Hebrew Bible Study
Hebrew Bible Study

Commentary for Job 24:21

רֹעֶ֣ה עֲ֭קָרָה לֹ֣א תֵלֵ֑ד וְ֝אַלְמָנָ֗ה לֹ֣א יְיֵטִֽיב׃

He devoureth the barren that beareth not; And doeth not good to the widow.

Rashi on Job

He feeds the barren woman who will not bear so was their custom: One would marry two wives, one for coitus and one for children. The one intended for coitus he would give a potion of roots to drink in order that she should never give birth, and he would feed her delicacies, bathe her, and adorn her, so that she should appear beautiful. The one intended for children he would dress in widow’s garments and starve. This is the meaning of his statement that the barren woman who will not give birth he would feed and adorn, but the “widow,” who was intended for children, he would not adorn.
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