Job 24:4 Meaning and Explanation
“They turn the needy out of the way: the poor of the earth hide themselves together.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The wicked push the needy off the road, forcing the poor of the land to band together and hide for safety.
What Does Job 24:4 Mean?
Here the oppression spreads from property to persons. The needy are shoved out of the path, denied a place even on the public road, while the poor are driven into hiding, huddling together away from those who would harm them. Job paints a society where the weak must vanish to survive.
This is a portrait of a world turned upside down, where might tramples right and the gentle are made to flee. Yet the same Scripture that records this grief promises that the meek shall inherit the earth and that God lifts the needy from the dust. Jesus came preaching good news to exactly these poor, and He still seeks out the hidden and forgotten. Their hiding is seen by the One from whom nothing hides.
Job 24:4 in the Original Language
anavim (עֲנָוִים), 'the poor' -- the humble and afflicted, those bowed low by hardship.
Frequently Asked Questions About Job 24:4
What does Job 24:4 mean?
The wicked push the needy off the road, forcing the poor of the land to band together and hide for safety.