Job 20:14 - yet his food in his bowels is turned. It is cobra venom within him.
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What does "Job 20:14" mean?
Job 20:14, "yet his food in his bowels is turned. It is cobra venom within him" is part of a speech given by Zophar, one of Job's friends. Zophar's speech, like the others by Job's friends, is meant to comfort Job by explaining his suffering. However, their explanations are based on the traditional wisdom of the time, which dictates that the wicked are always punished. This particular verse is part of Zophar's description of the ultimate fate of a wicked person.
Here's a breakdown of the verse and its meaning:
"yet his food in his bowels is turned": This speaks to the idea that even the good things a wicked person might acquire (symbolized by food) will ultimately turn sour. It suggests that the ill-gotten gains will not bring satisfaction or sustenance, but rather the opposite. The prosperity will not be digestible.
"It is cobra venom within him": This is the key to the verse. The implication is that the food or wealth or possessions the wicked person consumes transforms internally into something poisonous, like cobra venom. Cobras, of course, are known for their deadly venom. This venom represents a number of things:
Inner corruption: The wicked person's ill-gotten gains cause an inner corruption that festers and destroys them.
Divine retribution: The venom can be seen as a metaphor for the consequences of wickedness, a form of divine punishment that eats away at the person from the inside.
Ultimate dissatisfaction: The wickedness of the person's character turns things that ought to satisfy into something that leads to death and destruction.
In essence, Zophar is saying that the wicked person's prosperity is a facade. While they may appear to be thriving, their wickedness will eventually turn their supposed blessings into a curse, a deadly poison that destroys them from within. The verse emphasizes the eventual justice that, according to Zophar, always catches up with the wicked.
Important Note: This is Zophar's perspective. It's crucial to remember that the Book of Job is a complex exploration of suffering and divine justice. While Zophar presents this traditional view, the book as a whole challenges and ultimately complicates this simplistic understanding of reward and punishment. Job himself challenges this viewpoint, and God does not validate Zophar's claims. Thus, while helpful for understanding the verse, remember that it is not the overarching message of the Book of Job.
Job 20:14 - yet his food in his bowels is turned. It is cobra venom within him.
What does "Job 20:14" mean?
Job 20:14, "yet his food in his bowels is turned. It is cobra venom within him" is part of a speech given by Zophar, one of Job's friends. Zophar's speech, like the others by Job's friends, is meant to comfort Job by explaining his suffering. However, their explanations are based on the traditional wisdom of the time, which dictates that the wicked are always punished. This particular verse is part of Zophar's description of the ultimate fate of a wicked person.
Here's a breakdown of the verse and its meaning:
"yet his food in his bowels is turned": This speaks to the idea that even the good things a wicked person might acquire (symbolized by food) will ultimately turn sour. It suggests that the ill-gotten gains will not bring satisfaction or sustenance, but rather the opposite. The prosperity will not be digestible.
"It is cobra venom within him": This is the key to the verse. The implication is that the food or wealth or possessions the wicked person consumes transforms internally into something poisonous, like cobra venom. Cobras, of course, are known for their deadly venom. This venom represents a number of things:
Inner corruption: The wicked person's ill-gotten gains cause an inner corruption that festers and destroys them.
Divine retribution: The venom can be seen as a metaphor for the consequences of wickedness, a form of divine punishment that eats away at the person from the inside.
Ultimate dissatisfaction: The wickedness of the person's character turns things that ought to satisfy into something that leads to death and destruction.
In essence, Zophar is saying that the wicked person's prosperity is a facade. While they may appear to be thriving, their wickedness will eventually turn their supposed blessings into a curse, a deadly poison that destroys them from within. The verse emphasizes the eventual justice that, according to Zophar, always catches up with the wicked.
Important Note: This is Zophar's perspective. It's crucial to remember that the Book of Job is a complex exploration of suffering and divine justice. While Zophar presents this traditional view, the book as a whole challenges and ultimately complicates this simplistic understanding of reward and punishment. Job himself challenges this viewpoint, and God does not validate Zophar's claims. Thus, while helpful for understanding the verse, remember that it is not the overarching message of the Book of Job.