Job 24:11
Which make oil within their walls, and tread their winepresses, and suffer thirst.
Original Language Analysis
בֵּין
within
H996
בֵּין
within
Strong's:
H996
Word #:
1 of 6
between (repeated before each noun, often with other particles); also as a conjunction, either...or
יְקָבִ֥ים
their winepresses
H3342
יְקָבִ֥ים
their winepresses
Strong's:
H3342
Word #:
4 of 6
a trough (as dug out); specifically, a wine-vat (whether the lower one, into which the juice drains; or the upper, in which the grapes are crushed)
Cross References
Jeremiah 22:13Woe unto him that buildeth his house by unrighteousness, and his chambers by wrong; that useth his neighbour's service without wages, and giveth him not for his work;James 5:4Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth.
Historical Context
Olive oil and wine production were major industries in ancient Israel, labor-intensive processes requiring many workers. Oil presses and winepresses were often located on large estates owned by wealthy landowners. That workers pressed oil and trod grapes while suffering thirst suggests exploitation—they weren't allowed to consume any of what they produced, denied even the minimal benefit Deuteronomy 25:4 granted oxen ('Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn'). If even animals had right to eat while working, human workers certainly should.
Questions for Reflection
- How does this image of laboring amid abundance while suffering deprivation speak to modern economic inequality?
- What does it mean that Job uses this example to question God's justice—if even oxen have rights while working, why not humans?
- How can believers ensure that workers benefit from the wealth they create rather than serving solely owners' enrichment?
Analysis & Commentary
Which make oil within their walls (בֵּין שׁוּרֹתָם יַצְהִירוּ, bein shurótam yatshíru)—The phrase bein shurotam literally means 'between their rows' or 'within their walls,' suggesting the enclosed spaces where olives are pressed. The verb tsahar (צָהַר) means to press out oil, labor-intensive work requiring crushing olives. The workers labor in the very midst of abundance—surrounded by olive oil, a staple of ancient diet and a symbol of prosperity (Psalm 104:15).
And tread their winepresses, and suffer thirst (יְקָבִים דָּרְכוּ וַיִּצְמָאוּ, yeqavím darkhú vayyitsma'ú)—Yeqavím (יְקָבִים) are winepresses, vats where grapes were crushed by foot. The verb darak (דָּרַךְ) means to tread or march—the workers stamp grapes in the press. Yet they 'suffer thirst' (tsama, צָמֵא)—they're surrounded by grape juice but cannot drink. This cruel irony completes Job's catalogue: workers produce abundance yet experience deprivation. They create oil but remain hungry, tread wine but suffer thirst, harvest grain but go naked. Isaiah 5:8-13 pronounces woe on those who 'join house to house' and 'lay field to field' until the poor have no place, warning that such oppression leads to judgment.