Job 20:14yet his food in his bowels is turned. It is cobra venom within him.
The setting
Ancient Middle East, Zophar's speech reaches its climax with visceral imagery of internal corruption. The metaphor shifts from sweet taste to deadly poison. Modern-day Iraq/Jordan region.
The emotion here: disgusted certainty that hidden sin always destroys
The original word
rosh (ראש) — poison, venom, literally 'head of serpents', deadly bitterness
Why it matters
Cobra venom was well-known in ancient Middle East as one of the most deadly poisons
Read with care
What most readers miss in Job 20:14
The progression: sweet in mouth → hidden under tongue → kept within → turned to poison shows sin's complete transformation
Common misconceptionPeople think this proves Job was hiding sin, but God later says Job's friends 'have not spoken of me what is right' - this is wrong theology applied to innocent suffering.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Job 20:14
Bible Genome reading
Job 20:14 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Job 20:14 comes from the book of Job, written during the Patriarchal period. These words are attributed to Zophar. The dominant emotion in this verse is angry, with a comfort power of 10% and a tone that is prophetic. It belongs to the poetry genre of biblical literature. Key themes include sin's poison, divine judgment. Notable phrases: cobra venom within. This verse contains prophecy.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same angry
“Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears. Let the weak say, 'I am strong.'”
— Joel 3:10
“You blind guides, who strain out a gnat, and swallow a camel!”
— Matthew 23:24
“Listen to this word, you cows of Bashan, who are on the mountain of Samaria, who oppress the poor, who crush the needy, who tell their husba…”
— Amos 4:1
“I hate, I despise your feasts, and I can't stand your solemn assemblies.”
— Amos 5:21
“Your eyes shall not pity; life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.”
— Deuteronomy 19:21
Your reflection
What does Job 20:14 mean to you, today?
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