Job 20:8
He shall fly away as a dream, and shall not be found: yea, he shall be chased away as a vision of the night.
Original Language Analysis
יָ֭עוּף
He shall fly away
H5774
יָ֭עוּף
He shall fly away
Strong's:
H5774
Word #:
2 of 7
to fly; also (by implication of dimness) to faint (from the darkness of swooning)
וְלֹ֣א
H3808
וְלֹ֣א
Strong's:
H3808
Word #:
3 of 7
not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles
יִמְצָא֑וּהוּ
and shall not be found
H4672
יִמְצָא֑וּהוּ
and shall not be found
Strong's:
H4672
Word #:
4 of 7
properly, to come forth to, i.e., appear or exist; transitively, to attain, i.e., find or acquire; figuratively, to occur, meet or be present
וְ֝יֻדַּ֗ד
yea he shall be chased away
H5074
וְ֝יֻדַּ֗ד
yea he shall be chased away
Strong's:
H5074
Word #:
5 of 7
properly, to wave to and fro (rarely to flap up and down); figuratively, to rove, flee, or (causatively) to drive away
Historical Context
This is Zophar's second and final speech (Job 20), delivered in the second dialogue cycle. By this point, the friends have exhausted patience with Job, shifting from pastoral concern to harsh accusation. Ancient Near Eastern wisdom literature often used vivid natural imagery—dreams, shadows, vapor—to depict life's brevity. Zophar employs these poetic devices to paint the wicked person's fate, convinced he's describing Job's imminent end.
Questions for Reflection
- How can partially true theology become destructive when wrongly applied to specific situations?
- What is the difference between acknowledging life's brevity (biblical wisdom) and using it to judge others (Zophar's error)?
- How does the NT's teaching on life as vapor (James 4:14) differ from Zophar's retribution theology?
Analysis & Commentary
He shall fly away as a dream (יָעוּף כַּחֲלוֹם, ya'uph kachalom)—Zophar depicts the wicked vanishing like morning dreams that evaporate upon waking. The verb ya'uph means to fly or flee rapidly, suggesting sudden disappearance. Chased away as a vision of the night (יֻדַּד כְּחֶזְיוֹן לָיְלָה, yuddad kechezyown laylah) intensifies the image—nocturnal visions dissipate when light comes.
Zophar's theology is partially correct but misapplied. The wicked do sometimes vanish suddenly (Psalm 73:18-20), but he wrongly assumes Job's suffering proves wickedness. Ironically, Zophar himself speaks like a fleeting dream—confident assertions without substance. The NT affirms life's transience (James 4:14) but links it to universal mortality, not retributive justice against the wicked alone.