Job 24:6 — Word Study
WLCבַּ֭שָּׂדֶה בְּלִיל֣וֹ יִקְצ֑וֹרוּ וְכֶ֖רֶם רָשָׁ֣ע יְלַקֵּֽשׁוּ׃
BSAThey gatherqâtsar▸ [reap, harvest, or cut] fodderbᵉlîyl [mixed feed for cattle, provender] in the fieldssâdeh [of the land, or other people's fields] and gleanlâqash△▸ [gather the leftovers, or pick up what's remaining] the vineyardskerem [gardens of vines, or plots of land for crops] of the wickedrâshâʻ [morally wrong, or guilty of sin against God]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| בַּ֭שָּׂדֶה | in the field | Preposition, noun common masculine singular absolute |
| בְּלִיל֣וֹ | fodder its | Noun common masculine singular construct, suffix |
| יִקְצ֑וֹרוּ | they harvest | Verb, Qal, imperfect third person masculine plural |
| וְכֶ֖רֶם | and [the] vineyard of | Conjunction, noun common masculine singular construct |
| רָשָׁ֣ע | [the] wicked | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
| יְלַקֵּֽשׁוּ׃ | they glean | Verb, Piel, imperfect third person masculine plural |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | They gather fodder in the fields and glean the vineyards of the wicked. |
| KJV | They reap every one his corn in the field: and they gather the vintage of the wicked. |
| ASV | They cut their provender in the field; And they glean the vintage of the wicked. |
| YLT | In a field his provender they reap, And the vineyard of the wicked they glean. |
| WEB | They cut their food in the field. They glean the vineyard of the wicked. |
| BBE | They get mixed grain from the field, and they take away the late fruit from the vines of those who have wealth. |
The translations agree on the essential meaning of the verse, with no significant differences noted.
The sentence has a main clause followed by a conjunction and a subordinate clause, illustrating the actions of gathering and gleaning.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbקָצַר
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
1 of 6 occurs nowhere else in the Old Testament — a word chosen on purpose.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Job 24:6
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Hardships of the Poorgenerated
Job 24:6 illustrates the struggles of the impoverished who must gather sustenance from the fields of the wicked. This verse is part of a broader discourse on the injustices faced by the needy, highlighting their dependency on the leftovers of those who exploit and oppress them. The context emphasizes the stark contrast between the lives of the wicked and the plight of the poor.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Deuteronomy 28:33–51 | A people you do not know will eat the produce of your land and of all your toil. All your days you will be oppressed and crushed. |
| 2 | Judges 6:3–6 | Whenever the Israelites would plant their crops, the Midianites, Amalekites, and other people of the east would come up and invade them, |
| 3 | Micah 6:15 | You will sow but not reap; you will press olives but not anoint yourselves with oil; you will tread grapes but not drink the wine. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 3 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — יְלַקֵּֽשׁוּ, ye.la.Ke.shugenerated
The verb לָקַשׁ (laqash) means to glean, which refers to the act of gathering leftover crops after the harvest. This term is specifically used in agricultural contexts, indicating a practice allowed in the law for the poor to collect what remains in the fields.
The Piel form of the verb indicates a more intensive action, suggesting a diligent effort to collect what is left behind. This reflects the desperation and necessity faced by the poor, who must rely on the remnants of the wicked's harvest.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The finite verbs יִקְצ֑וֹרוּ (they harvest) and יְלַקֵּֽשׁוּ (they glean) govern the main actions of the sentence. The structure emphasizes the actions of gathering and gleaning, illustrating the labor of the poor in the fields and vineyards.
The sentence flows from the actions of harvesting in the fields to gleaning in the vineyards, creating a parallel structure that highlights the continuous struggle of the impoverished.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates בַּ֭שָּׂדֶה as ἀγρὸν (agron), meaning 'field.' This choice aligns with the agricultural context of the verse, emphasizing the setting of the poor's labor.
