Job 20:19 Meaning and Explanation
“Because he hath oppressed and hath forsaken the poor; because he hath violently taken away an house which he builded not;”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The reason for his ruin is named: he crushed and abandoned the poor and seized homes he did not build.
What Does Job 20:19 Mean?
Here Zophar finally states the specific charge beneath his picture of doom. The man’s crimes are crimes against the vulnerable: he has oppressed and abandoned the poor, and violently seized a house he did not build. His prosperity was built on the ruin of others.
Of all sins, Scripture treats the oppression of the poor with particular gravity, for the Lord is the defender of the needy and pleads their cause. To grab what belongs to the weak is to provoke the One who made them. This verse rightly names a real evil, and it summons every reader to handle the poor not with violence but with the justice and mercy God Himself shows them.
Job 20:19 in the Original Language
dal (דַּל), 'poor' -- the weak, low, and helpless, those without power to defend themselves.
Frequently Asked Questions About Job 20:19
What does Job 20:19 mean?
The reason for his ruin is named: he crushed and abandoned the poor and seized homes he did not build.