Job 15:20 - Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

Bible Comments

Travaileth with pain, i.e. lives a life of care, and fear, and grief, by reason of God's wrath, and the torments of his own mind, and his manifold and dreadful outward calamities. The number of his years is hidden, i.e. he knows not how short the time of his tyranny and life is, and therefore lives in continual fear of losing them. The number of a good man's years are also hid from him as well as they are from the wicked men; but to those this is a great torment and mischief; whereas it is not so to him. Or, and a few years (Heb. a number of years, put by a common hypallage for years of number; as few years are called, Job 16:22, because they are soon numbered; as men of number, is put for a few men, Genesis 34:30 Deuteronomy 4:27, Deuteronomy 33:6) are laid or treasured up, i.e. are allotted to him by God's secret counsel; for God cuts off such men in the midst of their days. Psalms 55:23; whereas long life is promised, and commonly given, to righteous men. To the oppressor, i.e. to the wicked man; but he names this one sort of them, the oppressors, partly, because he supposed Job to be guilty of this sin, Job 22:6; partly, in opposition to what Job had affirmed of the safety and happiness of such persons, Job 12:6; and partly, because such are most apt to expect and promise to themselves a longer and happier life than other men, because of their singular preservatives and advantages of life above other men.

Job 15:20

20 The wicked man travaileth with pain all his days, and the number of years is hidden to the oppressor.