Job (Job 1:1; Job 1:8; Job 1:20–22; Job 2:3; Job 2:9–10; Job 3:1–3; Job 13:15; Job 19:25–27; Job 23:10–12; Job 27:5–6; Job 31:40; Job 32:1–2; Job 38:1–4; Job 40:8; Job 42:1–6; Job 42:7–8; Job 42:10; Job 42:16–17; Ezekiel 14:14; James 5:11)

The Man of Uz, Perfect and Upright

A man in the land of Uz, perfect and upright, who lost his possessions, his children and his health, cursed his day, held to his integrity against his three friends, was answered by the LORD out of the whirlwind, repented in dust and ashes, prayed for his friends, and was given twice as much as he had before.

The book that bears his name opens: “There 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” (Job 1:1). He had seven sons and three daughters and was “the greatest of all the children of the east” (Job 1:3). In the heavenly scene that follows, Satan asks, “Doth Job fear God for nought?” (Job 1:9), and the LORD gives first his possessions and children and then his body into Satan's hand. Job “fell down upon the ground, and worshipped” (Job 1:20), and the text says, “In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly” (Job 1:22). When his wife says, “renounce God, and die” (Job 2:9), he answers, “What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips” (Job 2:10).

After seven days of silence with his three friends, “opened Job his mouth, and cursed his day” (Job 3:1). Through the long exchange that follows he says, “I desire to reason with God” (Job 13:3); “Behold, he will slay me; I have no hope: Nevertheless I will maintain my ways before him” (Job 13:15); “I know that my Redeemer liveth” (Job 19:25); and “Thou art turned to be cruel to me” (Job 30:21). He swears, “Till I die I will not put away mine integrity from me” (Job 27:5), and his words end with the oath of chapter 31 and the line “The words of Job are ended” (Job 31:40). Elihu then speaks, angry that Job “justified himself rather than God” (Job 32:2).

“Then Jehovah answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said, Who is this that darkeneth counsel By words without knowledge?” (Job 38:1-2). Job replies, “Therefore have I uttered that which I understood not” (Job 42:3), and “I abhor myself, And repent in dust and ashes” (Job 42:6). The LORD then tells Eliphaz, “ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath” (Job 42:7); Job prays for his friends, and “Jehovah gave Job twice as much as he had before” (Job 42:10). He lived a hundred and forty years and “died, being old and full of days” (Job 42:17). In Ezekiel the LORD names “Noah, Daniel, and Job” (Ezekiel 14:14) as men who “should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness” (Ezekiel 14:14), and James writes, “ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord” (James 5:11).

Strengths

• Perfect and upright, fearing God
• Holding fast his integrity
• Worship in loss
• Care for his children
• Keeping God's way
• Speaking of God the thing that is right
• Praying for his friends

Weaknesses

• Words without knowledge

Themes

• Integrity
• Suffering
• Friends who accuse
• God's answer
• Repentance
• Restoration

A man perfect and upright (Job 1:1–5)

Job of the land of Uz is perfect and upright, has seven sons and three daughters and great substance, and offers burnt-offerings for his children after their feasts.

The challenge, the losses and the worship (Job 1:6–22)

The LORD points Satan to his servant Job, Satan asks whether Job fears God for nought, and after four messengers report the loss of his goods and children Job worships.

The challenge, the losses and the worship

“Now it came to pass on the day when the sons of God came to present themselves before Jehovah, that Satan also came among them” (Job 1:6). The LORD said, “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” (Job 1:8). Satan answered, “Doth Job fear God for nought?” (Job 1:9), and the LORD said, “Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thy hand” (Job 1:12).

Messenger after messenger came, each saying, “I only am escaped alone to tell thee” (Job 1:15): the Sabeans took the oxen and donkeys, “The fire of God is fallen from heaven” (Job 1:16) on the sheep, the Chaldeans took the camels, and “a great wind from the wilderness” (Job 1:19) fell on the house where his sons and daughters were, “and they are dead” (Job 1:19).

“Then Job arose, and rent his robe, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped; and 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. In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly” (Job 1:20-22).

The boils, his wife and the silent friends (Job 2:1–13)

At a second gathering the LORD says Job still holds fast his integrity; Satan smites him with sore boils, his wife bids him renounce God, Job sins not with his lips, and his three friends sit with him seven days and nights in silence.

Job curses his day (Job 3:1–26)

After the seven days Job opens his mouth and curses the day of his birth, asks why he did not die at birth, and ends by saying that trouble cometh.

Job curses his day

“After this opened Job his mouth, and cursed his day. And Job answered and said: Let the day perish wherein I was born, And the night which said, There is a man-child conceived” (Job 3:1-3).

“Why died I not from the womb? Why did I not give up the ghost when my mother bare me?” (Job 3:11). He asks, “Wherefore is light given to him that is in misery, And life unto the bitter in soul; Who long for death, but it cometh not” (Job 3:20-21).

