And the spirit of my understanding causes me to answer.
Yes, he bwill be chased away like a vision of the night.
| << Job 20:3 | Job 20:5 >> |
What Does Job 20:4 Mean?
Job 20:4-7
Zophar connects wickedness with hypocrisy, and then connects both of them with pride. Where does pride appear here? It is in the word excellency—"through their own self-perceived excellency." Many modern translations, seeing what Zophar intended, translate "excellency" as "haughtiness."
The hypocrite is deceived into ignoring realities the meek and humble person might quickly recognize. A deceived person does not know he is deceived, or he would not be deceived. Pride is so powerful that it can deceive quite intelligent people. It is not a matter of intelligence but one of the right kind of knowledge and the willingness to submit to it.
John W. Ritenbaugh
Pride, Humility, and Fasting
| << Job 20:3 | Job 20:5 >> |
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Zophar links wickedness with hypocrisy and both with pride, which appears in the word "excellency," reflecting self-perceived superiority that many translations render as "haughtiness." The hypocrite is deceived into ignoring realities that a meek and humble person would quickly recognize. A deceived person does not know he is deceived, for otherwise he would not be deceived. Pride is powerful enough to deceive even intelligent people. Escaping such deception is not a matter of intelligence but of possessing the right kind of knowledge and being willing to submit to it.