Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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Job
Book: Job
Chapter: 24
Overview:
Wickedness often unpunished.
(1-12) The wicked shun the
Light.
(13-17) Judgements for the wicked.
(18-25)
1-12 Job discourses further about the prosperity of the wicked.
That many live at ease who are ungodly and profane, he had
showed, ch. xxi. Here he shows that many who live in open
defiance of all the laws of
Justice, succeed in wicked
practices; and we do not see them reckoned with in this world.
He notices those that do wrong under pretence of
Law and
authority; and robbers, those that do wrong
By force. He says,
"
God layeth not folly to them;" that is, he does not at once
send his judgments, nor make them examples, and
So manifest
their folly to all the world. But he that gets riches, and not
By right, at his
End shall be a fool, Jer 17:11.
13-17 See what care and pains wicked men take to compass their
wicked designs; let it shame our negligence and slothfulness in
doing good. See what pains those take, who make provision for
the
Flesh to fulfil the lusts of it: pains to compass, and then
to hide that which will
End in
Death and
Hell at last. Less
pains would mortify and crucify the
Flesh, and be
Life and
Heaven at last. Shame came in with
Sin, and
Everlasting shame is
at the
End of it. See the misery of sinners; they are exposed to
continual frights: yet see their folly; they are afraid of
coming under the
Eye of men, but have
No dread of
God's
Eye,
which is always upon them: they are not afraid of doing things
which they are afraid of being known to do.
18-25 Sometimes how gradual is the decay, how quiet the
departure of a wicked person, how is he honoured, and how soon
are all his cruelties and oppressions forgotten! They are taken
off with other men, as the harvestman gathers the ears of
Corn
as they come to
Hand. There will often appear much to resemble
the wrong view of
Providence Job takes in this
Chapter. But we
are taught
By the
Word of
Inspiration, that these notions are
formed in ignorance, from partial views. The
Providence of
God,
in the affairs of men, is in every thing a just and
Wise
Providence. Let us apply this whenever the
Lord may try us. He
cannot do wrong. The unequalled sorrows of the
Son of God when
On Earth, unless looked at in this view, perplex the mind. But
when we behold him, as the sinner's
Surety, bearing the
Curse,
we can explain why he should endure that wrath which was due to
Sin, that Divine
Justice might be satisfied, and his people
saved.