Their illusions of success vanish as quickly as a dream.
“They will fly away like a dream, and will not be found; Even chased away like a vision of the night.” (v.8) These words are spoken by Zophar the Naamathite, one of Job’s three friends who debate Job’s suffering. In the approximate timeframe of the patriarchs (2100-1900 BC), Zophar challenges Job’s perspective by charging that the prosperity of the wicked is brief and insubstantial. He paints a vivid picture of those who oppose God vanishing like an elusive dream—a once tangible experience, now gone without trace. Zophar believes that is how swiftly God’s judgment overtakes wrongdoing.
When Zophar uses the imagery of a dream, he underscores how fleeting and intangible the wicked person’s fortune can be. “They will fly away like a dream, and will not be found; Even chased away like a vision of the night.” (v.8) suggests that whatever might appear stable can dissolve in an instant. This teaches a sobering truth: sin may look successful for a moment, but it disappears faster than one can grasp it, similar to a vision that fades upon waking. Other passages highlight ephemeral life and its illusions, reminding us that any earthly security without submitting to God is precarious (James 4:14).
At a deeper level, the dreamlike disappearance that Zophar describes foreshadows that God does not let injustice continue indefinitely. Zophar firmly believes that such swift retribution is an expression of God’s justice. From a broader biblical perspective, this principle resonates with Jesus’ teachings that selfish or sinful pursuits have no eternal gain (Matthew 7:26-27). The admonition is clear: those who revel in wrong will see their apparent success dissipate as swiftly as the disappearing images of slumber.
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Job 20:8 meaning
“They will fly away like a dream, and will not be found; Even chased away like a vision of the night.” (v.8) These words are spoken by Zophar the Naamathite, one of Job’s three friends who debate Job’s suffering. In the approximate timeframe of the patriarchs (2100-1900 BC), Zophar challenges Job’s perspective by charging that the prosperity of the wicked is brief and insubstantial. He paints a vivid picture of those who oppose God vanishing like an elusive dream—a once tangible experience, now gone without trace. Zophar believes that is how swiftly God’s judgment overtakes wrongdoing.
When Zophar uses the imagery of a dream, he underscores how fleeting and intangible the wicked person’s fortune can be. “They will fly away like a dream, and will not be found; Even chased away like a vision of the night.” (v.8) suggests that whatever might appear stable can dissolve in an instant. This teaches a sobering truth: sin may look successful for a moment, but it disappears faster than one can grasp it, similar to a vision that fades upon waking. Other passages highlight ephemeral life and its illusions, reminding us that any earthly security without submitting to God is precarious (James 4:14).
At a deeper level, the dreamlike disappearance that Zophar describes foreshadows that God does not let injustice continue indefinitely. Zophar firmly believes that such swift retribution is an expression of God’s justice. From a broader biblical perspective, this principle resonates with Jesus’ teachings that selfish or sinful pursuits have no eternal gain (Matthew 7:26-27). The admonition is clear: those who revel in wrong will see their apparent success dissipate as swiftly as the disappearing images of slumber.