What is the meaning of Job 20:18? He must return the fruit of his labor - Zophar declares that the wicked man’s gains are not secure; whatever he acquires will ultimately be surrendered. - Scripture repeatedly shows God overturning ill-gotten wealth: “Though he piles it up, the righteous will wear it, and the innocent will divide the silver” (Job 27:16–17). - The principle: God owns everything (Psalm 24:1) and can require it back at any moment (Luke 12:20). - Like the partridge that gathers eggs it did not lay, “in the middle of his days they will abandon him, and in the end he will be a fool” (Jeremiah 17:11). - Material success gained without righteousness is temporary; only treasures laid up with God endure (Proverbs 13:11; Matthew 6:19–20). without consuming it - Even if the wicked manages to harvest, he will not taste lasting satisfaction. Micah 6:15 echoes, “You will sow but not reap; you will press olives but not anoint yourselves with oil.” - Haggai 1:6 portrays the same frustration: “You eat but never have enough… you earn wages to put into a bag with holes.” - God’s covenant warnings (Deuteronomy 28:30–33) illustrate how disobedience brings futility—planting vineyards yet drinking no wine, raising herds yet eating no meat. - The picture is vivid: toil ends in emptiness because God withholds enjoyment from unrighteous work (Ecclesiastes 2:26). he cannot enjoy the profits of his trading - Ancient trading promised high returns, but dishonest gain backfires. “Do not trust in oppression or false hope in robbery; if riches increase, set not your heart on them” (Psalm 62:10). - Proverbs 1:19 warns that greedy pursuits “take away the life of their owners.” What seems profitable now is a snare later. - Jesus’ parable of the rich fool (Luke 12:16-21) illustrates the same truth: worldly profit minus righteousness equals eternal loss. - Job 15:20-24 already noted the restless anxieties that plague the wicked; here Zophar adds that any apparent success will slip through his fingers. summary Job 20:18 teaches that the wicked man’s acquisitions—whether through hard labor or shrewd commerce—will be forcibly returned, leaving him empty-handed and unsatisfied. God sovereignly ensures that unrighteous gain cannot be enjoyed; only righteous stewardship brings lasting blessing. |
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