Job 20:6

The Holy Bible, Berean Study Bible

Though his arrogance reaches the heavens, and his head touches the clouds,

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Though his arrogance reaches heaven,and his head touches the clouds,

Hebrew Names Version
Though his height mount up to the heavens, And his head reach to the clouds,

King James Version
Though his excellency mount up to the heavens, and his head reach unto the clouds;

English Standard Version
Though his height mount up to the heavens, and his head reach to the clouds,

New Century Version
Their pride may be as high as the heavens, and their heads may touch the clouds,

New English Translation
Even though his stature reaches to the heavens and his head touches the clouds,

Amplified Bible
"Though his pride reaches the heavens And his head touches the clouds,

New American Standard Bible
"Though his arrogance reaches the heavens, And his head touches the clouds,

World English Bible
Though his height mount up to the heavens, And his head reach to the clouds,

Geneva Bible (1587)
Though his excellencie mount vp to the heauen, and his head reache vnto the cloudes,

Legacy Standard Bible
Though his loftiness goes up to the heavens,And his head touches the clouds,

Contemporary English Version
Though their pride and power may reach to the sky,

Complete Jewish Bible
His pride may mount to the heavens, his head may touch the clouds;

Darby Translation
Though his height mount up to the heavens, and his head reach unto the clouds,

Easy-to-Read Version
Maybe an evil man's pride will reach up to the sky, and his head will touch the clouds.

George Lamsa Translation
Though his excellency mount up to the heavens and his head reach to the clouds,

Good News Translation
They may grow great, towering to the sky, so great that their heads reach the clouds,

Lexham English Bible
Even though his stature mounts up to the heaven, and his head reaches to the clouds,

Literal Translation
Though his height mounts up to the heavens, and his head touches to the clouds,

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Though he be magnified vp to the heaue, so that his heade reacheth vnto the cloudes:

American Standard Version
Though his height mount up to the heavens, And his head reach unto the clouds;

Bible in Basic English
Though he is lifted up to the heavens, and his head goes up to the clouds;

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Though his excellency mount up to the heavens, and his head reach unto the clouds;

King James Version (1611)
Though his excellencie mount vp to the heauens, and his head reach vnto the clouds:

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Though he be magnified vp to the heauen, so that his head reacheth vnto the cloudes:

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
although his gifts should go up to heaven, and his sacrifice reach the clouds.

English Revised Version
Though his excellency mount up to the heavens, and his head reach unto the clouds;

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Thouy his pride `stieth in to heuene, and his heed touchith the cloudis,

Update Bible Version
Though his height mounts up to the heavens, And his head reaches to the clouds;

Webster's Bible Translation
Though his excellence shall mount up to the heavens, and his head reach to the clouds;

New King James Version
Though his haughtiness mounts up to the heavens, And his head reaches to the clouds,

New Living Translation
Though the pride of the godless reaches to the heavens and their heads touch the clouds,

New Life Bible
Even if his pride is as high as the heavens and his head touches the clouds,

New Revised Standard
Even though they mount up high as the heavens, and their head reaches to the clouds,

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Though his elevation mount up to the heavens, and, his head, to the clouds, doth reach,

Douay-Rheims Bible
If his pride mount up even to heaven, and his head touch the clouds:

Revised Standard Version
Though his height mount up to the heavens, and his head reach to the clouds,

Young's Literal Translation
Though his excellency go up to the heavens, And his head against a cloud he strike --

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Though his loftiness reaches the heavens, And his head touches the clouds,

Contextual Overview

¹Then Zophar the Naamathite replied: ²"So my anxious thoughts compel me to answer, because of the turmoil within me. ³I have heard a rebuke that insults me, and my understanding demands a reply. ⁴Do you not know that from antiquity, since man was placed on the earth, ⁵the triumph of the wicked has been brief and the joy of the godless momentary? ⁶Though his arrogance reaches the heavens, and his head touches the clouds,⁷he will perish forever, like his own dung; those who had seen him will ask, 'Where is he?' ⁸He will fly away like a dream, never to be found; he will be chased away like a vision in the night. ⁹The eye that saw him will see him no more, and his place will no longer behold him.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

his excellency: Genesis 11:4, Isaiah 14:13, Isaiah 14:14, Daniel 4:11, Daniel 4:22, Amos 9:2, Obadiah 1:3, Obadiah 1:4, Matthew 11:23

clouds: Heb. cloud

Reciprocal: Psalms 52:5 - pluck

Cross-References

Genesis 3:3
but of the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden, God has said, 'You must not eat of it or touch it, or you will die.'"

