Job 24 18

Job 24:18 kjv

He is swift as the waters; their portion is cursed in the earth: he beholdeth not the way of the vineyards.

Job 24:18 nkjv

"They should be swift on the face of the waters, Their portion should be cursed in the earth, So that no one would turn into the way of their vineyards.

Job 24:18 niv

"Yet they are foam on the surface of the water; their portion of the land is cursed, so that no one goes to the vineyards.

Job 24:18 esv

"You say, 'Swift are they on the face of the waters; their portion is cursed in the land; no treader turns toward their vineyards.

Job 24:18 nlt

"But they disappear like foam down a river.
Everything they own is cursed,
and they are afraid to enter their own vineyards.

Job 24 verses

Job 24 18 Meaning

Job 24:18 vividly describes the fleeting nature and ultimate judgment of the wicked. It posits that while they may appear successful for a time, their existence is as precarious as something swiftly swept away on water. Their inherited destiny or earthly portion is divinely cursed, implying a lack of true blessing or security. Furthermore, they remain blind or oblivious to paths of genuine prosperity, spiritual fruitfulness, or divine favor, symbolized by vineyards. Job uses this to argue against his friends' simplistic theology, suggesting that divine retribution for the wicked is not always immediate or visible, but is nevertheless certain and devastating in its own time and manner.

Job 24 18 Context

Job chapter 24 is part of Job’s continuing dialogue with his three friends, specifically Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar, concerning the nature of divine justice and suffering. In this chapter, Job challenges the rigid dogma held by his friends that suffering is always a direct punishment for sin, and prosperity is always a reward for righteousness. He powerfully articulates observations about the wicked who, seemingly unpunished, often commit grievous acts, oppress the poor, and live seemingly successful lives, while the righteous frequently endure hardship. Job 24:18 shifts from describing the wicked's ongoing injustices (vv. 1-17) to their ultimate, albeit delayed, fate. This verse is part of Job's profound struggle to reconcile God's justice with the observable injustices in the world, foreshadowing a belief in future judgment, even if it is not immediately apparent to human eyes. The broader historical and cultural context is ancient Near Eastern wisdom literature, where discussions about theodicy (the justice of God) were common, and there were prevailing views of strict retributive justice. Job here engages in a profound polemic against an oversimplified and immediate retribution theology.

Job 24 18 Word analysis

• "They are swiftly carried away": This phrase translates the Hebrew "קַל הוּא עַל פְּנֵי־מָיִם" (qal huʾ ʿal-pənéy-mayim).
  • "קַל" (qal): Hebrew adjective meaning "light," "swift," "fleeting," "insignificant." It implies a lack of substance, weight, or permanence. Here, it conveys how easily the wicked are moved or dispatched, not necessarily by their own choice, but by external forces or their inherent lack of foundation.
  • "הוּא" (huʾ): Hebrew pronoun, "he" or "it." Can refer collectively to the wicked.
  • "עַל פְּנֵי מַיִם" (ʿal-pənéy-mayim): "upon the face of the waters." Water, especially "deep" or "rushing" waters, in biblical imagery, often symbolizes chaos, judgment, instability, or overwhelming power. Being on the "face of the waters" implies a superficial existence, easily tossed about, lacking solid ground, and vulnerable to being swept away. This contrasts sharply with stability and being rooted.
• "their portion": Transliteration: "חֶלְקָתָם" (ḥelqāṯām).
  • "חֶלְקָה" (ḥelqah): Hebrew noun meaning "portion," "share," "inheritance," or "allotment." It refers to their lot in life, their destiny, or their allotted piece of land/future. In ancient Israel, a family's "portion" of land was deeply tied to their identity, blessing, and future.
• "is cursed in the earth": Translates "תִּקָּלֵל חֶלְקָתָם בָּאָרֶץ" (tiqqālēl ḥelqāṯām bāʾāreṣ).
  • "תִּקָּלֵל" (tiqqālēl): Hebrew verb from "קָלַל" (qalal), meaning "to curse," "to be light," "to treat lightly," "to be held in contempt." In this context, it implies a divine curse, a pronouncement of disfavor and doom upon their lot. This means their supposed inheritance or success is inherently blighted or disapproved of by God.
  • "בָּאָרֶץ" (bāʾāreṣ): "in the earth" or "in the land." This specifies that the curse affects their earthly existence, their very inheritance, or their temporal domain, reinforcing that their prosperity, if any, is not a true blessing from God, and ultimately leads to futility.
• "he beholdeth not": Transliteration: "לֹא־יִפְנֶה" (lōʾ-yipneh).
  • "לֹא" (loʾ): Hebrew negation, "not."
  • "יִפְנֶה" (yipneh): Hebrew verb from "פָּנָה" (pānah), meaning "to turn," "to turn to," "to look at," "to regard," "to face." The sense here is an inability or refusal to recognize, perceive, or turn towards something beneficial or truthful. It implies a deep spiritual or moral blindness.
• "the way of the vineyards": Transliteration: "דֶּרֶךְ כְּרָמִים" (dereḵ kəramim).
  • "דֶּרֶךְ" (dereḵ): Hebrew noun meaning "way," "path," "road," or "custom." It signifies a manner of life, a course of action, or a sphere of influence.
  • "כְּרָמִים" (kəramim): Plural of "כֶּרֶם" (kerem), "vineyard." In biblical imagery, vineyards are potent symbols of:
    • Prosperity and Blessing: A well-tended vineyard produces wine, a staple and source of joy, signifying agricultural success and divine favor (Dt 8:8).
    • Fruitfulness: It represents productivity and positive outcome from labor (Prov 31:16).
    • God's People: Israel is frequently referred to as God's vineyard, from whom God expects righteousness and justice (Isa 5:1-7; Ps 80:8).
    • Moral & Spiritual Insight: The "way of the vineyards" can mean the path that leads to true life, a righteous path, or a path leading to covenant blessings.
    The wicked, being cursed, are unable or unwilling to discern and walk this path of true blessing and fruitfulness. They are blind to the very things that lead to genuine, lasting well-being and favor from God. They might achieve earthly success, but they miss the true way of blessing.

