Job 4:20 - Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

Bible Comments

From morning to evening; either,

1. Speedily, between morning and evening, like the grass; they flourish in the morning, and in the evening are cut off, Psalms 90:5,6. Or rather, 2. All the day long, as the phrase is, 2 Corinthians 11:25. There is not a moment wherein man is not sinking and drawing on towards death and corruption. For ever; as to human appearance and the course of nature, as many such like passages are to be understood in this book; or in reference to this present. and worldly life, which when once lost is never recovered, Job 16:22 Psalms 39:13. Without any regarding it, Heb. without putting the heart to it; the word heart being understood there, as also Job 23:6, Job 34:23 Isaiah 41:20, as may appear by comparing 1 Samuel 9:20 2 Samuel 18:3 Isaiah 41:22, Isaiah 57:1, where the same phrase is used, and the word heart expressed. The meaning is either,

1. Yet few or no men that survive them lay it to heart as they should do. Or,

2. They perish beside the expectation of all men, when both themselves and others thought their mountain was so strong that it could not be removed. Or rather,

3. This is so common a thing for all men, though never so high and great, to perish in this manner, that no man heeds it, but passeth it by as a general accident not worthy of observation. Otherwise, no man procuring or furthering it, Heb. without any man's putting the hand to it, i.e. they perish of themselves, without any violent hand.

Job 4:20

20 They are destroyedc from morning to evening: they perish for ever without any regarding it.