his thoughts. He appears as an academic, unwilling to misphrase or mispronounce. He would rather sit back and carefully craft an argument, which once fixed, explodes forcefully. Barnes suggests that he has the appearance of a hypocrite projecting the appearance of “uncommon excellence”, the ‘eminence’ of a wise and pious man (Barnes, notes to 20:6). He is least likely to accept a ‘night vision’ as a valid argument. He is like those who pass visions off as indigestion tickling an over-active imagination in the dreams.
As earlier, Bildad implied a multitude of sins, Zophar suggests his own laundry list of wickedness: hypocrisy (20:5), pride (20:6), and implies that Job has ignored and abused the poor, and stolen someone's home (20:19). By now, none of the three are suggesting any redemption for Job. Although pride is mentioned, this is not some insight of Zophar's, it is a broad shot-gun blast of accusations.
“He shall fly away as a dream” (20:8). Job has faded in Zophar's estimation. He suggests that Job will vanish from memory as if he never existed; as if his substance was little more than that of the night vision. “The eye also which saw him shall see him no more” (20:9). There is a challenge in this statement. With nothing left for the eye to see, all trace of Job, past, present and future, ceases. No one will vouch for his memory. He has no heir. His legacy is stolen. It will be as if Job had never existed.
Job was gloating in the last chapter over his eventual justification. Zophar is running over in descriptions of punishments: “He hath swallowed down riches, and he shall vomit them up again: God shall cast them out of his belly” (20:15). The image is beyond earthy: the greedy will vomit out all their wealth, and then God will vomit out the greedy; or as the Septuagint reads, “Out of his house let an angel drag him” (Barnes, note on 20:15). Zophar continues: “the viper's tongue shall slay him” (20:16), “every hand of the wicked shall come upon him” (20:22), “the bow of steel shall strike him through” (20:24), “a fire not blown [lightning, God's fire] shall consume him” (20:26), “and the earth shall rise up against him” (20:27). All of these things seem to be in play. In particular, the three friends display a viper's tongue which slays Job in spirit.
I grew up during the 1960's when unnecessary wealth and especially the display of it was considered foolish and repugnant. A beat up Volkswagen beetle and thrift store clothing were the height of culture. I can relate to Zophar who displays a haughtiness towards wealth. “Surely he shall not feel quietness in his belly, he shall not save of that which he desired” (20:20). American culture has turned to a long period of conspicuous consumption, where we have discovered one thing: the more we have, the less secure we feel. Zophar says, ‘they have it, but they won't keep it.’ We have psychologized the malignant thought, ‘they have it, but they don't enjoy it.’ Zophar gloats, ‘God's wrath will come upon the wicked when they are about to stuff their belly more’ (20:23).
Zophar is hoping for God to reveal the cause. “Heaven shall reveal his iniquity” (20:27). While they continue to take shots at Job, the three friends are all desperate to know what Job's great sin really is. If Job has not sinned then not only is all of their theology likely to crumble, but Zophar, Bildad or Eliphaz could be the next to suffer as Job suffers.
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