Job 20 14

Job 20:14 kjv

Yet his meat in his bowels is turned, it is the gall of asps within him.

Job 20:14 nkjv

Yet his food in his stomach turns sour; It becomes cobra venom within him.

Job 20:14 niv

yet his food will turn sour in his stomach; it will become the venom of serpents within him.

Job 20:14 esv

yet his food is turned in his stomach; it is the venom of cobras within him.

Job 20:14 nlt

But suddenly the food in their bellies turns sour,
a poisonous venom in their stomach.

Job 20 verses

Job 20 14 Meaning

This verse, spoken by Zophar, describes how the prosperity and ill-gotten gains of the wicked turn into a source of internal destruction. What they consume for sustenance becomes poison within them, specifically "the gall of asps," symbolizing a deadly and corrupting bitterness originating from their own inner being or the nature of their wicked acquisitions.

Job 20 14 Context

Job 20:14 is part of Zophar the Naamathite’s second speech (Job 20:1-29), delivered in response to Job's earlier assertion of his integrity and his lament over God's seeming injustice. Zophar, like Bildad and Eliphaz, rigidly upholds the traditional wisdom that prosperity is a direct reward for righteousness and suffering is a direct punishment for sin. He attempts to counter Job's claims by forcefully depicting the inevitable and often swift downfall of the wicked. Zophar describes the temporary success of the wicked, only for their "food" (sustenance, gain, life) to turn sour and become poisonous within them. This illustrates a key aspect of the friends' theology: God’s justice is immediate and internal, corrupting the very source of the wicked's strength and pleasure. The larger context of the book of Job questions this simplistic retributive theology, showcasing that righteous individuals can also suffer greatly, and that God's ways are deeper and more complex than human understanding.

Job 20 14 Word analysis

• Yet (אַךְ - 'akh): A strong adversative particle, meaning "but," "nevertheless," or "surely." It emphasizes the stark contrast between the wicked's apparent success and their ultimate internal corruption, highlighting the certainty of what follows.
• his meat (לַחְמוֹ - laḥmō): From the Hebrew root lehem (לֶחֶם), meaning "bread," "food," "sustenance," or "sustained provision." Here, it signifies all that the wicked acquires, consumes, enjoys, or considers as their source of life and profit. The focus is on what nourishes them, indicating a deep, intrinsic corruption of their very existence or gains.
• in his bowels (בְּמֵעָיו - bə-mê‘āyw): From the Hebrew root me'ah (מֵעֶה), referring to the "entrails," "inward parts," "belly," or "womb." Symbolically, it points to the innermost being, the core essence, or the very seat of one's desires and sustenance. The corruption is not external, but internal and fundamental, affecting the very vitals.
• is turned (נֶהְפַּךְ - neh-pak): A Nifal participle from the root hāpak (הָפַךְ), meaning "to turn," "to overthrow," "to change," or "to overturn." This signifies a transformation or reversal. What was meant for life and satisfaction becomes its opposite—destruction and bitterness. It indicates an active, divine reversal or a natural consequence of inherent wickedness.
• it is (הוּא - hû): A pronoun "he/it," reinforcing the identification: the 'meat' is the 'gall'.
• the gall (מְרֹרַת - mərōrat): From the Hebrew root marar (מָרַר), meaning "to be bitter." Merorah refers to "gall," "bitterness," "poison," or "bile." It denotes something intensely bitter and poisonous, leading to decay or death. It emphasizes the foul and destructive nature of the transformation.
• of asps (פְּתָנִים - pəṯānîm): From the Hebrew root pethen (פֶּתֶן), referring to a type of venomous serpent, likely a cobra or Egyptian cobra, known for its potent and deadly neurotoxic venom. This imagery profoundly highlights the lethality and insidiousness of the internal corruption. It's not just unpleasant; it's mortally dangerous.
• within him (בְּקִרְבּוֹ - bə-qir-bōw): From the Hebrew qereb (קֶרֶב), meaning "inward part," "middle," "inner being." This phrase powerfully reiterates and emphasizes the internal nature of the destruction, aligning with "in his bowels." The corruption resides deep within, impacting the very heart of the wicked individual.
• "Yet his meat in his bowels is turned": This phrase describes a profound internal reversal. What should nourish and provide life (his "meat" or sustenance) fundamentally changes its nature within him, affecting his deepest self ("bowels"). This transformation is the core point of the verse – what is seemingly beneficial becomes intrinsically destructive.
• "it is the gall of asps within him": This is a powerful, graphic simile. The transformed sustenance becomes the deadliest of poisons. The "gall of asps" signifies a bitter, lethal venom, implying a quick, painful, and fatal internal decay. The repetition of "within him" reinforces the personal and inescapable nature of this divine or natural consequence of wickedness.

Job 20 14 Bonus section

The intensity of Zophar’s language regarding the "gall of asps" serves to illustrate the horror and revulsion associated with inner moral decay for the ancient audience. It’s a direct sensory appeal to the lethal danger posed by a venomous serpent. This theological stance of Zophar, though presented as truth, fails to account for Job's actual plight, making it a dramatic irony within the book. The audience knows Job is righteous, thus exposing the limitation and partial truth of the friends' understanding of God’s justice. While internal consequences of sin are biblical, Job’s suffering demonstrates that not all affliction is a direct result of individual wickedness, prompting a deeper exploration of divine sovereignty and human faith. Furthermore, the verse subtly suggests that the nature of the wicked act (their greed, treachery, etc.) is the source of the "poison," rather than a distinct external punishment, indicating a kind of self-executing judgment intrinsic to sin.

Job 20 14 Commentary

Job 20:14 encapsulates Zophar's firm conviction that the wicked, despite any temporary prosperity, inevitably suffer a deep, internal, and destructive judgment. He posits that their very sustenance and the things they acquire, especially through unrighteous means, turn into a fatal poison within their innermost being. This isn't merely external punishment, but an internal corruption that devours them from within. The image of "the gall of asps" portrays a highly potent, bitter, and swift-acting venom, underscoring the severity and inescapable nature of the consequences of sin, particularly those rooted in greedy or dishonest acquisition. While Zophar applies this concept simplistically within his rigid theology of retribution, the underlying principle – that sin's consequences are inherently destructive and often self-consuming – finds resonance throughout the Scriptures, revealing that what one gains wickedly, poisons one's very soul and life. For instance, greed or ill-gotten gains may bring momentary pleasure but ultimately yield anxiety, fear, and spiritual decay, much like a poison consuming from within.