Job 20 10

Job 20:10 kjv

His children shall seek to please the poor, and his hands shall restore their goods.

Job 20:10 nkjv

His children will seek the favor of the poor, And his hands will restore his wealth.

Job 20:10 niv

His children must make amends to the poor; his own hands must give back his wealth.

Job 20:10 esv

His children will seek the favor of the poor, and his hands will give back his wealth.

Job 20:10 nlt

Their children will beg from the poor,
for they must give back their stolen riches.

Job 20 verses

Job 20 10 Meaning

Job 20:10 articulates Zophar's conventional view of divine justice, asserting that the wicked man's ill-gotten gains will lead to severe consequences, affecting even his descendants. His children, previously accustomed to privilege from their father's exploitation, will be so humbled that they are reduced to seeking favor from the very poor and downtrodden whom their father oppressed. Furthermore, the wicked man himself will be compelled, likely by divine or societal pressure, to return the wealth he acquired unjustly, symbolizing a complete reversal of his prior dominance and avarice.

Job 20 10 Context

Job 20:10 is part of Zophar the Naamathite's second and final speech to Job. Throughout the book of Job, Job's three friends argue fiercely that suffering is always a direct result of sin, upholding the traditional retribution theology of their era. Zophar is perhaps the most rigid and cutting of the three, insisting that Job's profound suffering must stem from his wickedness, despite Job's protestations of innocence. In chapter 20, Zophar outlines, with vivid and harsh imagery, the fleeting nature of the wicked man's prosperity and the inevitable, terrible consequences that will befall him and his family. The verse specifically details a double reversal of fortune: the wicked man's children are humiliated and his own gains must be returned. This is a direct polemic against Job's assertion in earlier chapters (e.g., Job 12:6, 21:7) that the wicked often prosper and escape immediate judgment, which directly challenges the established understanding of divine justice Zophar staunchly defends. Zophar aims to show Job that despite appearances, God’s justice is precise, thorough, and inevitably corrects all wrongs.

Job 20 10 Word analysis

• His children (בָּנָיו - bānāw): Literally "his sons." In Hebrew culture, the fate of one's descendants was a profound concern and a key measure of blessing or curse. This highlights the generational consequence of the wicked man's actions, demonstrating a total family downfall. The punishment extends beyond the individual, reaching into his legacy.
• shall seek to please (יְרַצוּ - yəraṣṣū): From the verb רָצָה (rāṣāh), meaning "to be pleased with," "accept," or "gain favor." The Hithpael stem here suggests an active, deliberate effort to ingratiate themselves or curry favor. It indicates a posture of humility, even subservience. This is a profound reversal; descendants of the exploiter are forced to humble themselves before those their family exploited.
• the poor (דַּלִּים - dallîm): From דַּל (dal), meaning "poor," "weak," "helpless," "lowly." This specifies the recipients of the children's desperate appeals. It underscores the ultimate ironic reversal where the former oppressed now hold a form of moral or even practical leverage over the oppressors' lineage.
• and his hands (וְיָדָיו - vəyāḏāw): "His hands" represent his active involvement, agency, or the fruit of his labor/endeavors. This suggests the wicked man himself is forced into this act of restitution. The personal pronoun emphasizes that he is directly implicated in giving back.
• shall restore (יָשִׁיב - yāšîv): From שׁוּב (šûḇ), meaning "to return," "bring back," or "restore." In the Hiphil stem, it means "cause to return" or "give back." This implies a forced restitution, not voluntary. It is an act of divine judgment compelling the wicked to return what they unlawfully took, often described as an inescapable reversal of fortune.
• their goods (אוֹנָם - ’ônām): This is a critical word with dual connotations. Primarily it means "vigor," "wealth," "possessions," "power," but it can also be associated with "trouble" or "calamity." Here, it almost certainly refers to the ill-gotten wealth that was accumulated through oppression. The double meaning can imply that what the wicked gained as "goods" or "wealth" was, in fact, "trouble" or "sorrow" for those from whom it was taken, and now it brings trouble upon the wicked themselves, necessitating its return.

Word-groups Analysis:

• "His children shall seek to please the poor": This phrase paints a picture of stark humiliation and social downfall. The future generation, benefiting from the wicked father's oppression, is brought so low that they must humble themselves before the very people their father wronged. This speaks to a comprehensive judgment on the wicked man's entire household and legacy.
• "and his hands shall restore their goods": This directly addresses the principle of divine justice through forced restitution. It signifies that the wicked man's illicit gains will not only fail to profit him but will be forcibly taken from him and given back to their rightful owners. This demonstrates the inescapable nature of God's justice, where ill-gotten wealth brings no lasting security.

Job 20 10 Bonus section

• The stark contrast in Job 20:10 highlights Zophar's emphasis on immediate and tangible consequences for the wicked, standing in tension with Job's own experience and observations that the wicked sometimes prosper for a lifetime.
• The concept of "hands restoring" (vəyāḏāw yāšîḇ) emphasizes agency, suggesting not just passive loss but an active, if compelled, participation in the undoing of one's own past misdeeds. It speaks to the shame and indignity associated with this forced repayment.
• This verse provides an early, strong theological statement about economic justice within the Biblical narrative, arguing for divine intervention on behalf of the exploited and a mandatory, comprehensive reversal of ill-gotten gains.

Job 20 10 Commentary

Job 20:10 encapsulates Zophar's unwavering conviction that divine justice inexorably catches up with the wicked, leading to their absolute ruin and the rectification of their wrongs. It emphasizes two facets of this retribution: the social and economic humbling of the wicked man's offspring, and his personal, compulsory restitution of illicit gains. Zophar argues that the apparent success of the wicked is a fleeting illusion, and God's moral order will eventually bring a total reversal. This verse provides a specific detail to his broader claim that the wicked man’s “triumphant shout is short, and the joy of the godless but for a moment” (Job 20:5). The image of the oppressor's children seeking favor from the oppressed, and the oppressor himself forced to return stolen wealth, powerfully illustrates the depths of the divine reversal. This is not about voluntary repentance, but divine intervention enforcing cosmic justice. The underlying principle is that ill-gotten gain will never endure and always leads to a cursed inheritance.