Job 20:29 kjv
This is the portion of a wicked man from God, and the heritage appointed unto him by God.
Job 20:29 nkjv
This is the portion from God for a wicked man, The heritage appointed to him by God."
Job 20:29 niv
Such is the fate God allots the wicked, the heritage appointed for them by God."
Job 20:29 esv
This is the wicked man's portion from God, the heritage decreed for him by God."
Job 20:29 nlt
This is the reward that God gives the wicked.
It is the inheritance decreed by God."
Job 20 29 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Job 4:7 | "Think now, who that was innocent ever perished?" | Eliphaz asserts the same principle. |
| Job 8:13 | "...so are the paths of all who forget God..." | Bildad concurs on the fate of the wicked. |
| Ps 1:6 | "For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish." | Divine knowledge and contrasting ends. |
| Ps 9:17 | "The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God." | Ultimate judgment of the ungodly. |
| Ps 11:5-6 | "...On the wicked he will rain snares, fire, and burning sulfur..." | God's specific judgment on the wicked. |
| Ps 34:21 | "Evil shall slay the wicked..." | Evil's self-destructive nature for the wicked. |
| Ps 37:9 | "For evildoers shall be cut off..." | The removal of wrongdoers. |
| Ps 73:17-19 | "...then I understood their end. Surely You set them in slippery places..." | Sudden destruction of the prospering wicked. |
| Prov 1:31 | "So they shall eat the fruit of their own way..." | Consequences derived from one's own actions. |
| Prov 5:22 | "The iniquities of the wicked ensnare him..." | Sin's binding power and consequences. |
| Prov 11:31 | "If the righteous will be repaid on earth, how much more the wicked..." | Greater retribution for the unrighteous. |
| Prov 24:19-20 | "Do not fret because of evildoers... For there will be no future for the evil man..." | Ultimate lack of hope for the wicked. |
| Isa 3:11 | "Woe to the wicked! It shall be ill with him; For the reward of his hands shall be given him." | Direct declaration of woe and just reward. |
| Jer 12:1-2 | "Why does the way of the wicked prosper?" | Prophet's question on immediate justice. |
| Eze 7:27 | "According to their way I will deal with them..." | God's justice aligns with their conduct. |
| Rom 2:5-9 | "But in accordance with your hardness... will store up wrath for yourself... tribulation and anguish..." | God's righteous judgment on the unrepentant. |
| Gal 6:7-8 | "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap." | Principle of sowing and reaping. |
| Heb 10:26-27 | "For if we go on sinning deliberately... there remains no longer a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying expectation of judgment..." | Consequence for deliberate disobedience. |
| Rev 20:12-15 | "...judged each one according to his works..." | Final judgment based on deeds. |
| Job 12:6 | "The tents of robbers prosper..." | Job's observation countering friends' view. |
| Job 21:7 | "Why do the wicked live, reach old age, and grow mighty in power?" | Job's explicit challenge to the friends' doctrine. |
| Lam 3:24 | "The Lord is my portion,' says my soul..." | Counterpoint: The Lord is the believer's portion. |
Job 20 verses
Job 20 29 Meaning
Job 20:29 summarizes Zophar's unwavering conviction that the devastating misfortunes he described are the divinely appointed and just recompense for the wicked. For him, the suffering endured by a person is a direct consequence and an undeniable "portion" assigned by God as their inherent destiny. It is the inescapable inheritance of those who reject God's ways.
Job 20 29 Context
Job 20:29 serves as the definitive closing statement to Zophar's second, highly critical speech against Job. Throughout Job chapter 20, Zophar articulates his unyielding belief in retribution theology, asserting that the prosperity of the wicked is fleeting, destined to be consumed by their own evil, ultimately leading to their complete and devastating ruin by God's hand. He attributes all suffering and downfall directly to God's intervention against wickedness. While Zophar does not explicitly name Job, his elaborate description of the wicked man's inevitable destruction is clearly aimed at convincing Job (and the other friends) that Job's unprecedented suffering can only be explained by secret sin. This verse thus concludes his argument, portraying it as an absolute, undeniable divine truth. The larger book of Job challenges this very simplistic and rigid application of retribution theology.
