Job 24:22
in Job 24Yet by His power, God drags away the mighty; though rising up, they have no assurance of life.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Yet God preserveth the mighty by his power: He riseth up that hath no assurance of life.
KJV
He draweth also the mighty with his power: he riseth up, and no man is sure of life.
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This verse in Job 24
Commentary
9 notes on this verseHe took away the mighty in his might. Since in the might of his wickedness the mighty he severally takes away, whilst by the craftiness of his error he carries off the great ones of this world. In opposition to whom it is said by Paul, God hast chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things that are mighty.
This site's exposition
by His power, God drags away the mighty
on Job 24:22-25
The chapter closes with God, who "drags away the mighty" and gives them "a sense of security". Readers differ on whether Job grants judgment comes late or quotes the friends' creed to overturn it. He then dares them: "who can prove me a liar and reduce my words to nothing?"
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
"Therefore when he has risen, he will not feel secure of his own life." For these reasons the impious, after rising every day not really believing that he will live, remains in fear and is frightened. As the wise Solomon stated, "Fear, indeed, is nothing …
"He has not treated the barren woman well," that is, the woman who is without help because of her lack of children. And notice again how ill treatment is considered an act of impiety. "Keep away from evil," the divine psalmist says, "and practice good." …
The Medieval Church1 voice
Not only has he been unfruitful, but he has also been harmful like a tree bearing poisonous fruit, and so he says, "he has thrown down the powerful man in his strength," that is, he did not use his power to aid the oppressed, but …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
He draweth also the mighty with his power,....
He shows that these daring sinners prosper, and are at ease for a while, nay, and often end their days in peace, as Ishmael, who, though he was a man of such a character as is here given, yet both lived and died in the presence of all his brethren, as we are told, Gen. xvi. 18 : Of these sinners here it is said, 1.
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
He draweth also the mighty - Calmet gives the following version of the original: “He draws with him guards for his defense; he raises himself up, and does not feel assured of his life.” In the midst even of his guards he is afraid; and dares not put confidence in any person. This is an admirable delineation of the inquietudes and terrors of a tyrant.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
He draweth also the mighty with his power - The word here rendered draweth (משׁך mâshak), means to draw; and then, to lay hold of, to take, to take away, and, hence, to remove, to destroy; Psa 28:3; Eze 22:20. The idea here seems to be, that his acts of oppression and cruelty were not confined to the poor and the defenseless. Even the great and the mighty were also exposed, and he spared none. No one was safe, and no rights could be regarded as secure. The character here described is one that pertains to a tyrant, or a conqueror, and Job probably meant to describe some such mighty man, who was regardless alike of the rights of the high and the low. He riseth up - When he rises up; that is, when he enters on an enterprise, or goes forth to accomplish his wicked purposes. And no man is sure of life - From the dread of him even the great and mighty have no security. This language will well describe the character of an Oriental despot. Having absolute power, no man, not even the highest in rank, can feel that his life is safe if the monarch becomes in any way offended. Yet, Job says that even such a despot was permitted to live in prosperity, and to die without any remarkable proof of the divine displeasure.
The words behind it
7 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וּמָשַׁ֣ךְ | umashakh | and he drags off | H4900 → | 36 times |
| אַבִּירִ֣ים | ʾabirim | mighty [ones] | H47 → | |
| בְּכֹח֑וֹ | bekhocho | by power his | H3581 → | 126 times |
| יָ֝ק֗וּם | yakum | he rises | H6965 → | 628 times |
| וְֽלֹא־ | velo'- | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יַאֲמִ֥ין | yaamin | anyone trusts | H539 → | 106 times |
| בַּֽחַיִּֽין׃ | bachaiyin | in <the> life | H2416 → | 498 times |
וּמָשַׁ֣ךְand he drags off
umashakhH4900 →36 times
אַבִּירִ֣יםmighty [ones]
ʾabirimH47 →
בְּכֹח֑וֹby power his
bekhochoH3581 →126 times
יָ֝ק֗וּםhe rises
yakumH6965 →628 times
וְֽלֹא־and not
velo'-H3808 →5168 times
יַאֲמִ֥יןanyone trusts
yaaminH539 →106 times
בַּֽחַיִּֽין׃in <the> life
bachaiyinH2416 →498 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
5 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Revelation 17:2The kings of the earth were immoral with her, and those who dwell on the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her immorality.”
it leads to
- Revelation 14:8
Then a second angel followed, saying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, who has made all the nations drink the wine of the passion of her immorality.”
- Jeremiah 51:7
Babylon was a gold cup in the hand of the LORD, making the whole earth drunk. The nations drank her wine; therefore the nations have gone mad.
- Revelation 18:3
All the nations have drunk the wine of the passion of her immorality. The kings of the earth were immoral with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown wealthy from the extravagance…
- Revelation 18:9
Then the kings of the earth who committed sexual immorality and lived in luxury with her will weep and wail at the sight of the smoke rising from the fire that consumes her.
- Revelation 18:23
The light of a lamp will never shine in you again, and the voices of a bride and bridegroom will never call out in you again. For your merchants were the great ones of…
- Revelation 14:8
About Job
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on A. B. Davidson, The Book of Job, Cambridge Bible; Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Book of Job; Gregory the Dialogist, Morals on the Book of Job, Book XVII; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Olympiodorus of Alexandria, COMMENTARY ON JOB 24:22-24; Olympiodorus of Alexandria, COMMENTARY ON JOB 24:20-22 and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Job.