Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Job 20:5

That the triumphing of the wicked [is] short, and the joy of the hypocrite [but] for a moment?

That the triumphing – The word triumphing here ( r^enanah), shouting, rejoicing – such a shouting as people make after a victory, or such as occurred at the close of harvesting. Here it means that the occasion which the wicked had for rejoicing would be brief. It would be but for a moment, and he then would be overwhelmed with calamity or cut off by death.

Short – Margin, as in Hebrew from near. That is, it would be soon over.

And the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment? – This probably means, as used by Zophar, that the happiness of a hypocrite would be brief – referring to the happiness arising from the possession of health, life, property, friends, reputation. Soon God would take away all these, and leave him to sorrow. This, he said, was the regular course of events as they had been observed from the earliest times. But the language conveys most important truths in reference to the spiritual joys of the hypocrite at all times, though it is not certain that Zophar used it in this sense. The truths are these.

(1) There is a kind of joy which a hypocrite may have – the counterfeit of that which a true Christian possesses. The word hypocrite may be used in a large sense to denote the man who is a professor of religion, but who has none, as well as him who intentionally imposes on others, and who makes pretensions to piety which he knows he has not. Such a man may have joy. He supposes that his sins are forgiven, and that he has a well-founded hope of eternal life. He may have been greatly distressed in view of his sin and danger, and when he supposes that his heart is changed, and that the danger is passed, from the nature of the case he will have a species of enjoyment. A man is confined in a dungeon under sentence of death. A forged instrument of pardon is brought to him. He does not know that it is forged, and supposes the danger is past, and his joy will be as real as though the pardon were genuine. So with the man who supposes that his sins are forgiven.

(2) The joy of the self-deceiver or the hypocrite will be short. There is no genuine religion to sustain it, and it soon dies away. It may be at first very elevated, just as the joy of the man who supposed that he was pardoned would fill him with exultation. But in the case of the hypocrite it soon dies away. He has no true love to God; he has never been truly reconciled to him; he has no real faith in Christ; he has no sincere love of prayer, of the Bible, or of Christians and soon the temporary excitement dies away, and he lives without comfort or peace. He may be a professor of religion, but with him it is a matter of form, and he has neither love nor zeal in the cause of his professed Master. Motives of pride, or the desire of a reputation for piety, or some other selfish aim may keep him in the church, and he lives to shed blighting on all around him. Or if, under the illusion, he should be enabled to keep up some emotions of happiness in his bosom, they must soon cease, for to the hypocrite death will soon end it all. How much does it become us, therefore, to inquire whether the peace which we seek and which we may possess in religion, is the genuine happiness which results from true reconciliation to God and a well founded hope of salvation. Sad will be the disappointment of him who has cherished a hope of heaven through life, should he at last sink down to hell! Deep the condemnation of him who has professed to be a friend of God, and who has been at heart his bitter foe; who has endeavored to keep up the forms of religion, but who has been a stranger through life to the true peace which religion produces!

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Is short, Heb. is from near, i.e. from or for a little time; they have not long enjoyed it, and it will shortly vanish.

The joy of the hypocrite: this he adds by way of reflection upon Job, who though he did clear himself from gross wickedness, yet might be guilty of deep hyprocrisy.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

5. the hypocriteliterally,”the ungodly” (Psa 37:35;Psa 37:36).

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

That the triumphing of the wicked [is] short,…. Their outward prosperity and felicity, of which they make their boast, and in which they glory and triumph for a while; at first Job’s friends set out with this notion, that the wicked never flourished and prospered, but it always went ill with them in Providence; but being beat out of that, they own they may be for a small time in flourishing and prosperous circumstances, but it is but for a small time; which may be true in many instances, but it is not invariable and without exception the case: the sense is, it is but a little while that they are in so much mirth and jollity, and triumph over their neighbours, as being in more advantageous circumstances than they; this is said in the original text to be “from near” h; it is but a little while ago when it began; and; as the Targum paraphrases it, it will be quickly ended:

and the joy of the hypocrite [but] for a moment; the word “wicked”, in the former clause, may signify the same person here called the “hypocrite”; but inasmuch as that signifies one restless and troublesome, one that is ungodly, and destitute of the fear of God, that has nothing in him but wickedness, who is continually committing it, and is abandoned to it; it might be thought not to apply to the character of Job, whom Zophar had in his view, and therefore this is added as descriptive of him: an hypocrite is one who seems to be that he is not, holy, righteous, good, and godly; who professes to have what he has not, the true grace of God, and pretends to worship God, but does not do it cordially, and from right principles; and who seeks himself in all he does, and not the glory of God: now there may be a joy in such sort of persons; they may hear ministers gladly, as Herod heard John, and receive the word with joy, as the stony ground hearers did, Mr 6:20; they may seem to delight in the ways and ordinances of God, and even have some tastes of the powers of the world to come, and some pleasing thoughts and hopes of heaven and happiness; as well as they triumph in and boast of their profession of religion and performance of duties, and rejoice in their boastings, which is evil; but then this is like the pleasures of sin, which are but for a season, or like the crackling of thorns under a pot, which make a great noise and blaze, but soon over, Ec 7:6; and so their joy in civil as well as religious, things. It is possible Zophar might be so ill natured as to have reference to Job’s triumph of faith, Job 19:25; and by this would suggest, that his faith in a living Redeemer, and the joy of it he professed, would be soon over and no more; which shows what spirit he was of.

h “de propinquo”, Pagninus, Montanus, &c.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

(5) The triumphing of the wicked is short.He affirms that the destruction of the wicked is not only certain, but speedy. (Comp. Psa. 103:16 and Job. 7:8; Job. 7:10.)

