Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Job 24:8

They are wet with the showers of the mountains, and embrace the rock for want of a shelter.

8. The mountain rains, more violent than even those in the plain, drench these thinly-clad outcasts; and they “embrace the rock,” i. e. huddle in closely under its ledge.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

They are wet with the showers of the mountains – That is, the poor persons, or the travelers whom they have robbed. Hills collect the clouds, and showers seem to pour down from the mountains. These showers often collect and pour down so suddenly that there is scarcely time to seek a shelter.

And embrace the rock for want of a shelter – Take refuge beneath a projecting rock. The robbers drive them away from their homes, or plunder them of their tents, and leave them to find a shelter from the storm, or at night, beneath a rock. This agrees exactly with what Niebuhr says of the wandering Arabs near mount Sinai: Those who cannot afford a tent, spread out a cloth upon four or six stakes; and others spread their cloth near a tree, or endeavor to shelter themselves from the heat and the rain in the cavities of the rocks. Reisebeschreib. i. Thes s. 233.

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Verse 8. They are wet with the showers of the mountains] Mr. Good thinks that torrents, not showers, is the proper translation of the original zerem; but I think showers of the mountain strictly proper. I have seen many of these in mountainous countries, where the tails of water-spouts have been intercepted and broken, and the outpouring of them would be incredible to those who have never witnessed similar phenomena. The rain fell in torrents, and produced torrents on the land, carrying away earth and stones and every thing before them, scooping out great gullies in the sides of the mountains. Mountain torrents are not produced but by such extraordinary outpourings of rain, formed either by water-spouts, or by vast masses of clouds intercepted and broken to pieces by the mountain tops.

And embrace the rock for want of a shelter.] In such cases as that related above, the firm rock is the only shelter which can be found, or safely trusted.

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

They, i.e. the poor, being stripped of their raiment, and forced away from their houses.

With the showers of the mountains; with the rain water, which in great showers run down from the rocks or mountains into the caves or holes in the sides of them, to which they fled for shelter.

Embrace the rock, i.e. are glad when they can find a cavern or cleft of a rock in which they may have some protection against the injuries of the weather, and a hiding-place from the fury of their oppressors. Compare Lam 4:5.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

8. Theythe plunderedtravellers.

embrace the rocktakerefuge under it (La 4:5).

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

They are wet with the showers of the mountains,…. They that are without any clothes to cover them, lying down at the bottom of a hill or mountain, where the clouds often gather, and there break, or the snow at the top of them melts through the heat of the day; and whether by the one or by the other, large streams of water run down the mountains, and the naked poor, or such who are thinly clothed, are all over wet therewith, as Nebuchadnezzar’s body was with the dew of heaven, when he was driven from men, and lived among beasts, Da 4:33:

and embrace the rock for want of a shelter; or habitation, as the Targum; having no house to dwell in, nor any raiment to cover them, they were glad to get into the hole of a rock, in a cave or den there, and where some good men in former times were obliged to wander,

Heb 11:38; and whither mean persons, in the time and country in which Job lived, were driven to dwell in, see Job 30:6.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

8. Showers Better, Storms.

Embrace the rock In order to cover at least some part of the body. This closely agrees with what Niebuhr says of the modern wandering Arabs near Mount Sinai: “Those who cannot afford a tent spread out a cloth upon four or six stakes; and others spread their cloth near a tree, or endeavour to shelter themselves from the heat and the rain in the cavities of the rocks.”

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Job 24:8 They are wet with the showers of the mountains, and embrace the rock for want of a shelter.

Ver. 8. They are wet with the showers of the mountains ] Wet they are, but not at all refreshed, as this word (here only found in the Bible) signifieth sometimes among the Rabbis. Cold comfort they find abroad; and at home they dare not abide, lest rich men should oppress them and draw them before the judgment seats, Jas 2:6 , or drag them to prison for refusing their drudgery. Hence they are forced to live in the mountains and desert places, in extreme misery.

And embrace the rock for want of a shelter ] Like conies or wild beasts, glad of any lurking place that may keep them out of the hands of unreasonable and wicked men. What hardship have many worthy men in all ages suffered from persecutors and oppressors (in Dioclesian’s days especially), driven out of house and harbour, and glad to take up in any hole, there to lie on the cold stone instead of a warm bed (as that good duchess of Suffolk, with that noble gentleman her husband, did in the Low Countries, whither they fled from the Marian persecution), till, as Elijah once under the juniper, they wish themselves out of the world? Iterum hic disce gratias Deo agere, saith Lavater. Here again learn to give thanks to God for this great benefit, if thou mayest stay at home, and not be forced to flee for thy life, or for conscience’ sake; for home is home, as we say, and very desirable; and the apostle reckons it for a piece of his sufferings that he was , and had no settled station, no certain dwelling place, , 1Co 4:11 .

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

wet: Son 5:2

embrace: Lam 4:5, Heb 11:38

Reciprocal: Deu 24:13 – deliver Psa 109:10 – General

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Job 24:8. They are wet That is, the poor, being stripped of their raiment, and forced away from their houses; with the showers of the mountains With the rain-water, which, in great showers, runs down from the rocks or mountains into the caves or holes in the sides of them, to which they have fled for shelter. And embrace the rock That is, are glad when they can find a cavern, or cleft of a rock, in which they may have some protection against the injuries of the weather, and a hiding-place from the fury of their oppressors.

Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

24:8 They are wet with the showers of the mountains, {h} and embrace the rock for want of a shelter.

(h) The poor are driven by the wicked into the rock and holes where they cannot lie dry for the rain.

Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes