Job 20:18 kjv
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.
Job 20:18 nkjv
He will restore that for which he labored, And will not swallow it down; From the proceeds of business He will get no enjoyment.
Job 20:18 niv
What he toiled for he must give back uneaten; he will not enjoy the profit from his trading.
Job 20:18 esv
He will give back the fruit of his toil and will not swallow it down; from the profit of his trading he will get no enjoyment.
Job 20:18 nlt
They will give back everything they worked for.
Their wealth will bring them no joy.
Job 20 18 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ps 73:18-19 | Surely you set them in slippery places; you cast them down to destruction. | Wicked's fall after brief prosperity. |
| Prov 10:2 | Treasures of wickedness profit nothing, but righteousness delivers from death. | Unjust wealth is worthless. |
| Prov 13:22 | ...the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous. | Unjust gains eventually transfer. |
| Prov 15:27 | He who is greedy for gain troubles his own household... | Harm caused by desire for unjust gain. |
| Prov 21:6 | Getting treasures by a lying tongue is a fleeting vapor... | Dishonest wealth is temporary and empty. |
| Prov 28:8 | Whoever multiplies his wealth by interest... gathers it for him who is generous... | Ill-gotten wealth eventually taken away. |
| Eccl 5:13 | There is a severe evil which I have seen... riches kept by their owner to his hurt. | Riches can harm the owner. |
| Jer 17:11 | As a partridge that gathers a brood which it has not laid, so is he who gets riches, but not by right; in the midst of his days he will leave them, and in his end be a fool. | Ill-gotten wealth does not last; ends in folly. |
| Hab 2:6 | "Woe to him who heaps up what is not his own...!" | Woe declared against oppressors and thieves. |
| Isa 3:10-11 | Say to the righteous that it shall be well with them... Woe to the wicked! | Contrasting outcomes for righteous and wicked. |
| Mic 6:10 | Are there yet treasures of wickedness in the house of the wicked...? | Questioning presence of dishonest wealth. |
| Zech 5:3-4 | ...This is the curse that goes out over the face of the whole earth... every thief... | Curse pronounced on thievery. |
| Hag 1:6 | You have sown much, and bring in little; you eat, but are not satisfied... | Unsatisfying nature of misplaced effort/gain. |
| Ps 49:6-7 | Those who trust in their wealth... none of them can redeem his brother... | Wealth cannot save a person. |
| Ps 37:35-36 | I have seen the wicked in great power... Yet he passed away... | The wicked's power is fleeting. |
| Prov 1:19 | So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain; it takes away the life of its owners. | Greed leads to self-destruction. |
| Matt 6:19-21 | Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth... but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven... | Contrast between transient earthly and lasting heavenly treasures. |
| Jas 5:1-3 | Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries... Your riches are corrupted... | Warning to the unrighteous rich. |
| Lk 12:20 | But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you...' | The rich fool's ephemeral gains. |
| Lk 6:24-25 | But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. | Woe to those satisfied only with earthly wealth. |
| Rom 6:21 | What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. | Unrighteous fruit ultimately leads to spiritual death. |
| 1 Tim 6:9-10 | But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation... For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil... | The inherent dangers of craving wealth. |
Job 20 verses
Job 20 18 Meaning
Zophar declares that the wicked, despite their efforts to acquire wealth through oppressive means, will not truly benefit from it. They will be compelled to relinquish their ill-gotten gains, unable to consume or fully enjoy them, and thus will find no lasting joy or satisfaction in what they acquired.
Job 20 18 Context
Job 20:18 is found within Zophar's second speech to Job (Job 20:1-29). Zophar, like Job's other two friends, operates from a conventional wisdom theology prevalent in his era: a rigid belief that righteousness inevitably brings prosperity, and wickedness invariably leads to suffering and destruction. In this speech, Zophar vividly paints the fate of the wicked, particularly the oppressor, asserting that their seeming prosperity is always fleeting. His words here serve to condemn Job by implication, reinforcing the idea that Job's profound losses must be a consequence of his hidden sin. This specific verse emphasizes that any wealth accumulated unjustly will be forcibly returned, and will ultimately bring no joy or lasting benefit to the one who gained it. While the book of Job as a whole ultimately challenges this oversimplified cause-and-effect relationship regarding suffering, Zophar's statement highlights a core biblical truth about the transient and unfulfilling nature of ill-gotten gains.
