Chapter Overview
Summary
Job 24 continues Job's theodicy-protest — cataloging the unpunished-injustices of-the-wicked: oppression-of-the-poor (vv. 2–4), forced-labor of-the-orphans (vv. 9–12), murderers and adulterers and thieves operating-with-impunity (vv. 13–17). The chapter is one of the OT's most-detailed protests of unaddressed-evil. The LXX of Job 24 is significantly-shorter than MT — typical-LXX-Job abbreviation.
Notable Variants
24:2 'they remove landmarks' — boundary-violation; 24:9 'they snatch the orphan from the breast' — extreme-cruelty; LXX significantly shorter than MT in this chapter.
Structural Notes
MT Job 24 = LXX Job 24 (significantly abbreviated). 25 verses MT.
Why does the Almighty not set times for judgment? Why do those who know him never see his days of reckoning?
'Why are not times of judgment kept by the Almighty, and why do those who know him never see his days?' tracks MT. WHY-NOT-TIMES-OF-JUDGMENT — theodicy-question.
The wicked move boundary stones. They steal flocks and graze them as their own.
'Some move landmarks; they seize flocks and pasture them' tracks MT. LANDMARK-MOVING — Deut 19:14, 27:17 prohibitions violated.
They drive off the orphan's donkey; they take the widow's ox as a pledge.
'They drive away the donkey of the fatherless; they take the widow's ox for a pledge' tracks MT.
They shove the poor off the road. The afflicted of the land are forced into hiding together.
'They thrust the poor off the road; the poor of the earth all hide themselves' tracks MT.
Look — like wild donkeys in the wilderness they go out, rising early to search for food. The wasteland is their bread for their children.
'Behold, like wild donkeys in the desert the poor go out to their toil, seeking game; the wasteland yields food for their children' tracks MT.
They harvest fodder in fields not their own and glean in the vineyard of the wicked.
'They gather their fodder in the field, and they glean the vineyard of the wicked man' tracks MT.
They spend the night naked, without clothing, with no covering against the cold.
'They lie all night naked, without clothing, and have no covering in the cold' tracks MT.
They are drenched by mountain rainstorms and cling to the rock for lack of shelter.
'They are wet with the rain of the mountains and cling to the rock for lack of shelter' tracks MT.
They snatch the fatherless child from the breast; they seize the infant of the poor as a pledge.
'There are those who snatch the fatherless child from the breast, and they take a pledge against the poor' tracks MT. ORPHAN-FROM-BREAST — extreme-cruelty image.
They go about naked, without clothing; they carry sheaves while starving.
'They go about naked, without clothing; hungry, they carry the sheaves' tracks MT.
Between the olive rows they press out oil; they tread the winepresses yet go thirsty.
'Among the olive rows of the wicked they make oil; they tread the winepresses, but suffer thirst' tracks MT.
From the city the dying groan, and the throats of the wounded cry for help — yet God charges no one with wrongdoing.
'From out of the city the dying groan, and the soul of the wounded cries for help; yet God charges no one with wrong' tracks MT. GOD-CHARGES-NO-ONE — Job's anguished-protest at the divine-non-response.
There are those who rebel against the light. They do not recognize its ways or stay on its paths.
'There are those who rebel against the light, who are not acquainted with its ways and do not stay in its paths' tracks MT. REBEL-AGAINST-LIGHT. John 3:19 ('the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light') Christologically extends.
At first light the murderer rises; he kills the poor and the needy. In the night he becomes a thief.
'The murderer rises before it is light, that he may kill the poor and needy, and in the night he is like a thief' tracks MT.
The eye of the adulterer watches for twilight, saying, 'No eye will see me' — and he puts a covering over his face.
'The eye of the adulterer also waits for the twilight, saying: No eye will see me; and he disguises his face' tracks MT. ADULTERER-AT-TWILIGHT — Prov 7:9-echo.
In the dark they break into houses that they marked during the day. They want nothing to do with the light.
'In the dark they dig through houses; by day they shut themselves up; they do not know the light' tracks MT.
For morning is the shadow of death to them; they are at home with the terrors of deep darkness.
'For deep darkness is morning to all of them; for they are friends with the terrors of deep darkness' tracks MT.
He is swift on the surface of the water — their portion of land is cursed. No one turns toward their vineyards.
'You say: Swift are they on the face of the waters; their portion is cursed in the land; no treader turns toward their vineyards' tracks MT.
As drought and heat steal away the melted snow, so the grave swallows those who have sinned.
'Drought and heat snatch away the snow waters; so does Sheol those who have sinned' tracks MT.
The womb that bore him forgets him. The worm feeds sweetly on him. He is remembered no more, and wickedness is snapped like a tree.
'The womb forgets them; the worm finds them sweet; they are no longer remembered, so wickedness is broken like a tree' tracks MT.
He preys on the barren woman who cannot bear children and shows no kindness to the widow.
'They wrong the barren, childless woman, and do no good to the widow' tracks MT.
Yet God drags away the mighty by his power. They rise up, but have no assurance of life.
'Yet God prolongs the life of the mighty by his power; they rise up when they despair of life' tracks MT.
God gives them security, and they lean on it, but his eyes are on their ways.
'He gives them security, and they are supported, and his eyes are upon their ways' tracks MT.
They are exalted for a little while — then they are gone. They are brought low; they wither like everything else. They are cut off like the heads of grain.
'They are exalted a little while, and then are gone; they are brought low and gathered up like all others; they are cut off like the heads of grain' tracks MT.
If this is not so, then who can prove me a liar and reduce my words to nothing?
'If it is not so, who will prove me a liar and show that there is nothing in what I say?' tracks MT. CLOSING CHALLENGE.