Job 24:4

4 They destroyed the way of poor men, and they oppressed together the mild men of [the] earth. (They pushed the poor out of their way, and they oppressed the needy of the earth, who huddle together.)

Job 24:4 Meaning and Commentary

Job 24:4

They turn the needy out of the way
Either, in a moral sense, out of the right way, the way of righteousness and truth, by their bad examples, or by their threatenings or flatteries; or, in a civil sense, out of the way of their livelihood, by taking that from them by which they got it; or, in a literal sense, obliging them to turn out of the way from them, in a supercilious and haughty manner, or causing them, through fear of them, to get out of the way, that they might not meet them, lest they should insult them, beat and abuse them, or take that little from them they had, as follows:

the poor of the earth hide themselves together;
who are not only poor in purse, but poor in spirit, meek, humble, and lowly, and have not spirit and courage to stand against such oppressors, but are easily crushed by them; these through fear of them hide themselves in holes and corners in a body, in a large company together, lest they should fall into their cruel hands, and be used by them in a barbarous manner, see ( Proverbs 28:28 ) .

Job 24:4 In-Context

2 Other men have turned over the terms, (or the boundary stones,) of (their) neighbours, they have taken away their flocks, and fed themselves.

3 They have driven away the ass of fatherless children, and they took away the cow of a widow for a wed. (They have driven away the donkey of some fatherless children, and they took away the cow of a widow for a pledge.)

4 They destroyed the way of poor men, and they oppressed together the mild men of [the] earth. (They pushed the poor out of their way, and they oppressed the needy of the earth, who huddle together.)

5 Other men as wild asses in desert go out to their work; and they wake to (take) prey, and before make ready bread to their children. (Other men, like wild donkeys, go out to the wilderness; and they seek prey, to find food for their children.)

6 They cut down a field not theirs, and they gather [the] grapes of his vinery, whom they have oppressed by violence. (They cut down a field not their own, and they gather grapes from the vineyard of the wicked.)