They drive away the donkey of the fatherless; they take the widow’s ox for a pledge.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse highlights that the oppressors seize the single animal each vulnerable person possesses. It's not just any ox or ass, but the one and only means of survival for the orphan and widow, leaving them in utter destitution.
They drive away the donkey of the fatherless; they take the widow’s ox for a pledge.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Job is describing the wicked who seemingly get away with terrible injustices, and this verse paints a stark picture of their cruelty. He's highlighting how oppressors seize the most basic necessities—a donkey for transport and work, an ox for plowing—from the most vulnerable: orphans and widows who have no one to defend them. This exploitation, which goes against the very grain of compassion and justice, is presented as a common, unpunished evil in the world.
In this chapter, Job paints a grim picture of those who do evil. But who are their favorite targets? It's not the strong or the powerful, but those with no one to defend them.
Who are the targets?
Job identifies two groups: the "fatherless" (orphans) and the "widow."
What kind of oppression?
The oppressors "drive away the donkey" and "take the ox." These aren't just random acts of theft. These animals were essential for survival. An ox was needed to plow the fields, and a donkey could carry goods or provide transport. To take these animals meant:
This wasn't just taking property; it was taking away their ability to live.
Ask a follow-up
These acts of cruelty weren't just random bad deeds. They were systematic, violating a moral code that was understood even before the written law of Moses.
A Deep Moral Wrong
The oppressors are taking the animals "for a pledge." This means they're seizing property to guarantee a debt. However, for essential items like a plow animal, this was a violation of the spirit, if not the letter, of God's laws.
Understand the original words
yathowm · Hebrew Noun
Referring to children who have lost their father, they are frequently cited in Scripture as the most vulnerable members of society, whom God specifically commands His people to protect and care for. Neglecting them is a grave sin.
almanah · Hebrew Noun
A woman whose husband has died; like the fatherless, the widow is a primary object of divine concern and protection in the Bible. Taking advantage of a widow is considered a direct challenge to God's justice.
chabol · Hebrew Noun
A security deposit or collateral given to ensure the repayment of a debt. Biblical law restricted the taking of essential items as pledges to protect the poor from exploitation.
Job's words reveal a deep-seated societal injustice where the most vulnerable are preyed upon, a practice condemned by God's law centuries later and referenced by Samuel as a benchmark of integrity.
c. 1800-1500 BC
Patriarchal Period in Canaan
The period of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, where tribal structures and early legal customs existed. Job's life likely falls within this era or shortly after, marked by pastoral semi-nomadism and developing societal norms.
c. 1446-1406 BC
The Exodus and Law Given
The Israelites leave Egypt and receive the Law at Mount Sinai, which explicitly forbids taking a widow's ox or a fatherless person's donkey as collateral (Exodus 22:26-27). This establishes a divine standard against such oppression.
c. 13th-11th century BC
Period of the Judges
A turbulent era in Israel's history characterized by cycles of disobedience, oppression by foreign nations, and deliverance by judges. This period often saw societal breakdown and vulnerability for the poor and widowed.
c. 1070 BC
Samuel's Farewell Address
The prophet Samuel, stepping down from his role as judge, challenges the Israelites to testify if he has ever wronged them, specifically asking if he has taken anyone's donkey or ox (1 Samuel 12:3). This highlights the commonality of such abuses.
c. 970-931 BC
Reign of Solomon and Early Monarchy
While Solomon's reign saw prosperity, later biblical accounts suggest increasing social stratification and potential for exploitation of the vulnerable by the powerful.
c. Job's lifetime (uncertain, possibly Patriarchal or early Monarchy)— this verse
Job's Adversaries Oppress the Vulnerable
Job laments the pervasive injustice where the poor, fatherless, and widows are cruelly stripped of their essential livestock—donkeys and oxen—which were vital for survival and livelihood. This practice directly violated the principles of justice known even before the Mosaic Law.
This passage directly echoes the sentiment of Job 24:3 by stating, 'You shall not afflict any widow or fatherless child.' It highlights the divine concern for these vulnerable groups, showing that oppressing them was a violation of God's law.
Deuteronomy 24:17Similar to Job's lament, this verse commands, 'You shall not subvert the rights of the sojourner or of the fatherless, nor take a widow’s clothing to pledge.' It reinforces the idea that exploiting the weak, like the fatherless and widows, was a serious offense.
Psalm 94:6This psalm cries out against those who 'slay the widow and the sojourner, and murder the fatherless.' It paints a grim picture of the societal breakdown that occurs when the vulnerable are preyed upon, mirroring the oppression described in Job 24.
1 Samuel 12:3-4When Samuel defends his integrity as a leader, he asks, 'Whose ox have I taken? Or whose ass have I taken? Or whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed?' This rhetorical question strongly aligns with the kind of abuses Job is describing, showing that leaders were expected to protect, not exploit, the people.
Zechariah 7:10This prophetic call to justice commands, 'Do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, nor the poor.' It shows that concern for the marginalized was a consistent theme throughout the Old Testament, underscoring the gravity of the actions Job condemns.
bensonJob 24:3: "They drive away the ass of the fatherless, they take the widow's ox for a pledge."
Job 24:3-4 . They drive away the ass of the fatherless — Whose helpless condition required their pity and mercy. He says, the ass, to aggravate their sin, in that they robbed him who had but one ass. They take the widow’s ox — Thereby depriving her, not only of the ox itself, but of all the benefit of its labours, by which her life was sustained; for a pledge — Contrary to God’s law, first written in m…
wesleyJob 24:3: "They drive away the ass of the fatherless, they take the widow's ox for a pledge."
24:3 Pledge - Contrary to God's law, first written in mens hearts, and afterwards in holy scripture, Exod 22:26,27.
This verse highlights that the oppressors seize the single animal each vulnerable person possesses. It's not just any ox or ass, but the one and only means of survival for the orphan and widow, leaving them in utter destitution.
Job is describing the wicked who seemingly get away with terrible injustices, and this verse paints a stark picture of their cruelty. He's highlighting how oppressors seize the most basic necessities—a donkey for transport and work, an ox for plowing—from the most vulnerable: orphans and widows who have no one to defend them. This exploitation, which goes against the very grain of compassion and justice, is presented as a common, unpunished evil in the world.
Job is describing the wicked who seemingly get away with terrible injustices, and this verse paints a stark picture of their cruelty. He's highlighting how oppressors seize the most basic necessities—a donkey for transport and work, an ox for plowing—from the most vulnerable: orphans and widows who have no one to defend them. This exploitation, which goes against the very grain of compassion and justice, is presented as a common, unpunished evil in the world.
"They drive away the donkey of the fatherless; they take the widow’s ox for a pledge." — This verse highlights that the oppressors seize the single animal each vulnerable person possesses. It's not just any ox or ass, but the one and only means of survival for the orphan and widow, lea…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026