Job 20:10
Translations
King James Version (KJV)
His children shall seek to please the poor, and his hands shall restore their goods.
American King James Version (AKJV)
His children shall seek to please the poor, and his hands shall restore their goods.
American Standard Version (ASV)
His children shall seek the favor of the poor, And his hands shall give back his wealth.
Basic English Translation (BBE)
His children are hoping that the poor will be kind to them, and his hands give back his wealth.
Webster's Revision
His children shall seek to please the poor, and his hands shall restore their goods.
World English Bible
His children shall seek the favor of the poor. His hands shall give back his wealth.
English Revised Version (ERV)
His children shall seek the favour of the poor, and his hands shall give back his wealth.
Clarke's Job 20:10 Bible Commentary
His children shall seek to please the poor - They shall be reduced to the lowest degree of poverty and want, so as to be obliged to become servants to the poor. Cursed be Ham, a servant of servants shall he be. There are cases where the poor actually serve the poor; and this is the lowest or most abject state of poverty.
His hands shall restore their goods - He shall be obliged to restore the goods that he has taken by violence. Mr. Good translates: His branches shall be involved in his iniquity; i.e., his children shall suffer on his account. "His own hands shall render to himself the evil that he has done to others." - Calmet. The clause is variously translated.
Barnes's Job 20:10 Bible Commentary
His children shall seek to please the poor - Margin, or, "the poor shall oppress his children." The idea in the Hebrew seems to be, that his sons shall be reduced to the humiliating condition of asking the aid of the most needy and abject. Instead of being in a situation to assist others, and to indulge in a liberal hospitality, they themselves shall be reduced to the necessity of applying to the poor for the means of subsistence. There is great strength in this expression. It is usually regarded as humiliating to be compelled to ask aid at all; but the idea here is, that they would be reduced to the necessity of asking it of those who themselves needed it, "or would be beggars of beggars."
And his hands shall restore their goods - Noyes renders this, "And their hands shall give back his wealth." Rosenmuller supposes it means, "And their hands shall restore his iniquity;" that is, what their father took unjustly away. There can be but little doubt that this refers to his "sons," and not to himself - though the singular suffix in the word (ידיו yâdāŷ), "his hands" is used. But the singular is sometimes used instead of the plural. The word rendered "goods" (און 'ôn), means "strength, power, and then wealth;" and the idea here is, that the hands of his sons would be compelled to give back the property which the father had unjustly acquired. Instead of retaining and enjoying it, they would be compelled to make restitution, and thus be reduced to penury and want.