Job 24:9

9 Zij rukken het weesje van de borst, en dat over den arme is, nemen zij te pand.

Job 24:9 Meaning and Commentary

Job 24:9

They pluck the fatherless from the breast
Either on purpose to starve it, which must be extremely barbarous; or to sell it to be brought up a slave; or by obliging the mother to wean it before the due time, that she might be the better able to do work for them they obliged her to. Mr. Broughton renders the words, "of mischievousness they rob the fatherless"; that is, through the greatness of the mischief they do, as Ben Gersom interprets it; or through the exceeding mischievous disposition they are of; of which this is a flagrant instance; or

``they rob the fatherless of what remains for him after spoiling ^F14,''

or devastation, through the plunder of his father's substance now dead, which was exceeding cruel:

and take a pledge of the poor;
either the poor himself, or his poor fatherless children, see ( 2 Kings 4:1 ) ; or what is "upon the poor" ^F15, as it may be rendered; that is, his raiment, which was commonly taken for a pledge; and, by a law afterwards established in Israel, was obliged to be restored before sunset, that he might have a covering to sleep in, ( Exodus 22:26 Exodus 22:27 ) ; (See Gill on Job 22:6).

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FOOTNOTES:

F14 (dvm) "per devastationem", some in Munster; "post vastationem", Tigurine version; so Nachmanides & Bar Tzemach.
F15 (yne le) "super inopem", Cocceius, Schultens; so Ben Gersom.

Job 24:9 In-Context

7 Den naakten laten zij vernachten zonder kleding, die geen deksel heeft tegen de koude.

8 Van den stroom der bergen worden zij nat, en zonder toevlucht zijnde, omhelzen zij de steenrotsen.

9 Zij rukken het weesje van de borst, en dat over den arme is, nemen zij te pand.

10 Den naakte doen zij weggaan zonder kleed, en hongerig, die garven dragen.

11 Tussen hun muren persen zij olie uit, treden de wijnpersen, en zijn dorstig.