Job — Chapter 1
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1There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job. And this man was blameless and upright, fearing God and shunning evil.
2He had seven sons and three daughters,
3and he owned 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 female donkeys, and a very large number of servants. Job was the greatest man of all the people of the East.
4Job’s sons would take turns holding feasts in their homes, and they would invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them.
5And when the days of feasting were over, Job would send for his children to purify them, rising early in the morning to offer burnt offerings for all of them. For Job thought, “Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” This was Job’s regular practice.
6One day the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them.
7“Where have you come from?” said the LORD to Satan. “From roaming through the earth,” he replied, “and walking back and forth in it.”
8Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one on earth like him, a man who is blameless and upright, who fears God and shuns evil.”
9Satan answered the LORD, “Does Job fear God for nothing?
10Have You not placed a hedge on every side around him and his household and all that he owns? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land.
11But stretch out Your hand and strike all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face.”
12“Very well,” said the LORD to Satan. “Everything he has is in your hands, but you must not lay a hand on the man himself.” Then Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.
13One day, while Job’s sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house,
14a messenger came and reported to Job: “While the oxen were plowing and the donkeys were grazing nearby,
15the Sabeans swooped down and took them away. They put the servants to the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you!”
16While he was still speaking, another messenger came and reported: “The fire of God fell from heaven. It burned and consumed the sheep and the servants, and I alone have escaped to tell you!”
17While he was still speaking, another messenger came and reported: “The Chaldeans formed three bands, raided the camels, and took them away. They put the servants to the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you!”
18While he was still speaking, another messenger came and reported: “Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house,
19when suddenly a mighty wind swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house. It collapsed on the young people and they are dead, and I alone have escaped to tell you!”
20Then Job stood up, tore his robe, and shaved his head. He fell to the ground and worshiped,
21saying: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD.”
22In all this, Job did not sin or charge God with wrongdoing.
1There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.
2And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters.
3His substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she asses, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east.
4And his sons went and feasted in their houses, every one his day; and sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them.
5And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually.
6Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them.
7And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.
8And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?
9Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?
10Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.
11But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.
12And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.
13And there was a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house:
14And there came a messenger unto Job, and said, The oxen were plowing, and the asses feeding beside them:
15And the Sabeans fell upon them, and took them away; yea, they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
16While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The fire of God is fallen from heaven, and hath burned up the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
17While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The Chaldeans made out three bands, and fell upon the camels, and have carried them away, yea, and slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
18While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house:
19And, behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
20Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped,
21And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.
22In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.
1There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and turned away from evil.
2And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters.
3His substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she-asses, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the children of the east.
4And his sons went and held a feast in the house of each one upon his day; and they sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them.
5And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt-offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and renounced God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually.
6Now it came to pass on the day when the sons of God came to present themselves before Jehovah, that Satan also came among them.
7And Jehovah said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered Jehovah, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.
8And Jehovah said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job? for there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and turneth away from evil.
9Then Satan answered Jehovah, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?
10Hast not thou made a hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath, on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.
11But put forth thy hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will renounce thee to thy face.
12And Jehovah said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thy hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of Jehovah.
13And it fell on a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother`s house,
14that there came a messenger unto Job, and said, The oxen were plowing, and the asses feeding beside them;
15and the Sabeans fell [upon them], and took them away: yea, they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
16While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The fire of God is fallen from heaven, and hath burned up the sheep and the servants, and consumed them; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
17While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The Chaldeans made three bands, and fell upon the camels, and have taken them away, yea, and slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
18While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother`s house;
19and, behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
20Then Job arose, and rent his robe, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped;
21and he said, Naked came I out of my mother`s womb, and naked shall I return thither: Jehovah gave, and Jehovah hath taken away; blessed be the name of Jehovah.
22In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.
1There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job. And that man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil.
2Seven sons and three daughters were born to him.
3His possessions included 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, and 500 female donkeys; in addition he had a very great household. Thus he was the greatest of all the people in the east.
4Now his sons used to go and hold a feast in the house of each one in turn, and they would send and invite their three sisters to eat and to drink with them.
5When the days of their feasting were finished, Job would send for them and sanctify them; he would get up early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job thought, “Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” This was Job’s customary practice.
6Now the day came when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord—and Satan also arrived among them.
7The Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” And Satan answered the Lord, “From roving about on the earth, and from walking back and forth across it.”
8So the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and turns away from evil.”
9Then Satan answered the Lord, “Is it for nothing that Job fears God?
10Have you not made a hedge around him and his household and all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his livestock have increased in the land.
