Job 20:26 | KingComments | STEP | The only view the wicked has, both for himself and for his safely stored goods, is “complete darkness” ( ). Darkness in all its facets awaits him. That is where he ends up. There he will be devoured by an unfanned fire, which means a fire that has not been blown by men, but by God. Whoever he has left “in his tent”, that is in his dwelling-place, “will be consumed” by it. This is a reference to the children of Job who also perished. Zophar did not spare Job any horror. He presents Job the way and the end of the wicked, without showing him any ray of hope. In , Zophar refutes Job’s claim that his Witness is in heaven ( ), by stating that the iniquity of the wicked will be revealed to others by the heavens, i.e. by God. Everyone will hear of it. The result will not be a ‘silent march’ for the dead wicked. On the contrary, there will be great indignation on earth. Everyone will rise up against the wicked because of what has become known. Sometimes people are honored posthumously, that is after their death. But it can also happen that people are despised and cursed after their death. The latter sometimes happens when, after their death, the terrible things that people, who were celebrated during their lives, have done become known. This is how it will be with Job, according to Zophar. Even the earth, which has seen all these terrible things, will testify to it ( ). The wicked shall lose all his prosperity ( ). That has happened to Job. Zophar attributes this to the anger of God. It is the explanation of the friends for the loss that Job has suffered. It was all taken out of his hands by God because he has sinned. Zophar does not doubt this, as he says in his closing words.

‏ Job 20:26

The Anger Remains

The only view the wicked has, both for himself and for his safely stored goods, is “complete darkness” (Job 20:26). Darkness in all its facets awaits him. That is where he ends up. There he will be devoured by an unfanned fire, which means a fire that has not been blown by men, but by God. Whoever he has left “in his tent”, that is in his dwelling-place, “will be consumed” by it. This is a reference to the children of Job who also perished. Zophar did not spare Job any horror. He presents Job the way and the end of the wicked, without showing him any ray of hope.

In Job 20:27, Zophar refutes Job’s claim that his Witness is in heaven (Job 16:18-20), by stating that the iniquity of the wicked will be revealed to others by the heavens, i.e. by God. Everyone will hear of it. The result will not be a ‘silent march’ for the dead wicked. On the contrary, there will be great indignation on earth. Everyone will rise up against the wicked because of what has become known.

Sometimes people are honored posthumously, that is after their death. But it can also happen that people are despised and cursed after their death. The latter sometimes happens when, after their death, the terrible things that people, who were celebrated during their lives, have done become known. This is how it will be with Job, according to Zophar. Even the earth, which has seen all these terrible things, will testify to it (Deu 31:28).

The wicked shall lose all his prosperity (Job 20:28). That has happened to Job. Zophar attributes this to the anger of God. It is the explanation of the friends for the loss that Job has suffered. It was all taken out of his hands by God because he has sinned. Zophar does not doubt this, as he says in his closing words.