TRV
Translation
King James Version
Which make oil within their walls, and tread their winepresses, and suffer thirst.
Complete Jewish Bible
between these men's rows [of olives], they make oil; treading their winepresses, they suffer thirst.
Berean Standard Bible
They crush olives within their walls; they tread the winepresses, but go thirsty.
American Standard Version
They make oil within the walls of these men; They treadtheirwinepresses, and suffer thirst.
World English Bible Messianic
They make oil within the walls of these men. They tread wine presses, and suffer thirst.
Geneva Bible (1599)
They that make oyle betweene their walles, and treade their wine presses, suffer thirst.
Young's Literal Translation
Between their walls they make oil, Wine-presses they have trodden, and thirst.
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Commentary on Job 24 verses 1–12
1 ¶ Why, seeing times are not hidden from the Almighty, do they that know him not see his days?
2 Some remove the landmarks; they violently take away flocks, and feed thereof.
3 They drive away the ass of the fatherless, they take the widow's ox for a pledge.
4 They turn the needy out of the way: the poor of the earth hide themselves together.
5 Behold, as wild asses in the desert, go they forth to their work; rising betimes for a prey: the wilderness yieldeth food for them and for their children.
6 They reap every one his corn in the field: and they gather the vintage of the wicked.
7 They cause the naked to lodge without clothing, that they have no covering in the cold.
8 They are wet with the showers of the mountains, and embrace the rock for want of a shelter.
9 They pluck the fatherless from the breast, and take a pledge of the poor.
10 They cause him to go naked without clothing, and they take away the sheaf from the hungry;
11 Which make oil within their walls, and tread their winepresses, and suffer thirst.
12 Men groan from out of the city, and the soul of the wounded crieth out: yet God layeth not folly to them.
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 his judging against open and notorious sinners, that is called his day, Psa 37:13. We believe that day will come, but we do not see it, because it is future, and its presages are secret. 3. Though this is a mystery of Providence, yet there is a reason for it, and we shall shortly know why the judgment is deferred; even the wisest, and those who know God best, do not yet see it. God will exercise their faith and patience, and excite their prayers for the coming of his kingdom, for which they are to cry day and night to him, Luk 18:7.
For the proof of this, that wicked people prosper, Job specifies two sorts of unrighteous ones, whom all the world saw thriving in their iniquity: -
I. Tyrants, and those that do wrong under pretence of law and authority. It is a melancholy sight which has often been seen under the sun, wickedness in the place of judgment (Ecc 3:16), the unregarded tears of the oppressed, while on the side of the oppressors there was power (Ecc 4:1), the violent perverting of justice and judgment, Ecc 5:8. 1. They disseize their neighbours of their real estates, which came to them by descent from their ancestors. They remove the land-marks, under pretence that they were misplaced (Job 24:2), and so they encroach upon their neighbours' rights and think they effectually secure that to their posterity which they have got wrongfully, by making that to be an evidence for them which should have been an evidence for the rightful owner. This was forbidden by the law of Moses (Deu 19:14), under a curse, Deu 27:17. Forging or destroying deeds is now a crime equivalent to this. 2. They dispossess them of their personal estates, under colour of justice. They violently take away flocks, pretending they are forfeited, and feed thereof; as the rich man took the poor man's ewe lamb, Sa2 12:4. If a poor fatherless child has but an ass of his own to get a little money with, they find some colour or other to take it away, because the owner is not able to contest with them. It is all one if a widow has but an ox for what little husbandry she has; under pretence of distraining for some small debt, or arrears of rent, this ox shall be taken for a pledge, though perhaps it is the widow's all. God has taken it among the titles of his honour to be a Father of the fatherless and a judge of the widows; and therefore those will not be reckoned his friends that do not to their utmost protect and help them; but those he will certainly reckon with as his enemies that