Albert Barnes Commentary Job 20

Therefore — לכן lākên — “certainly, truly.” In view of what has just been said. Or perhaps the word merely means certainly, truly.

Do my thoughts cause me to answer — This is variously rendered. The Vulgate renders it, Idcirco cogitationes meae variae succedunt sibi, et mens in diversa rapitur — “Therefore my various thoughts follow in succession, and the mind is distracted.” The Septuagint, “I did not suppose that you would speak against these things, and you do not understand more than I.” How this was ever made from the Hebrew it is impossible to say.

On the word “thoughts,” see the notes at (Job 4:13). The word denotes thoughts which divide and distract the mind; not calm and collected reflections, but those which disturb, disconcert, and trouble. He acknowledges that it was not calm reflection which induced him to reply, but the agitating emotions produced by the speech of Job.

The word rendered “cause me to answer” (ישׁיבוּני y^eshı̂ybûnı̂y), “cause me to return” — and Jerome understood it as meaning that his thoughts returned upon him in quick and troublesome succession, and says in his Commentary on Job, that the meaning is, “I am troubled and agitated because you say that you sustain these evils from God without cause, when nothing evil ought to be suspected of God.”

And for this I make haste — Margin, “my haste is in me.” The meaning is, “the impetuosity of my feelings urges me on. I reply on account of the agitation of my soul, which will admit of no delay.” His heart was full, and he hastened to give vent to his feelings in impassioned and earnest language.

I have heard the check of my reproach - I have heard your violent and severe language reproaching us. He probably refers to what Job had said at the end of his speech (Job 19:29), that they had reason to dread the wrath of God, and that they might anticipate heavy judgments as the result of their opinions. Or it may be, as Schultens supposes, that he refers to what Job said in Job 19:2, and the rebuke that he had administered there.

Or possibly, and still more probably, I think, he may refer to what Job had said in reply to Zophar's former speech (Job 12:2), where he tauntingly says that “they were the people, and that wisdom would die with them.” The Hebrew literally is, “the correction of my shame” (כלמה מוּסר mûsâr k^elimmâ), “the correction of my shame”; that is, the chastisement or rebuke which tends to cover me with disgrace. The sense is, “You have accused me of that which is disgraceful and shameful, and under the strong feelings caused by such a charge, I cannot refrain from replying.”

And the spirit of my understanding - Meaning, perhaps, “the emotion of his mind.” The word “mind” or “soul” would better express the idea than the word “understanding”; and the word “spirit” here seems to be used in the sense of violent or agitating emotions—perhaps in allusion to the primary meaning of the word (רוּח rûach), “mind.”

Do you not know this of old - That is, do you not know that this has always happened from the beginning of the world, or that this is the invariable course of events? His purpose is to show that it was the settled arrangement of Providence that the wicked would be overtaken with signal calamity.

It was so settled that Job ought not to be surprised that it had occurred in his case. Zophar goes on to show that though a wicked man might rise high in honor, and obtain great wealth, yet that the fall would certainly come, and he would sink to a depth of degradation corresponding to the former prosperity.

Since man was placed upon earth - Since the creation; that is, it has always been so.

That the triumphing - The word “triumphing” here (רננה renânâh), meaning “shouting, rejoicing”—such a shouting as people make after a victory, or such as occurred at the close of harvesting. Here it means that the occasion which the wicked had for rejoicing would be brief. It would last only for a moment, and then he would be overwhelmed with calamity or cut off by death.

Short - Margin, as in Hebrew, “from near.” That is, it would soon be over.

