Job 20 26

Job 20:26 kjv

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.

Job 20:26 nkjv

Total darkness is reserved for his treasures. An unfanned fire will consume him; It shall go ill with him who is left in his tent.

Job 20:26 niv

total darkness lies in wait for his treasures. A fire unfanned will consume him and devour what is left in his tent.

Job 20:26 esv

Utter darkness is laid up for his treasures; a fire not fanned will devour him; what is left in his tent will be consumed.

Job 20:26 nlt

Their treasures will be thrown into deepest darkness.
A wildfire will devour their goods,
consuming all they have left.

Job 20 verses

Job 20 26 Meaning

Job 20:26 declares the absolute ruin and complete devastation reserved for the wicked. Their accumulated wealth and secret places, often gained through unrighteousness, become the very receptacles for overwhelming darkness, signifying utter doom and hopelessness. A divine, uncontrollable fire, needing no human intervention, will consume them entirely, pointing to a direct judgment from God. Furthermore, those who manage to survive the immediate calamity, specifically those remaining within their household or sphere of influence, will also experience immense distress and suffer a tragic fate, underscoring the thoroughness of God's righteous retribution against the transgressor.

Job 20 26 Context

Job 20:26 is part of Zophar's second and final speech, a friend of Job, recorded in Job 20. Zophar presents a stereotypical view of divine justice, vehemently asserting that the wicked are destined for sudden, swift, and total destruction, regardless of any apparent temporary prosperity. His speech, saturated with retribution theology, aims to explain Job's suffering by implicitly labeling Job as wicked, implying that his affliction is a direct consequence of hidden sin. In this specific verse, Zophar graphically details the inevitability and completeness of this judgment. Historically and culturally, the belief in immediate and visible retribution for sin and blessing for righteousness was deeply embedded in ancient Near Eastern thought, and Zophar epitomizes this perspective without allowing for the complexities of suffering presented by Job's experience. This serves as a polemic against Job's protests of innocence, as Zophar refuses to entertain the possibility that a righteous person could suffer such calamity.

Job 20 26 Word analysis

• Total darkness (כָּל־חֹשֶׁךְ - kāl-ḥōšeḵ):

  • kāl: "all," "every," "total," emphasizing completeness and absoluteness.
  • ḥōšeḵ: "darkness," "obscurity." This term frequently symbolizes chaos, judgment, hopelessness, and the absence of divine favor. It's often used to denote the realm of the dead or divine punishment.
  • Significance: This is not merely absence of light, but an oppressive, inescapable, and active darkness representing ultimate spiritual and existential ruin.

• is reserved (טָמ֣וּן - ṭāmûn):

  • "Hidden," "laid up," "stored away." This is a participle, indicating something appointed or kept in readiness.
  • Significance: The destruction is not random or incidental; it is a planned, predetermined fate for the wicked, meticulously set aside for them by divine decree.

• for his treasures (לִצְפוּנָ֑יו - liṣəp̄ûnāw):

  • ṣəp̄ûnāw: "hidden things," "stored treasures," "secrets," "secret places." This noun comes from the same root as ṭāmûn (to hide).
  • Significance: There is a biting irony here. The very "treasures" that the wicked have accumulated, often illicitly and covertly, become the direct recipients or repository of their destined judgment. Their wealth, which they relied upon, becomes part of their undoing, not their salvation. It also alludes to their innermost, perhaps wicked, secrets being brought to light.

• an unfanned fire (אֵ֥שׁ לֹא־נֻפָּ֖ח - ēš lō-nuppāḥ):

  • ēš: "fire," "flame."
  • lō-nuppāḥ: "not blown upon," "not kindled by human breath/wind." From the verb nāpaḥ, "to blow," "to fan."
  • Significance: This describes a fire that does not require human agency (breath, bellows) to ignite or sustain it. It suggests a supernatural, divine origin and power, making it unstoppable and intensely terrifying. It's a fire that God Himself lights and maintains, highlighting the directness of divine wrath.

