Job 24:18
He is swift as the waters; their portion is cursed in the earth: he beholdeth not the way of the vineyards.
Original Language Analysis
ה֤וּא׀
H1931
ה֤וּא׀
Strong's:
H1931
Word #:
2 of 12
he (she or it); only expressed when emphatic or without a verb; also (intensively) self, or (especially with the article) the same; sometimes (as demo
עַל
H5921
עַל
Strong's:
H5921
Word #:
3 of 12
above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications
פְּנֵי
as the waters
H6440
פְּנֵי
as the waters
Strong's:
H6440
Word #:
4 of 12
the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposi
מַ֗יִם
H4325
תְּקֻלַּ֣ל
is cursed
H7043
תְּקֻלַּ֣ל
is cursed
Strong's:
H7043
Word #:
6 of 12
to be (causatively, make) light, literally (swift, small, sharp, etc.) or figuratively (easy, trifling, vile, etc.)
חֶלְקָתָ֣ם
their portion
H2513
חֶלְקָתָ֣ם
their portion
Strong's:
H2513
Word #:
7 of 12
properly, smoothness; figuratively, flattery
לֹֽא
H3808
לֹֽא
Strong's:
H3808
Word #:
9 of 12
not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles
יִ֝פְנֶה
he beholdeth
H6437
יִ֝פְנֶה
he beholdeth
Strong's:
H6437
Word #:
10 of 12
to turn; by implication, to face, i.e., appear, look, etc
Historical Context
Verses 18-24 shift tone dramatically from verses 1-17, creating scholarly debate. Some interpreters see Job quoting his friends' retribution theology to refute it; others see Job acknowledging that judgment eventually comes, though delayed. The vineyard imagery reflects agricultural economy where land inheritance signified covenant blessing (Numbers 36:7-9).
Questions for Reflection
- How do you reconcile Job's observation that the wicked prosper (vv. 1-17) with traditional teaching that God judges sin?
- What does 'their portion is cursed' teach about the ultimate futility of prosperity gained through wickedness?
- How patient should we be in waiting for God's justice to manifest against evildoers?
Analysis & Commentary
He is swift as the waters—Scholarly debate surrounds verses 18-24: is Job describing the wicked's deserved judgment (shifting to his friends' retribution theology), or citing their arguments sarcastically? The Hebrew qal-hu al-pene mayim (קַל־הוּא עַל־פְּנֵי־מַיִם) depicts something light/swift upon water's surface—either fleeting prosperity or swift judgment sweeping away like a flash flood. Context suggests Job may be quoting conventional wisdom about inevitable divine retribution.
Their portion is cursed in the earth: he beholdeth not the way of the vineyards—The "portion" (chelqah, חֶלְקָה) refers to inherited land, fundamental to Ancient Near Eastern identity and prosperity. If cursed, the wicked cannot enjoy agricultural blessing ("the way of the vineyards"). This echoes Deuteronomy 28's covenant curses. Yet Job's broader argument in chapter 24 contradicts this—he's observed the wicked prospering, not cursed. This creates interpretive tension: does Job momentarily concede divine justice operates (though invisibly), or is he sarcastically rehearsing platitudes his friends repeat?