Job 24:9
New International Version
The fatherless child is snatched from the breast; the infant of the poor is seized for a debt.

New Living Translation
“The wicked snatch a widow’s child from her breast, taking the baby as security for a loan.

English Standard Version
(There are those who snatch the fatherless child from the breast, and they take a pledge against the poor.)

Berean Standard Bible
The fatherless infant is snatched from the breast; the nursing child of the poor is seized for a debt.

King James Bible
They pluck the fatherless from the breast, and take a pledge of the poor.

New King James Version
Some snatch the fatherless from the breast, And take a pledge from the poor.

New American Standard Bible
Others snatch an orphan from the breast, And they seize it as a pledge against the poor.

NASB 1995
“Others snatch the orphan from the breast, And against the poor they take a pledge.

NASB 1977
“Others snatch the orphan from the breast, And against the poor they take a pledge.

Legacy Standard Bible
Others snatch the orphan from the breast, And against the afflicted they take a pledge.

Amplified Bible
“Others snatch the fatherless [infants] from the breast [to sell or make them slaves], And against the poor they take a pledge [of clothing].

Christian Standard Bible
The fatherless infant is snatched from the breast; the nursing child of the poor is seized as collateral.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The fatherless infant is snatched from the breast; the nursing child of the poor is seized as collateral.

American Standard Version
There are that pluck the fatherless from the breast, And take a pledge of the poor;

Contemporary English Version
Children whose fathers have died are taken from their mothers as payment for a debt.

English Revised Version
There are that pluck the fatherless from the breast, and take a pledge of the poor:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"[People] snatch the [nursing] orphan from a breast and take a poor woman's baby as security for a loan.

Good News Translation
Evil people make slaves of fatherless infants and take the children of the poor in payment for debts.

International Standard Version
"The fatherless are torn from the breast; the poor are taken away as security for a loan.

Majority Standard Bible
The fatherless infant is snatched from the breast; the nursing child of the poor is seized for a debt.

NET Bible
The fatherless child is snatched from the breast, the infant of the poor is taken as a pledge.

New Heart English Bible
There are those who pluck the fatherless from the breast, and take a pledge of the poor,

Webster's Bible Translation
They pluck the fatherless from the breast, and take a pledge of the poor.

World English Bible
There are those who pluck the fatherless from the breast, and take a pledge of the poor,
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
They take away violently "" The orphan from the breast, "" And they lay a pledge on the poor.

Young's Literal Translation
They take violently away From the breast the orphan, And on the poor they lay a pledge.

Smith's Literal Translation
They will strip the orphan from the breast, and take a pledge for the poor.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
They have violently robbed the fatherless, and stripped the poor common people.

Catholic Public Domain Version
They have used violence to deprive orphans, and they have robbed the poor common people.

New American Bible
Orphans are snatched from the breast, infants of the needy are taken in pledge.

New Revised Standard Version
“There are those who snatch the orphan child from the breast, and take as a pledge the infant of the poor.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
They take by force plunder of the fatherless, and they devour the poor.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
They seize some pillage of orphans, and on the poor they set desolations
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
There are that pluck the fatherless from the breast, And take a pledge of the poor;

Brenton Septuagint Translation
They have snatched the fatherless from the breast, and have afflicted the outcast.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Job: Judgment for the Wicked
8Drenched by mountain rains, they huddle against the rocks for want of shelter. 9The fatherless infant is snatched from the breast; the nursing child of the poor is seized for a debt. 10Without clothing, they wander about naked. They carry the sheaves, but still go hungry.…

Cross References
James 1:27
Pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

Isaiah 10:1-2
Woe to those who enact unjust statutes and issue oppressive decrees, / to deprive the poor of fair treatment and withhold justice from the oppressed of My people, to make widows their prey and orphans their plunder.

Exodus 22:22-24
You must not mistreat any widow or orphan. / If you do mistreat them, and they cry out to Me in distress, I will surely hear their cry. / My anger will be kindled, and I will kill you with the sword; then your wives will become widows and your children will be fatherless.

Deuteronomy 24:17
Do not deny justice to the foreigner or the fatherless, and do not take a widow’s cloak as security.

Proverbs 23:10-11
Do not move an ancient boundary stone or encroach on the fields of the fatherless, / for their Redeemer is strong; He will take up their case against you.

Matthew 23:14
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let in those who wish to enter.

Isaiah 1:17
Learn to do right; seek justice and correct the oppressor. Defend the fatherless and plead the case of the widow.”

Jeremiah 5:28
They have grown fat and sleek, and have excelled in the deeds of the wicked. They have not taken up the cause of the fatherless, that they might prosper; nor have they defended the rights of the needy.

Zechariah 7:10
Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. And do not plot evil in your hearts against one another.’

Malachi 3:5
“Then I will draw near to you for judgment. And I will be a swift witness against sorcerers and adulterers and perjurers, against oppressors of the widowed and fatherless, and against those who defraud laborers of their wages and deny justice to the foreigner but do not fear Me,” says the LORD of Hosts.

Psalm 82:3-4
Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; uphold the rights of the afflicted and oppressed. / Rescue the weak and needy; save them from the hand of the wicked.

