What is Job's complaint in Job 24:1?

Question

Young's Literal has this:

YLT Job 24:1 Wherefore from the Mighty One Times have not been hidden, And those knowing Him have not seen His days.

There seems to be some concern about the "times" not being "hidden" and yet "those knowing Him have not seen his days".

But the translations seem to relate the "times" to "appointments for judgment":

NIV Job 24:1 "Why does the Almighty not set times for judgment? Why must those who know him look in vain for such days?

See also:

https://biblehub.com/job/24-1.htm

Lexham English Septuagint simply has:

And ⌊why⌋* does time go unnoticed by the Lord?

Rhalf's LXX Job 24:1 διὰ τί δὲ κύριον ἔλαθον ὧραι

So what is Job's actual concern?

Answer 1

It seems like an expression of impatience for God to deal (judge) with the wicked of his day, becuase next he gose on to list some of the things that bad people do and bad things that happen.

Here is an interesting cross ref from the NWT:-

Habakkuk 1:2 How long, O Jehovah, must I cry for help, but you do not hear? How long must I ask for help from violence, but you do not intervene?

Answer 2

Great question.

‎מַדּ֗וּעַ מִ֭שַּׁדַּי לֹא־נִצְפְּנ֣וּ עִתִּ֑ים [וְיֹדְעֹו כ] (וְ֝יֹדְעָ֗יו ק) לֹא־חָ֥זוּ יָמָֽיו׃

Job follows this initial query by describing many occasions of visible injustice, including stealing from the poor and needy, driving them out of shelter, forcing them to starve even as they work to provide oil and wine for 'the wicked'.

they tread the wine presses, but suffer thirst. (Job 24:11)

He then points out the apparent lack of response from God:

From out of the city the dying groan, and the soul of the wounded cries for help; yet God pays no attention to their prayer. (Job 24:12)

Job also contrasts these visible occasions with the murderers, thieves and adulterers who operate in darkness and disguise:

The murderer rises in the dark, that he may kill the poor and needy; and in the night he is as a thief.  The eye of the adulterer also waits for the twilight, saying, ‘No eye will see me’; and he disguises his face. (Job 24:14-15)

He then points out that their ability to get away with this behaviour conflicts with the swift justice that his friend proclaims:

You say, ‘They are swiftly carried away upon the face of the waters; their portion is cursed in the land; no treader turns toward their vineyards.  Drought and heat snatch away the snow waters; so does Sheol those who have sinned.  The squares of the town forget them; their name is no longer remembered; so wickedness is broken like a tree.’ (Job 24: 18-20)

Job attests to the prolonged life, security and support afforded to these 'abbirim' ('bullish' animals, mighty, violent men) who live and die just like everyone else, despite God seeing what they do.

Yet God prolongs the life of the mighty by his power; they rise up when they despair of life.  He gives them security, and they are supported; and his eyes are upon their ways.  They are exalted a little while, and then are gone; they wither and fade like all; they are cut off like the heads of grain. (Job 24: 22-24)

In returning to the opening query, we need to acknowledge first of all that the various attempts at translation are hampered by an obligation to write down an English word or phrase, or to come up with a cohesive sentence that encompasses the meanings, rather than seek to understand (without need for words) the human experience being communicated.

So, before we attempt a translation, we should note that several Hebrew words appear to be commonly translated with English terms that restricts the fullness of their meaning:

niṣ·pə·nū נִצְפְּנ֣וּ is often translated either as 'stored' or as 'hidden', but more likely means both of these at once - 'kept out of sight'.

‘it·tîm עִתִּ֑ים refers not so much to 'time' as to specific 'occasions' or incidents.

yā·māw יָמָֽיו refers not so much to 'days' as to 'the span of one's existence' or lifespan.

Conclusion

Job's concern appears to be why certain 'occasions' of injustice are in full view of everyone', not 'kept out of sight', and yet 'he who knows God' has no view of 'the span of one's existence', no way of knowing when (or why) this life will end for them or for anyone else.

Answer 3

It isn’t easy to translate several passages of the book of Job, not only for its peculiar poetic style, but also due to the not-optimal condition possessed by the texts that have been passed to us through tradition (I see already the unerring&God-inspired-MT sustainers turn up their nose at this assertion. But, I also believe the Bible is “inspired by God”, only not on a verbatim basis, necessarily; but on concepts basis, necessarily. These guys should read more Emanuel Tov’s essays, or similar ones…). In this case (presented by a brisky Ruminator) we have – I think – enough clues (in the Job’s book, and in other Bible occurrences) to understand the concept Job expressed in this passage.

The passage at issue: “Why are not times of judgment kept [צפן] by the Almighty, and why do those who know [ידע] him never see his days?” (Job 24:1, English Standard Version)

The chapter 23 is the beginning of this Job’s reply to Eliphaz. The pivotal points he used are legalistic ones: ‘cause, case’ (23:4), ‘judge’ (23:7), and through this groove Job continues also in chapter 24.

In other words, Job wants to be heared/judged by God, since he consider himself innocent. Yet, Job presented a very similar argument in his previous reply (to Zophar) in chapter 21. In fact, we read: “How often is the lamp of the wicked put out, and their disaster comes upon them? He distributes pains in his anger. (18) How often are they like straw before the wind, and like chaff that the storm carries away? (19) ‘God stores up [צפן] his iniquity for his children’? Then let him repay it to him that he may know [ידע] [the ‘repayment’]. (20) Let his eyes see his decay, and let him drink from the wrath of Shaddai.” (21:17-20, Lexham)

Job is complaining about the fact that rarely (“How often…?” was a Job’s rhetorical question to his ‘friends’, which answer is ‘rarely’, implicitly) God makes justice against the bad behaviour of wicked ones. Job hopes God may “repay it [the wicked’s iniquity] to him [to the wicked] that he [the wicked] may know”.

So, on the level of argument, Job 21:17:20 is the same of 24:1. But, also on the level of pivotal terms, Job 21:17:20 is the same of 24:1. In fact, like you may see, the two pivotal terms are identical in both passages: צפן and ידע.

The first verb [צפן] in this context (like in Psa 31:20; Son 7:14, but also on Job 23:12) has the meaning of ‘to kept in store (something for an apt time)’. The second verb (very common in MT) means [ידע] ‘to know’.

All this factors confirm the fact that the Job’s argument of 24:1 could be the following on-the-whole paraphrastic translation: “For what reason from the Bestower are not kept in store [צפן] times (of judgment)? And (for what reason) the one knows [ידע] Him [Job included himself in the whole ‘who knows God’] do not perceive His days?”