Job 24:23

24:18-25 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.

Though it be given him to be in safety,.... Or "he gives him" (g), that is, it is God gives the wicked man to be in safety, notwithstanding all his wickedness; for Job, having described the wicked man, now represents him as in the greatest prosperity: safety is of God in every respect, not only the safety of good men, both in a way of providence and in a way of grace, but even of bad men; those are often preserved from the incursions and depredations of others, and their goods are kept, and they possess them in peace, and they dwell secure and confidently without care.

The Vulgate Latin version is widely different, "God gives him place of repentance, and he abuses it to pride;'' though the Targum somewhat agrees with it, "he gives to him repentance, that he may trust, or be confident and be supported:'' so God gave space to repent to the old world; to whose case some Jewish writers apply the context, see Genesis 6:3; whereon he resteth; being in prosperity and safety, he trusts to it, and depends upon it it will ever be the case; he has much goods laid up for many years, and therefore sings "requiem" to his soul, saying, "take thine ease"; tomorrow will be as this day, and much more abundant; things will always be as they are, or better: yet his eyes are upon their ways; or, "and his eyes" (h), that is, the eyes of God, which are upon all men, good and bad, and upon all their ways and works; these are upon the wicked man and all his courses; not to punish him now for his sins; for, though he sees all his wicked actions, not one escapes his notice, yet he lays not folly to him, nor charges him with it, nor inflicts punishment on him for it; nay, his eyes are upon him to prosper and succeed him in all he does; which is the usual sense of the phrase, unless where there is an explanation, or anything said to show the contrary; see Deuteronomy 11:12.

(23) Though it be given. —“Yea, he, that is each of them, giveth him tribute, &c., that he may be secure and stable.” Yet his eyes—that is, the great tyrant’s eyes—are upon their ways.—They are exalted for a little while, but are soon gone, and are taken out of the way like all others. Some understand the subject of the first verb, “he giveth him to be in security,” to be God, and that also makes very good sense, for while God so allows him to be secure, His eyes are on their ways, the ways of all of them. In this case, however, Job 24:24 does not correspond so well with what Job has already said of the impunity with which the wicked are wicked, unless indeed the suddenness of their fate is the main point of his remarks, as in Job 24:19.

Job 24:23 . Though it be given him — Namely, of God; to be in safety — That is, Though God granteth to the oppressor to be for a time in apparent safety, and to live a comfortable life; whereon he resteth — His former experience of God’s long-suffering makes him confident of the continuance of it, so that he is not only happy in his present enjoyments, but also in his freedom from distracting fears of future miseries; yet his eyes are upon their ways — That is, the eyes of God, who, although he gives wicked men such strange successes and great prosperity, yet he sees and observes them all, and marks their whole conduct, and will in due time punish them severely.

Verse 23. - Though it be given him to be in safety, whereon he resteth ; rather, he ( i.e. God ) granteth him to be in security and thereon he resteth ; i.e. God allows the escape of the wicked man from his trouble, and lets him live on, safe and secure, and the man himself rests on the security thus afforded him, quite contented with it. Yet his eyes are upon their ways. God's eyes are still upon the ways of the wicked: they are, or seem to be, the objects of a special providential care. Job 24:23

Heb. He giveth to him to be in safety , or all things necessary for his safety, &c. This verse is understood either, 1. Of the oppressor; if the oppressor give a man his hand or promise that he shall live in safety by him, or if the oppressed give gifts to the oppressor to purchase his quiet and safety, and, as it follows, he resteth upon that assurance given him; yet his, i.e. the oppressor’s, eyes are upon their ways; he watcheth for their halting, and seeks for all occasions to quarrel with them, and to destroy them. Or rather, 2. Of God; and so the words are fitly rendered thus, He , i.e. God, giveth or granteth to him , i.e. to the oppressor, to be in safety, i.e. to live a quiet and comfortable life, and he resteth secure , or he resteth or leaneth upon him, i.e. upon God; his former experience of God’s favour makes him confident of the continuance of it: so he is not only happy in his present enjoyments, but also in his freedom from distracting fears of future miseries; and his , i.e. God’s, eyes are upon their ways, i.e. God blesseth and prospereth him in all his undertakings, as this phrase most commonly signifies, as Deu 11:12 Ezra 5:5 Psalm 33:18 .

Or, yet his eyes are upon their ways, i.e. although God giveth them such strange successes, this doth not proceed from his ignorance or regardlessness of their wicked actions; for he sees and observes them all, and will in due time punish them, though not always in this life, nor as soon as their sins are committed, but in such time and way as he in deep wisdom seeth most fit.

Though it be given him to be in safety - That is, God gives him safety. The name God is often understood, or not expressed. The meaning is, that God gives this wicked man, or oppressor, safety. He is permitted to live a life of security and tranquility. Whereon he resteth - Or, rather, "And he is sustained, or upheld" - (וישׁען veyshâ‛an). The meaning is, that he is sustained or upheld by God. Yet his eyes are upon their ways - "And the eyes of God are upon the ways of such men." That is, God guards and defends them. He seems to smile upon them, and to prosper all their enterprises.