Job 20:16He shall suck cobra venom. The viper's tongue shall kill him.
The setting
Ancient Uz, ~2000 BC. Zophar uses deadly desert imagery Job would know intimately...
The emotion here: disgusted by evil yet confident in divine justice
The original word
peten (פתן) — cobra, specifically the Egyptian cobra known for deadly venom
Why it matters
Cobra bites were common in ancient Palestine; death came within hours
Read with care
What most readers miss in Job 20:16
The 'sucking' implies the wicked person CHOOSES the poison — it's self-inflicted
Common misconceptionThis isn't about literal snake bites. Zophar is saying the wicked actively choose what destroys them — like an addict who knows the needle is poison but uses it anyway.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Job 20:16
Bible Genome reading
Job 20:16 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Job 20:16 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 deadly consequences, divine judgment. Notable phrases: viper's tongue shall kill. 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 20:16 mean to you, today?
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