vex and oppress them. 3. They take all occasions to offer personal abuses to them, Job 24:4. They will mislead them if they can when they meet them on the high-way, so that the poor and needy are forced to hide themselves from them, having no other way to secure themselves from them. They love in their hearts to banter people, and to make fools of them, and do them a mischief if they can, especially to triumph over poor people, whom they turn out of the way of getting relief, threaten to punish them as vagabonds, and so force them to abscond, and laugh at them when they have done. Some understand those barbarous actions (Job 24:9, Job 24:10) to be done by those oppressors that pretend law for what they do: They pluck the fatherless from the breast; that is, having made poor infants fatherless, they make them motherless too; having taken away the father's life, they break the mother's heart, and so starve the children and leave them to perish. Pharaoh and Herod plucked children from the breast to the sword; and we read of children brought forth to the murderers, Hos 9:13. Those are inhuman murderers indeed that can with so much pleasure suck innocent blood. They take a pledge of the poor, and so they rob the spital; nay, they take the poor themselves for a pledge (as some read it), and probably it was under this pretence that they plucked the fatherless from the breast, distraining them for slaves, as Neh 5:5. Cruelty to the poor is great wickedness and cries aloud for vengeance. Those who show no mercy to such as lie at their mercy shall themselves have judgment without mercy. Another instance of their barbarous treatment of those they have advantage against is that they take from them even their necessary food and raiment; they squeeze them so with their extortion that they cause them to go naked without clothing (Job 24:10) and so catch their death. And if a poor hungry family has gleaned a sheaf of corn, to make a little cake of, that they may eat it and die, even that they take away from them, being well pleased to see them perish for want, while they themselves are fed to the full. 4. They are very oppressive to the labourers they employ in their service. They not only give them no wages, though the labourer is worthy of his hire (and this is a crying sin, Jam 5:4), but they will not so much as give them meat and drink: Those that carry their sheaves are hungry; so some read it (Job 24:10), and it agrees with Job 24:11, that those who make oil within their walls, and with a great deal of toil labour at the wine-presses, yet suffer thirst, which was worse than muzzling the mouth of the ox that treads out the corn. Those masters forget that they have a Master in heaven who will not allow the necessary supports of life to their servants and labourers, not caring whether they can live by their labour or no. 5. It is not only among the poor country people, but in the cities also, that we see the tears of the oppressed (Job 24:12): Men groan from out of the city, where the rich merchants and traders are as cruel with their poor debtors as the landlords in the country are with their poor tenants. In cities such cruel actions as these are more observed than in obscure corners of the country and the wronged have easier access to justice to right themselves; and yet the oppressors there fear neither the restraints of the law nor the just censures of their neighbours, but the oppressed groan and cry out like wounded men, and can no more ease and help themselves, for the oppressors are inexorable and deaf to their groans.
II. He speaks of robbers, and those that do wrong by downright force, as the bands of the Sabeans and Chaldeans, which had lately plundered him. He does not mention them particularly, lest he should seem partial to his own cause, and to judge of men (as we are apt to do) by what they are to us; but among the Arabians, the children of the east (Job's country), there were those that lived by spoil and rapine, making incursions upon their neighbours, and robbing travellers. See how they are described here, and what mischief they do, Job 24:5-8. 