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Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Job 24:1–12. His two-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
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.
Historical interpretation
Historical Reception
2 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
Select a marker to jump to its quote. Markers stagger vertically where authors wrote within a few decades of each other.
“Times are not hidden from the Almighty.” [Job] raises the same question he had discussed above, but now with a profession of faith. He says that he certainly knows that parts of his censorship in blotting out the merits of people follow the course of his justice, but, in the present situation, many things happen that seem to deny this judgment. With this impression in his mind he pursues the crimes of the wicked to the end of his speech. “Times are not hidden,” he says, “from the Almighty,” that is, in his knowledge dwells a full awareness of all our moments. It is as if he said, God does not ignore any time of our actions even as we change them constantly, yet we, who touch him with the devotion of our mind, ignore how many days of patience and deferment he hangs on our judgment.“Others removed the landmarks.” It must be noticed, in this reproof of human vices, that they are weighed more lightly or more seriously according to their effect on the virtue of soul. Thus Job and his friends are affected in different ways by different vices; the friends only accuse the acts of inhumanity, whereas Job describes the crimes of iniquity, violence, robbery, lewdness, pride and impiety.
56. Whom does he denote by the title of ‘others,’ saving Heretics, who to the bosom of Holy Church are strangers? For they the same persons remove landmarks, in that the constitutions of the Fathers they by walking awry do overstep. Concerning which same constitutions it is written, Remove not the ancient landmark which thy fathers have set. [Prov. 22, 28] And these violently take away the flocks, and feed them, in that all the inexperienced, by wicked persuasions, they draw to themselves, and with baneful lessons nourish them for slaughtering. For that the ignorant multitudes are represented by the designation of ‘flocks,’ the words of the Spouse bear witness, Who addresses His Espoused, in the words, Except thou know thyself, O beautiful amongst women, depart forth, and go after the footsteps of the flocks; i.e. ‘excepting that by living well, thou knowest thine honour whereby thou art created after the likeness of God, depart forth from the sight of the contemplation of Me, and follow the life [al. ‘the way’] of the uninstructed multitudes.
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Summary
Job 24:2 serves as a stark and visceral illustration of the pervasive injustice Job observes in the world, forming a critical component of his impassioned argument against the simplistic retribution theology advanced by his friends. This verse specifically condemns two egregious violations of ancient societal and legal norms: the illicit removal of established property boundaries and the violent seizure and subsequent consumption of another's essential livestock. Through these concrete examples, Job highlights the ruthless exploitation of the vulnerable by the unscrupulous, deepening his profound theological struggle to reconcile God's apparent non-intervention with the widespread suffering of the righteous.
Context
Literary Context
Job 24 continues Job's fervent and often exasperated argument, directly challenging the conventional wisdom of his friends who insist that suffering is always a direct consequence of sin. Having previously articulated his personal anguish and God's perceived silence, Job now shifts his focus to the broader societal landscape, presenting a detailed, almost prosecutorial, catalogue of injustices he witnesses daily. This chapter functions as Job's empirical evidence, demonstrating that the wicked frequently prosper and act with impunity, while the righteous and vulnerable suffer. Job 24 paints a grim picture of moral decay, and verse 2 serves as a foundational example of the specific, tangible abuses that fuel Job's deeper questions about divine justice and intervention. It sets the stage for his subsequent lament that God does not seem to intervene to punish such blatant evil.
Historical & Cultural Context
In the agrarian societies of the Ancient Near East, land and livestock were not merely commodities but the very bedrock of a family's existence, inheritance, and social standing. Land boundaries, often marked by stone pillars or other fixed markers known as "landmarks," were considered sacrosanct. Their placement was typically consecrated, legally protected, and often passed down through generations. To "remove" these markers, as explicitly forbidden in Mosaic Law (e.g., Deuteronomy 19:14 and Deuteronomy 27:17), was an act of profound fraud and theft, effectively dispossessing someone of their rightful property and often targeting the poor and marginalized who lacked powerful protectors. Similarly, flocks of sheep and goats represented a family's primary source of food, clothing, capital, and economic security. The "violent taking away" of these animals was a brutal act of robbery and exploitation, directly threatening a family's survival and demonstrating a complete disregard for established law and communal well-being.
