Job 29:17

17 I broke the jaws of the unrighteous, And plucked the prey out of his teeth.

Job 29:17 Meaning and Commentary

Job 29:17

And I brake the jaws of the wicked
Their jaw teeth, or grinders, alluding to beasts of prey, who have such teeth, very large; the meaning may be, that Job confuted the arguments which wicked men made use of in their own defence, and against the poor, exposed the weakness of them, and made them ineffectual to answer their purposes; disabled tyrants and cruel oppressors from doing any further hurt and damage to the fatherless and helpless; was an instrument in the hand of God of breaking the power, and weakening the hands of such persons, and hindering them from doing the mischief they otherwise would; see ( Proverbs 30:14 ) ( Psalms 3:7 ) ( 58:6 ) ;

and plucked the spoil out of his teeth;
as David took the lamb out of the mouth of the bear and lion that came into his father's flock, and carried it off: thus Job delivered the poor out of the hands of such monsters in nature, comparable to beasts of prey, and saved them from being utterly ruined by them, and obliged them to restore unto them what they had in an unrighteous manner taken from them.

Job 29:17 In-Context

15 I was eyes to the blind, And feet to the lame.

16 I was a father to the needy. The cause of him who I didn't know, I searched out.

17 I broke the jaws of the unrighteous, And plucked the prey out of his teeth.

18 Then I said, 'I shall die in my own house, I shall number my days as the sand.

19 My root is spread out to the waters, The dew lies all night on my branch;