Genesis 20:6
Then God said to Abimelech in the dream, "Yes, I know that you did this with a clear conscience, and so I have kept you from sinning against Me. That is why I did not let you touch her.

Genesis 20:7
Now return the man's wife, for he is a prophet; he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not restore her, be aware that you will surely die-you and all who belong to you."

Genesis 20:18
for on account of Abraham's wife Sarah, the LORD had completely closed all the wombs in Abimelech's household.

Genesis 26:11
So Abimelech warned all the people, saying, "Whoever harms this man or his wife will surely be put to death."

Genesis 31:7
And although he has cheated me and changed my wages ten times, God has not allowed him to harm me.

Genesis 35:5
As they set out, a terror from God fell over the surrounding cities, so that they did not pursue Jacob's sons.

Genesis 39:9
No one in this house is greater than I am. He has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. So how could I do such a great evil and sin against God?"

Exodus 34:24
For I will drive out the nations before you and enlarge your borders, and no one will covet your land when you go up three times a year to appear before the LORD your God.

Leviticus 6:2
"If someone sins and acts unfaithfully against the LORD by deceiving his neighbor in regard to a deposit or security entrusted to him or stolen, or if he extorts his neighbor

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Though his excellency mount up to the heavens,.... Though, in worldly grandeur and glory, he should arrive to such a pitch as the Assyrian monarch was ambitious of, as to ascend into heaven, exalt his throne above the stars of God, and be like the Most High; or be comparable to such a tree, by which the greatness of Nebuchadnezzar's kingdom is expressed, the height whereof reached unto heaven,

Isaiah 14:12;

and his head reach unto the clouds; being lifted up with pride, because of his greatness, and looking with contempt and scorn on others; the Septuagint version is, "if his gifts ascend up to heaven", c. which well agrees with an hypocrite possessed of great gifts, and proud of them as Capernaum was highly favoured with external things, as the presence of Christ, his ministry and miracles, and so said to be exalted unto heaven, yet, because of its impenitence and unbelief, should be brought down to hell, Matthew 11:23.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Though his excellency mount up to the heavens - Though he attain to the highest pitch of honor and prosperity. The Septuagint renders this, “Though his gifts should go up to heaven, and his sacrifice should touch the clouds;” a sentence conveying a true and a beautiful idea, but which is not a translation of the Hebrew. The phrases, to go up to heaven, and to touch the clouds, often occur to denote anything that is greatly exalted, or that is very high. Thus, in Virgil,

It clamor coelo.

So Horace,

Sublimi feriam sidera vertice.

And again,

Attingit solium Joyis.

Compare Genesis 11:4, “Let us build us a tower whose top may reach unto heaven.” In Homer the expression not unfrequently occurs, τοῦ γὰρ κλέος οὐρανὸν ἵκει tou gar kleos ouranon hikei. In Seneca (Thyest. Act. v. ver. 1, 2,4,) similar expressions occur:

Aequalis astris gradior, et cunctos super

Altum superbo vertice attingens polum,

Dimitto superos: summa votorum attigi.

The “language” of Zophar would also well express the condition of many a hypocrite whose piety seems to be of the most exalted character, and who appears to have made most eminent attainments in religion. Such a man may “seem” to be a man of uncommon excellence. He may attract attention as having extraordinary sanctity. He may seem to have a remarkable spirit of prayer, and yet all may be false and hollow. Men who design to be hypocrites, aim usually to be “eminent” hypocrites; they who have true piety often, alas, aim at a much lower standard. A hypocrite cannot keep himself in countenance, or accomplish his purpose of imposing on the world, without the appearance of extraordinary devotedness to God; many a sincere believer is satisfied with much less of the appearance of religion. He is sincere and honest. He is conscious of true piety, and he attempts to impose on none. At the same time he makes no attempt scarcely “to be” what the hypocrite wishes “to appear” to be; and hence, the man that shall appear to be the most eminently devoted to God “may” be a hypocrite - yet usually not long. His zeal dies away, or he is suffered to fall into open sin, and to show that he had no true religion at heart.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Job 20:6. Though his excellency mount up to the heavens — Probably referring to the original state of Adam, of whose fall he appears to have spoken, Job 20:4. He was created in the image of God; but by his sin against his Maker he fell into wretchedness, misery, death, and destruction.