he will perish forever, like his own dung; those who had seen him will ask, ‘Where is he?’
Parallel translations
- WEB yet he shall perish forever like his own dung. Those who have seen him shall say, ‘Where is he?’
- KJV Yet he shall perish for ever like his own dung: they which have seen him shall say, Where is he?
- NKJV Yet he will perish forever like his own refuse; Those who have seen him will say, ‘Where is he?’
- NASB He perishes forever like his refuse; Those who have seen him will say, ‘Where is he?’
- NLT yet they will vanish forever, thrown away like their own dung. Those who knew them will ask, ‘Where are they?’
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
Zophar says the wicked man will perish forever like his own dung, and onlookers will ask, 'Where is he?' His end is utter, contemptible ruin.
Overview
In deliberately crude terms, Zophar declares the wicked man's destruction as complete and worthless as refuse, his disappearance prompting astonished questions. The vivid contrast with his former heights drives home the totality of his fall. The verse underscores that pride exalted against God ends in disgrace, however lofty it once appeared.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- 1 Kgs 14:10Because of all this, behold, I am bringing disaster on the house of Jeroboam: I will cut off from Jeroboam every male, both slave and free, in Israel; I will burn up the house of Jeroboam as one burns up dung until it is gone!
- Job 4:20They are smashed to pieces from dawn to dusk; unnoticed, they perish forever.
- Job 8:18If he is uprooted from his place, it will disown him, saying, ‘I never saw you.’
- 2 Kgs 9:37And Jezebel’s body will lie like dung in the field on the plot of ground at Jezreel, so that no one can say: This is Jezebel.’”
- Job 7:10He never returns to his house; his place remembers him no more.
- Ps 83:10who perished at Endor and became like dung on the ground.
- Job 14:10But a man dies and is laid low; he breathes his last, and where is he?
- Jer 8:2They will be exposed to the sun and moon, and to all the host of heaven which they have loved, served, followed, consulted, and worshiped. Their bones will not be gathered up or buried, but will become like dung lying on the ground.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Commentaries & study tools
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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 20:7 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.