Job 24

In regard that Eliphaz had instanced, that God had always punished the wicked, he is refuted by Job with the common experience of the godly, 1. Job rehearseth the wicked practise of the ungodly, 2. Together with their gentle death, v.9. although they were oppressors, 21. But that God is just, who seeth and punisheth their doings, 24. All this Job will maintain and stand to.

1. Wherefore should the times not be hid by the Almighty, [viz. Before men; See Acts 1:7. by the times he understands the punishments, which God hath appointed to send, or inflict upon the wicked at set and certain times.] because they that knew him [i.e. which i.e. which are the true believers and God-fearing persons.] do not see his days? [viz. Wherein God punisheth the wicked. Thus that day of the LORD, is taken for that day or time, wherein God executes his judgements. Isaiah 2:12. and 13.6. Jeremiah 46:10. Joel 2:11. Compare above 20.28. Proverbs 6:34. and 11.4. where they are called, days of Gods wrath, vengeance and indignation. Some take it here in a general sense for the days of recompence over the good and the bad. The sense of the whole verse is, that if God indeed hath always since the beginning of the world punished the wicked in this life here, as Eliphaz had affirmed above 22.15,16. The same would have manifestly appeared; but it hath not appeared so. For it pleaseth God to hide the times of his punishing. And therefore Eliphaz his saving cannot stand.]

2. They [viz. The wicked, Job sheweth the reason, wherefore he had said, that the punishing times of the almighty were hidden, and the wicked not proceeded against till such a time, own onely to himself.] seize on the land-marks; [viz. Of their neighbour, violently removing them, or encroaching upon them, to enlarge their own inheritance. See Deut.19.v.14. and 27.17. Prov.22.28.] they rob the flock, and feed them. [openly namely, before all the world, either in their own Country, or else in that which they have taken or wrested from their neighbour, and that without any ones awe or punishment.]

3. The ass of the Orphan, they drive away, the ox of the widow they take in pawn. [which God had forbidden, Exodus 22:26. Deuteronomy 24:6, 10.12,13,17.]

4. They make the needy turn out of the way; [viz. By their haughtiness, insolence and the violence they practise every where, which the poor and needy are afraid of.] the miserable [or poor] of the Land do hide themselves together.

5. Behold, they are wild-asses in the desert; [i.e. they are like wild asses, who are very wild, unruly and fierce among the rest of the savage Beasts. Genesis 16:12. and below 35.8. Jer.2.24. Hosea 8:9.] They go forth to their work, getting themselves early up for prey.] the plain field [Oth. The wilderness] is meat [Heb. Bread] to him, [viz. To the wicked and oppressors] (and) to the younger. [i.e. to his children, family and servants which attend him at prey.]

6. Upon the field they now [viz. Those of the younger sort, or his younger sort, or his labourers and workmen.] his fodder: [the wicked namely, i.e. that whereon he feedeth.] and they gather the vineyard of the wicked, [who doth and they gather the vineyard of the wicked. [who doth not pay them their wages. Otherwise this verse may be read thus: Upon the field, viz. Which is none of their own; they now every one his field: and, or, yea they gather the vineyard of the wicked indeed as themselves, whom they for all that, do spare as little as the godly, or calleth that, the vineyard of the wicked, which the wicked hath bereaved and violently dispossessed his neighbour of. Oth. Thus, and the wicked gathereth the Vineyard, viz. In view of the right owner, or, the vineyard of another.]

7. The naked, [i.e. their poor labourer, or workman, to whom they owe his wages] they let pass the night without clothing (having) no cover against the cold.

8. From the stream of the hills [i.e. the water which runneth down the hills.] they are made wet [this, viz. The foresaid poor workmen and labourers.] and being without refuge, [i.e. without any place of shelter, or retreat, where in time of rain and tempest they might shroud themselves.] they embrace the stony rocks. [viz. That they may be safe against the injuries of the air, of cold and wind and wet, they climb up the rocks and creep into some cleft, cave or other, that are here and there upon them.]

9. They pluck the little orphan from the breast, [They viz. The wicked, to force and drive away the poor mother, unto their slavish task and employment: or, to make the little Orphan a slave, to serve themselves afterward, or, to put them to sale into slavery.] and (that) which is upon the poor, [i.e. his clothes, or covering.] they take in pawn.

10. The naked they cause to go away without clothing; [understand it of their workmen, or day-labourers, as doth appear by the sequel. Compare above v.7.] and hungry (them that) carry the sheaves. [Oth. And they are hungry (that) bear, or, carry the sheaves, viz. Of the wicked oppressors and merciless tyrants.]

11. Betwixt their walls [i.e. in the wickeds dwelling-places] do they [viz. The poor and needy work-folks, of whom. See above v.5.7,10.] press out oil; they tread the wine-press and are dry.

12. Forth the city men do sigh [the Hebrew verb doth properly signify the signing and groaning of these that are oppressed. See Exod.2.24. and 6.4. Ezek.30.24.] And the soul of the wounded cryeth out: nevertheless God disposeth no absurdity. [See above 1.on v.22. The meaning is, though. God permit it such things to be practised, yet he doth nothing unbefitting, or that were subject to any just censure or reprehension.]

13. They are among the oppressors of the light; [viz. As well the inbred, as that which is to be gotten out of the word of God, and the beholding of the works of his creation.] they know not his ways. [See Gen.18.on v.19.] and they abide not in his paths.

14. The murderer riseth with the light, [viz. Of the day. See above 17.12. and the annot.] putteth to death the pour and the needy: and by night he is as a thief.

