Job 24:23 | KingComments | STEP | Job describes a few more wrongs wicked man has committed without anyone punishing him. He has treated the childless and barren woman badly ( ). Such a woman already suffers from the defamation of childlessness, so that she also lacks children to help her. On top of that she now also has to deal with someone who despises her and hurts her. The widow is also a defenseless woman. The wicked refuses to do good to a needy widow. That is considered sin. “Therefore, to one who knows [the] right [or: good] thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin” ( ). His ungodly actions are not limited to the poor, the wretched and the defenseless. The “valiant” are also a target for him ( ). He oppresses them and submits them to himself. When he rises, that is to say, when he rises to do an evil work, no one is certain of his life. Anyone can be his prey. God does not hinder him and therefore the wicked one can continue to live without fear ( ). No one blocks him. This encourages him to continue his evil practice (cf. ). But there is one thing he does not count on and that is that God’s eyes see him always and everywhere. In the end, the wicked man has only been able to enjoy his prosperity for a short time ( ; cf. ). Someone can grow old, but life is short after all. He may have had a successful life. People looked up to him, out of fear or flattery. Job’s friends have said that the evil ones are punished for their sins already during their life, and that great criminals bring great disasters upon themselves. Job denies this and shows that great criminals can also have great prestige. But Job also knows that no matter how many wicked deeds the wicked man has done, and no matter how long he could go on undisturbed, his regime will come to an end. Suddenly he and his friends in evil are no longer in the land of the living. None of them escapes death. Then their causing death and destruction is over. It is also over with the enjoyment of the possessions they had appropriated through their sinful deeds. They, like all other people, are brought low in the grave and locked up there, along with all those who have gone before them. It goes with them like “the heads of grain” that are cut off at harvest, when it is ripe, and not before that time. The cut off ears are then crushed. They are cut off from life to be judged afterward. The latter is beyond Job’s sight, but we know that after death judgment comes ( ). After these words, Job challenges his friends with the words: Is it not so? ( ). He has mentioned facts that no one can deny. The evil ones prosper, live long and die peacefully, without any indication that God dislikes them. Does any one of them dare to dispute what he has said? Can anyone prove him a liar? They can’t get a word in edgeways. These are not meaningless, empty words, which can be sidelined as worthless words. In Paul’s words, they are “words of sober truth [literally: of truth and rationality]” ( ). In the next chapter there will be one more response to these words from one of the friends. Bildad tries again. It is a short reply, without going into what Job said. He says a few more words about the greatness of God, and then his voice is also silent.

‏ Job 24:23

God Seems to Protect the Wicked

Job describes a few more wrongs wicked man has committed without anyone punishing him. He has treated the childless and barren woman badly (Job 24:21). Such a woman already suffers from the defamation of childlessness, so that she also lacks children to help her. On top of that she now also has to deal with someone who despises her and hurts her.

The widow is also a defenseless woman. The wicked refuses to do good to a needy widow. That is considered sin. “Therefore, to one who knows [the] right [or: good] thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin” (Jam 4:17).

His ungodly actions are not limited to the poor, the wretched and the defenseless. The “valiant” are also a target for him (Job 24:22). He oppresses them and submits them to himself. When he rises, that is to say, when he rises to do an evil work, no one is certain of his life. Anyone can be his prey.

God does not hinder him and therefore the wicked one can continue to live without fear (Job 24:23). No one blocks him. This encourages him to continue his evil practice (cf. Ecc 8:11). But there is one thing he does not count on and that is that God’s eyes see him always and everywhere.

In the end, the wicked man has only been able to enjoy his prosperity for a short time (Job 24:24; cf. Job 20:5). Someone can grow old, but life is short after all. He may have had a successful life. People looked up to him, out of fear or flattery. Job’s friends have said that the evil ones are punished for their sins already during their life, and that great criminals bring great disasters upon themselves. Job denies this and shows that great criminals can also have great prestige.

But Job also knows that no matter how many wicked deeds the wicked man has done, and no matter how long he could go on undisturbed, his regime will come to an end. Suddenly he and his friends in evil are no longer in the land of the living. None of them escapes death. Then their causing death and destruction is over. It is also over with the enjoyment of the possessions they had appropriated through their sinful deeds.

They, like all other people, are brought low in the grave and locked up there, along with all those who have gone before them. It goes with them like “the heads of grain” that are cut off at harvest, when it is ripe, and not before that time. The cut off ears are then crushed. They are cut off from life to be judged afterward. The latter is beyond Job’s sight, but we know that after death judgment comes (Heb 9:27).

After these words, Job challenges his friends with the words: Is it not so? (Job 24:25). He has mentioned facts that no one can deny. The evil ones prosper, live long and die peacefully, without any indication that God dislikes them. Does any one of them dare to dispute what he has said? Can anyone prove him a liar? They can’t get a word in edgeways. These are not meaningless, empty words, which can be sidelined as worthless words. In Paul’s words, they are “words of sober truth [literally: of truth and rationality]” (Acts 26:25).

In the next chapter there will be one more response to these words from one of the friends. Bildad tries again. It is a short reply, without going into what Job said. He says a few more words about the greatness of God, and then his voice is also silent.