Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Job 24:24
They are exalted for a little while, but are gone and brought low; they are taken out of the way as all [other], and cut off as the tops of the ears of corn.
24. To be translated as above. The wicked are exalted, rise high in life, and suddenly, with no pain, they die; comp. ch. Job 21:13, Psa 73:4. And when they are brought low at last in death, it is a natural death that overtakes them, like that of all others, men in general; and they are cut off (or, wither) like the tops of the ears of corn, not prematurely, but having attained to full ripeness; comp. Job 5:26.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
They are exalted for a little while – This was the proposition which Job was maintaining. His friends affirmed that the wicked were punished for their sins in this life, and that great crimes would soon meet with great calamities. This Job denies, and says that the fact was, that they were exalted. Yet he knew that it was to be but for a little time, and he believed that they would, at no distant period, receive the proper reward of their deeds. He maintains, however, that their death might be tranquil and easy, and that no extraordinary proof of the divine displeasure would be perceived in the manner of their departure.
But are gone and brought low – Margin, not. Hebrew ve‘aynenu – and are not; compare Gen 42:13. The youngest is this day with our father, and one is not; Gen 37:30. The child is not, and I, whither shall I go? That is, the child is dead; compare the expression Troja fuit. The meaning here is, that they soon disappear, or vanish.
They are taken out of the way as all other – They die in the same manner as other people do, and without any extraordinary expressions of the divine displeasure in their death. This was directly contrary to what his friends had maintained. The Hebrew word here ( qaphats) means, to gather, to collect; and is often used in the sense of gathering to ones fathers, to denote death.
And cut off as the tops of the ears of corn – Of wheat, barley, or similar grain. Corn, in the sense in which the word is commonly used in this country, was not known in the time of Job. The allusion here is to the harvest. When the grain was ripe, it seems they were in the habit of cutting off the ears, and not of cutting it near the root, as we do. The body of the stalk was left, and, hence, there is so frequent allusion in the Scriptures to stubble that was burned. So, in Egypt, the children of Israel were directed to obtain the stubble left in the fields, in making brick, instead of having straw furnished them. The meaning of Job here is, that they would not be taken away by a violent death, or before their time, but that they would be like grain standing in the field to the time of harvest, and then peacefully gathered; compare Psa 73:4.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 24. They are exalted for a little while] Such tyrants are exalted for a time, for God putteth down one and raiseth up another; but he turns his hand against them, and they are gone. They are removed by his justice as all of the same character have been and shall be; time and judgment shall mow them down as the grass, and crop them off as the ears of ripe corn. They may flourish for a time, and continue their oppressions; but they shall at last come to an untimely end. Few tyrants ever visit the eternal world sicca morte, but by a violent death. All Eastern history is full of this great fact.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
They live in honour and happiness, but not for ever, but only at best during this short and mortal life, which lasteth but for a very little time, and therefore their present happiness is not to be envied; nor is it any reproach to Gods providence, which hath time enough to reckon with them hereafter.
Are gone, Heb. are not, to wit, in this world; they die.
Brought low; as low as their graves. Or, after (as the particle vau is elsewhere used, as hath been observed before) they have been brought low, to wit, by pining sickness, or other grievous judgments.
Out of the way, i.e. out of this world and way of living, by death. Or, are restrained, or shut up, to wit in the grave, the place of silence and impotency.
As all other; they can no more prevent or delay their death than the meanest men in the world. Cut off by deaths sickle, or by a violent hand.
As the tops of the ears of corn, to wit, in his greatest height and maturity, when he is arrived at his perfect stature of worldly power and glory, then God cuts him off, and that suddenly and violently.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
24. Job repeats what he said(Job 21:13), that sinners diein exalted positions, not the painful and lingering death we mightexpect, but a quick and easy death. Join “for a while”with “are gone,” not as English Version. Translate:”A momentand they are no more! They are brought low, as all(others) gather up their feet to die” (so the Hebrew of”are taken out of the way”). A natural death (Ge49:33).