For יְלַקֵּֽשׁוּ, the Septuagint uses ἠργάσαντο (ergasan), which conveys the act of working or laboring, suggesting a broader interpretation of the gathering process.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Job 24:6 tells us that the poor gather food in the fields and pick up what is left in the vineyards of the wicked. This verse highlights the struggles of those in need, who must rely on the leftovers from those who do wrong.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
To glean means to gather leftover crops after the main harvest, which is a practice allowed for the poor to ensure they have food.
The poor are often forced to rely on the fields of the wicked because they have no land of their own and must seek sustenance wherever they can.
This verse highlights the disparity between the wealthy and the poor, emphasizing the need for compassion and justice for those who are marginalized.
The verse illustrates the suffering of the innocent and the injustices present in the world, which are central themes throughout the Book of Job.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways can I support those in need in my community, similar to how gleaning supports the poor?
- How does this verse challenge my understanding of justice and fairness in society?
- What can I learn from the perseverance of the poor in seeking sustenance?
- How can I apply the principles of gleaning to my own life, ensuring I leave room for others to benefit?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
The early commentators reflect on the implications of this verse regarding social justice and the treatment of the poor, drawing moral lessons from Job's observations.
They reap a field not their own, and the vineyard of him whom they have oppressed by violence they gather. By the name of a 'field' may be denoted the wide compass of Holy Scripture, and Heretics 'reap' it not being their own,Early Church Fathers on Job 24 →
“They reap in a field not their own” … as wild asses tread underfoot the fields of others and browse on their grass, so the impious, with their impudent violence, reap in fields that are not theirs and steal them from their owners.Early Church Fathers on Job 24 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Job 24:6 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleThey reap [everyone] his corn in the field,.... Not the poor, who are obliged to reap the corn of the wicked for them without any wages, as some; but rather the wicked reap the corn of the poor; they
Read John Gill on Job 24 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentarySome remove the landmarks; they violently take away flocks, and feed thereof. Instances of the wicked doing the worst deeds with seeming impunity. Some - the wicked.
Read Robert Jamieson on Job 24 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleThey; either, 1. The poor, who are forced to gather in the corn and grapes of their wicked oppressors; or rather, 2. The oppressors, of whom he speaks ,5,7. His corn, i.e. the corn of the wicked, as it is in the next clause. Or, that which is not their own; as the LXX., and Chaldee, and Vulgar Latin translate it, reading the Hebrew as two distinct words: they reap other men’ s labours. In the field, i.e. in the field of the right owner, from whom they take it. He notes their great power and boldness, that they did not come suddenly, and carry away their corn when it was laid up in the barns, or in heaps; but they proceeded leisurely, and staid to reap the corn, and by degrees carried it…
Read Matthew Poole on Job 24 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsJob 24:6 They reap [every one] his corn in the field: and they gather the vintage of the wicked.Ver. 6. They reap every one his corn in the field] The poor oppressed are made by them to harvest their crops, and tread their vintages in the end of the year ( sero colligunt), as the Hebrew importeth, without either food or wages, or so much as a cup to drink, as the eleventh verse sets forth; which is extreme cruelty, and flatly forbidden, Deuteronomy 24:14-15, and order taken that the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn should not be muzzled, Deuteronomy 25:4. Quantum igitur iudicium, saith Brentius, How great judgments of God then will light upon those who do that to men of the same…
Read John Trapp on Job 24 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(6) They reap every one his corn.—Or, probably, the corn, that is, of the wicked tyrant. While they reap his corn and cut his provender, they have to go without themselves.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Job 24 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 6. They reap every one his corn in the field] This is perfectly characteristic. These wandering hordes often make sudden irruptions, and carry off the harvest of grain, olives, vines, &c., and plunge with it into the wilderness, where none can follow them. The Chaldee gives the same sense: "They reap in a field that is not their own, and cut off the vineyard of the wicked."
