Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Job 24:14
The murderer rising with the light killeth the poor and needy, and in the night is as a thief.
14. with the light ] i. e. toward day-break, while it is still partially dark. At such an hour the murderer waylays the solitary traveller.
is as a thief ] i. e. acts the thief, becomes a thief.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
The murderer – One of the instances, referred to in the previous verse, of those who perform their deeds in darkness.
Rising with the light – Hebrew la’or. Vulgate Mane primo – in the earliest twilight. The meaning is, that he does it very early; by daybreak. It is not in open day, but at the earliest dawn.
Killeth the poor and needy – Those who are so poor and needy that they are obliged to rise early and go forth to their toil. There is a double aggravation – the crime of murder itself, and the fact that it is committed on those who are under a necessity of going forth at that early hour to their labor.
And in the night is as a thief – The same man. Theft is usually committed under cover of the night. The idea of Job is, that though these crimes cannot escape the notice of God, yet that he does not interpose to punish those who committed them. A striking incidental illustration of the fact stated here, occurred in the journey of Messrs. Robinson and Smith, on their way from Akabah to Jerusalem. After retiring to rest one night, they were aroused by a sudden noise; and they apprehended attack by robbers. Our Arabs, says Dr. R. were evidently alarmed. They said, if thieves, they would steal upon us at midnight; if robbers they would come down upon towards morning. Bibl. Research. i. 270. It would seem, therefore, that there was some settled time or order in which they are accustomed to commit their various depredations.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 14. The murderer rising with the light] Perhaps the words should be read as Mr. Good has done: –
With the daylight ariseth the murderer;
Poor and needy, he sheddeth blood.
This description is suitable to a highwayman; one who robs in daylight, and who has been impelled by poverty and distress to use this most unlawful and perilous mode to get bread; and for fear of being discovered or taken, commits murder, and thus adds crime to crime.
In the night is as a thief.] Having been a highwayman in the daytime, he turns footpad or housebreaker by night; and thus goes on from sin to sin.
There have been several instances like the case above, where poverty and distress have induced a man to go to the highway and rob, to repair the ruin of himself and family. I shall introduce an authentic story of this kind, which the reader may find at the end of this chapter. See Clarke on Job 24:25.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
With the light; as soon as the light appears, using no less diligence in his wicked practices, than labourers do in their honest and daily employments.
Killeth the poor and needy; where he finds nothing to satisfy his covetousness, he exerciseth his cruelty.
Is as a thief, i.e. he is really a thief; the particle as being oft used to express, not the resemblance but the truth of the thing, as Num 11:1; Deu 9:10; Hos 4:4; Hos 5:10; Joh 1:14. In the night they rob men secretly and cunningly, as in the day-time they do it more openly and avowedly.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
14. with the lightat earlydawn, while still dark, when the traveller in the East usually setsout, and the poor laborer to his work; the murderous robber lies inwait then (Ps 10:8).
is as a thiefThievesin the East steal while men sleep at night; robbers murder atearly dawn. The same man who steals at night, when light dawns notonly robs, but murders to escape detection.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
The murderer rising with the light,…. The light of the morning, before the sun is risen, about the time the early traveller is set out on his journey, and men go to distant markets to buy and sell goods, and the poor labourer goes forth to his work; then is the time for one that is used to commit robbery and murder to rise from his bed, or from his lurking place, in a cave or a thicket, where he has lain all night, in order to meet with the above persons: and so
killeth the poor and needy; takes away from them the little they have, whether money or provisions, and kills them because they have no more, and that they may not be evidence against him; it may be meant of the poor saints and people of God, whom the wicked slay out of hatred to them:
and in the night is as a thief; kills privately, secretly, at an unawares, as the thief does his work; or the “as” here is not a note of similitude or likeness, but of reality and truth; and so Mr. Broughton renders the words, “and in the night he will be as a thief”; in the morning he is a robber on the highway, and a murderer; all the day he is in his lurking place, in some haunt or another, sleeping or carousing; and when the night comes on, then he acts the part of a thief; in the morning he not only robs, but murders, that he may not be detected; at night he only steals, and not kills, because men are asleep, and see him not.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(14) With the light.The mention of light as a moral essence suggests its physical analogue, so that by the contrast of the one with the violence done to the other, the moral turpitude of the wrong-doing is heightened. It seems impossible to interpret the light in the former case (Job. 24:13) otherwise than morally, and if so, the mention of the ways thereof and the paths thereof is very remarkable. The order in which these crimes of murder, adultery, and theft are mentioned according, as it does, with that in the Decalogue, is, at all events, suggestive of acquaintance with it.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
14. With the light Literally, At the light. Toward daybreak, the time when travellers in the East, on account of the extreme heat of the day, pursue their journey.
