Job 24 6

Job 24:6 kjv

They reap every one his corn in the field: and they gather the vintage of the wicked.

Job 24:6 nkjv

They gather their fodder in the field And glean in the vineyard of the wicked.

Job 24:6 niv

They gather fodder in the fields and glean in the vineyards of the wicked.

Job 24:6 esv

They gather their fodder in the field, and they glean the vineyard of the wicked man.

Job 24:6 nlt

They harvest a field they do not own,
and they glean in the vineyards of the wicked.

Job 24 verses

Job 24 6 Meaning

Job 24:6 portrays a grim reality where social injustice runs rampant, contradicting expected divine order. It describes either the desperate poor struggling to extract sustenance from lands not their own or the wicked, through exploitative means, unjustly benefiting from agricultural harvests—both grain and vintage. The verse underscores Job's lament that the oppressors operate seemingly unpunished, thriving at the expense of the vulnerable who are reduced to laborers or scavengers for the wicked's gain.

Job 24 6 Context

Job 24 is part of Job’s extended lament (Job 23-24) where he counters the simplistic retribution theology espoused by his friends. He outlines numerous injustices observed in the world that appear to go unpunished, directly challenging the notion that only the wicked suffer, and the righteous prosper. Specifically, Job 24:6 delves into economic exploitation, depicting how the powerful exploit the weak, gaining resources through unrighteous means or forcing the vulnerable into exploitative labor. This particular verse highlights the perverse reality that divine provisions for the poor, such as gleaning rights, are corrupted, or the poor are compelled to work for their oppressors. It sets the stage for the book’s profound theological inquiry into suffering, justice, and God's ways, which extend beyond immediate earthly retribution. Culturally, the agricultural context (grain harvest, grape vintage) reflects the primary means of subsistence and wealth in ancient Near Eastern societies, making the depicted injustice acutely painful for the original audience.

Job 24 6 Word analysis

• "They reap": The Hebrew verb יִקְצֹ֑רוּ (yiqṣōrū) means "to harvest" or "to cut down." This refers to the act of gathering cultivated produce. The implied subject "they" could refer to the wicked who are seizing others' goods, or the impoverished who are forced to perform this labor for others or for mere survival.
• "every one his corn in the field" / "in a field not their own": This clause represents a point of significant textual and translational divergence.
  • The King James Version's "every one his corn in the field" (derived from בְּלִילֹ֣ו - bᵉlîlōw, "mixed fodder" or "grain") might suggest a literal, perhaps meager, personal harvest.
  • However, many modern translations (e.g., ESV, NIV, NASB) favor an interpretation that highlights injustice, such as "reap in a field not their own" or "harvest fodder in the field." This alternative understanding often arises from a different vocalization or textual tradition which might derive the phrasing from verbs meaning "to lodge" combined with "not his field." Regardless of the precise textual underpinning, the overwhelming scholarly consensus and thematic thrust of Job 24 is to portray a situation of extreme poverty and/or injustice where the destitute either glean mere fodder (low-quality grain/food for animals) or must labor on land that is not rightfully theirs, demonstrating their severe economic vulnerability, or the wicked's audacity in taking what does not belong to them.
• "and they glean": The Hebrew verb יְקַשֵּׁשׁוּ (yᵉqaššeshû) means "to glean," "to gather," or "to pick up what is left." In biblical law (Leviticus 19:9-10; Deuteronomy 24:19-21), gleaning was a divinely ordained provision for the poor and the marginalized (widows, orphans, sojourners). The use of this verb here paints a picture of scavenging for sustenance or indicates a very small, insufficient portion of food.
• "the vintage of the wicked": The Hebrew phrase וְכֶ֣רֶם רָ֭שָׁע (vᵉkarem rashaʿ) translates to "and vineyard of wicked." "Vintage" (כֶּרֶם, karem) refers to the grape harvest, which was a symbol of prosperity and abundance. The explicit attribution to "the wicked" (רָשָׁע, rashaʿ, meaning unrighteous, guilty, lawless) indicates that this activity—the gleaning of grapes—is occurring in a vineyard belonging to unrighteous oppressors. This paints a picture where the impoverished are forced to glean in the vineyards of those who cause them hardship, illustrating the stark economic disparity and moral corruption. Alternatively, it can mean the wicked themselves are efficiently gathering all of their ill-gotten produce, leaving nothing for others.
• Words-group analysis:
  • "They reap... and they gather the vintage of the wicked": This composite expression underscores two primary agricultural activities crucial for survival and prosperity—grain harvest and grape harvest. By connecting both to either exploitative practices ("in a field not their own") or ownership by "the wicked," Job highlights the comprehensive nature of injustice. It signifies that the wicked control both staples of existence, forcing the impoverished to depend on them for meager gleanings or to labor on their unjust acquisitions. This phrase powerfully summarizes the economic subjugation of the vulnerable.

Job 24 6 Bonus section

Job 24:6, within its broader chapter, contributes to Job’s profound theological argument: that observing earthly reality, a strict one-to-one correlation between righteousness and immediate prosperity, or wickedness and immediate suffering, often proves false. This challenges human perceptions of divine governance. While his friends cling to a neat, predictable theology of retribution, Job points to the lived experience of suffering righteous individuals and flourishing wicked ones. The agricultural metaphors in this verse—reaping and vintage—are especially significant as they represent the very foundations of ancient society's wealth and survival, making the perversion of justice within these activities particularly scandalous and demonstrating a widespread systemic failure. The chapter and this verse are a cry for God's apparent silence and hiddenness in the face of evident human suffering and pervasive evil.

Job 24 6 Commentary

Job 24:6 provides a poignant illustration of the social and economic disarray Job observes in the world. Far from seeing the wicked instantly punished, Job sees them engaged in lucrative agricultural practices—harvesting both grain and grapes—often at the expense of others. The verse speaks to either the utter destitution of the poor, who must labor or glean even the meanest "fodder" from others' fields, or the unchecked exploitation by the wicked, who ruthlessly maximize their own harvests and leave nothing for those who should be entitled to glean. This contradicts the traditional theology of Job's friends and highlights Job's argument that immediate, retributive justice does not always manifest on earth. It shows a world where the system of gleaning, intended for divine mercy, is perverted, leading to severe hardship for the vulnerable. It's a testament to Job's profound spiritual crisis and his questioning of divine action in the face of rampant injustice.