15. Also the eye of the adulterer observeth the glimmering, [understand that of the evening, or the twilight, whereof See 2 Kings 7.on v.5.] Saying; [viz.by himself. i.e. thinking in his heart. See Gen.20.on v.11.] No eye shall see me: and he putteth a cover, I properly, a hiding] over his face. [i.e. he disguise hand masketh himself, that he may not be discovered.]

16. In the darkness he diggeth through the houses, [the murderer namely, spoken of verse 14.] (which) they [viz. The murderer and his associates] had marked them by day: [i.e. which (watching all opportunities to rob their neighbour goods) they had observed and designed to force open and break into by night. They do not know the light. [Not to know, is hear not to desire nor inquire after, or care for; but to hate, shun and flee away for fear of being discovered and apprehended: Compare Jer.8.7. Rom.3.17.]

17. For the morning is unto them together [i.e. to them all] the shadow of death: [understand like the shadow of death, which is most dreadful and terrible; yea like death it self. So also is the sequel. Compare above 3.on v.5. and 10. On v.21.] When one knoweth them, they are in the terrors of the shadow of death. [i.e. such terrors as are caused by the shadow of death.]

18. He [viz. The wicked man] is light, [i.e. quick, nimble, active] upon the plain [or flatness] of the waters; [the sense is, that he maketh all the speed he can to escape by sea in ships, if once he be discovered in his thievery; or else, that he is exercising robbery and piracy at Sea, or as some conceive, that they are as quick, fleet and expedite in their thievish practises, as a ship upon the waters.] Their portion, upon the earth, [understand the wicked portion, of whom he speaketh here kin he plural number, though in the precedent and subsequent part of this verse he had used the singular, it is a permutation of the number and so below v.23. chap.32.8. Compare above 21.on v.10.] is accursed: [The habitations or dwelling-places, which such high-ways thieves or pirates also have on land, are commonly very barren, or situated in desert, uncouth and uncultivated places. Such land is called accursed, Gen.3.17. Contrary wise that which is cultivated, husbanded fruitful is called blessed, Gen.27.27. or we may understand it generally, that they are cursed of God and all men, together with all they have] He doth not turn himself to the way of the vineyard. [understand the high-way or common-road, which leadeth along and through the inhabited and well husbanded Country.]

19. The drought together with the heat, do take away the Snow-waters? (so) the grave (those which) have sinned. [i.e. like as the Snow-waters, which are sharp and penetrating, being fallen upon a dry ground, are by the heat of the day easily sucked up and consumed, so many notorious sinners, when their dying day is come, are soon gone and easily departed, without any long and lingering diseases to torment them. Thus he describeth the cut ward ferocity, which the wicked enjoy in their very deaths, according to the Worlds account.]

20. The womb forgetteth them, [i.e. his own mother that had born him, viz. The wicked in her womb, and into the world, shall have him no more in remembrance, both in regard of the great sins, wherein he lived without ren orse; as also, because that therefore he shall remain unregarded of the godly.] The worms are sweet unto him [i.e. death it self, which breedeth the worms in dead bodies, is full of ease unto him, and like a sweet rest and sleep, as putting the body to no manner of pain, before the judgement-day to come. Compare above 21.33.] There is no remembrance more of him, [i.e. men let him alone where he is, without thinking more of him; so that his body enjoyeth peace and quiet in the grave, as well as others.] And the iniquity is broken like a wood. [i.e. the unrighteous and wicked man. So Psa.107.42. item. Prov.13.6. sin, for, sinner, Prov.14.1. folly, for, foolish, or fools. See likewise below chap.35.on v.13. The meaning is, that such as practise perverseness and evil, happen oft to die with as much ease, as a dry stick of wood is broken asunder, without any great and long pains or agony.]

21. He eateth up the barren (that) beareth not; [or he feedeth away, i.e. devoureth. In his sense the Hebrew word is used likewise, Psa.49.15. and 80.14. Jerem.2.16. and 6.3. and 11.6. to eat up, or, feed away (depascere is taken here, for troubling, molesting, wronging, burdening, affecting or bruising, as the word is likewise rendered and read by others.] And to the widow he doth no good.

22. Yea through his strength he draweth, [viz. Under his power, speaking of the wicked oppressor.] The might vigour: [i.e. such as are of abilities, either by authority, or riches, or friends or, force and strength of body. In brief, the wicked seizeth not only on mean, poor, abandoned and weak ones, but likewise on others that are able or considerable in any kind. Compare above 9.24.] When he riseth up, then one is sure of life. [Heb. One believeth not life. See the like passion, Deut.28.66. See the annot.there. The meaning is; He is no sooner risen in the morning, but he goeth on his mischievousness, that every one must stand in fear of being wronged or ruined by him. Oth. He exalteth, or raiseth up himself, viz. To fall upon the mighty.]

23. When God doth set him [the wicked namely] at rest, [i.e. in a prosperous condition of this life.] then he relieth the son: Oth. Construe thus, if (God) give him, what (serveth) for rest, whereon he relieth, &c.] His eyes notwithstanding [Gods eyes namely;] are upon their ways. [the wicked namely, for to punish them, either in this life, or in that to come, Understand by these ways, their purposes, words and actions.]

24. They are exalted for a little (time); then there is none of them; [Job confesseth that indeed the power and excellency of the wicked is not long lasting, in regard the life of manis but short here; but he declareth withal, that their death outwardly differeth not from the death of other men, yea that for the most part theirs is the more easy and without tedious lingering and painfulness. Compare Eccles.2.16.] They are pressed down, they are shut up, [viz. In the grave.] like unto the top [Heb. Head] of a corn-ear, [i.e. very suddenly, easily, without any labour as it were, and therefore also without any great painfulness unto the wicked themselves.]

25. Now is if it be not so, [i.e. if any conceive, that my saying is not true.] Who shall make me [or, convince me of] lying, and reduce my speech to nothing?]