He swallows down riches and vomits them up again; God casts them out of his belly.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse uses a visceral, almost nauseating image: ill-gotten wealth is not truly possessed but like spoiled food that the body violently rejects. It's not just about losing the money, but about how it will bring distress and a forced, painful disgorging, driven by God's hand, even when earthly justice fails.
He swallows down riches and vomits them up again; God casts them out of his belly.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Zophar, the third friend, is speaking here, continuing his harsh accusations against Job. He argues that wicked people, despite their apparent prosperity, ultimately lose everything they gain, as if they are vomiting up food they greedily devoured. Zophar believes this inevitable loss is God's direct action, ensuring that ill-gotten wealth never truly brings lasting satisfaction and will ultimately be taken away.
Imagine something so desirable you'd stuff it down as fast as possible, no time to savor. That's the picture here, but with wealth.
Zophar uses a vivid, even visceral image to describe how the wicked acquire wealth. The Hebrew word translated 'swallowed down' paints a picture of extreme, almost animalistic greed.
Insatiable Appetite
This isn't just enjoying prosperity; it's a ravenous consumption, like a wild beast devouring its prey. The wicked person has an overwhelming desire for riches, an appetite so large that they gorge themselves without restraint, taking whatever they can, whenever they can.
What We Truly Possess
This greed leads them to believe the ill-gotten gains are truly theirs, as secure as food in their stomach. They become so consumed by the acquisition that they think it's a permanent, satisfying part of them. But as we'll see, this 'possession' is temporary and destructive.
What goes in must come out, especially when it's not meant to be there. This verse promises a forced, painful expulsion.
The imagery shifts dramatically from greedy consumption to the involuntary and unpleasant act of vomiting. This isn't a gentle return; it's a violent expulsion, reflecting the ultimate outcome of ill-gotten wealth.
Divine Justice at Work
Zophar asserts that God himself will be the agent of this expulsion. Whether through conscience-stricken remorse, public exposure, or divine intervention, the wicked will be forced to give back what they unjustly took. It's a concept of restitution, but stripped of any virtue – it's compelled, reluctant, and painful.
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No True Satisfaction
The wealth that was 'swallowed down' with such delight will bring only sickness and distress. It offers no lasting peace or security. Like poison in the system, it will ultimately be purged, leaving the individual empty and exposed. God ensures that what was taken violently will be disgorged, often with immense suffering.
Understand the original words
chayil · Hebrew Noun
Material possessions, wealth, or substance. In wisdom literature, riches are often viewed as precarious; if gained through wickedness, they are subject to divine judgment and confiscation.
‘El · Hebrew Noun
The one true Creator and Judge of all. In this context, He acts as the active agent who intervenes in human affairs to strip the wicked of their ill-gotten gains and execute justice.
This proverb directly contrasts the love of unjust gain with the wisdom of rejecting it, echoing the idea that ill-gotten wealth brings trouble, much like Job 20:15 describes wealth being 'vomited up'.
Luke 12:16-21Jesus' parable of the rich fool illustrates how wealth can be suddenly taken away, reflecting the theme in Job that what is 'swallowed down' greedily won't ultimately be kept, and God can swiftly remove it.
Matthew 21:12-13Jesus cleansing the temple shows divine action against those who misuse sacred spaces for profit, mirroring the judgment described in Job where God forcibly removes ill-gotten gains.
Psalm 73:18-19This psalm describes the ultimate downfall of the wicked, emphasizing how their prosperity is fleeting and leads to destruction, akin to the 'vomiting up' of riches described in Job.
barnesJob 20:15: "He hath swallowed down riches, and he shall vomit them up again: God shall cast them out of his belly."
He hath swallowed down riches - He has "glutted" down riches - or gormandized them - or devoured them greedily. The Hebrew word בלע bela‛, means "to absorb, to devour with the idea of greediness." It is descriptive of the voracity of a wild beast, and means here that he had devoured them eagerly, or voraciously. And he shall vomit - As an epicure does that which he has drunk or s…
bensonJob 20:15: "He hath swallowed down riches, and he shall vomit them up again: God shall cast them out of his belly."
Job 20:15-16 . He hath swallowed down riches — He hath got possession of them, and thought them to be as much his own as the meat he had eaten. But he is deceived. He shall vomit them up again — Shall be compelled to restore them: his own conscience perhaps may make him so uneasy in the keeping of what he has gotten, that, for the quiet of his own mind, he shall make restitution,…
This verse uses a visceral, almost nauseating image: ill-gotten wealth is not truly possessed but like spoiled food that the body violently rejects. It's not just about losing the money, but about how it will bring distress and a forced, painful disgorging, driven by God's hand, even when earthly justice fails.
Zophar, the third friend, is speaking here, continuing his harsh accusations against Job. He argues that wicked people, despite their apparent prosperity, ultimately lose everything they gain, as if they are vomiting up food they greedily devoured. Zophar believes this inevitable loss is God's direct action, ensuring that ill-gotten wealth never truly brings lasting satisfaction and will ultimately be taken away.
Zophar, the third friend, is speaking here, continuing his harsh accusations against Job. He argues that wicked people, despite their apparent prosperity, ultimately lose everything they gain, as if they are vomiting up food they greedily devoured. Zophar believes this inevitable loss is God's direct action, ensuring that ill-gotten wealth never truly brings lasting satisfaction and will ultimately be taken away.
"He swallows down riches and vomits them up again; God casts them out of his belly." — This verse uses a visceral, almost nauseating image: ill-gotten wealth is not truly possessed but like spoiled food that the body violently rejects. It's not just about losing the money, but about ho…
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Last reviewed October 2026