11But extend your hand and strike everything he has, and he will no doubt curse you to your face!”
12So the Lord said to Satan, “All right then, everything he has is in your power. Only do not extend your hand against the man himself!” So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.
13Now the day came when Job’s sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house,
14and a messenger came to Job, saying, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys were grazing beside them,
15and the Sabeans swooped down and carried them all away, and they killed the servants with the sword! And I—only I alone—escaped to tell you!”
16While this one was still speaking, another messenger arrived and said, “The fire of God has fallen from heaven and has burned up the sheep and the servants—it has consumed them! And I—only I alone—escaped to tell you!”
17While this one was still speaking another messenger arrived and said, “The Chaldeans formed three bands and made a raid on the camels and carried them all away, and they killed the servants with the sword! And I—only I alone—escaped to tell you!”
18While this one was still speaking another messenger arrived and said, “Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house,
19and suddenly a great wind swept across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people, and they died! And I—only I alone—escaped to tell you!”
20Then Job got up and tore his robe. He shaved his head, and then he threw himself down with his face to the ground.
21He said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will return there. The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away. May the name of the Lord be blessed!”
22In all this Job did not sin, nor did he charge God with moral impropriety.
1There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job. That man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God, and turned away from evil.
2There were born to him seven sons and three daughters.
3His possessions also were seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the children of the east.
4His sons went and held a feast in the house of each one on his birthday; and they sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them.
5It was so, when the days of their feasting had run their course, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, “It may be that my sons have sinned, and renounced God in their hearts.” Job did so continually.
6Now on the day when God’s sons came to present themselves before Yahweh, Satan also came among them.
7Yahweh said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Then Satan answered Yahweh, and said, “From going back and forth in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.”
8Yahweh said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant, Job? For there is no one like him in the earth, a blameless and an upright man, one who fears God, and turns away from evil.”
9Then Satan answered Yahweh, and said, “Does Job fear God for nothing?
10Haven’t you made a hedge around him, and around his house, and around all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.
11But stretch out your hand now, and touch all that he has, and he will renounce you to your face.”
12Yahweh said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power. Only on himself don’t stretch out your hand.” So Satan went out from the presence of Yahweh.
13It fell on a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house,
14that there came a messenger to Job, and said, “The oxen were plowing, and the donkeys feeding beside them,
15and the Sabeans attacked, and took them away. Yes, they have killed the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”
16While he was still speaking, there also came another, and said, “The fire of God has fallen from the sky, and has burned up the sheep and the servants, and consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”
17While he was still speaking, there came also another, and said, “The Chaldeans made three bands, and swept down on the camels, and have taken them away, yes, and killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you.”
18While he was still speaking, there came also another, and said, “Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house,
19and behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young men, and they are dead. I alone have escaped to tell you.”
20Then Job arose, and tore his robe, and shaved his head, and fell down on the ground, and worshiped.
21He said, “Naked I came out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there. Yahweh gave, and Yahweh has taken away. Blessed be Yahweh’s name.”
22In all this, Job did not sin, nor charge God with wrongdoing.
Summary
The narrator introduces Job, a man from the land of Uz who is blameless, upright, and extraordinarily wealthy, with seven sons, three daughters, and vast flocks and herds (vv. 1-3). His sons take turns hosting feasts, and Job regularly offers sacrifices afterward in case they sinned in their hearts (vv. 4-5). In a heavenly scene, God points out Job's righteousness to Satan, who counters that Job only serves God because of his blessings and asks permission to test him (vv. 6-11). God allows Satan to strike everything Job owns, but not Job himself (v. 12). Four messengers arrive in rapid succession reporting the loss of his oxen, donkeys, sheep, camels, and finally all ten of his children in a collapsing house (vv. 13-19). Job tears his robe, shaves his head, and falls down worshiping, blessing the Lord's name rather than cursing him, and does not sin in all of this (vv. 20-22).
Authorship & Background
Deep Dive
Setting: Job is one of the Bible's wisdom books, alongside Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, and it asks the hardest question they raise: why do righteous people suffer? Nobody knows who wrote it or when. Guesses range from the age of Solomon to the time after the exile. The story itself, though, feels very old. Job measures wealth in livestock, offers sacrifices as the priest of his own family, lives about 140 years after his trials (42:16), and never mentions Israel, the law of Moses or the temple. Many readers place him in the time of the patriarchs, around Abraham. Ezekiel names him with Noah and Daniel as a byword for righteousness (Ezek 14:14, 20), and James points to "the steadfastness of Job" (Jas 5:11), so Scripture treats him as a real man. The book has a frame and a center. Chapters 1–2 and the end of chapter 42 are prose narrative. Everything in between is poetry: Job's lament, a long debate with three friends, a fourth speaker, and finally God's own voice from the whirlwind. Chapter 1 shows the reader something Job never sees, a scene in heaven that explains why his world is about to fall apart.