Luke 18:3-5
And there was a widow in that town who kept appealing to him, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ / For a while he refused, but later he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect men, / yet because this widow keeps pestering me, I will give her justice. Otherwise, she will wear me out with her perpetual requests.’”

Amos 2:6-7
This is what the LORD says: “For three transgressions of Israel, even four, I will not revoke My judgment, because they sell the righteous for silver and the needy for a pair of sandals. / They trample on the heads of the poor as on the dust of the earth; they push the needy out of their way. A man and his father have relations with the same girl and so profane My holy name.

Matthew 18:5-6
And whoever welcomes a little child like this in My name welcomes Me. / But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.

Proverbs 22:22-23
Do not rob a poor man because he is poor, and do not crush the afflicted at the gate, / for the LORD will take up their case and will plunder those who rob them.


Treasury of Scripture

They pluck the fatherless from the breast, and take a pledge of the poor.

2 Kings 4:1
Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the LORD: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen.

Nehemiah 5:5
Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our children as their children: and, lo, we bring into bondage our sons and our daughters to be servants, and some of our daughters are brought unto bondage already: neither is it in our power to redeem them; for other men have our lands and vineyards.

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Breast Child Children Debt Fatherless Forced Infant Lay Mother's Orphan Others Pledge Pluck Poor Seized Snatch Snatched Violently Young
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Job 24
1. Wickedness often goes unpunished
17. There is a secret judgment for the wicked














The fatherless infant
In the ancient Near Eastern context, the term "fatherless" often referred to orphans who were particularly vulnerable in society. The Hebrew word used here, "יָתוֹם" (yathom), emphasizes the lack of protection and provision that a father would typically provide. In a patriarchal society, the absence of a father left children without an advocate or defender, making them easy targets for exploitation. This phrase highlights the social injustice and the moral decay present in Job's world, where even the most defenseless are not spared from cruelty.

is snatched
The Hebrew verb "חָטַף" (chataf) conveys a sense of suddenness and violence. It implies an aggressive action, where the child is forcibly taken away. This word choice underscores the brutality and heartlessness of those who prey on the weak. In a broader biblical context, such actions are condemned as they violate the divine mandate to care for the vulnerable, including widows and orphans (Exodus 22:22-24).

from the breast
This phrase paints a vivid picture of the cruelty involved, as it describes a child being taken from the nurturing and protective embrace of its mother. The imagery of a nursing infant being torn away highlights the depth of the injustice and the emotional trauma inflicted on both the child and the mother. It serves as a powerful indictment of a society that allows such heartless acts to occur.

the nursing child of the poor
The mention of "the poor" (Hebrew: "עָנִי" - ani) emphasizes the socio-economic dimension of the injustice. The poor were often at the mercy of the wealthy and powerful, lacking the means to defend themselves or seek justice. The "nursing child" further underscores the vulnerability of the victims, as infants are entirely dependent on their caregivers for survival. This phrase calls attention to the systemic oppression faced by the impoverished, who are often exploited and marginalized.

is seized for a debt
The practice of taking children as collateral for unpaid debts was not uncommon in the ancient world, reflecting a harsh and unforgiving economic system. The Hebrew word "לַחֲבֹל" (lachabol) means to take as a pledge or to seize, indicating a legal but morally questionable action. This phrase highlights the lack of compassion and the prioritization of material wealth over human dignity. It serves as a critique of a society that values financial gain over the well-being of its most vulnerable members.

Verse 9. - They pluck the fatherless from the breast. Other oppressors, not of the marauding class, but dwellers in towns (ver. 12), are so cruel that they tear the unweaned child of the debtor from the mother's breast, as satisfaction for a debt, and carry him off into slavery (comp. 2 Kings 4:1; Nehemiah 5:5). And take a pledge of the poor; literally, take in pledge that which is on the poor - in other words, their clothing. They will not lend to them on any other terms, and so force them to part with their garments, and go about naked. Even Hebrew creditors seem to have done this (Exodus 22:26; Deuteronomy 24:12, 13); and the Mosaic Law did not forbid the practice, but only required the creditor to let the debtor have his garment at night, that he might sleep in it (Exodus 22:27; Deuteronomy 24:13).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
The fatherless infant
יָת֑וֹם (yā·ṯō·wm)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3490: A bereaved person

is snatched
יִ֭גְזְלוּ (yiḡ·zə·lū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 1497: To pluck off, to flay, strip, rob

from the breast;
מִשֹּׁ֣ד (miš·šōḏ)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7699: The breast of a, woman, animal

the nursing child
וְֽעַל־ (wə·‘al-)
Conjunctive waw | Preposition
Strong's 5764: A sucking child, suckling

of the poor
עָנִ֥י (‘ā·nî)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 6041: Poor, afflicted, humble

is seized for a debt.
יַחְבֹּֽלוּ׃ (yaḥ·bō·lū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 2254: To wind tightly, to bind, a pledge, to pervert, destroy, to writhe in pain


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OT Poetry: Job 24:9 There are those who pluck the fatherless (Jb)
Job 24:8
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