New International VersionHe will not enjoy the streams, the rivers flowing with honey and cream.
New Living TranslationThey will never again enjoy streams of olive oil or rivers of milk and honey.
English Standard VersionHe will not look upon the rivers, the streams flowing with honey and curds.
Berean Standard BibleHe will not enjoy the streams, the rivers flowing with honey and cream.
King James BibleHe shall not see the rivers, the floods, the brooks of honey and butter.
New King James VersionHe will not see the streams, The rivers flowing with honey and cream.
New American Standard Bible“He does not look at the streams, The rivers flowing with honey and curds.
NASB 1995“He does not look at the streams, The rivers flowing with honey and curds.
NASB 1977“He does not look at the streams, The rivers flowing with honey and curds.
Legacy Standard BibleHe does not look at the streams, The rivers flowing with honey and curds.
Amplified Bible“He does not look at the rivers, The flowing streams of honey and butter [to enjoy his wealth].
Christian Standard BibleHe will not enjoy the streams, the rivers flowing with honey and curds.
Holman Christian Standard BibleHe will not enjoy the streams, the rivers flowing with honey and cream.
American Standard VersionHe shall not look upon the rivers, The flowing streams of honey and butter.
Contemporary English Versionand never enjoy rivers flowing with milk and honey.
English Revised VersionHe shall not look upon the rivers, the flowing streams of honey and butter.
GOD'S WORD® TranslationHe won't be able to drink from the streams or from the rivers of honey and buttermilk.
Good News TranslationThey will not live to see rivers of olive oil or streams that flow with milk and honey.
International Standard VersionHe won't look at the rivers— the torrents of honey and curd.
NET BibleHe will not look on the streams, the rivers, which are the torrents of honey and butter.
New Heart English BibleHe shall not look at the rivers, the flowing streams of honey and butter.
Webster's Bible TranslationHe shall not see the river, the floods, the brooks of honey and buttermilk. Majority Text Translations Majority Standard BibleHe will not enjoy the streams, the rivers flowing with honey and cream.
World English BibleHe will not look at the rivers, the flowing streams of honey and butter. Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionHe does not look on streams, "" Flowing of brooks of honey and butter.
Young's Literal Translation He looketh not on rivulets, Flowing of brooks of honey and butter.
Smith's Literal TranslationHe shall not look upon the streams, the rivers, the torrents of honey and curdled milk. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims Bible(Let him not see the streams of the river, the brooks of honey and of butter.)
Catholic Public Domain Version(May he never see the streams of the river, the torrents of honey and butter.)
New American BibleHe shall see no streams of oil, no torrents of honey or milk.
New Revised Standard VersionThey will not look on the rivers, the streams flowing with honey and curds. Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleHe shall not see the rivers, the floods, the brooks of honey and butter.
Peshitta Holy Bible TranslatedHe will not see the tributaries of rivers, and of torrents of honey and of butter OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917He shall not look upon the rivers, The flowing streams of honey and curd.
Brenton Septuagint TranslationLet him not see the milk of the pastures, nor the supplies of honey and butter.
Additional Translations ... Audio Bible
Context Zophar: Destruction Awaits the Wicked… 16He will suck the poison of cobras; the fangs of a viper will kill him. 17He will notenjoythe streams,the riversflowing withhoneyand cream.18He must return the fruit of his labor without consuming it; he cannot enjoy the profits of his trading.…
Cross References Proverbs 5:15-18Drink water from your own cistern, and running water from your own well. / Why should your springs flow in the streets, your streams of water in the public squares? / Let them be yours alone, never to be shared with strangers. ...
Jeremiah 31:12They will come and shout for joy on the heights of Zion; they will be radiant over the bounty of the LORD—the grain, new wine, and oil, and the young of the flocks and herds. Their life will be like a well-watered garden, and never again will they languish.
Isaiah 55:1-2“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you without money, come, buy, and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost! / Why spend money on that which is not bread, and your labor on that which does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of foods.
Psalm 36:8They feast on the abundance of Your house, and You give them drink from Your river of delights.
Psalm 63:5My soul is satisfied as with the richest of foods; with joyful lips my mouth will praise You.
Isaiah 12:3With joy you will draw water from the springs of salvation,
Isaiah 44:3For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and currents on the dry ground. I will pour out My Spirit on your descendants, and My blessing on your offspring.
Joel 3:18And in that day the mountains will drip with sweet wine, and the hills will flow with milk. All the streams of Judah will run with water, and a spring will flow from the house of the LORD to water the Valley of Acacias.
Amos 9:13“Behold, the days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when the plowman will overtake the reaper and the treader of grapes, the sower of seed. The mountains will drip with sweet wine, with which all the hills will flow.
John 4:13-14Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again. / But whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a fount of water springing up to eternal life.”
John 7:37-38On the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood up and called out in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. / Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said: ‘Streams of living water will flow from within him.’”
Revelation 7:17For the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd. ‘He will lead them to springs of living water,’ and ‘God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’”
Revelation 21:6And He told me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give freely from the spring of the water of life.
Revelation 22:1Then the angel showed me a river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb
Revelation 22:17The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” Let the one who hears say, “Come!” And let the one who is thirsty come, and the one who desires the water of life drink freely.