And the joy of the hypocrite only for a moment? - This probably means, as used by Zophar, that the happiness of a hypocrite would be brief—referring to the happiness arising from the possession of health, life, property, friends, and reputation. Soon God would take away all these and leave him to sorrow. This, he said, was the regular course of events as they had been observed from the earliest times. But the language conveys most important truths concerning the spiritual joys of the hypocrite at all times, though it is not certain that Zophar used it in this sense. The truths are these:

1. There is a kind of joy which a hypocrite may have—the counterfeit of that which a true Christian possesses. The word “hypocrite” may be used in a broad sense to denote the man who is a professor of religion but who has no true piety, as well as him who intentionally deceives others and makes pretensions to piety that he knows he does not possess. Such a man may have joy. He supposes that his sins are forgiven and that he has a well-founded hope of eternal life. He may have been greatly distressed in view of his sin and danger, and when he supposes that his heart is changed and the danger has passed, he will, by the nature of the case, experience a type of enjoyment. A man is confined in a dungeon under sentence of death. A forged instrument of pardon is brought to him. He does not know that it is forged and supposes the danger is past, and his joy will be as real as though the pardon were genuine. So with the man who supposes that his sins are forgiven.

2. The joy of the self-deceiver or the hypocrite will be short. There is no genuine religion to sustain it, and it soon dies away. It may be at first very elevated, just as the joy of the man who supposed that he was pardoned would fill him with exultation. But in the case of the hypocrite, it soon dies away.

   He has no true love for God; he has never been truly reconciled to Him; he has no real faith in Christ; he has no sincere love of prayer, of the Bible, or of Christians. Consequently, the temporary excitement soon fades, and he lives without comfort or peace.

   He may be a professor of religion, but with him, it is a matter of form, and he has neither love nor zeal in the cause of his professed Master. Motives of pride, the desire for a reputation for piety, or some other selfish aim may keep him in the church, and he lives to spread a blight on all around him.

   Or if, under the illusion, he should be able to keep up some emotions of happiness in his heart, they must soon cease, for death will soon end it all for the hypocrite.

Therefore, how important it is for us to inquire whether the peace we seek and may possess in religion is the genuine happiness that results from true reconciliation to God and a well-founded hope of salvation. Sad will be the disappointment of the one who has cherished a hope of heaven throughout life, should he at last sink down to hell! Deep will be the condemnation of the one who has professed to be a friend of God but has been at heart His bitter foe; who has endeavored to keep up the forms of religion but has been a stranger throughout life to the true peace that religion produces!

Though his excellency mount up to the heavens - Though he attain to the highest pitch of honor and prosperity. The Septuagint renders this, “Though his gifts should go up to heaven, and his sacrifice should touch the clouds”—a sentence conveying a true and a beautiful idea, but which is not a translation of the Hebrew. The phrases, to go up to heaven, and to touch the clouds, often occur to denote anything that is greatly exalted or very high.

Thus, in Virgil:

It clamor coelo.

So Horace:

Sublimi feriam sidera vertice.

And again:

Attingit solium Jovis.

Compare Genesis 11:4: Let us build us a tower whose top may reach unto heaven. In Homer the expression not unfrequently occurs, τοῦ γὰρ κλέος οὐρανὸν ἵκει tou gar kleos ouranon hikei.

In Seneca (Thyest. Act. v. ver. 1, 2, 4,) similar expressions occur:

Aequalis astris gradior, et cunctos super
Altum superbo vertice attingens polum,
Dimitto superos: summa votorum attigi.

The language of Zophar would also well express the condition of many a hypocrite whose piety seems to be of the most exalted character, and who appears to have made most eminent attainments in religion. Such a man may seem to be a man of uncommon excellence. He may attract attention as having extraordinary sanctity. He may seem to have a remarkable spirit of prayer, and yet all may be false and hollow.

Men who design to be hypocrites usually aim to be eminent hypocrites; those who have true piety often, alas, aim at a much lower standard. A hypocrite cannot keep up appearances, or accomplish his purpose of imposing on the world, without the appearance of extraordinary devotedness to God; many a sincere believer is satisfied with much less of the appearance of religion. He is sincere and honest.

He is conscious of true piety, and he attempts to impose on no one. At the same time, he makes scarcely any attempt to be what the hypocrite wishes to appear to be; and hence, the man who appears to be the most eminently devoted to God may be a hypocrite - yet usually not long. His zeal dies away, or he is allowed to fall into open sin, and to show that he had no true religion at heart.