ears of cornin a ripeand full age, not prematurely (Job5:26).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
They are exalted for a little while,…. To seats of honour, to places of profit and trust, to great wealth and riches, to be highly esteemed among men, and to have a large affluence of the good things of life; see Mal 3:15; though this exaltation, dignity, and glory, wealth and riches, last but for a little time, this life at longest being but short, like a vapour that appears, and soon vanishes away; and then all a man’s honours and glory, riches and substance, are at an end, who is soon cut down as the grass, and withers as the green herb, Ps 37:2; but as this pretty much falls in with the sentiment of Zophar, or seems to do so, Job 20:5; rather this phrase, “for a little while”, may be joined with what follows, “a little while, and they are gone”;
but are gone; out of the world, to their own place, and death puts an end to all their prosperity, to all their outward enjoyments, which yet they retain till death: or “they are not” i; in the land of the living, in their houses and shops, and places of trade and commerce; they are no more about their business, and in their callings of life, nor in the possession of their worldly estates; the places which knew them know them no more; and this comes to pass in a very little time; their honour is short lived, and their earthly portion is not forever:
and brought low; not diminished in their substance in life, nor lessened in their honour and grandeur, nor are brought into poverty and disgrace; but are brought at last to death, and laid low in the grave, and are fed upon by worms, and reduced to rottenness and dust:
they are taken out of the way, as all [others]; out of the world, by death, and out of the way of others; who come in their room, and were hoping for their death, and waiting for their posts of honour, and places of profit, or for their worldly estates; and out of the way of doing more mischief, and especially to good men; or they are “closed” or “shut up” k; that is, in the grave, where they lie imprisoned until the resurrection morn, and out of which prison none can release themselves; nor will they be released, until Christ, who has the keys of the grave, unlocks it, and sets the prisoners free; but then all this is no other than what befalls the rest of mankind; all die, and must die, and all are brought to the grave, and laid in that, and shut up in it, which is the house appointed for all living:
and cut off as the tops of the ears of corn; when they are fully ripe at harvest time; it being usual in some places, as I have somewhere read, when they gather their corn, only to cut off the ears of corn at the top, which is very easily and quickly done; and so this may denote the quiet and easy death of wicked men, and when they are come to a full age, and are like a shock of corn in its season, Job 5:26.
i “et non ipse”, Montanus, Bolducius; “et non sunt”, Schultens. k “claudentur”, Pagninus, Montanus; “clauduntur”, Piscator.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
24. But are gone Better, And are no more. And they are brought low; like all, are they gathered, and cut off as the tops of the ears of corn.
Taken out of the way Kaphats, gathered; “snatched away,” (Delitzsch,) “crumpled together,” (Dillmann.) Underneath the word, as Job uses it, lies the idea, Delitzsch thinks, “of housing, gathering into a barn.” This, together with the following figure, bears the look of a reply to Eliphaz, with his rural picture of the death of the just. Job 5:26. Mature in wickedness, malefactors are cut off with no more evidence of divine judgment upon them than belongs to all mankind. Thus Job has turned the finely built fortress of the friends, and left them without an argument. His view of the orb of truth, however, has been of the side where the shadow was deepest. In the heat of debate he has magnified single instances into generals, and left a painful impression as to the providence of God in this world. The reader cannot, however, but feel, even here, that Job has confidence that God can and will solve the mystery.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Job 24:24. They are exalted for a little while, &c. His exaltation should be but for a short time, and he should be no more: yea, he shall be brought low; he shall be moved down like the green fodder, or cropped off like the tops of the ears of corn. The comparison is between a man who is struck dead suddenly, and, falling, his mortal convulsions make him throw about his legs and feet; and the grass, which, as it is mowing, the lower part is cast upwards. Heath.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Job 24:24 They are exalted for a little while, but are gone and brought low; they are taken out of the way as all [other], and cut off as the tops of the ears of corn.
Ver. 24. They are exalted for a little while ] Or, they are exalted, but within a little while they are not. This former part of the verse needeth no exposition, saith an expositor. And as for the latter,
They are taken away as all others, they are cut off as the tops of the ears of corn
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
are exalted: Job 20:5, Psa 37:10, Psa 37:35, Psa 37:36, Psa 73:19, Psa 92:7, Jam 1:11, Jam 5:1-3
gone: Heb. not, Job 8:22, *marg.
taken out: Heb. closed up
cut off: Isa 17:5, Isa 17:6, Rev 14:14-20
Reciprocal: Jdg 12:6 – Shibboleth Job 27:19 – he is not Psa 90:10 – for Isa 37:36 – and when
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Job 24:24. They are exalted for a little while They live in honour and prosperity, but not for ever; it is only, at the most, during this short and mortal life, which lasts but for a very little time; and, therefore, their present happiness is not to be envied; nor is it any reproach to Gods providence, which has time enough to reckon with them hereafter; but are gone Hebrew, , einennu, are not; namely, in this world, they die. And are brought low As low as their graves. They are taken out of the way Out of this world; as all other They can no more prevent, or delay their death, than the meanest men in the world: and cut off By the sickle of death, perhaps by the hand of violence; as the tops of the ears of corn When in its greatest height and maturity; when they are arrived at their perfect stature of worldly power and glory, then God cuts them off, and that suddenly and unexpectedly.