Read AdamClarke on Job 24 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges6. The verse reads, They reap their fodder in the field, And glean the vineyard of the wicked. The coarse food which they can possess themselves of is called by the poet “their fodder”; it is scarcely grain; and for fruit they have only the forgotten or neglected late gleanings of the vineyard of the wicked. The term “wicked” seems to mean here the rich, inhumane lords of the soil; comp. the converse use of “rich” for “wicked,” Isaiah 53:9.
Read Cambridge on Job 24 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleThey reap every one his corn - Margin, “mingled corn,” or “dredge.” The word used here (בליל belı̂yl) denotes, properly, “meslin,” mixed provender, made up of various kinds of grain, as of barley,
Read Albert Barnes on Job 24 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
They gather fodder in the fields and glean the vineyards of the wicked.
They cut their food in the field. They glean the vineyard of the wicked.
They gather fodder in the fields and glean the vineyards of the wicked.
They reap fodder in the field, and glean in the vineyard of the wicked.
Tyndale line
They reap every one his corn in the field: and they gather the vintage of the wicked.
They cut their provender in the field; And they glean the vintage of the wicked.
They cut their provender in the field; and they glean the vintage of the wicked.
They reap every one his corn in the field: and they gather the vintage of the wicked.
They reape his prouision in the fielde, but they gather the late vintage of the wicked.
Strictly literal
They reap in the field the fodder thereof, and they gather the vintage of the wicked;
In a field his provender they reap, And the vineyard of the wicked they glean.
They reap his provender in a field, || And they glean the vineyard of the wicked.
In the field they reap their food; and in the vineyard of the wicked they gather the fruit.
Poor people reap in the night in other people's fields; they glean grapes from the harvest of those wicked people.
From the Latin
They reap the field that is not their own, and gather the vintage of his vineyard whom by violence they have oppressed.
Simplified
They are forced to find what they can in other people's fields, to glean among the vineyards of the wicked.
They get mixed grain from the field, and they take away the late fruit from the vines of those who have wealth.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint largely agree in their wording for Job 24:6. However, the Septuagint's word order and articles differ, reflecting its own syntactical structure while maintaining the same core meaning.
בַּ֭שָּׂדֶה בְּלִיל֣וֹ יִקְצ֑וֹרוּ וְכֶ֖רֶם רָשָׁ֣ע יְלַקֵּֽשׁוּ׃
5 of the 6 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Job 24:6
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
שָׂדַי (saday) and שָׂדֶה (sadeh) both refer to a field or land, encompassing cultivated areas, open fields, and regions opposed to mountains or seas. The terms can denote specific portions of ground and are associated with wildlife habitats. They derive from a root meaning to spread out, indicating flat, expansive areas.
שָׂדַי n.m. field, land
cultivated field
home of wild beasts
plain, opp. mt.
land, opp. sea
base
שָׂדֶה 819 n.m. id. [u.ak.ab]
(ordinary contr. form)open field, country
definite portion of ground, field, land
land, opp. sea
base
H7704a שָׂדַי field, land . cultivated field
. home of wild beasts
. plain, opp. mt.
. land, opp. sea
H7704b שָׂדֶה id. [7704a] . open field, country
. definite portion of ground, field, land
. land, opp. sea
7704 sadeh saw-deh'
or saday {saw-dah'-ee}; from an unused root meaning to spread
out; a field (as flat):--country, field, ground, land, soil,
X wild.
שָׂדַי (sa.day) — Sirion.
This name means field, land, plain
Another spelling of cher.mon (חֶרְמוֹן "(Mount )Hermon" H2768)
שָׂדֶה (sa.deh) — land: soil.
: soil
1) field, land
1a) open field, country
1b) definite portion of ground, field, land
1c) land (opposed to sea)
שָׂדֶה (sa.deh) — land: country.
: country/field
1) field, land
1a) open field, country
1b) definite portion of ground, field, land
1c) land (opposed to sea)
שָׂדֶה (sa.deh) — Field (of the Launderer).
Combined with ka.vas (כָּבַס "Washer's" H3526)
This name means field, land
שָׂדֶה (sa.deh) — land: wildlife.
: wild(animals/plants)
1) field, land
1a) open field, country
1b) definite portion of ground, field, land
1c) land (opposed to sea)
שָׂדַי (sa.day) — field.
1) field, land
1a) cultivated field
1b) of home of wild beasts
1c) plain (opposed to mountain)
1d) land (opposed to sea)
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular absoluteHRd/Ncmsa
feld.
See AGRICULTURE.
Field
(Heb. sadeh), a cultivated field, but unenclosed. It is applied to any cultivated ground or pasture (Gen. 29:2; 31:4; 34:7), or tillage (Gen. 37:7; 47:24). It is also applied to woodland (Ps. 132:6) or mountain top (Judg. 9:32, 36; 2 Sam. 1:21). It denotes sometimes a cultivated region as opposed to the wilderness (Gen. 33:19; 36:35). Unwalled villages or scattered houses are spoken of as “in the fields” (Deut. 28:3, 16; Lev. 25:31;
The Hebrew sadeh is applied to any cultivated ground, and in some instances in marked opposition to the neighboring wilderness. On the other hand the sadeh is frequently contrasted with what is enclosed, whether a vineyard, a garden or a walled town. In many passages the term implies what is remote from a house, (Genesis 4:8; 24:63; 22:25) or settled habitation, as in the case of Esau. (Genesis 25:27) The separate plots of ground were marked off by stones, which might easily be removed, (19:14; 27:17) cf. Job 24:2; Prov 22:28; 23:10 The absence of fences rendered the fields liable to damage from straying cattle, (Exodus…
בְּלִיל (be.lil) refers to fodder or feed for cattle. It is derived from the root meaning 'mixed' and specifically denotes various types of feed such as corn or provender. The entries consistently emphasize its agricultural context.
בְּלִיל n.m. fodder
base
H1098 בְּלִיל fodder
1098 bliyl bel-eel'
from 1101; mixed, i.e. (specifically) feed (for
cattle):--corn, fodder, provender.
see HEBREW for 01101
בְּלִיל (be.lil) — fodder.
fodder
N-ms | Suff — Noun common masculine singular construct · suffixHNcmsc/Sp3ms
קָצֵר (qatsar) is a Hebrew word that primarily means 'to be short' or 'to reap.' It is built from a primitive root that conveys the idea of curtailing or harvesting, applicable in both literal and figurative contexts. The entries indicate that it can express feelings of impatience or grief, as well as the act of harvesting crops.
[קָצֵר], I. קָצַר vb. be short
Qal be short
Pi. shorten
Hiph. id.
base
[קָצַר] vb. reap, harvest
H7114a קָצֵר, קָצַר be short H7114b קָצַר reap, harvest
7114 qatsar kaw-tsar'
a primitive root; to dock off, i.e. curtail (transitive or
intransitive, literal or figurative); especially to harvest
(grass or grain):--X at all, cut down, much discouraged,
grieve, harvestman, lothe, mourn, reap(-er), (be, wax)
short(-en, -er), straiten, trouble, vex.
קָצֵר (qa.tser) — be short.
1) to be short, be impatient, be vexed, be grieved
1a) (Qal) to be short
1b) (Piel) to shorten
1c) (Hiphil) to shorten
קָצַר (qa.tsar) — to reap.
1) to reap, harvest
1a) (Qal) to reap, harvest
1b) (Hiphil) to reap, harvest
V-Hiphil-Imperf-3mp — Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine pluralHVqi3mp
har'-vest (qatsir; therismos): To many of us, harvest time is of little concern, because in our complex life we are far removed from the actual production of our food supplies, but for the Hebrew people, as for those in any agricultural district today, the harvest was a most important season (Ge 8:22; 45:6). Events were reckoned from harvests (Ge 30:14; Jos 3:15; Jud 15:1; Ru 1:22; 2:23; 1Sa 6:13; 2Sa 21:9; 23:13). The three principal feasts of the Jews corresponded to the three harvest seasons (
Harvest
The season for gathering grain or fruit. On the 16th day of Abib (or April) a handful of ripe ears of corn was offered as a first-fruit before the Lord, and immediately after this the harvest commenced (Lev. 23:9-14; 2 Sam. 21:9, 10; Ruth 2:23). It began with the feast of Passover and ended with Pentecost, thus lasting for seven weeks (Ex. 23:16). The harvest was a season of joy (Ps. 126:1-6; Isa. 9:3). This word is used figuratively Matt. 9:37; 13:30; Luke…
[AGRICULTURE]
→ Sabbath to be observed in Ex 34:21
→ Sabbath desecrated in Ne 13:15-22
→ Of wheat at Pentecost, in Palestine Ex 34:22; Le 23:15-17
→ And of wheat before harvest time Le 26:5
כֶּרֶם (kerem) means 'vineyard' and is derived from an unused root of uncertain meaning. It covers the concept of a garden or vineyard, including terms like 'vines' and 'vintage.' The word appears in contexts related to agriculture, specifically in the Old Testament.
כֶּרֶם 92 n.m. (f.) vineyard
base
H3754 כֶּרֶם vineyard
3754 kerem keh'-rem
from an unused root of uncertain meaning; a garden or
vineyard:--vines, (increase of the) vineyard(-s), vintage. See
also 1021.
see HEBREW for 01021
כֶּרֶם (ke.rem) — vineyard.
vineyard
Conj | N-cs — Conjunction · noun common masculine singular constructHC/Ncmsc
ov:
(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.
OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]
1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.
Lamentations 3:1.
The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.
Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.
That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.
Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…
רָשָׁע (rasha`) refers to someone who is wicked or criminal, encompassing meanings such as guilty and ungodly. It is derived from a root that implies moral wrongdoing. The term is used to describe individuals who are hostile to God or guilty of sin against others.
רָשָׁע 263 adj. wicked, criminal
base
H7563 רָשָׁע wicked, criminal
7563 rasha` raw-shaw'
from 7561; morally wrong; concretely, an (actively) bad
person:--+ condemned, guilty, ungodly, wicked (man), that did
wrong.
see HEBREW for 07561
רָשָׁע (ra.sah) — wicked.
1) wicked, criminal
1a) guilty one, one guilty of crime (subst)
1b) wicked (hostile to God)
1c) wicked, guilty of sin (against God or man)
Adj — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
לָקַשׁ (laqash) is a Hebrew verb meaning to glean or gather, specifically referring to taking the aftermath of a harvest. It is noted as a denominative form related to לֶ֫קֶשׁ, indicating the act of stripping or despoiling. The word appears in Job 24:6.
[לָקַשׁ] vb. only Pi. 3mpl. prob. denom. fr. לֶ֫קֶשׁ = take the aftermath, i.e. take everything;—despoil; Jb 24:6
base
H3953 לָקַשׁ vb. only Pi. 3mpl. prob. denom. fr. לֶ֫קֶשׁ = take the aftermath, i.e. take everything
3953 laqash law-kash'
a primitive root; to gather the after crop:--gather.
לָקַשׁ (la.qash) — to glean.
1) to glean, gather, take the aftermath, take everything
1a) (Piel) to despoil, gather everything from, strip
V-Piel-Imperf-3mp — Verb · Piel · imperfect third person masculine pluralHVpi3mp
Glean
The corners of fields were not to be reaped, and the sheaf accidentally left behind was not to be fetched away, according to the law of Moses (Lev. 19:9; 23:22; Deut. 24:21). They were to be left for the poor to glean. Similar laws were given regarding vineyards and oliveyards. (Comp. Ruth 2:2.)