They reveal their desperation by scraping for sustenance where they should have found devout benevolence.
In this passage, Job highlights the plight of those who suffer under injustice, declaring, “They harvest their fodder in the field / And glean the vineyard of the wicked” (Job 24:6). The phrase “harvest their fodder” suggests that these oppressed individuals must gather whatever they can from fields that are not their own, laboriously scraping together enough to survive. The reference to “gleaning” indicates that they are forced to collect leftovers from landowners’ crops, implying the desperate measures the poor take merely to feed themselves. In Old Testament Law, gleaning was the process of gathering any remaining produce after the primary harvest, a provision intended for the needy (Leviticus 19:9-10; Deuteronomy 23:24). Yet here, Job points out that even this custom can be twisted into another form of oppression under wicked masters.
Job is believed to have lived during the patriarchal period (roughly around 2000 - 1900 BC), long before Moses instituted the formal gleaning provisions among the Israelites. Even so, the concept of caring for the vulnerable was embedded in this ancient culture. The tragedy in Job 24:6 lies in the irony that those who glean the vineyard—originally upheld as a compassionate practice—find themselves doing so “of the wicked,” making their experience one of exploitation rather than mercy. This contrast underscores how greed and injustice always give rise to additional suffering, even in systems that were meant to offer relief to the poor.
In the broader context of Job 24, the righteous man Job laments that such mistreatment often appears to go unpunished in the present world. Consequently, his frustration is also an appeal to God’s sense of justice. Centuries later, Jesus emphasized care for the hungry and needy, teaching that those who follow Him are called to feed the poor and provide for the stranger (Matthew 25:35). In this way, Job 24:6 resonates across the biblical story, cautioning believers in every era that turning a divine provision like gleaning into an instrument of oppression is no small matter in God’s eyes, and He will ultimately judge all injustice.
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Job 24:6 meaning
In this passage, Job highlights the plight of those who suffer under injustice, declaring, “They harvest their fodder in the field / And glean the vineyard of the wicked” (Job 24:6). The phrase “harvest their fodder” suggests that these oppressed individuals must gather whatever they can from fields that are not their own, laboriously scraping together enough to survive. The reference to “gleaning” indicates that they are forced to collect leftovers from landowners’ crops, implying the desperate measures the poor take merely to feed themselves. In Old Testament Law, gleaning was the process of gathering any remaining produce after the primary harvest, a provision intended for the needy (Leviticus 19:9-10; Deuteronomy 23:24). Yet here, Job points out that even this custom can be twisted into another form of oppression under wicked masters.
Job is believed to have lived during the patriarchal period (roughly around 2000 - 1900 BC), long before Moses instituted the formal gleaning provisions among the Israelites. Even so, the concept of caring for the vulnerable was embedded in this ancient culture. The tragedy in Job 24:6 lies in the irony that those who glean the vineyard—originally upheld as a compassionate practice—find themselves doing so “of the wicked,” making their experience one of exploitation rather than mercy. This contrast underscores how greed and injustice always give rise to additional suffering, even in systems that were meant to offer relief to the poor.
In the broader context of Job 24, the righteous man Job laments that such mistreatment often appears to go unpunished in the present world. Consequently, his frustration is also an appeal to God’s sense of justice. Centuries later, Jesus emphasized care for the hungry and needy, teaching that those who follow Him are called to feed the poor and provide for the stranger (Matthew 25:35). In this way, Job 24:6 resonates across the biblical story, cautioning believers in every era that turning a divine provision like gleaning into an instrument of oppression is no small matter in God’s eyes, and He will ultimately judge all injustice.