Job 20 · Verse 10

Job 20:10

His children shall seek to please the poor, and his hands shall restore their goods.
Job 20:10, King James Version

Job 20:10 in other translations

BSBHis sons will seek the favor of the poor, for his own hands must return his wealth.
WEBHis children will seek the favor of the poor. His hands will give back his wealth.
ASVHis children shall seek the favor of the poor, And his hands shall give back his wealth.
YLTHis sons do the poor oppress, And his hands give back his wealth.
DARBYHis children shall seek the favour of the poor, and his hands restore his wealth.
BBEHis children are hoping that the poor will be kind to them, and his hands give back his wealth.
WebsterHis children shall seek to please the poor, and his hands shall restore their goods.

What does Job 20:10 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
10. seek to please--"Atone to the poor" (by restoring the property of which they had been robbed by the father) [De Wette]. Better than English Version, "The children" are reduced to the humiliating condition of "seeking the favor of those very poor," whom the father had oppressed. But Umbreit translates as Margin. his hands--rather, "their (the children's) hands." their goods--the goods of the poor. Righteous retribution! (Ex 20:5).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 10 His children shall seek to please the poor - They shall be reduced to the lowest degree of poverty and want, so as to be obliged to become servants to the poor. Cursed be Ham, a servant of servants shall he be. There are cases where the poor actually serve the poor; and this is the lowest or most abject state of poverty. His hands shall restore their goods - He shall be obliged to restore the goods that he has taken by violence. Mr. Good translates: His branches shall be involved in his iniquity; i.e., his children shall suffer on his account. "His own hands shall render to himself the evil that he has done to others." - Calmet. The clause is variously translated.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Job 20:10-22
The miserable condition of the wicked man in this world is fully set forth. The lusts of the flesh are here called the sins of his youth. His hiding it and keeping it under his tongue, denotes concealment of his beloved lust, and delight therein. But He who knows what is in the heart, knows what is under the tongue, and will discover it. The love of the world, and of the wealth of it, also is wickedness, and man sets his heart upon these. Also violence and injustice, these sins bring God's judgments upon nations and families. Observe the punishment of the wicked man for these things. Sin is turned into gall, than which nothing is more bitter; it will prove to him poison; so will all unlawful gains be. In his fulness he shall be in straits, through the anxieties of his own mind. To be led by the sanctifying grace of God to restore what was unjustly gotten, as Zaccheus was, is a great mercy. But to be forced to restore by the horrors of a despairing conscience, as Judas was, has no benefit and comfort attending it.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Job 20:10 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

בָּ֭נָיוBa.navchildren hisH1121
יְרַצּ֣וּye.ra.Tzuthey will seek [the] favor ofH7521
דַלִּ֑יםda.Limpoor [people]H1800
וְ֝יָדָ֗יוve.ya.Davand own hands hisH3027
תָּשֵׁ֥בְנָהta.She.ve.nahthey will give backH7725
אוֹנֽוֹ\׃'o.Nowealth hisH202

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Job 20:10

  • Job 20:18

    That which he laboured for shall he restore, and shall not swallow it down: according to his substance shall the restitution be, and he shall not rejoice therein.

  • Luke 19:8

    And Zaccheus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.

  • Job 27:16-17

    Though he heap up silver as the dust, and prepare raiment as the clay; He may prepare it, but the just shall put it on, and the innocent shall divide the silver.

  • Exodus 22:3

    If the sun be risen upon him, there shall be blood shed for him; for he should make full restitution; if he have nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft.

  • Proverbs 6:31

    But if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house.

  • Psalms 109:10

    Let his children be continually vagabonds, and beg: let them seek their bread also out of their desolate places.

  • Exodus 12:36

    And the Lord gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they lent unto them such things as they required. And they spoiled the Egyptians.

  • 2 Samuel 12:6

    And he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.

  • Job 5:4

    His children are far from safety, and they are crushed in the gate, neither is there any to deliver them.

  • Exodus 22:1

    If a man shall steal an ox, or a sheep, and kill it, or sell it; he shall restore five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep.

  • Proverbs 28:3

    A poor man that oppresseth the poor is like a sweeping rain which leaveth no food.

  • Exodus 9:2

    For if thou refuse to let them go, and wilt hold them still,

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
His children, etc. or, The poor shall oppress his children.
Pr 28:3
seek.
Ps 109:10
his hands.
18; Ex 12:36; 22:1,3; 9:2; 2Sa 12:6; Pr 6:31; Lu 19:8

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Job 20:9

    The eye also which saw him shall see him no more; neither shall his place any more behold him.

  • Job 20:10

    His children shall seek to please the poor, and his hands shall restore their goods.

  • Job 20:11

    His bones are full of the sin of his youth, which shall lie down with him in the dust.

Read all of Job 20

Job 20:10 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Sus hijos pobres andarán rogando; y sus manos tornarán lo que él robó.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Ses fils rechercheront la faveur des pauvres, et ses mains restitueront ce que sa violence a ravi.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Seine Kinder müssen die Armen begütigen, und seine Hände sein Vermögen zurückgeben.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Filii ejus atterentur egestate, et manus illius reddent ei dolorem suum.