• will devour him (תְּאָכְלֵ֑הוּ - tə’oḵləhû):

  • From ’āḵal, "to eat," "to consume," "to devour."
  • Significance: A vivid metaphor for total destruction. The fire utterly consumes the wicked, leaving nothing intact. It points to a complete eradication.

• it will go ill with him (יֵ֣רַע - yēra‘):

  • From rā‘a‘, "to be evil," "to be bad," "to be unpleasant," "to be displeased." Here it means "to fare ill," "to suffer calamity."
  • Significance: A definitive statement of impending doom and distress for any survivors. It conveys deep trouble and misfortune.

• who is left in his tent (לְשָׂרִ֣יד בְּאָהֳלֽוֹ - ləśārîḏ bə’ohŏlô):

  • śārîḏ: "survivor," "remnant." One who escapes or is left over.
  • ’ohŏlô: "his tent," representing his dwelling, family, household, or possessions/legacy.
  • Significance: The judgment is so pervasive that even those who might initially escape the primary wave of destruction within the wicked person's immediate sphere (his family, servants, or remnants of his estate) will not prosper. Their survival will only bring further hardship, grief, and a grim end to the entire legacy of the wicked individual. The "tent" signifies their place in the world, implying the destruction of their name and line.

• Words-group analysis:

  • "Total darkness is reserved for his treasures": This phrase links the very symbols of worldly success (treasures, wealth) to the ultimate state of divine judgment (total darkness). It portrays a scenario where the wicked person's material gains become their downfall, not their security. The emphasis is on the inescapable, pre-ordained nature of this judgment.
  • "an unfanned fire will devour him": This emphasizes the supernatural and irresistible nature of God's judgment. It requires no external force to ignite or sustain it, underscoring its divine origin and the certainty of complete destruction. This fire signifies fierce and total consumption, leaving nothing.
  • "it will go ill with him who is left in his tent": This extends the judgment beyond the immediate destruction of the wicked individual to encompass their entire lineage, household, and what they leave behind. It paints a picture of comprehensive ruin, where no remnant can find peace or escape the repercussions of the wickedness.

Job 20 26 Bonus section

The Hebrew word for "darkness," ḥōšeḵ, often has moral and spiritual implications beyond just the absence of light, symbolizing ignorance, evil, and death in the Old Testament. Its juxtaposition with "treasures" creates a powerful image: what the wicked holds dearest will become their gravest condemnation. The "tent" (’ōhel) is a significant symbol in the Old Testament, representing one's dwelling, lineage, family, and even identity. Thus, for one to fare ill "in his tent" implies the destruction of his family, reputation, and everything he has built, pointing to a complete annihilation of his legacy in the world, in stark contrast to the promise of a flourishing household for the righteous (Psa 112:1-3). Zophar's impassioned articulation of divine retribution, though not fully aligning with God's subsequent revelation of Himself in Job, nonetheless highlights the terrifying and inevitable end awaiting those who defiantly pursue wickedness without repentance.

Job 20 26 Commentary

Job 20:26 serves as a climactic statement within Zophar's discourse on the inevitable, swift, and catastrophic judgment of the wicked. His perspective, though rigidly applied to Job's situation, reflects a fundamental biblical truth concerning divine justice, albeit in Zophar's hands, lacking nuance regarding the righteous. The "total darkness reserved for his treasures" vividly illustrates the ultimate irony of ill-gotten gains: what was sought for security becomes the receptacle of eternal doom. This emphasizes the spiritual blindness and moral decay associated with covetousness and unrighteousness, leading to a state of absolute despair and separation from God's light. The "unfanned fire" points to a judgment not of human design or control, but directly initiated and sustained by God, whose wrath is all-consuming and utterly decisive. This fire not only annihilates the wicked person but metaphorically consumes their very existence and legacy. Finally, the tragic fate of "him who is left in his tent" underlines the thoroughness of God's judgment, indicating that the consequences of wickedness are so profound that even those tangentially connected or surviving the immediate disaster will experience enduring hardship and destruction, ensuring that the wicked's name and memory vanish from the earth in shame. This verse strongly reiterates the theme that the transient prosperity of the wicked eventually gives way to a definitive and comprehensive divine reckoning.