Job 24:5
Behold, as wild asses in the desert, go they forth to their work; rising betimes for a prey: the wilderness yieldeth food for them and for their children.
Original Language Analysis
בַּֽמִּדְבָּ֗ר
in the desert
H4057
בַּֽמִּדְבָּ֗ר
in the desert
Strong's:
H4057
Word #:
3 of 11
a pasture (i.e., open field, whither cattle are driven); by implication, a desert
יָצְא֣וּ
go they forth
H3318
יָצְא֣וּ
go they forth
Strong's:
H3318
Word #:
4 of 11
to go (causatively, bring) out, in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively, direct and proxim
מְשַׁחֲרֵ֣י
rising betimes
H7836
מְשַׁחֲרֵ֣י
rising betimes
Strong's:
H7836
Word #:
6 of 11
properly, to dawn, i.e., (figuratively) be (up) early at any task (with the implication of earnestness); by extension, to search for (with painstaking
לַטָּ֑רֶף
for a prey
H2964
לַטָּ֑רֶף
for a prey
Strong's:
H2964
Word #:
7 of 11
something torn, i.e., a fragment, e.g., a fresh leaf, prey, food
עֲרָבָ֥ה
the wilderness
H6160
עֲרָבָ֥ה
the wilderness
Strong's:
H6160
Word #:
8 of 11
a desert; especially (with the article prefix) the (generally) sterile valley of the jordan and its continuation to the red sea
Historical Context
Desert nomadism was the lowest social status in ancient Near Eastern culture—agriculturalists and city-dwellers looked down on those who roamed wastelands. Job's description suggests the poor are driven from productive farmland into marginal desert areas, forced to live like animals. This happened repeatedly in Israelite history when the powerful seized land (1 Kings 21, Isaiah 5:8, Micah 2:1-2). The situation Job describes violates God's vision for Israel where each family lives securely under their own vine and fig tree (1 Kings 4:25, Micah 4:4).
Questions for Reflection
- How does this verse challenge comfortable assumptions that people choose their economic circumstances?
- What does Job's empathy for the poor reveal about authentic righteousness versus self-absorbed piety?
- How can believers work to restore human dignity to those reduced to survival mode by systemic poverty?
Analysis & Commentary
As wild asses in the desert, go they forth to their work (כְּעֲרֹדִים בַּמִּדְבָּר, ke'aródim bammidbar)—Job shifts from oppressors to their victims. The arod (עָרוֹד) is the onager or wild donkey, a creature living in harsh desert conditions, constantly foraging for survival (Jeremiah 2:24, Hosea 8:9). The comparison emphasizes the dehumanizing effect of poverty—the oppressed are reduced to animal-like existence, driven purely by survival instinct. Their 'work' (פָּעָל, pa'al) isn't dignified labor but desperate scavenging.
Rising betimes for a prey: the wilderness yieldeth food for them and for their children—'Rising betimes' translates mishcharím (מִשְׁחָרִים), meaning early rising, pre-dawn labor. The poor hunt for 'prey' (teref, טֶרֶף—food torn or hunted), the same word used for what predators kill. The 'wilderness' (עֲרָבָה, araba) yields meager sustenance—their children eat what the desert provides. This powerful image shows poverty's generational curse: children inherit their parents' desperate existence. Jesus later taught His disciples about God feeding the birds (Matthew 6:26), but Job's point is that humans shouldn't be reduced to such precarious provision.