Job 24:1-2
“Why are not times of judgment kept by the Almighty, and why do those who know him never see his days? Some move landmarks; they seize flocks and pasture them.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
Job is asking why, if God is all-knowing and sovereign over time, His righteous judgments aren't more visible to those who love Him. He’s not questioning if God has plans for judgment, but why these "days" of divine retribution don't manifest clearly in the here and now for His followers to witness.
Job is responding to his friends’ persistent claim that severe suffering is always a sign of God punishing wickedness. In this chapter, Job shifts from personal lament to a broader observation of the world, questioning why God doesn’t seem to intervene with immediate, visible judgment against the wicked, even though He has the power and knowledge to do so. This sets the stage for him to describe how the wicked often prosper and escape notice, despite their evil deeds.
We often feel like God's justice is slow, or even absent. Job wrestled with this same confusion, questioning why certain 'days' of divine reckoning don't seem to appear when we expect them.
Job opens this chapter with a profound question that echoes through history: 'Why are not times of judgment kept by the Almighty?' He’s not saying God doesn't judge, but he’s baffled by the timing and visibility of it.
God's Sovereignty Over Time
Job acknowledges that God is all-knowing and all-powerful. The verse states, 'times are not hidden from the Almighty.' This means God is fully aware of all moments – past, present, and future. He knows the perfect season for every action, including judgment.
The Mystery of 'His Days'
Yet, Job asks, why don't 'those who know him see his days?' This refers to God's appointed times for executing justice and revealing His righteous rule. The problem for Job (and often for us) is that these 'days' aren't always apparent in the here and now. We don't always see the immediate consequences for the wicked or the swift vindication of the righteous.
Job's confusion isn't just academic; it's born from observing the world. He sees people who defy God seemingly thriving, while those who seek Him face hardship.
Job isn't doubting God's ultimate justice, but he's deeply troubled by the apparent lack of visible, immediate judgment in this life. He contrasts God's perfect knowledge of 'times' with the inability of His own people ('those who know Him') to perceive when divine retribution will occur.
The Observation:
Job's friends have argued that the wicked are always punished in this life. Job, however, has been presenting evidence to the contrary (as seen in Job 21). In chapter 24, he continues this line of reasoning, focusing on how widespread wickedness seems to go unpunished.
The Question:
Understand the original words
Shadday · Hebrew Noun
A term often translated as 'the Almighty' or 'God Almighty', emphasizing His absolute power, sovereignty, and sufficiency to fulfill His promises to His people. It frequently denotes God as the One who is all-powerful and sustains the universe.
gebul · Hebrew Noun
In a legal or covenantal context, these are markers used to define property boundaries; moving them was a severe offense in ancient Israelite law, signaling land theft and social injustice. It symbolizes the violation of God-ordained order and rights.
This passage directly mirrors Job's lament, expressing confusion and distress over the apparent prosperity of the wicked, which leads the psalmist to question God's goodness and faithfulness.
Jeremiah 12:1-4Jeremiah questions God's justice in allowing the wicked to prosper, echoing Job's bewilderment and highlighting the persistent human struggle to understand God's ways when evil seems to triumph.
Habakkuk 1:1-4Habakkuk cries out to God, asking 'How long shall I call for help, and you will not listen?', expressing a similar sense of urgency and frustration that God's judgment is not more apparent against wickedness.
Ecclesiastes 8:11-13This passage offers a theological perspective on why judgment is delayed, suggesting that God's patience with the wicked is a mystery and that their eventual fate is certain, though not always immediately visible.
wesleyJob 24:1: "Why, seeing times are not hidden from the Almighty, do they that know him not see his days?"
24:1 Why - Why (how comes it to pass) seeing times, (the fittest seasons for every, action, and particularly for the punishment of wicked men,) are not hidden from, or unknown to the Almighty God, (seeing all times, and men that live, and things that are done, or to be done in their times and seasons, are exactly known to God) do they that know him, (who love and obey him) not see (whence is…
ellicottJob 24:1: "Why, seeing times are not hidden from the Almighty, do they that know him not see his days?"
XXIV. (1) Why, seeing times are not hidden.—Job, in this chapter, gives utterance to this perplexity, as it arises, not from his own case only, but from a survey of God’s dealings with the world generally. “Why is it,” he asks, “since times and events are not hidden from the Almighty, that they who know Him—that is, believe in and love Him—do not see His days?”—that is, His days of retributio…
Job is asking why, if God is all-knowing and sovereign over time, His righteous judgments aren't more visible to those who love Him. He’s not questioning if God has plans for judgment, but why these "days" of divine retribution don't manifest clearly in the here and now for His followers to witness.
Job is responding to his friends’ persistent claim that severe suffering is always a sign of God punishing wickedness. In this chapter, Job shifts from personal lament to a broader observation of the world, questioning why God doesn’t seem to intervene with immediate, visible judgment against the wicked, even though He has the power and knowledge to do so. This sets the stage for him to describe how the wicked often prosper and escape notice, despite their evil deeds.
Job is responding to his friends’ persistent claim that severe suffering is always a sign of God punishing wickedness. In this chapter, Job shifts from personal lament to a broader observation of the world, questioning why God doesn’t seem to intervene with immediate, visible judgment against the wicked, even though He has the power and knowledge to do so. This sets the stage for him to describe how the wicked often prosper and escape notice, despite their evil deeds.
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Ask a follow-up
Ask Sola things like:
Live chat about Job 24:1-2 is available in the Sola app.
His question, 'Why do they that know him not see his days?' implies a desire for clearer, more observable justice. If God's judgment days are real and appointed, why aren't they more evident to those who seek and love Him? This isn't a question born of rebellion, but of deep perplexity about God's governance of the world.
"“Why are not times of judgment kept by the Almighty, and why do those who know him never see his days? Some move landmarks; they seize flocks and pasture them." — Job is asking why, if God is all-knowing and sovereign over time, His righteous judgments aren't more visible to those who love Him. He’s not questioning if God has plans for judgment, but why these…