1. Their character is that they are as wild asses in the desert, untamed, untractable, unreasonable, Ishmael's character (Gen 16:12), fierce and furious, and under no restraint of law or government, Jer 2:23, Jer 2:24. They choose the deserts for their dwelling, that they may be lawless and unsociable, and that they may have opportunity of doing the more mischief. The desert is indeed the fittest place for such wild people, Job 39:6. But no desert can set men out of the reach of God's eye and hand. 2. Their trade is to steal, and to make a prey of all about them. They have chosen it as their trade; it is their work, because there is more to be got by it, and it is got more easily, than by an honest calling. They follow it as their trade; they follow it closely; they go forth to it as their work, as man goes forth to his labour, Psa 104:23. They are diligent and take pains at it: They rise betimes for a prey. If a traveller be out early, they will be out as soon to rob him. They live by it as a man lives by his trade: The wilderness (not the grounds there but the roads there) yieldeth food for them and for their children; they maintain themselves and their families by robbing on the high-way, and bless themselves in it without any remorse of compassion or conscience, and with as much security as if it were honestly got; as Ephraim, Hos 12:7, Hos 12:8. 3. See the mischief they do to the country. They not only rob travellers, but they make incursions upon their neighbours, and reap every one his corn in the field (Job 24:6), that is, they enter upon other people's ground, cut their corn, and carry it away as freely as if it were their own. Even the wicked gather the vintage, and it is their wickedness; or, as we read it, They gather the vintage of the wicked, and so one wicked man is made a scourge to another. What the wicked got by extortion (which is their way of stealing) these robbers get from them in their way of stealing; thus oftentimes are the spoilers spoiled, Isa 33:1. 4. The misery of those that fall into their hands (Job 24:7, Job 24:8): They cause the naked, whom they have stripped, not leaving them the clothes to their backs, to lodge, in the cold nights, without clothing, so that they are wet with the showers of the mountains, and, for want of a better shelter, embrace the rock, and are glad of a cave or den in it to preserve them from the injuries of the weather. Eliphaz had charged Job with such inhumanity as this, concluding that Providence would not thus have stripped him if he had not first stripped the naked of their clothing, Job 22:6. Job here tells him there were those that were really guilty of those crimes with which he was unjustly charged and yet prospered and had success in their villanies, the curse they laid themselves under working invisibly; and Job thinks it more just to argue as he did, from an open notorious course of wickedness inferring a secret and future punishment, than to argue as Eliphaz did, who from nothing but present trouble inferred a course of past secret iniquity. The impunity of these oppressors and spoilers is expressed in one word (Job 24:12): Yet God layeth not folly to them, that is, he does not immediately prosecute them with his judgments for these crimes, nor make them examples, and so evince their folly to all the world. He that gets riches, and not by right, at his end shall be a fool, Jer 17:11. But while he prospers he passes for a wise man, and God lays not folly to him until he saith, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee, Luk 12:20.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 1–12. Public domain.
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Olympiodorus of AlexandriaAD 600
COMMENTARY ON JOB 24:9-12
“They have snatched the fatherless from the breast.” They have lamentably and mercilessly taken away the child who still nursed and hanged from his mother’s breast. “And they have deprived the outcast,” that is, they have also deprived the outcast of his properties by taking away what he had. “They have wrongfully caused others to sleep without clothing.” By wrongfully stripping others, who owed them nothing, they have caused them to love rest. “They have taken away the morsel of the hungry.” They have reduced them to extreme poverty and starvation. “They have unjustly laid ambush in narrow places.” They have laid ambush in hidden places; in fact, in larger places and roads they wait in ambush for those who have no chance to escape.“And they,” that is, all the impious persons, “have not known the righteous way.” “They have been cast forth from their cities and their houses.” This refers to those who wantonly sleep without clothing. They [the fatherless] have, in fact, suffered these things from these criminals, after being driven out of their city and their houses.
“And the soul of the children has groaned aloud.” From the bottom of their heart [they groaned], because they had no parents any longer who provided them with food.
