1Why are times not stored up by the Ruler of all, and why do those who have knowledge of him not see his days? 2The landmarks are changed by evil men, they violently take away flocks, together with their keepers. 3They send away the ass of him who has no father, they take the widow's ox for debt. 4The crushed are turned out of the way; all the poor of the earth go into a secret place together. 5Like asses in the waste land they go out to their work, looking for food with care; from the waste land they get bread for their children. 6They get mixed grain from the field, and they take away the late fruit from the vines of those who have wealth. 7They take their rest at night without clothing, and have no cover in the cold. 8They are wet with the rain of the mountains, and get into the cracks of the rock for cover. 9The child without a father is forced from its mother's breast, and they take the young children of the poor for debt. 10Others go about without clothing, and though they have no food, they get in the grain from the fields. 11Between the lines of olive-trees they make oil; though they have no drink, they are crushing out the grapes. 12From the town come sounds of pain from those who are near death, and the soul of the wounded is crying out for help; but God does not take note of their prayer. 13Then there are those who are haters of the light, who have no knowledge of its ways, and do not go in them. 14He who is purposing death gets up before day, so that he may put to death the poor and those in need. 15And the man whose desire is for the wife of another is waiting for the evening, saying, No eye will see me; and he puts a cover on his face. And in the night the thief goes about; 16In the dark he makes holes in the walls of houses: in the daytime they are shutting themselves up, they have no knowledge of the light. 17For the middle of the night is as morning to them, they are not troubled by the fear of the dark. 18They go quickly on the face of the waters; their heritage is cursed in the earth; the steps of the crusher of grapes are not turned to their vine-garden. 19Snow waters become dry with the heat: so do sinners go down into the underworld. 20The public place of his town has no more knowledge of him, and his name has gone from the memory of men: he is rooted up like a dead tree. 21He is not kind to the widow, and he has no pity for her child. 22But God by his power gives long life to the strong; he gets up again, though he has no hope of life. 23He takes away his fear of danger and gives him support; and his eyes are on his ways. 24For a short time they are lifted up; then they are gone; they are made low, they are pulled off like fruit, and like the heads of grain they are cut off. 25And if it is not so, now, who will make it clear that my words are false, and that what I say is of no value?
Matthew Henry's Commentary
Wickedness often unpunished. (1-12) The wicked shun the light. (13-17) Judgements for the wicked. (18-25) 1-12 Job discourses further about the prosperity of the wicked. That many live at ease who are ungodly and profane, he had showed, ch. xxi. Here he shows that many who live in open defiance of all the laws of justice, succeed in wicked practices; and we do not see them reckoned with in this world. He notices those that do wrong under pretence of law and authority; and robbers, those that do wrong by force. He says, "God layeth not folly to them;" that is, he does not at once send his judgments, nor make them examples, and so manifest their folly to all the world. But he that gets riches, and not by right, at his end shall be a fool, #Jer 17:11|. 13-17 See what care and pains wicked men take to compass their wicked designs; let it shame our negligence and slothfulness in doing good. See what pains those take, who make provision for the flesh to fulfil the lusts of it: pains to compass, and then to hide that which will end in death and hell at last. Less pains would mortify and crucify the flesh, and be life and heaven at last. Shame came in with sin, and everlasting shame is at the end of it. See the misery of sinners; they are exposed to continual frights: yet see their folly; they are afraid of coming under the eye of men, but have no dread of God's eye, which is always upon them: they are not afraid of doing things which they are afraid of being known to do. 18-25 Sometimes how gradual is the decay, how quiet the departure of a wicked person, how is he honoured, and how soon are all his cruelties and oppressions forgotten! They are taken off with other men, as the harvestman gathers the ears of corn as they come to hand. There will often appear much to resemble the wrong view of Providence Job takes in this chapter. But we are taught by the word of inspiration, that these notions are formed in ignorance, from partial views. The providence of God, in the affairs of men, is in every thing a just and wise providence. Let us apply this whenever the Lord may try us. He cannot do wrong. The unequalled sorrows of the Son of God when on earth, unless looked at in this view, perplex the mind. But when we behold him, as the sinner's Surety, bearing the curse, we can explain why he should endure that wrath which was due to sin, that Divine justice might be satisfied, and his people saved.