Job's Character and Wealth (vv1–5)
- "There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job" (v1). The opening sounds like the start of a story told around a fire, and the Hebrew is the same pattern used for real people in 1 Samuel 1:1. Uz is somewhere east of the Jordan. Lamentations links it with Edom in the south (Lam 4:21), and Genesis lists an Uz among Aram's sons in the north (Gen 10:23). JFB places it toward the Euphrates. Either way Job is not an Israelite. The book's greatest example of faithfulness is a man from outside God's chosen people. The meaning of the name Job (Iyyob) is unknown. Suggestions include "object of enmity" and "one who turns back to God," but the lexicon calls them all doubtful.
- "Blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil" (v1). Four marks of character, and God repeats them word for word in v8 and 2:3. "Blameless" is tam: complete, whole, a person of integrity, the same word used of Jacob as a "quiet" man (Gen 25:27). It doesn't mean sinless. Job himself later admits sin (7:21; 13:26). It means a person whose life is all of a piece, with no hidden double life. "Feared God" is the Old Testament's root of wisdom (Prov 1:7; Job 28:28). This verse is vital for the whole book. The narrator tells us, before anything happens, that Job's suffering is not a punishment. The three friends will spend thirty chapters arguing it must be.
- Seven sons, three daughters, 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels (vv2–3). The numbers are round and full: seven and three, ten children, five hundred and five hundred. They describe a life blessed in every way the ancient world could measure. Camels were the luxury vehicles of the desert. "The greatest of all the people of the east" sets him among the wise and wealthy of the eastern lands (compare 1 Kgs 4:30). At the end of the book God gives back exactly double the livestock (42:12).
- "His sons used to go and hold a feast… on his day" (v4). "His day" probably means each son's birthday, or a set day in turn. The scene is happy: grown siblings who enjoy each other and include their sisters. Nothing in the text suggests the feasts were wild.
- "Job would send and consecrate them… and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all" (v5). Job acts as the priest of his household, as Noah and Abraham did, before there was a priesthood. "Consecrate" probably means calling them to wash and prepare, as Israel did before meeting God (Exod 19:10). He rises "early in the morning" to do it, and he does it "continually." His fear is not that they had done something openly wrong but that they had "cursed God in their hearts." Job cares about the heart, not just behavior.
- "Cursed God" (v5). The Hebrew word here is actually barak, "bless." Writing "curse God" was so offensive that the writer uses "bless" as a polite substitute, as in 1 Kings 21:10, 13. The same word returns in 1:11, 2:5 and 2:9, and in 1:21 Job uses it in its normal sense: "blessed be the name of the LORD." The whole chapter turns on that one word. Satan says Job will "bless" (curse) God. Job blesses God.
- Commentators: Henry's outline moves from Job's piety in general (v1) to a particular instance of it (v5), and he calls Job an example of suffering "from which no prosperity can secure us, but through which integrity and uprightness will preserve us." Guzik and JFB both stress that "blameless" means sincerity and consistency, not sinless perfection, and Guzik notes that a man who offers sacrifices for sin knows he isn't perfect. JFB reads barak in v5 as "bid farewell to" God rather than curse him. Guzik passes on the older view of E. W. Bullinger that scribes changed an original word for "curse" into "bless" out of reverence. Most scholars treat it as a polite substitute the writer chose, not a later change, and the result for the reader is the same.
Satan Allowed to Test Job (vv6–12)
- "The sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD" (v6). The scene moves to heaven. "Sons of God" here means angels, heavenly beings who serve in God's court (38:7; Ps 89:6–7; 1 Kgs 22:19). They come to report, like officials before a king. The book uses God's covenant name, "the LORD" (Yahweh), in the prose frame, while the poetic speeches mostly use other names for God. Job may be from outside Israel, but the God in this scene is Israel's God.
- "And Satan also came among them" (v6). In Hebrew it is ha-satan, "the satan," with the article. The lexicon gives the word's basic meaning as "adversary," someone who opposes or accuses, as in a courtroom (Ps 109:6; Zech 3:1). In Job it works almost like a job title: "the Accuser." Some scholars argue that this figure is only a heavenly prosecutor, not yet the devil of the New Testament. Most Christian readers identify him with Satan, "the accuser of our brothers" who "accuses them day and night before our God" (Rev 12:10). The way he acts here, cynical about faith and eager to destroy, fits that identification. Either way, he is a creature. He comes when summoned, answers questions, and needs permission.