Gregory the DialogistAD 604
67. All those that persecute Holy Church, what else do they but ‘tread the winepress?’ Which is allowed to be by the Divine appointment, that the clusters of souls may flow out into spiritual wine, and being divested of the corruptible flesh run into the heavenly realms as into a receptacle. For whilst the unrighteous bear down the righteous, they as it were put clusters of the grape beneath their feet. And the clusters being squeezed run over for the fulness of the heavenly feast, which were before as if hanging in the freedom of this air. Thus David the Prophet, regarding the chastening of Holy Church [b], writes the Psalm ‘for the winepresses.’ Now all that bear hard upon the life of the faithful, tread and thirst, in that by doing things that are cruel they are rendered the more savage; being blinded by just deserts of their ungodliness, they go about to do things more grievous the more they have already done grievous things. But Heretics, when they have not themselves the power of persecuting, stir up the men of this world that have power, and incline their minds for the exercising persecution, and inflame them with what persuasions they are able. And when they see these pursuing cruel measures against the lives of the Catholics, they as it were rest in the very fervour of the sun. Therefore it is well said now, They rest at mid-day amidst the heaps of those that thirst with the winepresses being trodden, in that they join the multitude of those whom they see already employed in hard measures and still thirsting after harder ones. And whilst the fervour of these satisfies their desires, they rest in the deeds of such as in the mid-day.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
Job 24:11 powerfully depicts the profound social injustice and economic exploitation prevalent in ancient societies. It portrays the cruel paradox of laborers who toil diligently in the essential agricultural industries of oil and wine production, yet are denied even the most basic necessities of life, suffering thirst despite being surrounded by the very liquids they have helped create. This verse serves as a stark illustration of human cruelty and systemic oppression, contributing to Job's broader lament concerning the perplexing prosperity of the wicked and the suffering of the innocent, challenging conventional wisdom about divine justice.
CONTEXT
Literary Context: Job 24:11 is situated within Job's third and final response to his friends, specifically his argument in chapter 24 where he directly challenges their conventional retribution theology. Throughout this chapter, Job articulates a profound observation: contrary to the friends' assertion that the wicked always suffer, he sees them prospering and perpetrating injustice with impunity. He details a litany of offenses, from moving boundary markers to exploiting the vulnerable and the poor, as seen in Job 24:2-4. Verse 11 provides a vivid, concrete example of this systemic exploitation, highlighting the plight of agricultural laborers. It serves as a poignant illustration of the "why" behind Job's agonizing questions about divine justice and God's apparent silence in the face of widespread human suffering and oppression, intensifying the theological tension of the book.
Historical & Cultural Context: The verse reflects the agrarian economy of ancient Israel and the Near East, where olive oil and wine were not merely commodities but staples of life, essential for food, light, medicine, and social custom. Olive pressing involved crushing olives, often in stone mills, to extract oil, while wine pressing required treading grapes by foot in large vats, a physically demanding process. The phrase "within their walls" likely refers to the enclosed estates or properties of wealthy landowners, implying that the laborers were working on land not their own, under the control of others. This context underscores the vulnerability of the landless poor, who were often dependent on seasonal labor and susceptible to exploitation by those who controlled resources. The lack of legal protections for such workers meant that even basic provisions could be withheld, creating a stark and cruel reality where producers themselves were deprived of the very sustenance they helped create.
Key Themes: Job 24:11 is rich with themes central to the Book of Job and broader biblical theology. Foremost is the theme of Exploitation and Injustice, vividly portraying the harsh reality of the oppressed. Laborers produce valuable commodities like olive oil and wine, yet are denied even water or their rightful share, speaking to a systemic failure of justice. This leads directly to the Paradox of Suffering, where abundance is created by their hands but withheld from them, highlighting the absurdity and cruelty of their condition. This specific injustice contributes significantly to Job's overarching struggle with Divine Justice (Theodicy). Job is wrestling with why God permits the suffering of the innocent and the prosperity of the wicked, a question that permeates his speeches, particularly in chapters like Job 21 and Job 24. The verse underscores the Suffering of the Innocent and the Oppression of the Vulnerable, themes that resonate throughout the prophetic literature and the wisdom tradition, calling into question human and divine accountability.