Key Themes
Job 24:2 contributes significantly to several overarching themes within the book of Job. Firstly, it powerfully illustrates the theme of Pervasive Injustice, as Job highlights the widespread moral failings and exploitation that plague society, directly challenging the simplistic notion of immediate divine recompense. Secondly, this verse underscores the Suffering of the Righteous and Vulnerable, as the victims of such crimes are invariably the poor, widows, and defenseless. Thirdly, it emphasizes the Violation of Covenant and Social Norms, as these acts directly contravene established laws and ethical principles designed to protect the community and reflect God's character. Ultimately, these observations intensify Job's central theological struggle: reconciling God's justice and sovereignty with the apparent Divine Hiddenness or Non-Intervention in the face of rampant evil, a profound question that permeates the entire book of Job.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This feminine noun refers to a boundary, border, or region, specifically denoting the physical markers (often stones) that delineated property lines in ancient agrarian societies. The integrity of these landmarks was paramount, as they defined inheritance and ownership. Their removal was not a minor offense but a severe act of fraud, a fundamental violation of property rights that could dispossess a family of their ancestral land and livelihood.
This primitive root verb signifies to pluck off, to flay, strip, or rob. It implies an aggressive, forceful, and unlawful seizure of property, distinguishing it from mere theft. The use of gâzal emphasizes the predatory and brutal nature of the offenders, who do not merely steal but actively overpower and dispossess their victims through violence or coercion, highlighting their complete disregard for the victim's well-being and legal rights.
This primitive root verb primarily means "to tend a flock" or "to pasture it," but can also mean "to graze" or, by extension, "to devour" or "eat up." In the context of Job 24:2, when combined with "violently take away flocks," it carries the sinister implication of the perpetrators not only robbing the vulnerable but then brazenly consuming or profiting from the stolen livelihood. This act underscores their callousness and the direct, destructive impact of their injustice on the victims' survival.
Verse Breakdown
"[Some] remove the landmarks;"
This clause describes a clandestine yet devastating act of fraud. The anonymous "some" refers to the wicked and unscrupulous individuals Job observes, who surreptitiously or brazenly shift boundary markers. By doing so, they illegally expand their own property at the expense of their neighbors, particularly the poor and defenseless who often lack the means or power to contest such an injustice. This act undermines the very fabric of communal order, respect for property, and the sacredness of inherited land.
"they violently take away flocks, and feed [thereof]."
This second clause details an overt act of robbery and exploitation. The "they" are the same wicked individuals, who not only seize another's vital livestock by force but then proceed to consume or profit from it. The phrase "feed thereof" emphasizes the brazenness and self-serving nature of the act, demonstrating a complete disregard for the victim's well-being and survival. This action strips a family of its primary capital, food source, and means of livelihood, leaving them destitute and vulnerable.
Literary Devices
The verse employs powerful Imagery to paint a vivid and concrete picture of injustice. The acts of "removing landmarks" and "violently taking away flocks" are tangible, relatable examples of oppression that would have resonated deeply with an ancient audience dependent on land and livestock for survival. The directness of the language, particularly the verb "violently take away" (gâzal), conveys the aggressive and destructive nature of the wicked. The verse functions as a specific Exemplum within Job's broader Lament and Protest, providing empirical evidence for his argument that the wicked often act with impunity. The Juxtaposition of established, sacred boundaries (landmarks) with their ruthless violation underscores the moral depravity Job observes, highlighting the breakdown of societal order and justice. This stark contrast serves to amplify Job's theological dilemma.
Theological and Thematic Connections
The observations in Job 24:2 resonate deeply with the broader biblical emphasis on justice, property rights, and the protection of the vulnerable. Throughout Scripture, God is portrayed as fundamentally just, and His Law consistently upholds the rights of individuals, especially the poor and marginalized. The acts Job describes—fraudulent land appropriation and violent theft of livelihood—are direct affronts to divine commands and the very fabric of a righteous society. Job's lament here is not merely a complaint about personal suffering, but a profound theological cry concerning the apparent disconnect between God's known character of justice and the widespread, unpunished injustice he witnesses in the world. This tension drives much of the book's theological inquiry, forcing a re-evaluation of simplistic understandings of divine retribution and human suffering, and prompting a deeper contemplation of God's timing and methods of justice.
