Job 24
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Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
Do not be envious. Of the house wisely built. Counsel necessary in war. Save life when thou canst. Of honey and the honey-comb. Of the just that falleth seven times. We should not rejoice at the misfortune of others. Ruin of the wicked. Fear God and the king. Prepare thy work. The field of the sluggard, and the vineyard of the foolish, described.
Open source ↗(Job 24:1-25) Why is it that, seeing that the times of punishment (Eze 30:3; "time" in the same sense) are not hidden from the Almighty, they who know Him (His true worshippers, Job 18:21) do not see His days (of vengeance; Joe 1:15; Pe2 3:10)? Or, with UMBREIT less simply, making the parallel clauses more nicely balanced, Why are not times of punishment hoarded up ("laid up"; Job 21:19; appointed) by the Almighty? that is, Why are they not so appointed as that man may now see them? as the second clause shows. Job does not doubt that they are appointed: nay, he asserts it (Job 21:30); what he wishes is that God would let all now see that it is so.
Open source ↗Why, seeing times are not hidden from the Almighty,.... Which seems to be an inference deduced from what he had said in Job 23:14; that since all things are appointed by God, and his appointments are punctually performed by him, the times of his carrying his purposes and decrees into execution cannot be hidden from him; for, as he has determined what shall be done, he has determined the time before appointed for the doing of them; as there is a purpose for everything under the heavens, there is a time set for the execution of that purpose, which must be known unto God that has fixed it; for as all his works are known to him from the beginning, or from eternity, the times when those works should be wrought must also be known to him. The Vulgate Latin, version reduces the words to a categorical proposition, "times are not hidden from the Almighty"; either temporal things, as Sephorno interprets it, things done in time, or the times of doing those things; no sort of time is hid from God; time respecting the world in general, its beginning, duration, and end; all seasons in it, day and night, summer and winter, seedtime and harvest, which are all fixed and settled by him; the several distinct ages and periods of time, into which it has been divided; the old and new world, the legal and Gospel dispensation, the various generations in it; the four great monarchies of the world, their rise, and duration, and end, with all other lesser kingdoms and states; time respecting the inhabitants of the world, their coming into and passing out of it in successive generations, the time of their birth, and of their death, and of adversity and prosperity, which interchangeably take place during their abode in it; and particularly the people of God, the time of their redemption by Christ, o…
Open source ↗1 Wherefore are not bounds reserved by the Almighty, And they who honour Him see not His days? 2 They remove the landmarks, They steal flocks and shepherd them. 3 They carry away the ass of the orphan, And distrain the ox of the widow. 4 They thrust the needy out of the way, The poor of the land are obliged to slink away together. The supposition that the text originally stood מדּוּע לרשׁעים משּׁדּי is natural; but it is at once destroyed by the fact that Job 24:1 becomes thereby disproportionately long, and yet cannot be divided into two lines of comparatively independent contents. In fact, לרשׁעים is by no means absolutely necessary. The usage of the language assumes it, according to which את followed by the genitive signifies the point of time at which any one's fate is decided. Isa 13:22; Jer 27:7; Eze 22:3; Eze 30:3; the period when reckoning is made, or even the terminus ad quem, Ecc 9:12; and ywm followed by the gen. of a