
Text -- Job 24:20 (NET)




Names, People and Places, Dictionary Themes and Topics



collapse allCommentary -- Word/Phrase Notes (per phrase)
His mother that bare him in her womb.

Broken to pieces, or violently broken down, as the word signifies.

Which being once broken down never grows again.
JFB: Job 24:18-21 - -- In these verses Job quotes the opinions of his adversaries ironically; he quoted them so before (Job 21:7-21). In Job 24:22-24, he states his own obse...
In these verses Job quotes the opinions of his adversaries ironically; he quoted them so before (Job 21:7-21). In Job 24:22-24, he states his own observation as the opposite. You say, "The sinner is swift, that is, swiftly passes away (as a thing floating) on the surface of the waters" (Ecc 11:1; Hos 10:7).

By those who witness their "swift" destruction.

JFB: Job 24:18-21 - -- "turneth not to"; figuratively, for He cannot enjoy his pleasant possessions (Job 20:17; Job 15:33).

JFB: Job 24:18-21 - -- Including his fields, fertile as vineyards; opposite to "the way of the desert."
Including his fields, fertile as vineyards; opposite to "the way of the desert."

JFB: Job 24:20 - -- The very mother that bare him, and who is the last to "forget" the child that sucked her (Isa 49:15), shall dismiss him from her memory (Job 18:17; Pr...
Clarke: Job 24:20 - -- The womb shall forget him - The mother that bare him shall have no affection for him, nor be afflicted at his death. But the word רחם rechem s...
The womb shall forget him - The mother that bare him shall have no affection for him, nor be afflicted at his death. But the word

Clarke: Job 24:20 - -- And wickedness shall be broken as a tree - He shall be as a rotten or decayed tree, easily broken to pieces. If it were clear that עולה avlah ,...
And wickedness shall be broken as a tree - He shall be as a rotten or decayed tree, easily broken to pieces. If it were clear that
TSK -> Job 24:20
TSK: Job 24:20 - -- the worm : Job 17:14, Job 19:26
he shall be : Pro 10:7; Ecc 8:10; Isa 26:14
wickedness : Job 14:7-10, Job 18:16, Job 18:17; Dan 4:14; Mat 3:10

