Job 24:22-25

24:22 But God ¹  drags off the mighty by his power;

when God ²  rises up against him, he has no faith in his life. ³ 

24:23 God ⁴  may let them rest in a feeling of security, ⁵ 

but he is constantly watching ⁶  all their ways. ⁷ 

24:24 They are exalted for a little while,

and then they are gone, ⁸ 

they are brought low ⁹  like all others,

and gathered in, ¹⁰ 

and like a head of grain they are cut off.’ ¹¹ 

24:25 “If this is not so, who can prove me a liar

and reduce my words to nothing?” ¹² 

[24:22]  ¹ tn God has to be the subject of this clause. None is stated in the Hebrew text, but “God” has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[24:22]  ² tn Heb “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity. See the note on the word “life” at the end of the line.

[24:22]  ³ tn This line has been given a number of interpretations due to its cryptic form. The verb יָקוּם (yaqum) means “he rises up.” It probably is meant to have God as the subject, and be subordinated as a temporal clause to what follows. The words “against him” are not in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied in the translation to specify the object and indicate that “rise up” is meant in a hostile sense. The following verb וְלֹא־יַאֲמִין (vÿlo’-ya’amin), by its very meaning of “and he does not believe,” cannot have God as the subject, but must refer to the wicked.

[24:23]  ⁴ tn Heb “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[24:23]  ⁵ tn The expression לָבֶטַח (lavetakh, “in security”) precedes the verb that it qualifies – God “allows him to take root in security.” For the meaning of the verb, see Job 8:15.

[24:23]  ⁶ tn Heb “his eyes are on.”

[24:23]  ⁷ sn The meaning of the verse is that God may allow the wicked to rest in comfort and security, but all the time he is watching them closely with the idea of bringing judgment on them.

[24:24]  ⁸ tn The Hebrew throughout this section (vv. 18-24) interchanges the singular and the plural. Here again we have “they are exalted…but he is not.” The verse is clear nonetheless: the wicked rise high, and then suddenly they are gone.

[24:24]  ⁹ tn The verb is the Hophal of the rare verb מָכַךְ (makhakh), which seems to mean “to bend; to collapse.” The text would read “they are made to collapse like all others.” There is no reason here to change “like others” just because the MT is banal. But many do, following the LXX with “like mallows.” The LXX was making a translation according to sense. R. Gordis (Job, 271) prefers “like grass.”

[24:24]  ¹⁰ tn The verb קָפַץ (qafats) actually means “to shut in,” which does not provide exactly the idea of being gathered, not directly at least. But a change to קָטַף (qataf, “pluck”) while attractive, is not necessary.

[24:24]  ¹¹ sn This marks the end of the disputed section, taken here to be a quotation by Job of their sentiments.

[24:25]  ¹² tn The word אַל (’al, “not”) is used here substantivally (“nothing”).