Job 20:6

Good News Translation

They may grow great, towering to the sky, so great that their heads reach 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,

Berean Standard Bible
Though his arrogance reaches 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,

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

¹Job, you upset me. Now I'm impatient to answer. < ³ What you have said is an insult, but I know how to reply to you. ⁴ Surely you know that from ancient times, when we humans were first placed on earth, ⁵ no wicked people have been happy for long. ⁶ They may grow great, towering to the sky, so great that their heads reach the clouds, ⁷ but they will be blown away like dust. Those who used to know them will wonder where they have gone. ⁸ They will vanish like a dream, like a vision at night, and never be seen again. ⁹ The wicked will disappear from the place where they used to live;

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
"except the tree in the middle of it. God told us not to eat the fruit of that tree or even touch it; if we do, we will die."

Genesis 20:6
God replied in the dream, "Yes, I know that you did it with a clear conscience; so I kept you from sinning against me and did not let you touch her.

Genesis 20:7
But now, give the woman back to her husband. He is a prophet, and he will pray for you, so that you will not die. But if you do not give her back, I warn you that you are going to die, you and all your people."

Genesis 26:11
Abimelech warned all the people: "Anyone who mistreats this man or his wife will be put to death."

Genesis 31:7
Yet he has cheated me and changed my wages ten times. But God did not let him harm me.

Genesis 35:5
When Jacob and his sons started to leave, great fear fell on the people of the nearby towns, and they did not pursue them.

Genesis 39:9
I have as much authority in this house as he has, and he has not kept back anything from me except you. How then could I do such an immoral thing and sin against God?"

Exodus 34:24
After I have driven out the nations before you and extended your territory, no one will try to conquer your country during the three festivals.

Leviticus 6:2
An offering is to be made if any of you sin against the Lord by refusing to return what another Israelite has left as a deposit or by stealing something from him or by cheating him

1 Samuel 25:26
It is the Lord who has kept you from taking revenge and killing your enemies. And now I swear to you by the living Lord that your enemies and all who want to harm you will be punished like Nabal.

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.