Job 20 18 Word analysis
- He shall restore (הַלֵב - hallēv): This Hebrew term implies a forced repayment or surrender. It suggests that the wicked person will be made to return or yield up what was unjustly acquired, often from a position of power. It signifies divine justice ensuring a mandatory reversal of their wrongful acquisition.
- that which he laboured for (מִכֹּחוֹ - mikochô): Literally "from his strength" or "by his power." This refers to what the wicked person accumulated through their own strenuous efforts, but specifically efforts often involving oppression, exploitation, or dishonesty, rather than legitimate labor. It is the ill-gotten fruit of their unrighteous endeavors.
- and shall not swallow it down (וְלֹא יִבְלָע - v'lō yivlā'): The verb yivlaʿ means "to swallow," "engulf," or "consume entirely." This powerful imagery denotes that the wicked will be unable to digest, assimilate, or truly integrate and enjoy the wealth they acquired. It conveys a complete lack of genuine benefit or lasting retention, indicating the gains will either be stripped away or provide no sustenance.
- according to the substance of his restitution (חֵיל תְּמוּרָתוֹ - cheyl təmūrātô): This phrase indicates the nature and measure of the consequence.
- חֵיל (cheyl): Means "substance," "wealth," "riches," or "power." It denotes the core material essence of what was obtained.
- תְּמוּרָתוֹ (təmūrātô): Means "his restitution," "his compensation," or "his exchange." It signifies that what the wicked gained will become the very thing they are forced to return or from which they suffer loss. Their illicit gain determines the nature of their forced surrender, highlighting divine proportionality in judgment.
- shall the prosperity be: This particular wording "prosperity" is interpretive. The Hebrew more directly points to the measure of what must be given back as corresponding to the value of what was taken. True prosperity (joy, satisfaction) is absent.
- and he shall not rejoice therein (וְלֹא יַעֲלֹז - v'lō yaʿăloz): The verb yaʿăloz means "to exult," "rejoice," or "triumph jubilantly." This underscores that even if the ill-gotten wealth is temporarily possessed, it will never bring genuine happiness, lasting contentment, or celebratory satisfaction. The internal emptiness outweighs any material acquisition.
Job 20 18 Bonus section
- This verse embodies a retributive worldview often found in Old Testament wisdom literature, where immediate justice for actions is expected. While the Book of Job eventually questions the rigidity of this view concerning suffering (i.e., not all suffering is direct punishment for sin), the principle that ill-gotten gains ultimately yield no true good or lasting satisfaction remains a constant biblical truth about the nature of God's justice and the consequences of unrighteousness.
- The prophetic books frequently reiterate the themes of judgment against those who gain wealth through oppression (e.g., Amos, Micah, Habakkuk), reinforcing the idea that such gains are built on sand and will inevitably be reversed or become a curse to their owners.
- The inability "to swallow down" refers not just to a physical deprivation but also to a profound internal dissatisfaction. The wealth, though obtained, is "unpalatable" in a spiritual sense, unable to nourish the soul or provide peace.
Job 20 18 Commentary
Job 20:18, articulated by Zophar, strongly asserts a divine principle of justice against the wicked who prosper through oppressive means. It portrays an inescapable consequence: any wealth accumulated through unrighteous "strength" will not be genuinely beneficial. The phrase "shall not swallow it down" vividly illustrates that the wicked will be deprived of any true enjoyment or lasting possession of their ill-gotten gains. What they seize by force will be "restored"— either forfeited or negated—with a divine proportion. Ultimately, no true "rejoicing" or lasting satisfaction can ever come from wealth obtained through injustice. While Zophar applies this principle directly to accuse Job, the underlying truth remains consistent throughout Scripture: unrighteous gain is inherently unstable and unable to bring true blessing or contentment, standing in stark contrast to the enduring fruit of righteousness.