• Words-group Analysis:
  • "swiftly carried away upon the face of the waters": This poetic imagery portrays the wicked's existence as volatile and impermanent. Like debris floating on a rapid current, they have no control over their fate and are destined for a quick, ungrounded removal. This speaks to the instability and fragility of ill-gotten gains or a life not anchored in divine truth. Their apparent buoyancy is superficial, merely a prelude to their disappearance.
  • "their portion is cursed in the earth": This speaks to the ultimate outcome and nature of the wicked's inheritance or lot. Even if they accumulate wealth or power on earth, it carries an inherent curse, meaning it will not bring lasting satisfaction, security, or true blessing. Their very existence in the physical realm is under divine disapprobation, signaling future destruction and rejection. It highlights that temporal possession does not equate to divine favor.
  • "he beholdeth not the way of the vineyards": This refers to the wicked's lack of discernment, wisdom, or spiritual insight. They fail to recognize or turn toward the path that leads to true blessing, fertility, and fruitfulness—the "way of the vineyards" representing a life aligned with divine principles that yields true spiritual and perhaps even enduring earthly prosperity. They pursue barren, ultimately destructive paths, ignorant of or deliberately turning away from the path of life.

Job 24 18 Bonus section

The imagery in Job 24:18 taps into ancient Near Eastern concepts of stability and chaos. Land (earth) represents stability, blessing, and permanence (e.g., promised land), while "waters" (especially "deep" or "rushing") often symbolize chaotic, destructive forces or divine judgment. Thus, to be "on the face of the waters" rather than "on the land" speaks volumes about the wicked's precarious existence and lack of grounding. Furthermore, the absence of connection to the "vineyards" signifies a departure from the blessings associated with God's covenant with Israel and the life of true abundance and joy that stems from righteousness. It underscores that for all their material success, the wicked remain detached from genuine, lasting fruitfulness. This verse suggests a divine appointment of the wicked's end, implying their removal is not accidental but part of a sovereign plan for justice.

Job 24 18 Commentary

Job 24:18 encapsulates Job's profound understanding of delayed but certain divine judgment. It offers a counter-narrative to the prevailing instant retribution theology by acknowledging the temporary prosperity of the wicked. Job portrays their life as a fleeting, superficial presence on chaotic waters, easily swept away, emphasizing their inherent instability and impending doom. Their earthly inheritance, even if vast, carries a divine curse, rendering it hollow and without lasting benefit or security. Most strikingly, the wicked are spiritually blind, unable to perceive or access the path of true fruitfulness and blessing—the "way of the vineyards"—which represents a life of true purpose, divine favor, and covenant faithfulness. This verse asserts that despite outward appearances, the wicked's end is marked by rapid downfall, a blighted destiny, and spiritual barrenness, validating God's justice in a broader temporal framework. It assures the faithful that divine justice, though not always immediate, is ultimate and absolute.