2 The borders they reach, A drove they have taken violently away, Yea, they do evil. 3 The ass of the fatherless they lead away, They take in pledge the ox of the widow, 4 They turn aside the needy from the way, Together have hid the poor of the earth. 5 Lo, wild asses in a wilderness, They have gone out about their work, Seeking early for prey, A mixture for himself—food for young ones. 6 In a field his provender they reap, And the vineyard of the wicked they glean. 7 The naked they cause to lodge Without clothing. And there is no covering in the cold. 8 From the inundation of hills they are wet, And without a refuge—have embraced a rock. 9 They take violently away From the breast the orphan, And on the poor they lay a pledge. 10 Naked, they have gone without clothing, And hungry—have taken away a sheaf. 11 Between their walls they make oil, Wine-presses they have trodden, and thirst. 12 Because of enmity men do groan, And the soul of pierced ones doth cry, And God doth not give praise.
13 They have been among rebellious ones of light, They have not discerned His ways, Nor abode in His paths. 14 At the light doth the murderer rise, He doth slay the poor and needy, And in the night he is as a thief. 15 And the eye of an adulterer Hath observed the twilight, Saying, 'No eye doth behold me.' And he putteth the face in secret. 16 He hath dug in the darkness—houses; By day they shut themselves up, They have not known light. 17 When together, morning 'is' to them death shade, When he discerneth the terrors of death shade.
18 Light he 'is' on the face of the waters, Vilified is their portion in the earth, He turneth not the way of vineyards. 19 Drought—also heat—consume snow-waters, Sheol 'those who' have sinned. 20 Forget him doth the womb, Sweeten 'on' him doth the worm, No more is he remembered, And broken as a tree is wickedness. 21 Treating evil the barren 'who' beareth not, And 'to' the widow he doth no good, 22 And hath drawn the mighty by his power, He riseth, and none believeth in life. 23 He giveth to him confidence, and he is supported, And his eyes 'are' on their ways. 24 High they were 'for' a little, and they are not, And they have been brought low. As all 'others' they are shut up, And as the head of an ear of corn cut off.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Job 24:2-24
Commentary on Job 24:1-12
(Read Job 24:1-12)
Job discourses further about the prosperity of the wicked. That many live at ease who are ungodly and profane, he had showed, ch. xxi. Here he shows that many who live in open defiance of all the laws of justice, succeed in wicked practices; and we do not see them reckoned with in this world. He notices those that do wrong under pretence of law and authority; and robbers, those that do wrong by force. He says, "God layeth not folly to them;" that is, he does not at once send his judgments, nor make them examples, and so manifest their folly to all the world. But he that gets riches, and not by right, at his end shall be a fool, Jeremiah 17:11.
Commentary on Job 24:13-17
(Read Job 24:13-17)
See what care and pains wicked men take to compass their wicked designs; let it shame our negligence and slothfulness in doing good. See what pains those take, who make provision for the flesh to fulfil the lusts of it: pains to compass, and then to hide that which will end in death and hell at last. Less pains would mortify and crucify the flesh, and be life and heaven at last. Shame came in with sin, and everlasting shame is at the end of it. See the misery of sinners; they are exposed to continual frights: yet see their folly; they are afraid of coming under the eye of men, but have no dread of God's eye, which is always upon them: they are not afraid of doing things which they are afraid of being known to do.
Commentary on Job 24:18-25
(Read Job 24:18-25)
Sometimes how gradual is the decay, how quiet the departure of a wicked person, how is he honoured, and how soon are all his cruelties and oppressions forgotten! They are taken off with other men, as the harvestman gathers the ears of corn as they come to hand. There will often appear much to resemble the wrong view of Providence Job takes in this chapter. But we are taught by the word of inspiration, that these notions are formed in ignorance, from partial views. The providence of God, in the affairs of men, is in every thing a just and wise providence. Let us apply this whenever the Lord may try us. He cannot do wrong. The unequalled sorrows of the Son of God when on earth, unless looked at in this view, perplex the mind. But when we behold him, as the sinner's Surety, bearing the curse, we can explain why he should endure that wrath which was due to sin, that Divine justice might be satisfied, and his people saved.