- "From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it" (v7). The verb "going to and fro" (shut) is the same one used of the LORD's eyes that "run to and fro throughout the whole earth" to support the faithful (2 Chr 16:9; Zech 4:10). Satan roams too, but to find fault. Peter uses the same picture: the devil "prowls around like a roaring lion" (1 Pet 5:8).
- "Have you considered my servant Job?" (v8). God, not Satan, raises Job's name. "My servant" is an honor given to Abraham, Moses, David and the prophets. God's boast in Job is the real starting point of the story. This is hard for readers, and the book doesn't explain it away. But it does show that God is in charge from the first line, and that Job's suffering begins with God's confidence in him, not God's anger at him.
- "Does Job fear God for no reason?" (v9). This is the question the whole book tests. "For no reason" is chinnam, "for nothing, free of charge," from the root for "grace" or "favor." Satan's accusation is that Job's faith is a business deal: God pays, Job worships. Take away the pay, and the worship will stop. If that is true, there is no such thing as loving God for his own sake. In 2:3 God uses the same word back at Satan: "you incited me against him to destroy him without reason."
- "Have you not put a hedge around him?" (v10). The hedge is God's protection and blessing (Ps 34:7). Satan admits he can't get through it. Later Job, not knowing about this conversation, will complain that God has "hedged in" his way (3:23), a related word turned bitter.
- "Stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face" (v11). Satan asks God to do it. The Tyndale notes observe that through the story the hand is both God's and Satan's: God permits, Satan strikes, and Job will rightly say the LORD has taken away.
- "All that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand" (v12). God sets the limit. Satan can touch Job's possessions and family but not his body. In chapter 2 the limit moves, but it is still God who sets it (2:6). The New Testament has the same pattern: "Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you" (Luke 22:31–32), and God "will not let you be tempted beyond your ability" (1 Cor 10:13).
- The reader knows what Job doesn't. Job never hears about this scene, even at the end of the book. The friends argue without it. The reader is given a seat in heaven to learn one thing: suffering can have a purpose that the sufferer cannot see. The book does not say this is the reason for every trial. It says there can be reasons we are not told.
- Commentators: Henry says Satan "thrust himself into an assembly of the sons of God." On v9 he grants that "It was a great truth that Job did not fear God for nought; he got much by it," but the suggestion that Job would have dropped God without reward was "a falsehood." He explains the hedge: "divine grace makes a hedge about their spiritual life, and divine providence about their natural life." On v12, "It is a limited power that the devil has." Guzik agrees that Satan needed permission and acts only within God's limits. He suggests the trial was meant partly to display God's wisdom to the angels (Eph 3:10), which is a theological inference, not something Job 1 says. JFB says the name Satan means "one who lies in wait." The lexicon gives only "adversary," so that sense should not be pressed. JFB rightly contrasts Satan the accuser with Christ, the believer's Advocate (1 John 2:1).
Satan Takes Job's Property and Children (vv13–22)
- "Now there was a day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine" (v13). The timing is cruel. Disaster strikes on a feast day, when the family is gathered and happy, and at the eldest brother's house, where the feasting began.
- Four messengers (vv14–19). The account is built to feel like hammer blows. "While he was yet speaking, there came another" repeats three times, and every report ends with "I alone have escaped to tell you." The disasters alternate between human attacks and natural ones: Sabean raiders from the south (v15), "the fire of God" (v16), Chaldean raiders from the north (v17), and a great wind from the wilderness (v19). Enemies on every side and the sky itself turn against Job, and everything listed in vv2–3 is undone in reverse order, ending with the children.
- "The Sabeans… the Chaldeans" (vv15, 17). These are raiding tribes of the desert. The Sabeans came from Arabia (6:19). The Chaldeans here are probably early nomadic tribes, long before they ruled Babylon. "Formed three groups" is the classic raiding tactic, the same one Gideon and Saul used (Judg 7:16; 1 Sam 11:11).
- "The fire of God fell from heaven" (v16). To the servant it looked like God's own judgment, probably lightning or a firestorm. Satan's attack is designed to look like it came from God, and that is exactly how Job will experience it in the chapters ahead. Satan is allowed real power over nature here, but only within the limits God has set.
- "A great wind came across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house" (v19). A desert storm, perhaps a whirlwind, hitting all four corners at once. At the end of the book God speaks to Job "out of the whirlwind" (38:1). The storm that took his children is not the last storm in Job's story.