Job 20 29 Word analysis
- "This" (זֶה - zeh): A demonstrative pronoun. It points directly to the entirety of the elaborate misfortunes, plagues, and destruction Zophar meticulously described throughout Job 20:5-28, implying a full and inescapable catalogue of woes.
- "is the portion" (חֵלֶק - cheleq): Refers to a "share," "allotment," or "destiny." In a positive sense, it can refer to God as one's inheritance (Ps 16:5). Here, Zophar uses it to denote a predetermined and deserved fate—the very lot that a wicked individual will inevitably receive. It's not arbitrary, but assigned.
- "of a wicked man" (אָדָם רָשָׁע - 'adam rasha'):
- אָדָם ('adam): General term for a "human being."
- רָשָׁע (rasha'): Signifies "wicked," "guilty," or "unrighteous." It describes one who actively disregards divine law and justice. Zophar employs this broad term to generalize his principle, implicitly classifying Job's situation under this universal fate of the wicked.
- "from God" (מֵאֵל - me'el):
- מֵ- (me-): "from," indicating the direct source.
- אֵל ('el): A common ancient name for God, emphasizing His supreme power and authority. This phrase strongly attributes the severe destiny directly to divine initiative and intervention, asserting God's active role in judging the wicked, rather than simply letting natural consequences unfold.
- "the heritage" (נַחֲלָתוֹ - nachalato): This word signifies "his inheritance" or "his possession." It is a strong synonym for cheleq ("portion") and emphasizes the permanence and intrinsic nature of this divinely appointed outcome. It implies something that is definitively given and permanently belongs to the wicked person.
- "appointed to him" (אִמְרָתוֹ - 'imrato): The literal meaning of this Hebrew term is "his word" or "his utterance." In this context, it is widely interpreted as "that which is declared for him," "that which is decreed for him," or "that which is spoken concerning him." It powerfully underscores the divine decree or pronouncement that seals the wicked man's destiny. This is a fate determined by divine utterance, ensuring its certainty and divine origin.
- "by God" (מֵאֵל - me'el): This repetition from earlier in the verse (translated identically "from God") provides powerful rhetorical emphasis. It thoroughly underscores the divine authorship and sovereign control over the judgment. It leaves no doubt in Zophar's mind about who is orchestrating the downfall of the wicked.
Job 20 29 Bonus section
- Ancient Polemics: Zophar's assertion of direct divine judgment stands as a polemic against any notion that cosmic order or suffering are chaotic, accidental, or solely attributable to natural forces or impersonal deities. He insists that God is directly involved and accountable for the destiny of all, especially the wicked.
- Literary Placement: This concluding verse acts as a literary punch, aiming to be unarguable. Its finality highlights the absolute certainty in Zophar's own mind regarding the universal truth he has pronounced, intending to crush any lingering doubt Job might entertain about his own innocence or God's fairness.
- Contrast to Covenant Theology: While Old Testament covenant theology includes principles of blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience, Job demonstrates that divine interactions can extend beyond these direct punitive frameworks, involving tests, vindication, and deeper, inscrutable purposes known only to God.
Job 20 29 Commentary
Job 20:29 crystallizes Zophar's deeply held, albeit flawed, theological stance: divine justice dictates that the wicked inevitably suffer catastrophic judgment directly from God. He firmly believes in an immediate and strict cause-and-effect relationship between wickedness and suffering, and piety and prosperity. This verse encapsulates the entire argument presented by Job's friends, positioning it as an immutable divine principle. However, the entire book of Job serves to dismantle this rigid worldview by demonstrating that suffering does not always signify wickedness and that God's ways are more complex and mysterious than human understanding can fully grasp. Zophar’s final assertion, though a genuine attempt to defend God’s righteousness, tragically misapplies a general truth to Job’s unique situation, missing God’s larger redemptive and testing purposes. The reiteration of "from God" underscores the friends' deep conviction that they spoke for the Almighty, a conviction challenged by God's later words.