In the night The murderer of the dawn is the thief of the night. Dr. Robinson was aroused at night by a sudden alarm. “Our Arabs,” he says, (i, 270,) “were evidently alarmed. They said, if thieves, they would steal upon us at midnight; if robbers, they would come down upon us toward morning.”
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Job 24:14. The murderer rising with the light In broad day-light the murderer would arise, and slay the poor and the defenceless. See Mic 7:6. The two verbs arise and slay signify, by a common Hebraism, arise to slay.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Job 24:14 The murderer rising with the light killeth the poor and needy, and in the night is as a thief.
Ver. 14. The murderer rising with the light ] Sometimes, while it is yet darkish; for here Job showeth how those that do evil hate the light, and take the fittest opportunities for a dispatch of the deeds of darkness, daily digging descents down to hell, and hastening thereto, as if they feared it would be full before they came thither. They spend, therefore, the whole day in wicked pranks and practices, prout videtur commodum, as shall seem best for their purposes, interdiu latrones, nocte fures agunt. By day they do what mischief they may in woods and deserts; at night they return into the city, and there play the thieves, hoping to do it unobserved. Thus every such one may better say than that ancient did, Totum tempus perdidi, quia perdite vixi, I have lost all my time, by spending it loosely and basely (Bernard). I have been too faithful a drudge to the devil, whom Christ calleth a murderer, Joh 8:44 , and Tertullian calleth Furem veritatis, a thief of the truth. Two notable thieves of Naples (whereof one was called Paternoster, and the other Ave Maria ) had murdered a hundred and sixteen different people, at different times and in various places (Rain. de Idol. Rom. praefat.). These were worthily put to a cruel death by the magistrate; who possibly might, by his connivance and slackness in doing his office, be himself guilty of some of those murders; since, to restrain justice is to support sin, and not to correct is to consent to the crime. Hemingius maketh mention of a felon, who was indicted from seven murders; while the judge was studying what grievous punishment should be inflicted upon such a bloody villain, an advocate steps to the bar, and pleading for him, proved, That the judge was guilty of six of the murders; for the felon was not put to death for the first offence.
Killeth the poor and needy
And in the night is as a thief
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
and = and [then again].
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
murderer: 2Sa 11:14-17, Psa 10:8-10, Mic 2:1, Mic 2:2, Eph 5:7-11
in the night: Luk 12:39, 1Th 5:2, Rev 3:3
Reciprocal: Exo 22:2 – breaking Jdg 9:32 – by night 2Sa 3:34 – wicked men 2Sa 15:2 – rose up Job 17:12 – change Job 24:4 – turn Job 24:5 – rising Psa 17:3 – thou hast Psa 91:5 – terror Rom 13:12 – works
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Job 24:14-15. The murderer rising with the light As soon as the light appears, using no less diligence in his wicked practices than labourers do in their honest and daily employments; killeth the poor and needy Where he finds nothing to satisfy his covetousness, he exerciseth his cruelty. And in the night is as a thief He is really a thief; the particle as being often used to express, not the resemblance, but the truth, of the thing. In the night they rob men secretly and cunningly, as in the day-time they do it more openly and avowedly. The adulterer waiteth for the twilight Namely, for the evening twilight, which is his opportunity; saying In his heart; No eye shall see me Comforting himself with the thoughts of secrecy and impunity; and disguiseth his face Hebrew, putteth his face in secret; covers it with a mask that he may not be discovered.