Job 20:21 | KingComments | STEP | Zophar depicts what the wicked would like to feast on, but what he will never see ( ). He holds all this up to Job to make him realize that Job is an ungodly man. The wicked one imagines that he will enjoy “streams, rivers of honey and curds”. “Honey and curds” represent the highest enjoyment of earthly prosperity and earthly happiness (cf. ; ). The wicked man sees it coming in streams. He also sees in his imagination that large supplies of it are available in rivers. It is one great pleasure of undisturbed enjoyment. But he will see nothing of it. It will be completely different than he imagined. What he has attained, he must return to its rightful owners ( ). He wanted to devour it in his greed, but that illusion is taken away from him. The pleasure of what he has wrongfully appropriated also passes him by. The cause of this is his merciless act against the poor ( ). He first oppressed them (literally: crushed them) and took everything away and then left them to their miserable fate in which they had ended up due to his actions. The latter is done by taking everything away from them. His loot also includes a house he did not build. He chased the residents out and took possession of it. However, he “knew no quiet within him” ( ). He is never satisfied. His greed yearns for more and more, he is insatiable. Restless he is always looking for more. But everything he covets will be lost. He will not be able to save anything to survive the time of need. Nothing edible remains to satisfy his hunger ( ). He has devoured everything and everyone. The expected benefit of his prosperity is only of short duration.

‏ Job 20:21

Past Prosperity Does Not Benefit

Zophar depicts what the wicked would like to feast on, but what he will never see (Job 20:17). He holds all this up to Job to make him realize that Job is an ungodly man. The wicked one imagines that he will enjoy “streams, rivers of honey and curds”. “Honey and curds” represent the highest enjoyment of earthly prosperity and earthly happiness (cf. Exo 3:8; Deu 6:3). The wicked man sees it coming in streams. He also sees in his imagination that large supplies of it are available in rivers. It is one great pleasure of undisturbed enjoyment. But he will see nothing of it.

It will be completely different than he imagined. What he has attained, he must return to its rightful owners (Job 20:18). He wanted to devour it in his greed, but that illusion is taken away from him. The pleasure of what he has wrongfully appropriated also passes him by.

The cause of this is his merciless act against the poor (Job 20:19). He first oppressed them (literally: crushed them) and took everything away and then left them to their miserable fate in which they had ended up due to his actions. The latter is done by taking everything away from them. His loot also includes a house he did not build. He chased the residents out and took possession of it.

However, he “knew no quiet within him” (Job 20:20). He is never satisfied. His greed yearns for more and more, he is insatiable. Restless he is always looking for more. But everything he covets will be lost. He will not be able to save anything to survive the time of need. Nothing edible remains to satisfy his hunger (Job 20:21). He has devoured everything and everyone. The expected benefit of his prosperity is only of short duration.