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Job 2

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The Second Heavenly Council 1–6

1
Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD. ​
2
And the LORD said unto Satan, From whence comest thou? And Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.
3
And 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? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause. ​
4
And Satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life. ​
5
But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face.
6
And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life. ​

Satan Afflicts Job 7–10

7
So went Satan forth from the presence of the LORD, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown. ​
8
And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among the ashes. ​
9
Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die. ​
10
But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. 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. ​

The Arrival of Job's Three Friends 11–13

11
Now when Job's three friends heard of all this evil that was come upon him, they came every one from his own place; Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite: for they had made an appointment together to come to mourn with him and to comfort him. ​
12
And when they lifted up their eyes afar off, and knew him not, they lifted up their voice, and wept; and they rent every one his mantle, and sprinkled dust upon their heads toward heaven. ​
13
So they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights, and none spake a word unto him: for they saw that his grief was very great. ​

Bible text: King James Version (1769 Blayney text) · Public domain

Study Notes for Job 2

Verse 1

the sons of God came to present themselves — The scene repeats 1:6 almost word for word. 'Present themselves' is yatsab, to take a stand, as servants before a king; Satan (satan, 'adversary') comes 'among them', yet he too stands before the LORD and acts only as far as the LORD allows.

Verse 3

without cause — Chinnam, 'for nothing', is Satan's own word from 1:9, 'Doth Job fear God for nought?', turned back on him: the ruin was for nothing Job had done. 'Integrity' is tummah, kin to 'perfect' (tam); 'holdeth fast' is chazaq, to grip.

Verse 4

Skin for skin — Or is skin, hide. Satan's saying is that a man gives up outward things to save his nephesh, his life. Job's goods and children had been taken, but 'upon himself' no hand had been put forth (1:12); Satan claims Job's piety lasts only while his own body is safe.

Verse 6

he is in thine hand — The same grant as 1:12, now moved from Job's goods to his body, with a fixed limit: 'but save his life'. 'Save' is shamar, to guard. Satan's power is given and bounded, as when he 'desired to have' Peter and Christ prayed that his faith fail not (Luke 22:31–32).

Verse 7

sore boils — Shechin, an inflammation or ulcer, the word for the boils of Egypt (Ex 9:9–11) and for Hezekiah's boil (2 Kings 20:7). 'From the sole of his foot unto his crown' matches the wording of Deut 28:35, 'from the sole of thy foot unto the top of thy head'. Satan 'went forth from the presence of the LORD'.

Verse 8

a potsherd — Cheres, a broken piece of pottery, serves Job to scrape (garad) his sores. He sits 'among the ashes' (epher), the place of mourning: the king of Nineveh likewise 'sat in ashes' (Jonah 3:6). Job's first grief had been shown by rending his mantle (1:20).

Verse 9

curse God, and die — 'Dost thou still retain thine integrity?' repeats the two words of v.3, chazaq and tummah. 'Curse' is barak, literally 'bless', the Hebrew euphemism for cursing found also in 1:5, 1:11 and 2:5. She urges what Satan predicted in v.5.

Verse 10

foolish women — Nabal is the fool who is impious as well as senseless, the word of 2 Sam 13:13, 'as one of the fools in Israel'. Job's question echoes 1:21; compare Lam 3:38, 'Out of the mouth of the most High proceedeth not evil and good?' The closing verdict repeats 1:22: 'In all this Job sinned not'.

Verse 11

Eliphaz the Temanite — Teman was a son of Eliphaz, Esau's son (Gen 36:10–11), so he points to Edom, a land Jeremiah names for wisdom: 'Is wisdom no more in Teman?' (Jer 49:7). Shuah was a son of Abraham by Keturah (Gen 25:2). They come by appointment 'to mourn' (nud, to shake the head) and 'to comfort' (nacham).

Verse 12

knew him not — They see him only 'afar off' and do not recognise him. Their grief takes three forms: voice and weeping, the rent mantle (me'il, as Job's own in 1:20), and dust 'toward heaven', using the verb zaraq, to sprinkle, that Moses used of ashes thrown 'toward heaven' (Ex 9:10).

Verse 13

seven days and seven nights — Seven days is the length of the mourning made for Jacob (Gen 50:10); Ezekiel also 'sat where they sat… seven days' (Ezek 3:15). 'Grief' is keeb, pain. The friends say nothing until Job speaks; their speeches begin only after his opening words in chapter 3.