man, the day of his end, Job 15:32; Job 18:20; Eze 21:30, and freq.; or with יהוה, the day when God's judgment is revealed, Joe 1:15, and freq. The boldness of poetic language goes beyond this usage, by using עתּים directly of the period of punishment, as is almost universally acknowledged since Schultens' day, and ימיו dna ,y of God's days of judgment or of vengeance; (Note: On עתים, in the sense of times of retribution, Wetzstein compares the Arab. ‛idât, which signifies predetermined reward or punishment; moreover, עת is derived from עדת (from ועד), and עתּים is equivalent to עדתּים, according to the same law of assimilation, by which now-a-days they say לתּי instead of לדתּי (one who is born on the same day with me, from Arab. lidat, lida), and רתּי instead of רדתּי (my drinking-time), since the assimilation of the ד takes place everywhere…
Open source ↗Job's friends had been very positive in it that they should soon see the fall of wicked people, how much soever they might prosper for a while. By no means, says Job; though times are not hidden from the Almighty, yet those that know him do not presently see his day, Job 24:1. 1. He takes it for granted that times are not hidden from the Almighty; past times are not hidden from his judgment (Ecc 3:15), present times are not hidden from his providence (Mat 10:29), future times are not hidden from his prescience, Act 15:18. God governs the world, and therefore we may be sure he takes cognizance of it. Bad times are not hidden from him, though the bad men that make the times bad say one to another, He has forsaken the earth, Psa 94:6, Psa 94:7. Every man's times are in his hand, and under his eye, and therefore it is in his power to make the times of wicked men in this world miserable. He foresees the time of every man's death, and therefore, if wicked men die before they are punished for their wickedness, we cannot say, "They escaped him by surprise;" he foresaw it, nay, he ordered it. Before Job will enquire into the reasons of the prosperity of wicked men he asserts God's omniscience, as one prophet, in a similar case, asserts his righteousness (Jer 12:1), another his holiness (Hab 1:13), another his goodness to his own people, Psa 73:1. General truths must be held fast, though we may find it difficult to reconcile them to particular events. 2. He yet asserts that those who know him (that is, wise and good people who are acquainted with him, and with whom his secret is) do not see his day, - the day of his judging for them; this was the thing he complained of in his own case (Job 23:8), that he could not see God appearing on his behalf to plead his cause, - the day of h…
Open source ↗24:1 bring . . . to judgment (literally set times): The times for God’s judgment are set (Eccl 3:17; 8:6; Dan 2:21; Luke 21:22-24), but they are not known to us (Acts 1:7). They will be revealed at the proper moment (1 Thes 5:1-28; 1 Tim 6:15).
Open source ↗Original language
The Hebrew and Greek words behind this passage, with Strong's numbers — from openscriptures (CC BY-SA).
עֵת (ʻêth, H6256) — time, especially (adverb with preposition) now, when, etc. צָפַן (tsâphan, H6845) — to hide (by covering over); by implication, to hoard or reserve; figuratively to deny;… שַׁדַּי (Shadday, H7706) — the Almighty יָדַע (yâdaʻ, H3045) — to know (properly, to ascertain by seeing); used in a great variety of senses,… חָזָה (châzâh, H2372) — to gaze at; mentally to perceive, contemplate (with pleasure); specifically, to have… יוֹם (yôwm, H3117) — a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to…
Open source ↗נָשַׂג (nâsag, H5381) — to reach (literally or figuratively) גְּבוּלָה (gᵉbûwlâh, H1367) — a boundary, region גָּזַל (gâzal, H1497) — to pluck off; specifically to flay, strip or rob עֵדֶר (ʻêder, H5739) — an arrangement, i.e. muster (of animals) רָעָה (râʻâh, H7462) — to tend a flock; i.e. pasture it; intransitively, to graze (literally or figuratively);…
