In the ancient Near East, one’s piece of land was marked out by landmarks.
To move your neighbour’s landmarks, thereby increasing the size of your own land (or worse, your own harvest), was a criminal act (Deuteronomy 27:17). Yet it was a crime that was difficult to trace or prove.
Job does not see God’s punishment over the wicked, as Eliphaz claims to have seen it (Job 22:19–20). Men are allowed to steal land and livestock. Thereafter they enjoy their new possessions as if they had never stolen them. Recall that Job’s own animals had been stolen (Job 1:15, Job 1:17).
2 Some move landmarks; they seize flocks and pasture them.