Job 20:23 Meaning and Explanation
“When he is about to fill his belly, God shall cast the fury of his wrath upon him, and shall rain it upon him while he is eating.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →As the wicked man reaches to satisfy himself, God pours out His wrath upon him in the very act.
What Does Job 20:23 Mean?
Zophar reaches the climax of his eating imagery. At the moment the man stretches out to fill himself, God casts down “the fury of his wrath,” raining judgment upon him while the food is still in his mouth. The satisfaction he reached for is overtaken by reckoning.
The verse confronts us with the seriousness of God’s justice against entrenched, unrepented evil. This is the sober side of the divine character that Scripture also affirms: the Lord is slow to anger, yet He will by no means clear the guilty. Such warnings are not meant to terrify the humble but to awaken the careless, urging all to turn and seek mercy while the day of grace still stands open.
Job 20:23 in the Original Language
charon (חָרוֹן), 'fury' -- a burning, blazing heat, used of the kindled intensity of God's wrath against evil.
Frequently Asked Questions About Job 20:23
What does Job 20:23 mean?
As the wicked man reaches to satisfy himself, God pours out His wrath upon him in the very act.