1 Why, seeing Times are not hidden from the Almightie, doe they, that know him not, see his dayes?
2 Some remooue the land-markes; they violently take away flocks, and feed thereof.
3 They driue away the asse of the fatherlesse, they take the widowes oxe for a pledge.
4 They turne the needy out of the way: the poore of the earth hide themselues together.
5 Behold, as wilde asses in the desart, goe they foorth to their worke, rising betimes for a pray: the wildernes yeeldeth food for them, and for their children.
6 They reape euery one his corne in the fielde: and they gather the vintage of the wicked.
7 They cause the naked to lodge without clothing, that they haue no couering in the cold.
8 They are wet with the showres of the mountaines, and imbrace the rocke for want of a shelter.
9 They plucke the fatherlesse from the brest, and take a pledge of the poore.
10 They cause him to go naked without clothing: and they take away the sheafe from the hungry,
11 Which make oyle within their walles, and tread their winepresses, and suffer thirst.
12 Men groane from out of the city, and the soule of the wounded crieth out: yet God layeth not folly to them.
13 They are of those that rebell against the light, they know not the wayes thereof, nor abide in the pathes thereof.
14 The murderer rising with the light, killeth the poore and needy, and in the night is as a thiefe.
15 The eye also of the adulterer waiteth for the twilight, saying, No eye shall see me: and disguiseth his face.
16 In the darke they digge through houses which they had marked for themselues in the day time: they know not the light.
17 For the morning is to them euen as the shadow of death: if one know them, they are in the terrours of the shadow of death.
18 Hee is swift as the waters, their portion is cursed in the earth: he beholdeth not the way of the Uineyards.
19 Drought and heate consume the snow waters: so doeth the graue those which haue sinned.
20 The wombe shall forget him, the worme shall feed sweetly on him, hee shall be no more remembred, and wickednes shalbe broken as a tree.
21 He euill intreateth the barren, that beareth not: and doeth not good to the widow.
22 He draweth also the mighty with his power: he riseth vp, and no man is sure of life.
23 Though it be giuen him to be in safety, whereon he resteth; yet his eyes are vpon their wayes.
24 They are exalted for a litle while, but are gone and brought low, they are taken out of the way as al other, and cut off as the tops of the eares of corne.
25 And if it be not so now, who will make mee a liar, and make my speach nothing worth?
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.
Commentary by Matthew Henry, 1710.