The Meaning of Job 15:20 Explained

Job 15:20

KJV: The wicked man travaileth with pain all his days, and the number of years is hidden to the oppressor.

YLT: 'All days of the wicked he is paining himself, And few years have been laid up for the terrible one.

Darby: All his days the wicked man is tormented, and numbered years are allotted to the violent.

ASV: The wicked man travaileth with pain all his days, Even the number of years that are laid up for the oppressor.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

The wicked  man travaileth  with pain all [his] days,  and the number  of years  is hidden  to the oppressor. 

What does Job 15:20 Mean?

Context Summary

Job 15:1-35 - "the Heavens Are Not Clean"
The second colloquy, like the first, is commenced by Eliphaz. He begins by rebuking Job, Job 15:1-16. He complains that the words of Job proved him to be unwise, Job 15:2-3, and even impious, Job 15:4. His very speech testified to his iniquity, Job 15:5-6. With something of irony Eliphaz asks upon what Job's claim to superior wisdom rests. Was he the first man? Job 15:7. Or had he access to the secret counsel of God? Job 15:8. In refusing the counsel of his friends, Job 15:9-10, and the consolations of God they had offered, Job 15:11, r.v., had he not proved his want of wisdom? He had even proved his folly and his impiety, by attempting to assert his innocence before God, Job 15:12-14, in whose presence even the heavens were unclean, Job 15:15-16. It is clear that Eliphaz and his friends did not believe the sincerity of Job's protestations of innocence.
Eliphaz then attempts to instruct Job, Job 15:17-35. His theme is almost the same as that of his former speech. It is the righteousness of God as specially manifested in the punishment of the wicked. He claims that his doctrine is that of the wise men, Job 15:17-19; then proceeds to describe the wicked man as troubled in conscience and full of fear, Job 15:20-24; attributes this to his bold impiety, Job 15:25-28; and predicts his fearful doom, Job 15:29-35. The application of such teaching to Job must have been very painful. He insinuated that Job's terrible afflictions were God's testimony against his sin. We know better from John 11:4-5. [source]

Chapter Summary: Job 15

1  Eliphaz reproves Job for impiety in justifying himself
17  He proves by tradition the restlessness of wicked men

What do the individual words in Job 15:20 mean?

All [his] days the wicked man is writhing pain and the number of years is hidden from the oppressor
כָּל־ יְמֵ֣י רָ֭שָׁע ה֣וּא מִתְחוֹלֵ֑ל וּמִסְפַּ֥ר שָׁ֝נִ֗ים נִצְפְּנ֥וּ לֶעָרִֽיץ

יְמֵ֣י  [his]  days 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
רָ֭שָׁע  the  wicked  man 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: רָשָׁע  
Sense: wicked, criminal.
מִתְחוֹלֵ֑ל  writhing  pain 
Parse: Verb, Hitpael, Participle, masculine singular
Root: חוּל 
Sense: to twist, whirl, dance, writhe, fear, tremble, travail, be in anguish, be pained.
וּמִסְפַּ֥ר  and  the  number 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מִסְפָּר  
Sense: number, tale.
שָׁ֝נִ֗ים  of  years 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural
Root: שָׁנָה  
Sense: year.
נִצְפְּנ֥וּ  is  hidden 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: צָפַן 
Sense: to hide, treasure, treasure or store up.
לֶעָרִֽיץ  from  the  oppressor 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: עָרִיץ  
Sense: awe-inspiring, terror-striking, awesome, terrifying, ruthless, mighty.