The wicked man writhes in pain all his days, through all the years that are laid up for the ruthless. Dreadful sounds are in his ears; in prosperity the destroyer will come upon him.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse isn't just saying the wicked suffer; it's highlighting that their entire lifespan, the very quantity of their years, is a source of dread because it's unknown and precarious. The wicked live in constant anxiety, not just about how they suffer, but when their precarious existence might end, making their whole life a torment.
The wicked man writhes in pain all his days, through all the years that are laid up for the ruthless. Dreadful sounds are in his ears; in prosperity the destroyer will come upon him.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Eliphaz, responding to Job's anguish, argues that suffering is an inescapable consequence of wickedness, painting a vivid picture of the wicked person's internal torment and constant fear. He presents this as a universal truth, asserting that throughout their days, and for all the years they might expect to live, the wicked are plagued by anxiety and dread.
It sounds like the wicked have it easy, cruising through life. But this verse hints at a hidden reality: their prosperity is a fragile facade over a life consumed by fear and pain.
Eliphaz, speaking here, isn't saying the wicked never experience pleasure. Instead, he's describing the constant undercurrent of anxiety that plagues them.
Self-Inflicted Suffering
The original Hebrew word used here, mithcholel, suggests a kind of self-torment. It's as if the wicked man is actively wrestling with his own inner demons, consumed by guilt, fear of discovery, or the dread of losing what he's gained through ruthless means.
The Shadow of Fear
Even in moments of outward success, the wicked live with a 'sound of terror' in their ears. They're always looking over their shoulder, fearing the 'spoiler' or the sudden downfall. This isn't necessarily a physical pain, but a deep psychological torment, a constant state of dread that makes true peace impossible.
We might assume the wicked enjoy long, untroubled lives. But this verse reveals a crucial truth: their lifespan is not a guarantee of ease, but an unknown duration of potential torment.
The second part of the verse speaks of 'the number of years' being hidden from the oppressor. This isn't just about not knowing the exact date of death.
Uncertainty Breeds Anxiety
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For the wicked, this uncertainty is a source of constant distress. Unlike the righteous, who can face their future with faith, the wicked are left guessing, fearing each passing year could be their last before judgment arrives. They have no peace, no assurance, only the dread of an unknown end.
A Premeditated Judgment
This hidden number of years implies a divine plan, a set time for judgment that is known to God but concealed from the wicked. It suggests that their days, however many, are not random but are laid up for them, intended to serve as a period of reckoning or a prelude to their final fate. Their apparent freedom is actually a limited span, held within God's sovereign, hidden decree.
Understand the original words
rasha' · Hebrew Noun
In the context of Job, refers to one who is morally guilty, an offender against God's law, and an antagonist to the righteous. It describes a person who persists in a life of rebellion against God.
arits · Hebrew Adjective
Refers to one who is cruel, violent, or oppressive toward others. It describes a person who lacks compassion and acts with harshness, often in the pursuit of selfish gain.
pachad · Hebrew Noun
An intense, overwhelming feeling of fear or terror, often associated with divine judgment or imminent calamity.
shoded · Hebrew Noun
One who brings ruin or destruction; in a biblical context, it often refers to an agent of divine judgment or an enemy.
shalom · Hebrew Noun
A state of material well-being, success, or ease, which in scripture can be a blessing from God or a snare that leads to self-sufficiency and pride.
This passage contrasts the apparent ease and prosperity of the wicked with the struggles of the righteous, directly challenging Eliphaz's sweeping statement about the wicked's constant suffering.
Proverbs 10:27This verse offers a proverb that aligns with Job 15:20 by linking wickedness with a shortened life and futility, suggesting that the wicked's days are ultimately numbered and lead to ruin.
Ecclesiastes 8:10-13Here, the Preacher reflects on the delayed judgment of the wicked, noting that they may even receive honorable burial while their evil deeds are overlooked, which can also lead to a sense of injustice for those observing, similar to the dialogue in Job.
Matthew 13:24-30Jesus' parable of the wheat and the weeds illustrates how good and evil grow together until the final harvest, offering a divine perspective on the coexistence of righteous and wicked, and the certainty of future judgment that Job 15:20 touches upon.
ellicottJob 15:20: "The wicked man travaileth with pain all his days, and the number of years is hidden to the oppressor."
(20) Travaileth with pain. —This and the following verses contain the result of this experience. Here, again, we have a highly-coloured and poetical description of the oppressor, true to the character of the speaker in Job 4:12 , &c. We should read Job 15:20 : The wicked man travaileth with pain all his days, even the number of years that are laid up for the oppressor. It is not an…
bensonJob 15:20: "The wicked man travaileth with pain all his days, and the number of years is hidden to the oppressor."
Job 15:20 . The wicked man travaileth with pain — That is, lives a life of care, and fear, and grief, by reason of God’s wrath, the torments of his own mind, and his outward calamities. The number of his years is hidden — He knows not how short the time of his life is, and therefore lives in continual fear of losing it. To the oppressor — To the wicked man: he names this one sort o…
This verse isn't just saying the wicked suffer; it's highlighting that their entire lifespan, the very quantity of their years, is a source of dread because it's unknown and precarious. The wicked live in constant anxiety, not just about how they suffer, but when their precarious existence might end, making their whole life a torment.
Eliphaz, responding to Job's anguish, argues that suffering is an inescapable consequence of wickedness, painting a vivid picture of the wicked person's internal torment and constant fear. He presents this as a universal truth, asserting that throughout their days, and for all the years they might expect to live, the wicked are plagued by anxiety and dread.
Eliphaz, responding to Job's anguish, argues that suffering is an inescapable consequence of wickedness, painting a vivid picture of the wicked person's internal torment and constant fear. He presents this as a universal truth, asserting that throughout their days, and for all the years they might expect to live, the wicked are plagued by anxiety and dread.
"The wicked man writhes in pain all his days, through all the years that are laid up for the ruthless. Dreadful sounds are in his ears; in prosperity the destroyer will come upon him." — This verse isn't just saying the wicked suffer; it's highlighting that their entire lifespan, the very quantity of their years, is a source of dread because it's unknown and precarious. The wicked…
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Last reviewed October 2026