Reflection and Application
Job 24:2, though rooted in the specific context of ancient agrarian life, offers profound and enduring principles for contemporary reflection and application. The "removal of landmarks" can be understood as any act that unjustly alters or disregards established boundaries of ownership, rights, or integrity—whether in digital spaces (e.g., identity theft, cyber fraud), economic realms (e.g., predatory lending, corporate malfeasance, intellectual property theft), or social structures (e.g., systemic injustices that dispossess marginalized communities or deny access to essential resources). Similarly, "violently taking away flocks" speaks to any form of exploitation that strips individuals or families of their essential livelihood or resources, such as wage theft, unethical business practices, human trafficking, or the unjust seizure of assets. This verse compels us to critically examine the hidden and overt injustices in our world and challenges believers to embody God's character of justice. It calls us not only to refrain from such acts ourselves but also to actively advocate for fairness, integrity, and the protection of the vulnerable, recognizing that true faith demands a commitment to righteousness in all our dealings and a prophetic voice against oppression.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What is the deeper significance of "removing landmarks" in ancient Israelite society?
In ancient Israel, "landmarks" (Hebrew: gᵉbûwlâh) were physical markers, typically stones, that delineated property boundaries. These were not merely legal markers but held profound social, economic, and even spiritual significance. Land was considered a divine gift, an inheritance from God, and its boundaries were sacred and inviolable. Moving a landmark was a severe act of fraud and theft, equivalent to dispossessing a family of their ancestral inheritance and livelihood. It was explicitly forbidden in the Mosaic Law, as seen in Deuteronomy 19:14 and Deuteronomy 27:17, and was considered an act of injustice against the vulnerable, particularly the poor, widows, and orphans, who often lacked the power to defend their property. This act violated both human law and divine covenant.
Why does Job choose these specific examples of injustice in his lament?
Job selects these particular injustices—the removal of landmarks and the violent theft of flocks—because they are concrete, visceral, and universally understood examples of exploitation that directly impact the most vulnerable members of society. These acts represent fundamental violations of property rights and the means of survival, making them powerful illustrations of the pervasive wickedness Job observes. By detailing such tangible offenses, Job provides empirical evidence for his central argument: that the wicked often prosper and commit egregious acts with apparent impunity, directly challenging the simplistic retribution theology of his friends. These examples underscore the depth of suffering experienced by the righteous and fuel Job's profound questions about God's justice and apparent non-intervention in the face of such blatant evil, which is a key theme throughout the book of Job.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
While Job 24:2 vividly portrays the brokenness and injustice inherent in a fallen world, it powerfully points forward to the ultimate solution found in the person and work of Jesus Christ. The acts of "removing landmarks" and "violently taking away flocks" highlight humanity's pervasive propensity for sin, exploitation, and disregard for the vulnerable—a reality that Christ came to confront, redeem, and ultimately overcome. Jesus, the perfectly righteous one, was Himself the supreme victim of profound injustice, condemned and crucified despite His blamelessness, as prophesied in Isaiah 53. He is the Good Shepherd who does not violently take away but lays down His life for His sheep, protecting them from the true predators of sin and death. His teachings consistently championed the cause of the poor, the marginalized, and the oppressed, condemning those who exploit the vulnerable, as seen in His parables about the rich fool (Luke 12:16-21) or the unrighteous steward (Luke 16:1-13). Ultimately, Christ's atoning work on the cross addresses the very root of the sin that gives rise to such injustices, offering forgiveness, reconciliation, and the transformative power to live righteously. His future return will bring about the full and final establishment of God's perfect kingdom, where justice will roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream, as envisioned in Amos 5:24. In Him, the ultimate landmark of God's righteous rule is established forever, and His flock is eternally secure and protected from all forms of exploitation.