Treasury of Scripture He shall not see the rivers, the floods, the brooks of honey and butter. shall not see Numbers 14:23 Surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked me see it: 2 Kings 7:2 Then a lord on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God, and said, Behold,if the LORD would make windows in heaven, might this thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt seeit with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof. Jeremiah 17:6-8 For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness,in a salt land and not inhabited… the rivers Psalm 36:8,9 They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures… Isaiah 41:17When the poor and needy seek water, andthere is none,and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the LORD will hear them,I the God of Israel will not forsake them. Jeremiah 17:6 For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness,in a salt land and not inhabited. floods. Deuteronomy 32:13,14 He made him ride on the high places of the earth, that he might eat the increase of the fields; and he made him to suck honey out of the rock, and oil out of the flinty rock; … 2 Samuel 17:29 And honey, and butter, and sheep, and cheese of kine, for David, and for the people thatwere with him, to eat: for they said, The peopleis hungry, and weary, and thirsty, in the wilderness. Psalm 81:16 He should have fed them also with the finest of the wheat: and with honey out of the rock should I have satisfied thee. Jump to Previous BrooksButterCreamCurdCurdsEnjoyFloodsFlowingHoneyMilkOilRiverRiversRivuletsStreamsJump to Next BrooksButterCreamCurdCurdsEnjoyFloodsFlowingHoneyMilkOilRiverRiversRivuletsStreamsJob 20 1.Zophar shows the state and portion of the wickedHe will not enjoy the streamsThis phrase suggests a deprivation of blessings and abundance. In biblical times, streams were vital for life, agriculture, and prosperity. The imagery of streams often symbolizes God's provision and sustenance ( Psalm 1:3). The absence of enjoyment indicates a loss of divine favor and the consequences of wickedness, aligning with the retributive justice theme in the Book of Job. the rivers flowing with honey and cream
Rivers symbolize abundance and prosperity, and the mention of honey and cream further emphasizes richness and luxury. Honey and cream were considered delicacies in ancient Near Eastern culture, representing the best of the land's produce (Deuteronomy 32:13-14). This imagery contrasts with the promised land "flowing with milk and honey" (Exodus 3:8), highlighting the loss of blessings due to unrighteousness. The absence of these elements signifies a life devoid of God's blessings, reinforcing the moral and spiritual consequences of sin. Persons / Places / Events 1. Zophar the NaamathiteOne of Job's three friends who comes to comfort him. In this chapter, Zophar is speaking, offering his perspective on the fate of the wicked. 2. JobThe central figure of the book, a man of great faith and integrity who undergoes severe trials and suffering. 3. Streams and RiversSymbolic imagery used by Zophar to describe abundance and prosperity, which he claims the wicked will not enjoy. 4. Honey and CreamMetaphors for richness and delight, representing the blessings and pleasures of life that Zophar argues will be denied to the wicked. 5. The WickedA general term used throughout the book to describe those who live in opposition to God's ways, often contrasted with the righteous. Teaching Points The Illusion of Earthly PleasuresEarthly pleasures, symbolized by honey and cream, are temporary and can be deceptive. True satisfaction comes from a relationship with God. The Consequences of WickednessZophar's speech serves as a reminder that living in opposition to God's ways leads to a lack of true fulfillment and joy. The Importance of Righteous LivingWhile Zophar's understanding is limited, his words highlight the biblical principle that righteousness leads to lasting joy and peace. The Need for DiscernmentBelievers must discern between temporary pleasures and eternal joy, seeking God's wisdom to navigate life's choices. Trusting God's JusticeEven when the wicked seem to prosper, trust that God's justice will ultimately prevail, and true blessings come from Him. Lists and Questions Top 10 Lessons from Job 20
Is Job's story historically accurate?
In Job 6:15-17, is the depiction of streams that vanish into heat historically or archaeologically supported in the relevant region?
Does the miraculous water from rock in Psalm 114:8 align with other biblical accounts of Moses striking a rock, or are there inconsistencies?
Job 32:16-22 - Are there any textual or historical clues suggesting this chapter might be a later insertion, potentially creating inconsistencies within the book?(17) The brooks of honey and butter.--He uses language which might lead one to suppose he was familiar with the promise of Canaan, except that, as the phrase is not precisely identical it may perhaps rather show a community of proverbial language, and that the land flowing with milk and honeymay have been an expression in use, and not one original with the Pentateuch. Verse 17. - He shall not see the rivers, the floods, the brooks. The wicked man shall suffer, not only positive pains, but what casuists call the peens damni, or "penalty of loss" - deprivation, in other words, of blessings which he would naturally have enjoyed but for his wickedness. Zophar here threatens him with the Joss of those paradisiacal delights which the Orientals associated with water in all its forms, whether as פּלגות, or "rills derived from larger streams," or as כהרי, "rivers," or as כחלי, "brooks" or "torrents," now strong and impetuous, now reduced to a mere thread These are said poetically to flow with honey and butter, not, of course, in any literal sense, such as Ovid may have meant, when, in describing the golden age, he said - "Flumina jam lactis, jam fiumina nectaris ibant;"
(Metaph.,' 1:111.) but as fertilizing the land through which they ran, and so causing it to abound with bees and cattle, whence would be derived butter and honey. Compare the terms in which Canaan was described to the Israelites (Exodus 3:8, 17;Exodus 13:5;Deuteronomy 26:9, 15, etc.).
Parallel Commentaries ...
Hebrew He will notאַל־(’al-)Adverb
Strong's 408:Notenjoyיֵ֥רֶא(yê·re)Verb - Qal - Imperfect Jussive - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7200:To seethe streams,בִפְלַגּ֑וֹת(ḇip̄·lag·gō·wṯ)Preposition-b | Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 6390:A stream, divisionthe riversנַהֲרֵ֥י(na·hă·rê)Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 5104:A stream, prosperityflowing withנַ֝חֲלֵ֗י(na·ḥă·lê)Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 5158:A stream, a winter torrent, a, valley, a shafthoneyדְּבַ֣שׁ(də·ḇaš)Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1706:Honey, syrupand cream.וְחֶמְאָֽה׃(wə·ḥem·’āh)Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 2529:Curdled milk, cheese
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OT Poetry: Job 20:17 He shall not look at the rivers (Jb) |
