Job 24:12Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The essence of the jubilee is encapsulated in the symbolism of the number fifty, as seen in Leviticus 25:10-13; thus, the repetition of the number fifty to achieve one hundred carries significance. The first jubilee denotes a release from wrongful behavior, and there is a subsequent tranquility of the soul; hence, some are arranged in fifties and others in hundreds, representing those who have already turned from sin and those who find peace within from harmful thoughts.

Consequently, heretics often ally themselves with wicked individuals, causing distress to the righteous who pursue a harmonious existence. It is aptly stated in this context that they have caused men to sigh in the towns. The blessed Job rightly refers to them as 'men,' specifically those whom heretics seek to undermine, for they travel steadfastly in God’s path—not faintly, but with strength and resolve. When they witness the affliction of error in the hearts of the frail believers, they continually approach them with compassion, lamenting and mourning. Hence, Job further articulates that the soul of the afflicted cries out, and God will not leave him without retribution, as seen in Job 24:12.

For the souls of the just experience ‘wounds’ when the faith of the weak is unstable; thus, it is fitting to say that they ‘weep’ because they grieve over the downfalls of others. Yet, God will not allow the afflicted to escape justice; even though He permits unjust events to transpire by His sovereign design, He will not overlook that injustice which is rightfully allowed. In this manner, through the wickedness of the unrighteous, He chastens certain failings among the elect whom He observes, while He simultaneously ensures that the injustice of the oppressors is addressed with Divine Justice. The passage continues:

This is true for all who are wicked. Those who were cast out from the city and their homes (Job 24:12 LXX). This reflects the plight of the vulnerable, whom they callously caused to suffer. They were driven from their city and dwellings, enduring this from the evildoers. The souls of the infants cried out vehemently (Job 24:12 LXX), expressing deep anguish from within, as their parents were unable to provide for them.

In expressing these thoughts to his friends, Job finds himself in confusion. If misfortunes arise as a consequence of wrongdoing, why then does God neglect the infants, even though He oversees all that transpires on earth? The phrase, "They knew not" (Job 24:11 LXX), indicates that the wicked are unaware of their lack of divine oversight. For the one who is honored with divine attention receives discipline. For whom the Lord loves, He corrects, and He punishes every son whom He accepts.

Some choose to conceal their foul deeds in the darkness of night, further illustrating the gravity of their transgressions (13-17). Upon all such individuals, including the oppressors, a weighty curse and calamity ought to descend (18-24). Yet, is this the reality? Therefore, Job stands firm in his belief that his assertions regarding the incompatibility of prosperity with righteousness are just, despite what his friends claim (25).