Open source ↗נָהַג (nâhag, H5090) — to drive forth (a person, an animal or chariot), i.e. lead, carry away; reflexively, to… חֲמוֹר (chămôwr, H2543) — a male ass (from its dun red) יָתוֹם (yâthôwm, H3490) — a bereaved person חָבַל (châbal, H2254) — to wind tightly (as a rope), i.e. to bind; specifically, by a pledge; figuratively, to… אַלְמָנָה (ʼalmânâh, H490) — a widow; also a desolate place שׁוֹר (shôwr, H7794) — a bullock (as a traveller)
Open source ↗נָטָה (nâṭâh, H5186) — to stretch or spread out; by implication, to bend away (including moral deflection); used… אֶבְיוֹן (ʼebyôwn, H34) — destitute דֶּרֶךְ (derek, H1870) — a road (as trodden); figuratively, a course of life or mode of action, often adverb עָנִי (ʻânîy, H6041) — depressed, in mind or circumstances עָנָו (ʻânâv, H6035) — depressed (figuratively), in mind (gentle) or circumstances (needy, especially saintly) אֶרֶץ (ʼerets, H776) — the earth (at large, or partitively a land) חָבָא (châbâʼ, H2244) — to secrete יַחַד (yachad, H3162) — properly, a unit, i.e. (adverb) unitedly
Open source ↗פֶּרֶא (pereʼ, H6501) — the onager מִדְבָּר (midbâr, H4057) — a pasture (i.e. open field, whither cattle are driven); by implication, a desert; also… יָצָא (yâtsâʼ, H3318) — to go (causatively, bring) out, in a great variety of applications, literally and… פֹּעַל (pôʻal, H6467) — an act or work (concretely) שָׁחַר (shâchar, H7836) — properly, to dawn, i.e. (figuratively) be (up) early at any task (with the implication of… טֶרֶף (ṭereph, H2964) — something torn, i.e. a fragment, e.g. a fresh leaf, prey, food עֲרָבָה (ʻărâbâh, H6160) — a desert; especially (with the article prefix) the (generally) sterile valley of the… לֶחֶם (lechem, H3899) — food (for man or beast), especially bread, or grain (for making it) נַעַר (naʻar, H5288) — (concretely) a boy (as active), from the age of infancy to adolescence; by implication, a…
Open source ↗קָצַר (qâtsar, H7114) — to dock off, i.e. curtail (transitive or intransitive, literal or figurative); especially… בְּלִיל (bᵉlîyl, H1098) — mixed, i.e. (specifically) feed (for cattle) שָׂדֶה (sâdeh, H7704) — a field (as flat) לָקַשׁ (lâqash, H3953) — to gather the after crop כֶּרֶם (kerem, H3754) — a garden or vineyard רָשָׁע (râshâʻ, H7563) — morally wrong; concretely, an (actively) bad person
Open source ↗עָרוֹם (ʻârôwm, H6174) — nude, either partially or totally לוּן (lûwn, H3885) — to stop (usually over night); by implication, to stay permanently; hence (in a bad sense)… לְבוּשׁ (lᵉbûwsh, H3830) — a garment (literally or figuratively); by implication (euphemistically) a wife כְּסוּת (kᵉçûwth, H3682) — a cover (garment); figuratively, a veiling קָרָה (qârâh, H7135) — coolness
Open source ↗רָטַב (râṭab, H7372) — to be moist זֶרֶם (zerem, H2230) — a gush of water הַר (har, H2022) — a mountain or range of hills (sometimes used figuratively) חָבַק (châbaq, H2263) — to clasp (the hands or in embrace) צוּר (tsûwr, H6697) — properly, a cliff (or sharp rock, as compressed); generally, a rock or boulder;… מַחֲסֶה (machăçeh, H4268) — a shelter (literally or figuratively)
Open source ↗גָּזַל (gâzal, H1497) — to pluck off; specifically to flay, strip or rob יָתוֹם (yâthôwm, H3490) — a bereaved person שַׁד (shad, H7699) — the breast of a woman or animal (as bulging) חָבַל (châbal, H2254) — to wind tightly (as a rope), i.e. to bind; specifically, by a pledge; figuratively, to… עָנִי (ʻânîy, H6041) — depressed, in mind or circumstances
Open source ↗הָלַךְ (hâlak, H1980) — to walk (in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively) עָרוֹם (ʻârôwm, H6174) — nude, either partially or totally לְבוּשׁ (lᵉbûwsh, H3830) — a garment (literally or figuratively); by implication (euphemistically) a wife נָשָׂא (nâsâʼ, H5375) — to lift, in a great variety of applications, literal and figurative, absolute and relative עֹמֶר (ʻômer, H6016) — properly, a heap, i.e. a sheaf; also an omer, as a dry measure רָעֵב (râʻêb, H7457) — hungry (more or less intensely)
