Lexical Summary sepheq: Clapping, striking, or a gesture of striking hands together. Original Word: סֵפֶק Strong's Exhaustive Concordance stroke, sufficiency Or sepheq (Job 20:22; job 36:18) {seh'-fek}; from caphaq; chastisement; also satiety -- stroke, sufficiency. see HEBREW caphaq NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom saphaq Definition handclapping, mockery NASB Translation scoffing (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [שֶׂ֫פֶק] noun [masculine] doubtful word; hand-clapping, i.e. mockery (?) (compare verb Job 27:23); — שָׂ֑פֶק Job 36:18 in difficult clause ׳כִּיחֵֿמָה מֶּןיְֿסִיתְךָ בְשׂ because there is passion, (beware) lest it incite thee to mockery, BaeKau Da (but הסית בְּ = incite against, hence Bu reads לִשְׂמֹּק); De is not clear; others (as Di): lest it (passion) excite thee at the chastisement (see √ 2; compare Thes); Du reads מִשְׂמָּק לְחֵמָה lest chastisement incite thee to wrath. — On Job 20:22 (editions) see שֵׂפֶק. [שֵׂ֫פֶק] noun [masculine] sufficiency, plenty; — suffix שִׂפְקוֺ Job 20:22 (Baer Gi; ׳ס van d. H.; opposed to צרר). שַׂק see שׂקק. below Topical Lexicon Overview Sēfeq appears twice in the Book of Job to portray a fullness that men regard as adequate for security—whether the “plenty” of self-confidence (Job 20:22) or the “great ransom” of material wealth (Job 36:18). In both settings the Holy Spirit exposes the vanity of trusting any human sufficiency that stands apart from reverent dependence on God. Occurrences and Literary Setting Job 20:22 (Zophar’s speech) treats sēfeq as the abundance a wicked man amasses: “In the midst of his plenty, he will be distressed; the full force of misery will overtake him”. The word lies at the center of an ironic reversal—opulence collapses into calamity the moment divine justice intervenes. Job 36:18 (Elihu’s counsel) applies sēfeq to “riches” deemed sufficient to buy deliverance: “Be careful that no one lures you with riches; do not let a great ransom lead you astray”. The context warns Job not to seek relief through any worldly substitute for the righteous fear that belongs to God alone. Theological Insights 1. False Security: Sēfeq underscores that tangible adequacy is not ultimate security. Scripture presses the contrast between what appears “enough” and the LORD who alone is El Shaddai—the One Who Is Sufficient. Historical and Cultural Background In the ancient Near East, wealth—measured in livestock, land, precious metals, and tribute—functioned as the primary means of securing alliances, appeasing enemies, and ensuring family continuity. Job’s narrative, set in patriarchal times, assumes this worldview yet subverts it by showing that even an honest magnate like Job cannot guarantee his life by possessions. The covenant economy later codified in the Law reinforces this lesson: every seventh year canceled debts, every fiftieth year returned land, and sacrifices acknowledged that ultimate provision is the LORD’s (Leviticus 25). Sēfeq therefore resonates with Israel’s broader pedagogy of dependence. Intertextual Connections • Proverbs 11:4—“Riches are worthless in the day of wrath.” These parallels expand the Joban insight: sufficiency severed from faith becomes insufficiency before God. Practical Ministry Application 1. Pastoral Counseling: When believers suffer loss, Job’s treatment of sēfeq offers language to reframe the crisis—earthly fullness does not equal divine favor, nor does emptiness signify abandonment. Devotional Reflection The Spirit employs sēfeq to ask each reader: Where is my sufficiency? The answer, echoed through Job to Paul, is “My grace is sufficient for you” (2 Corinthians 12:9). Resting in that grace, the believer finds security no collapse can revoke. Forms and Transliterations בְסָ֑פֶק בספק פקו שִׂ֭פְקוֹ ḇə·sā·p̄eq ḇəsāp̄eq fekov p̄ə·qōw p̄əqōw veSafekLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Job 20:22 HEB: בִּמְלֹ֣אות שִׂ֭פְקוֹ יֵ֣צֶר ל֑וֹ KJV: In the fulness of his sufficiency he shall be in straits: INT: the fullness of his sufficiency straits of everyone Job 36:18 2 Occurrences |
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