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Job 24:11 employs several powerful literary devices to underscore its message of injustice. The most prominent is Irony, specifically situational irony, where the outcome is the opposite of what one would expect. The laborers are literally surrounded by liquids (oil and wine) through their work, yet they "suffer thirst," a cruel and illogical deprivation. This creates a profound sense of Paradox, a seemingly contradictory statement that contains a deeper truth about the absurdity of the situation. The verse also utilizes Juxtaposition, placing the acts of "making oil" and "treading winepresses" directly alongside the consequence of "suffering thirst." This stark contrast heightens the emotional impact and emphasizes the severity of the exploitation. Furthermore, the verse evokes Pathos, appealing to the reader's emotions and eliciting profound sympathy for the exploited and oppressed. The simple, direct language describing their labor and subsequent suffering makes their plight relatable and deeply moving, serving as a powerful lament.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Job 24:11 serves as a profound biblical indictment of economic exploitation and social injustice, echoing themes found throughout the Old and New Testaments. It underscores God's deep concern for the vulnerable and His condemnation of those who oppress the poor and deny them their rightful due. The verse contributes to the broader biblical narrative that God is a God of justice who hears the cry of the oppressed and will ultimately hold oppressors accountable. While Job struggles with the apparent delay of divine justice in his own time, this verse reminds us that the Bible consistently champions fair treatment, equitable labor practices, and compassion for the marginalized, viewing their exploitation as an affront to God's character and His created order. It challenges us to align our lives and societal structures with God's righteous standards.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Job 24:11 remains strikingly relevant in our contemporary world, serving as a timeless mirror reflecting issues of economic inequality, fair labor practices, and the exploitation of vulnerable populations. It compels us to look beyond the immediate comforts of our own lives and consider the hidden costs and human suffering embedded within global supply chains, industries, and economic systems. This verse calls believers to embody God's heart for justice, to advocate for those who labor tirelessly but are denied a dignified living, and to challenge systems that perpetuate deprivation amidst abundance. It encourages us to examine our own consumption habits, investment choices, and political engagement, asking how we might contribute to or alleviate such injustices. Furthermore, it reminds us to cultivate empathy, to lend our voices to the voiceless, and to actively participate in alleviating suffering and promoting fairness in our communities and global society, even as we trust in God's ultimate justice, which may not always manifest in our preferred timeline, but is nonetheless certain.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What does "within their walls" refer to in Job 24:11?
Answer: The phrase "within their walls" most likely refers to the enclosed properties, estates, or even within the city walls where the wealthy landowners conducted their agricultural processing. In ancient times, olive presses and winepresses were often located on the estates of those who owned the land and the crops. This detail emphasizes that the laborers were working not for themselves or on their own land, but on the property of others, under their control, and for their profit. It highlights the power imbalance and the complete dependency of the laborers on their employers, making their exploitation even more egregious and underscoring the systemic nature of the injustice.
How does this verse relate to the broader theme of suffering in the Book of Job?
Answer: Job 24:11 is a crucial piece of Job's argument against the traditional retribution theology espoused by his friends, which posits that suffering is always a direct result of sin. In this verse, Job presents a stark example of innocent people (laborers) suffering profound deprivation despite their productive work, while their oppressors (the landowners) seemingly prosper without immediate divine judgment. This specific instance of injustice fuels Job's agonizing struggle with the problem of evil and divine justice (theodicy). It serves as concrete evidence that contradicts his friends' simplistic worldview and forces the reader to grapple with the perplexing reality of innocent suffering and the apparent prosperity of the wicked, a central tension throughout the Book of Job.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
The profound injustice depicted in Job 24:11, where laborers suffer thirst amidst the abundance they create, finds its ultimate answer and compassionate response in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Jesus, the Son of God, consistently identified with the poor, the marginalized, and the oppressed. His inaugural sermon in Luke 4:18-19 declares His mission to "proclaim good news to the poor... to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed." He taught that true discipleship involves caring for "the least of these," explicitly linking acts of compassion to Himself (Matthew 25:35-40). While Job wrestled with God's apparent silence in the face of injustice, Christ entered into human suffering, experiencing profound deprivation and injustice Himself as the Suffering Servant who was "despised and rejected by men." His crucifixion, the ultimate act of injustice, became the means by which He addressed the root cause of all exploitation—sin—and inaugurated a new kingdom where righteousness and justice will ultimately prevail. In the new heavens and new earth, the promise of Revelation 21:4 ensures that there will be no more tears, no more pain, and certainly no more suffering thirst amidst abundance, as Christ's perfect reign will bring complete restoration and justice for all who are His.