Open source ↗צָהַר (tsâhar, H6671) — to press out oil בֵּין (bêyn, H996) — between (repeated before each noun, often with other particles); also as a conjunction,… שׁוּר (shûwr, H7791) — a wall (as going about) דָּרַךְ (dârak, H1869) — to tread; by implication, to walk; also to string abow (by treading on it in bending) יֶקֶב (yeqeb, H3342) — a trough (as dug out); specifically, a wine-vat (whether the lower one, into which the… צָמֵא (tsâmêʼ, H6770) — to thirst (literally or figuratively)
Open source ↗מַת (math, H4962) — properly, an adult (as of full length); by implication, a man (only in the plural) נָאַק (nâʼaq, H5008) — to groan עִיר (ʻîyr, H5892) — a city (a place guarded by waking or a watch) in the widest sense (even of a mere… נֶפֶשׁ (nephesh, H5315) — properly, a breathing creature, i.e. animal of (abstractly) vitality; used very widely in… חָלָל (châlâl, H2491) — pierced (especially to death); figuratively, polluted שָׁוַע (shâvaʻ, H7768) — properly, to be free; but used only causatively and reflexively, to halloo (for help,… אֱלוֹהַּ (ʼĕlôwahh, H433) — a deity or the Deity שׂוּם (sûwm, H7760) — to put (used in a great variety of applications, literal, figurative, inferentially, and… תִּפְלָה (tiphlâh, H8604) — frivolity
Open source ↗מָרַד (mârad, H4775) — to rebel אוֹר (ʼôwr, H216) — illumination or (concrete) luminary (in every sense, including lightning, happiness, etc.) נָכַר (nâkar, H5234) — properly, to scrutinize, i.e. look intently at; hence (with recognition implied), to… דֶּרֶךְ (derek, H1870) — a road (as trodden); figuratively, a course of life or mode of action, often adverb יָשַׁב (yâshab, H3427) — properly, to sit down (specifically as judge. in ambush, in quiet); by implication, to… נָתִיב (nâthîyb, H5410) — a (beaten) track
Open source ↗רָצַח (râtsach, H7523) — properly, to dash in pieces, i.e. kill (a human being), especially to murder קוּם (qûwm, H6965) — to rise (in various applications, literal, figurative, intensive and causative) אוֹר (ʼôwr, H216) — illumination or (concrete) luminary (in every sense, including lightning, happiness, etc.) קָטַל (qâṭal, H6991) — properly, to cut off, i.e. (figuratively) put to death עָנִי (ʻânîy, H6041) — depressed, in mind or circumstances אֶבְיוֹן (ʼebyôwn, H34) — destitute לַיִל (layil, H3915) — properly, a twist (away of the light), i.e. night; figuratively, adversity גַּנָּב (gannâb, H1590) — a stealer
Open source ↗Cross-references
Other passages the community most often connects to this one. Tap to read.
Jesus replied, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by His own authority.
I said in my heart, “God will judge the righteous and the wicked, since there is a time for every activity and every deed.”
Extend Your loving devotion to those who know You, and Your righteousness to the upright in heart.
For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark.
For that day belongs to the Lord GOD of Hosts, a day of vengeance against His foes. The sword will devour until it is satisfied, until it is quenched with their blood. For the Lord GOD of Hosts will hold a sacrifice in the land of the north by the River Euphrates.
For seven days from now I will send rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights, and I will wipe from the face of the earth every living thing I have made.”
From one man He made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their lands.
The least of you will become a thousand, and the smallest a mighty nation. I am the LORD; in its time I will accomplish it quickly.
Now the Spirit expressly states that in later times some will abandon the faith to follow deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons,
Now this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent.