Job 20:18That for which he labored he shall restore, and shall not swallow it down. According to the substance that he has gotten, he shall not rejoice.
The setting
Ancient Uz (modern Jordan/Saudi Arabia border), ~2000 BC. Zophar the Naamathite delivers his second speech, painting vivid pictures of divine justice...
The emotion here: smugly confident in his theology
The original word
yashuv (יָשׁוּב) — to turn back, restore what was taken, forced return
Why it matters
Ancient Near Eastern law required stolen goods to be restored with interest, sometimes up to fivefold
Read with care
What most readers miss in Job 20:18
Zophar is specifically describing forced vomiting — the wicked must regurgitate their stolen wealth
Common misconceptionPeople think this is God speaking about immediate justice, but it's Zophar's flawed theology. Job's friends were wrong about how suffering works.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Job 20:18
Bible Genome reading
Job 20:18 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Job 20:18 comes from the book of Job, written during the Patriarchal period. These words are attributed to Zophar. The dominant emotion in this verse is deciding, with a comfort power of 30% and a tone that is prophetic. It belongs to the poetry genre of biblical literature. Key themes include justice, restitution. Notable phrases: shall restore; shall not rejoice. This verse contains prophecy.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same deciding
“"You shall have no other gods before me.”
— Deuteronomy 5:7
“"You shall not murder.”
— Exodus 20:13
“Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
— Matthew 23:12
“For God didn't give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control.”
— 2 Timothy 1:7
“But Peter said, "Silver and gold have I none, but what I have, that I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!"”
— Acts 3:6
Your reflection
What does Job 20:18 mean to you, today?
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