Job 24:17-25

17 "For the morning is the same to him as thick darkness, For he is familiar with the 1terrors of thick darkness.
18 "They are 2insignificant on the surface of the water; Their portion is 3cursed on the earth. They do not turn toward the 4vineyards.
19 "Drought and heat 5consume the snow waters, So does 6Sheol those who have sinned.
20 "A 7mother will forget him; The 8worm feeds sweetly till he is 9no longer remembered. And wickedness will be broken 10like a tree.
21 "He wrongs the barren woman And does no good for 11the widow.
22 "But He drags off the valiant by 12His power; He rises, but 13no one has assurance of life.
23 "He provides them 14with security, and they are supported; And His 15eyes are on their ways.
24 "They are exalted a 16little while, then they are gone; Moreover, they are 17brought low and like everything gathered up; Even like the heads of grain they are cut off.
25 "Now if it is not so, 18who can prove me a liar, And make my speech worthless?"

Job 24:17-25 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JOB 24

This chapter contains the second part of Job's answer to the last discourse of Eliphaz, in which he shows that wicked men, those of the worst characters, prosper in the world, and go through it with impunity; he lays down this as a certain truth, that though no time is hid from God, yet they that are most familiar with him, and know most of him, do not see, and cannot observe, any days of his for judging and punishing wicked men in, this life, Job 24:1; and instances in men guilty of injustice, violence, oppression, cruelty, and inhumanity, to their neighbours, and yet God lays not folly to them, or charges them with sin, and punishes them for it, Job 24:2-12; and in persons that commit the most atrocious crimes in secret, such as murderers, adulterers, and thieves, Job 24:13-17; he allows that there is a curse upon their portion, and that the grave shall consume them, and they shall be remembered no more, Job 24:18-20; and because of their ill treatment of others, though they may be in safety and prosperity, and be exalted for a while, they shall be brought low and cut off by death, but generally speaking are not punished in this life, Job 24:21-24; and concludes with the greatest assurance of being in the right, and having truth on his side, Job 24:25.

Cross References 18

Footnotes 6

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