collapse allCommentary -- Word/Phrase Notes (per Verse)
Barnes -> Job 24:20
Barnes: Job 24:20 - -- The womb shall forget him - His mother who bare him shall forget him. The idea here seems to be, that he shall fade out of the memory, just as ...
The womb shall forget him - His mother who bare him shall forget him. The idea here seems to be, that he shall fade out of the memory, just as other persons do. He shall not be overtaken with any disgraceful punishment, thus giving occasion to remember him by a death of ignominy. At first view it would seem to be a calamity to be soon forgotten by a mother; but if the above interpretation be correct, then it means that the condition of his death would be such that there would be no occasion for a mother to remember him with sorrow and shame, as she would one who was ignominiously executed for his crimes. This interpretation was proposed by Mercer, and has been adopted by Rosenmuller, Noyes, and others. It accords with the general scope of the passage, and is probably correct. Various other interpretations, however, have been proposed, which may be seen in Good, and in the Critici Sacri.
The worm shall feed sweetly on him - As on others. He shall die and be buried in the usual manner. He shall lie quietly in the grave, and there return to his native dust. He shall not be suspended on a gibbet, or torn and devoured by wild beasts; but his death and burial shall be peaceful and calm; see Job 21:26, note; Job 19:26, note.
He shall be no more remembered - As having been a man of eminent guilt, or as ignominiously punished. The meaning is, that there is nothing marked and distinguishing in his death. There is no special manifestation of the divine displeasure. There is some truth in this, that the wicked cease to be remembered. People hasten to forget them; and having done no good that makes them the objects of grateful reminiscence, their memory fades away. This, so far from being a calamity and a curse, Job regards as a favor. It would be a calamity to be remembered as a bad man, and as having died an ignominious death.
And wickedness shall be broken as a tree - Evil here or wickedness (
Poole -> Job 24:20
Poole: Job 24:20 - -- His mother that bare him in her womb, and much more the rest of his friends, shall seldom or never remember or mention him, to wit, with honour and ...
His mother that bare him in her womb, and much more the rest of his friends, shall seldom or never remember or mention him, to wit, with honour and comfort, but shall rather be afraid and ashamed to own their relation to one that lived such a vile and wretched life, and died such an accursed death. This he shall have instead of all that honour and renown which he thirsted and laboured for, and expected should perfume his name and memory. This proud and insolent tyrant that preyed upon all his neighbours, Job 24:2,3 , &c., shall himself become a prey and a sweet morsel to the contemptible worms.
He shall be no more remembered to wit, with honour, or so as he desired and hoped; but his name shall rot, and scarce ever be mentioned but with infamy and execration.
Wickedness i.e. the wicked man, of whom he is here treating; the abstract being put for the concrete, of which many instances have been formerly given;
shall be broken to pieces or violently broken down, as the word signifies. He shall be utterly and irrecoverably destroyed. And this expression plainly showeth first the former clauses are not to be understood of the sinner’ s happiness in an easy and comfortable death, but of his cursed and miserable end.
As a tree which being once broken, either by its own weight, or by some violent wind, or by the hand of man, never groweth again.
Haydock -> Job 24:20
Haydock: Job 24:20 - -- Sweetness. These will inherit him; (Haydock) for here all his pleasures will terminate. (Calmet)
Sweetness. These will inherit him; (Haydock) for here all his pleasures will terminate. (Calmet)
Gill -> Job 24:20
Gill: Job 24:20 - -- The womb shall forget him,.... His mother that bore him; or his wife, by whom he had many children; or his friend, as Gersom, who had a tender and aff...
The womb shall forget him,.... His mother that bore him; or his wife, by whom he had many children; or his friend, as Gersom, who had a tender and affectionate respect for him; these all, and each of them, either because of his wicked life and infamous death, care not to speak of him, but bury him in oblivion; or because of his quiet and easy death, are not distressed with it, but soon forget him; unless this is to be understood of the womb of the earth, in which being buried, he lies forgotten, to which the next clause agrees; though some interpret it of God himself the word having the signification of mercy b; who, though mercy itself, is rich and abundant in it, yet has no mercy for, nor shows any favour to, such men; but they lie in the grave among those whom he remembers no more in a way of grace and favour, Psa 85:5;
the worm shall feed sweetly on him; for being brought to the grave at once, without any wasting distemper, is a fine repast for worms, his breasts being full of milk, and his bones moistened with marrow, and full of flesh; or "the worm is sweet unto him" c; he feels no pain by its feeding on him, and so the sense is just the same with that expression, "the clods of the valley shall be sweet unto him", Job 21:33;
he shall be no more remembered; with any mark of honour and respect; his memory shall rot with him, while the righteous are had in everlasting remembrance; or rather dying a common death, and not made a public example of:
and wickedness shall be broken as a tree; that is, wicked men, who are wickedness itself, extremely wicked, and are like to a tree, sometimes flourishing in external prosperity, having an affluence of the things of this world, and always like barren and unfruitful trees, with respect to grace and good works; these, when the axe of death is laid to the root of them, they are cut down, and their substance comes to nothing, and their families are destroyed, and so they become like trees struck with thunder and lightning, and broken into ten thousand shivers; or as the trees in Egypt were broken to pieces by the plague of hail, Exo 9:25.

expand allCommentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes

expand allCommentary -- Verse Range Notes
TSK Synopsis -> Job 24:1-25
TSK Synopsis: Job 24:1-25 - --1 Wickedness often goes unpunished.17 There is a secret judgment for the wicked.
MHCC -> Job 24:18-25
MHCC: Job 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...
Matthew Henry -> Job 24:18-25
Matthew Henry: Job 24:18-25 - -- Job here, in the conclusion of his discourse, I. Gives some further instances of the wickedness of these cruel bloody men. 1. Some are pirates and r...
Keil-Delitzsch -> Job 24:18-21
Keil-Delitzsch: Job 24:18-21 - --
18 For he is light upon the surface of the water;
Their heritage is cursed upon the earth;
He turneth no more in the way of the vineyard.
19 Drou...
Constable: Job 22:1--27:23 - --D. The Third cycle of Speeches between Job and His Three Friends chs. 22-27
In round one of the debate J...

Constable: Job 23:1--24:25 - --2. Job's third reply to Eliphaz chs. 23-24
Job ignored Eliphaz's groundless charges of sin tempo...