“Why is light given to a man whose way is hid, And whom God hath hedged in? … I am not at ease, neither am I quiet, neither have I rest; But trouble cometh” (Job 3:23-26).

Job answers his friends (Job 9:22–24; Job 10:1; Job 13:3; Job 13:13–16; Job 19:23–27; Job 23:3–12; Job 30:20–21)

Through the exchange with Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar, Job says he is weary of his life, that God destroyeth the perfect and the wicked, that he would reason with God but cannot find him, and that God is turned to be cruel to him, yet says his Redeemer liveth and that he will come forth as gold.

His oath of innocence (Job 27:2–6; Job 31:1–40)

Job swears that he will not put away his integrity, takes a series of oaths beginning with a covenant with his eyes, and desires that the Almighty answer him.

Elihu speaks (Job 32:1–37:24)

The three friends cease to answer Job, and Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite, angry with Job and with the friends, answers and speaks to Job at length.

The LORD answers out of the whirlwind (Job 38:1–40:2; Job 40:6–41:34)

The LORD answers Job out of the whirlwind with questions, and after Job lays his hand upon his mouth asks, Wilt thou even annul my judgment?

The LORD answers out of the whirlwind

“Then Jehovah answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said, Who is this that darkeneth counsel By words without knowledge? Gird up now thy loins like a man; For I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me” (Job 38:1-3).

“Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare, if thou hast understanding” (Job 38:4). The questions continue through the chapters that follow.

Then “Jehovah answered Job, and said, Shall he that cavilleth contend with the Almighty? He that argueth with God, let him answer it” (Job 40:1-2). Job said, “I lay my hand upon my mouth” (Job 40:4), and the LORD spoke again: “Wilt thou even annul my judgment? Wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be justified?” (Job 40:8).

Job answers: dust and ashes (Job 40:3–5; Job 42:1–6)

Job says he is of small account, then says he knows the LORD can do all things, that he uttered what he understood not, and that he now sees the LORD with his eye and repents in dust and ashes.

Job answers: dust and ashes

“Behold, I am of small account; what shall I answer thee? I lay my hand upon my mouth. Once have I spoken, and I will not answer; Yea, twice, but I will proceed no further” (Job 40:4-5).

“I know that thou canst do all things, And that no purpose of thine can be restrained. Who is this that hideth counsel without knowledge? Therefore have I uttered that which I understood not, Things too wonderful for me, which I knew not” (Job 42:2-3).

“I had heard of thee by the hearing of the ear; But now mine eye seeth thee: Wherefore I abhor myself, And repent in dust and ashes” (Job 42:5-6).

The LORD's word to the friends (Job 42:7–9)

The LORD tells Eliphaz that his wrath is kindled against him and his two friends, and tells them to offer a burnt-offering while his servant Job prays for them.

The restoration and the end of Job (Job 42:10–17)

The LORD turns the captivity of Job when he prays for his friends, gives him twice as much as before, and Job has seven sons and three daughters, lives a hundred and forty years and dies old and full of days.

The restoration and the end of Job

“And Jehovah turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: and Jehovah gave Job twice as much as he had before” (Job 42:10). “Then came there unto him all his brethren, and all his sisters, and all they that had been of his acquaintance before, and did eat bread with him in his house” (Job 42:11).

“So Jehovah blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: and he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she-asses. He had also seven sons and three daughters” (Job 42:12-13). The daughters are named Jemimah, Keziah and Keren-happuch (Job 42:14).

“And after this Job lived a hundred and forty years, and saw his sons, and his sons’ sons, even four generations. So Job died, being old and full of days” (Job 42:16-17).

The LORD (Job 1:8; Job 38:1; Job 42:7–10)

Calls Job his servant, answers him out of the whirlwind, says he has spoken of him the thing that is right, and gives him twice as much as before.

Satan (Job 1:6–12; Job 2:1–7)

Comes among the sons of God, asks whether Job fears God for nought, and is given Job's goods and then his body, but not his life.

His wife (Job 2:9–10)

Asks whether he still holds fast his integrity and bids him renounce God and die; Job answers her.

Eliphaz the Temanite (Job 2:11; Job 4:1; Job 42:7–9)

One of the three friends who came to bemoan him and to comfort him; the LORD told him, My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends.

Bildad the Shuhite (Job 2:11; Job 8:1; Job 42:9)

One of the three friends who sat with him seven days; he answers Job in the exchange and is told to offer a burnt-offering.

Zophar the Naamathite (Job 2:11; Job 11:1; Job 42:9)

Elihu the son of Barachel (Job 32:2–6; Job 33:1)

Waited because the others were elder, then was angry with Job because he justified himself rather than God, and with the three friends because they had condemned Job without an answer.

His sons and daughters (Job 1:2; Job 1:18–19; Job 42:13–15)

Seven sons and three daughters die when the house falls; after his restoration seven sons and three daughters are born to him.

Major sections

• Job 1–2
• Job 3–31
• Job 32–37
• Job 38:1–42:6
• Job 42:7–17

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