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

5. Hypocrite Ungodly. Job’s triumphant faith is but “the triumphing of the wicked,” and “the joy of the ungodly.” These are the rough, spiteful stones which Zophar hurls at the exultant confession chiseled upon the everlasting rock.

Moment Literally, the twinkling of an eye. Compare 1Co 15:52. The Hebrew rega’h corresponds to our word moment. A moment, philologically, is simply a movement.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Job 20:5 That the triumphing of the wicked [is] short, and the joy of the hypocrite [but] for a moment?

Ver. 5. That the triumphing of the wicked is short ] Heb. That the shouting of the wicked is from near, it is of no long standing, but like a blaze of thorns, that is quickly extinct, or as a bubble in the water, that is soon down; the pleasure of sin is but for a season. Huius sententiae exemptum habes in Goliath, saith Brentius here. An example of this sentence we have in Goliath, 1Sa 17:42-44 ; and another in his countrymen, the Philistines, who had twice beaten the Israelites, and taken the ark, 1Sa 5:1-12 , but this triumph was soon at an end; and so was that of the Jews when they had crucified Christ, and now danced upon his grave, as the proverb is; but he arose in despite of them, and set up his trophies. Say that the triumph of the wicked should last as long as life, what is that to the Infinite? Punctum est quod vivimus, et puncto minus. But wicked men commonly die before their time, as Solomon phraseth it, Ecc 7:17 ; that is, by an untimely death, they live not half their days, Psa 55:23 . God cuts them off, that others may live more quietly; and while they live, their comforts are not sincere, but mixed with many molestations. Little knoweth the world where their new shoes pinch them, as that Roman said. One little drop of an evil conscience can trouble a whole sea of the wicked man’s triumphs.

The joy of the hypocrite but for a moment? ] Zophar had a strong conceit that Job was but a hypocrite, one that was wicked before God in heart, notwithstanding his fair pretences and professions of piety, and should therefore be led forth with the workers of iniquity, Psa 125:5 , as cattle led to the slaughter, or as bulls led to the altar, with garlands on their horns, and music by their sides, Act 14:13 , but suddenly they feel and fall under the murdering axe. Such is the hypocrite’s joy, and Zophar would he should know so much, being sensible of this that himself was the party in speech; since his prosperity had ended in misery, and God had dashed all his comforts.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

wicked = lawless. Hebrew. rasha’. App-44.

dung. See note on Isa 25:10.

Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics

the triumphing: Job 5:3, Job 15:29-34, Job 18:5, Job 18:6, Job 27:13-23, Exo 15:9, Exo 15:10, Jdg 16:21-30, Est 5:11, Est 5:12, Est 7:10, Psa 37:35, Psa 37:36, Psa 73:18-20, Act 12:22, Act 12:23

short: Heb. from near

the joy: Job 8:19, Job 27:8, Mat 7:21, Mat 13:20, Mat 13:21, Gal 6:4, Jam 4:16

Reciprocal: Gen 34:28 – General Jos 8:22 – let none Jdg 5:30 – Have they not sped Jdg 15:14 – the Philistines Jdg 16:30 – and the house Jdg 20:35 – twenty 1Sa 4:5 – all Israel 1Sa 23:7 – he is shut 1Sa 30:16 – because of all 2Sa 15:10 – reigneth 1Ki 1:41 – as they 1Ki 16:15 – seven 2Ki 15:23 – and reigned two years Ezr 4:24 – So Est 5:9 – joyful Est 6:12 – hasted to his house Job 8:13 – the hypocrite’s Job 15:21 – in prosperity Job 20:18 – swallow Job 21:27 – I know Job 24:24 – are exalted Psa 35:24 – and let Psa 37:2 – General Psa 58:9 – as Psa 73:19 – How Psa 94:3 – the wicked Pro 10:3 – but Pro 12:3 – shall not be established Pro 12:19 – but Ecc 8:13 – it shall Isa 37:36 – and when Isa 51:13 – where is Jer 4:18 – Thy way Dan 4:33 – same Dan 5:5 – the same Dan 11:4 – he shall stand Mat 27:3 – repented Mar 11:20 – General Luk 4:5 – in Luk 6:25 – mourn Luk 12:1 – which Luk 22:53 – but Joh 8:9 – went out Joh 16:20 – but the Act 5:37 – he also Heb 11:25 – the pleasures

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge