Job 11:20

Job 11:20 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)But the eyes of the wicked shall fail, and they shall not escape, and their hope shall be as the giving up of the ghost.
• New International Version (NIV)But the eyes of the wicked will fail, and escape will elude them; their hope will become a dying gasp.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)But the eyes of the wicked will fail; all way of escape will be lost to them, and their hope is to breathe their last."
• New King James Version (NKJV)But the eyes of the wicked will fail, And they shall not escape, And their hope—loss of life!”

Context of Job 11:20

18Then you would trust [with confidence], because there is hope; You would look around you and rest securely. 19You would lie down with no one to frighten you, And many would entreat and seek your favor. But the eyes of the wicked will fail, And they will not escape [the justice of God]; And their hope is to breathe their last [and die].”

Job 11:20 word by word

וְעֵינֵ֥י רְשָׁעִ֗ים תִּ֫כְלֶ֥ינָה וּ֭מָנוֹס אָבַ֣ד מִנְהֶ֑ם וְ֝תִקְוָתָ֗ם מַֽפַּח־נָֽפֶשׁ׃ פRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• But the eyesעַ֫יִן‛ayin · eyeH5869
• of the wickedרָשָׁעrâshâ‛ · wickedH7563
• shall failכָּלָהkâlâh · to end: expendH3615
• and they shall not escapeמָנוֹסmânôs · refugeH4498
• and they shall not escapeאָבַד'âbad · to perishH6
• and their hopeתִּקְוָהtiqvâh · hopeH8615
• the giving upמַפָּחmappâch · exhalationH4646
• of the ghostנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soul: lifeH5315

Cross-references for Job 11:20

• Job 31:16“If I have withheld from the poor what they desired, Or have caused the eyes of the widow to look in vain [for relief],
• Leviticus 26:16I, in turn, will do this to you: I will appoint over you sudden terror, consumption, and fever that will waste away the eyes and cause the soul to languish also. And you will sow your seed uselessly, for your enemies will eat what you plant.
• Deuteronomy 28:65Among those nations you will find no peace (rest), and there will be no resting place for the sole of your foot; but there the Lord will give you a trembling heart, failing eyes, and a despairing soul.
• Psalms 69:3I am weary with my crying; my throat is parched; My eyes fail while I wait [with confident expectation] for my God.
• Lamentations 4:17[And as for us,] yet our eyes failed, Looking in vain for help. Watching [from the towers] we watched For a nation that could not save.
• Amos 2:14Flight will be lost to the swift [so they will be unable to escape], And the strong shall not strengthen nor maintain his power, Nor shall the mighty man save his own life.
• Amos 5:19It is as if a man runs from a lion [escaping one danger] And a bear meets him [so he dies anyway], Or goes home, and leans with his hand against the wall And a snake bites him.
• Amos 9:1I saw [in a vision] the Lord standing at the altar, and He said, “Destroy the capitals (tops) of the pillars so that the thresholds will shake, And break them on the heads of all of the people! Then I will kill the rest of them with the sword; They will not have a fugitive who will get away, Or a survivor who will escape.
• Hebrews 2:3how will we escape [the penalty] if we ignore such a great salvation [the gospel, the new covenant]? For it was spoken at first by the Lord, and it was confirmed to us and proved authentic by those who personally heard [Him speak],
• Job 8:13So are the paths of all who forget God; And the hope of the godless will perish,
• Job 18:14He is torn from his tent which he trusted [for safety], And he is marched and brought to the king of terrors (death).
• Job 27:8For what is the hope of the godless, even though he has gained [in this world], When God takes his life?
• Proverbs 10:24What the wicked fears will come upon him, But the desire of the righteous [for the blessings of God] will be granted.
• Proverbs 20:20Whoever curses his father or his mother, His lamp [of life] will be extinguished in time of darkness.
• Luke 16:23In Hades (the realm of the dead), being in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom (paradise).

Commentaries on Job 11:20

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20The eyes of the wicked shall fail - They shall be continually looking out for help and deliverance; but their expectation shall be cut off. And they shall not escape - They shall receive the punishment due to their deserts; for God has his eye continually upon them. אבד ומנוס מנהם umanos abad minnehem, literally, "And escape perishes from them." Flight from impending destruction is impossible. And their hope shall be as the giving up of the ghost - נפש…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 20But the eyes of the wicked shall fail - That is, they shall be wearied out by anxiously looking for relief from their miseries. “Noyes.” Their expectation shall be vain, and they shall find no relief. Perhaps Zophar here means to apply this to Job, and to say to him that with his present views and character, his hope of relief would fail. His only hope of relief was in a change - in turning to God - since it was a settled maxim that the wicked would look…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 13-20Verses 13-20 Zophar exhorts Job to repentance, and gives him encouragement, yet mixed with hard thoughts of him. He thought that worldly prosperity was always the lot of the righteous, and that Job was to be deemed a hypocrite unless his prosperity was restored. Then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot; that is, thou mayst come boldly to the throne of grace, and not with the terror and amazement expressed in ch. 9:34. If we are looked upon in the…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2020. A warning to Job, if he would not turn to God. The wicked--that is, obdurate sinners. eyes ... fail--that is, in vain look for relief (De 28:65). Zophar implies Job's only hope of relief is in a change of heart. they shall not escape--literally, "every refuge shall vanish from them." giving up of the ghost--Their hope shall leave them as the breath does the body (Pr 11:7).Read the comment

Topics related to Job 11:20

• Confidence
• Hope
• Punishment
• Righteous
• Wicked (People)

In the dictionaries

• Confess
• Deserve
• Ghost
• Measure
• Mock
• Suit
• Talk
• Christianity
• Fail
• Psychology

Commentaries on Job 11

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings