Job 20:6

4 “Do you not know this of ^aold,
Since man was placed on earth,

5 ^aThat the triumphing of the wicked is short,
And the joy of the hypocrite is but for a ^bmoment?

6 ^aThough his haughtiness mounts up to the heavens,
And his head reaches to the clouds,

7 Yet he will perish forever like his own refuse;
Those who have seen him will say, ‘Where is he?’

8 He will fly away ^alike a dream, and not be found;
Yes, he ^bwill be chased away like a vision of the night.

9 The eye that saw him will see him no more,
Nor will his place behold him anymore.

Commentaries:

Forerunner Commentary
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What Does Job 20:6 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

Related Topics: Hypocrisy | Pride | Wickedness

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