“He does not look at the streams, The rivers flowing with honey and curds.
Parallel translations
- WEB He shall not look at the rivers, the flowing streams of honey and butter.
- KJV He shall not see the rivers, the floods, the brooks of honey and butter.
- BSB He will not enjoy the streams, the rivers flowing with honey and cream.
- NKJV He will not see the streams, The rivers flowing with honey and cream.
- NLT They will never again enjoy streams of olive oil or rivers of milk and honey.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The wicked man will never enjoy the rivers of honey and butter, the symbols of abundant blessing. He is shut out from prosperity and delight.
Overview
Zophar declares that the wicked man will be denied the flowing streams of plenty, honey and curds being emblems of rich, covenant blessing. The good things others enjoy are forfeited by his wickedness. The verse contrasts the barren end of the godless with the abundant 'land flowing with milk and honey' promised to God's people, whose fullness is found in Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 13
- Deut 32:13–14He made him ride on the high places of the earth. He ate the increase of the field. He caused him to suck honey out of the rock, oil out of the flinty rock;
- Luke 16:24He cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue! For I am in anguish in this flame.’
- Job 29:6when my steps were washed with butter, and the rock poured out streams of oil for me,
- Ps 81:16But he would have also fed them with the finest of the wheat. I will satisfy you with honey out of the rock.”
- Num 14:23surely they shall not see the land which I swore to their fathers, neither shall any of those who despised me see it.
- 2 Kgs 7:2Then the captain on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God, and said, “Behold, if Yahweh made windows in heaven, could this thing be?” He said, “Behold, you will see it with your eyes, but will not eat of it.”
- Ps 36:8–9They shall be abundantly satisfied with the abundance of your house. You will make them drink of the river of your pleasures.
- Isa 41:17The poor and needy seek water, and there is none. Their tongue fails for thirst. I, Yahweh, will answer them. I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.
- Rev 22:1He showed me a river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb,
- Isa 7:15He shall eat butter and honey when he knows to refuse the evil, and choose the good.
- Jer 17:6–8For he shall be like a bush in the desert, and shall not see when good comes, but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, a salt land and not inhabited.
- 2 Sam 17:29honey, butter, sheep, and cheese of the herd, for David, and for the people who were with him, to eat; for they said, “The people are hungry, and weary, and thirsty in the wilderness.”
- Isa 7:22and it shall happen, that because of the abundance of milk which they shall give he shall eat butter: for everyone will eat butter and honey that is left within the land.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Job's cry for a mediator who can lay his hand on both God and man, and his confidence that 'my Redeemer lives' and will stand on the earth, reaches forward to Jesus the living Redeemer.
How Job 20:17 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.