- "Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground" (v20). These are the normal signs of deep mourning in the ancient world (Gen 37:34; Jer 41:5). Job doesn't pretend he isn't hurt. Faith in this chapter is not stoicism. Then comes the surprise: he "worshiped." The word means to bow down low, face to the ground. His first act after losing everything is to bow before God.
- "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return" (v21). "Return" there probably means to the earth, pictured as a mother (Ps 139:15; Eccl 5:15). Job treats everything he had, even his children, as a gift he never owned. Paul says much the same: "we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world" (1 Tim 6:7).
- "The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD" (v21). Job doesn't blame the Sabeans, the Chaldeans, the weather or Satan, whom he knows nothing about. He traces everything back to God, both the giving and the taking, and he blesses him. This is the answer to Satan's charge. Job does fear God "for nothing." Notice the irony of barak: Satan said Job would "bless" (curse) God. He blesses him.
- "In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong" (v22). "Wrong" is tiphlah, something unseemly or unfitting. Job doesn't accuse God of acting improperly. Round one goes to Job, and Satan's theory is proved false. But chapter 2 brings a second test, and the long poetic chapters will show that Job's faith, while it holds, does not stay calm.
- Commentators: Henry notes that "He did not passionately tear his hair, but deliberately shaved his head," grief expressed with control, and that "Afflictions must not divert us from, but quicken us to, the exercises of religion." On v22: "Discontent and impatience do in effect charge God with folly." Guzik sees Job's first reaction, worship, as revealing his heart. He also notes that Job traces the loss to God even though people and storms were the direct cause, and he points out that Job's mourning avoided the cutting of the body that pagan grief often involved (Lev 19:28). JFB suggests "fire of God" may be a Hebrew way of saying a very great fire, probably a burning desert wind, and reads the three Chaldean bands as aimed at three herds of camels. JFB reads "charged God foolishly" as Job allowing himself "no folly against God."
Pointing to Christ
Satan's question, "Does Job fear God for no reason?", is finally answered in Jesus. Job was blameless but not sinless. Jesus was truly without sin, and he was stripped of everything, his friends, his clothes and his life, while he was mocked with the same kind of charge: "He trusts in God; let God deliver him now" (Matt 27:43). He trusted his Father anyway, for nothing, and said, "Into your hands I commit my spirit" (Luke 23:46). Job never learned about the heavenly courtroom, but Christians know the Accuser has been "thrown down" by "the blood of the Lamb" (Rev 12:10–11), and that we now have an Advocate before the Father (1 John 2:1). Job's worship in the ashes is a small picture of the faith Jesus perfected, and the faith he gives to everyone who belongs to him.
Commentary
- Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com Guzik notes that God initiated the conversation about Job — He brought Job to Satan's attention, not the reverse. This reveals that God was confident in Job's faith and willing to put it on display. The "hedge" Satan mentions (v.10) acknowledges that God actively protects His people. Satan cannot penetrate God's protection without permission. Guzik emphasizes that Job's worship in v.20 is the answer to Satan's question: yes, Job does fear God "for nought" — his worship survives the removal of every blessing.
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown (1871): blueletterbible.org A critical and explanatory commentary on the whole Bible, more concise than Matthew Henry and closer to the Hebrew and Greek, with attention to historical and geographical detail. Public domain.
- Matthew Henry's Exposition (1710): blueletterbible.org A devotional verse-by-verse commentary in the Puritan tradition, still among the most widely read three centuries on. Public domain.
Videos
Articles
- BibleProject: bibleproject.com On the whole book: the speech from the whirlwind, and why it answers Job the way it does.
- GotQuestions.org: gotquestions.org On the whole book: an overview of the book of Job -- who wrote it, when, why, and how it fits the rest of Scripture.
Links open on the publisher's own site. Nothing here is reproduced on this page.
Reflection
- Reasons for Suffering May Stay Hidden From You (vv.6-12) — Job never learns about the heavenly conversation that set his trial in motion. Can you trust that God has reasons for your hardship even when you're never shown what they are?
- Every Trial Has a Boundary God Sets (v.12) — Satan is permitted to test Job but only within limits God defines. When you're in the middle of a trial, does it help to remember that it isn't limitless, that God has already set its bounds?
- Worship Can Be a Decision, Not Just a Feeling (v.20) — In his worst moment, Job tears his robe in grief and then falls down to worship. When circumstances crush you, are you able to choose worship even when you don't feel like it?
- Loss Doesn't Have to Shake What You Believe About God (vv.21-22) — Job acknowledges that everything he had came from God and was God's to take, and he does not blame God for it. When you lose something precious, does your view of God's goodness survive the loss?