Job 24:19

19 Drought and heat snatch away the snow waters; so does 1Sheol those who have sinned.

Job 24:19 Meaning and Commentary

Job 24:19

Drought and heat consume the snow waters
Melt the snow into water, and dry up that, which is done easily, quickly, and suddenly:

[so doth] the grave [those which] have sinned;
all have sinned, but some are more notorious sinners than others, as those here meant; and all die and are laid in the grave, and are consumed; hence the grave is called the pit of corruption and destruction, because bodies are corrupted and destroyed in it, and which is the case of all, both good and bad men; but the metaphor here used to express it by, of the consumption of snow water by drought and heat, denotes either that the death of these persons is sudden and violent, and in such a manner are brought to the grave, consumed there; that they die a sudden death, and before their time, and do not live out half the days, which, according to the course of nature, they might have lived, or it was expected by them and others they would; whereas they are "snatched away", as the word signifies, as suddenly and violently as snow waters are by the drought and heat; or else that their death is quick, quiet, and easy, as snow is quickly dissolved, and the water as soon and as easily dried up by the drought and heat; they do not lie long under torturing diseases, but are at once taken away, and scarce feel any pain; they die in their full strength, wholly at ease and quiet; which sense well answers Job's scope and design, see ( Job 21:23 ) ( Psalms 73:4 ) . Some render the words, "in the drought and heat they rob, and in the snow waters" F26; that is, they rob at all times and seasons of the year, summer and winter; and this is their constant trade and employ; they are always at it, let the weather be what it will: and "they sin unto the grave", or "hell" F1; they continue in their wicked course of life as long as they live, until they are brought to the grave; they live and die in sin.


FOOTNOTES:

F26 (b) "deficit"; so some in Simeon, Bar Tzemach.
F1 (wajx lwav) "ad infernum usque peccarunt", Schmidt; "usque ad sepulchrum", Mercerus; some in Drusius.

Job 24:19 In-Context

17 For deep darkness is morning to all of them; for they are friends with the terrors of deep darkness.
18 "You say, 'Swift are they on the face of the waters; their portion is cursed in the land; no treader turns toward their vineyards.
19 Drought and heat snatch away the snow waters; so does Sheol those who have sinned.
20 The womb forgets them; the worm finds them sweet; they are no longer remembered, so wickedness is broken like a tree.'
21 "They wrong the barren, childless woman, and do no good to the widow.

Cross References 1

The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.