Albert Barnes Commentary Job 24:1

"Why are times not laid up by the Almighty? And why do not they that know him see his days?" — Job 24:1 (ASV)

Why, since times are not hidden from the Almighty – Dr. Good renders this:

“Why are not judgment days kept by the Almighty, so that his offenders may observe his appointed times?”

Dr. Noyes:

“Why are not times of punishment reserved by the Almighty, and why do not they, who regard him, see his judgments?”

Jerome: “Times are not hidden from the Almighty; but they who know him are ignorant of his days.”

The Septuagint: “But why have set times—ὧραι (hōrai)—escaped the notice—ἔλαθον (elathon)—of the Almighty, and the wicked transgressed all bounds?”

The word עתים (‛êthı̂ym), here translated “times,” is rendered by the Chaldee (עדניא) as “set times”—times appointed for an assembly or a trial, designated beforehand for any purpose. The Hebrew word properly means set time, fit and proper times; and in the plural, as used here, means “seasons” (Esther 1:13; 1 Chronicles 12:32), and then vicissitudes of things, fortunes, destinies (Psalms 31:16; 1 Chronicles 29:30).

Here it probably means the vicissitudes of things, or what actually occurs. All changes are known to God. He sees good and bad times; he sees the changes that take place among people.

And since he sees all this, Job asks with concern, why is it that God does not come forth to deal with people according to their true character? Job proceeds to show further that this was the fact, illustrating the position he had maintained in Job 21 by specifying additional cases where the wicked undeniably prospered.

It was this that perplexed him so much, for he did not doubt that their conduct was clearly known to God. If their conduct had been unknown to God, it would not have been surprising that they should go unpunished.

But since all their ways were clearly seen by him, it might well prompt inquiry as to why they were permitted to prosper in this way. He (Job) believed that they were reserved for a future day of wrath (Job 21:30; Job 24:23–24). They would be punished in due time, but it was not a fact, as his friends alleged, that they were punished in this life according to their deeds.

Do they that know him? — This refers to his true friends; the pious.

Not see his days — This means the days of his wrath, or the day when he punishes the wicked. Why are they not permitted to see him come forth to take vengeance on his foes?

The phrase “his days” means the days when God would come forth to punish his enemies. They are called “his days” because at that time God would be the prominent object that would draw attention. They would be days when he would manifest himself in a manner so remarkable as to characterize the period.

Thus, the day of judgment is called the day of the Son of Man, or his day (Luke 17:24), because at that time the Lord Jesus will be the prominent and glorious object that shall give character to the day.

The question here seems to have been asked by Job mainly to call attention to the fact which he proceeds to illustrate. The fact was undeniable. Job did not maintain, as Eliphaz had charged him (Job 22:12–14), that the reason God did not punish them was that he could not see their deeds.

He admitted most fully that God did see them and understood all that they did. In this, they were agreed. Since this was so, the question was why the wicked were spared and lived in prosperity. Job affirms that this was the fact. The reason why it was so was the subject of inquiry now.

This was perplexing, and Job could solve it only by referring to what was to come hereafter.