Job2

Satan again presents himself before the LORD, who highlights Job's continued integrity despite his previous losses. Satan challenges that Job's loyalty is conditional, asserting that Job would curse God if his physical health were afflicted. The LORD permits Satan to strike Job with grievous boils, yet Job endures this suffering without sinning with his lips, even rebuking his wife for suggesting he curse God. Subsequently, Job's three friends arrive to mourn with him, sitting in silent solidarity for seven days.

The Second Heavenly Council

1
Again, on the day when the God’s sons came to present themselves before the LORD, Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD. ​
2
The LORD said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Satan answered the LORD, and said, “From going back and forth in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.”
3
The LORD 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. He still maintains his integrity, although you incited me against him, to ruin him without cause.” ​
4
Satan answered the LORD, and said, “Skin for skin. Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life. ​
5
But stretch out your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will renounce you to your face.”
6
The LORD said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your hand. Only spare his life.” ​

Satan Afflicts Job

7
So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD, and struck Job with painful sores from the sole of his foot to his head. ​
8
He took for himself a potsherd to scrape himself with, and he sat among the ashes. ​
9
Then his wife said to him, “Do you still maintain your integrity? Renounce God, and die.” ​
10
But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. What? Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?” In all this Job didn’t sin with his lips. ​

The Arrival of Job's Three Friends

11
Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this evil that had come on him, they each came from his own place: Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite, and they made an appointment together to come to sympathize with him and to comfort him. ​
12
When they lifted up their eyes from a distance, and didn’t recognize him, they raised their voices, and wept; and they each tore his robe, and sprinkled dust on their heads toward the sky. ​
13
So they sat down with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his grief was very great. ​

Study Notes for Job 2

Verse 1

The repetition of the heavenly meeting reinforces that Job’s testing is not arbitrary, but occurs within the boundaries of God's sovereign plan. The 'sons of God' (bene elohim) refers to angelic beings.

Verse 3

God affirms Job’s integrity, noting that the initial destruction was ‘without cause’—meaning it was not merited by sin, highlighting the injustice Job suffers.

Verse 4

“Skin for skin” is a proverb suggesting a person will sacrifice anything (possessions or even health) to save their life. Satan argues that Job's piety is merely calculated self-interest.

Verse 6

The divine restriction, 'but save his life,' confirms that Satan operates only within the limitations set by God, maintaining divine sovereignty over the extent of the suffering.

Verse 7

The 'sore boils' (shehin ra') refers to a severe, agonizing skin disease, likely painful carbuncles or a form of leprosy, fulfilling Satan's demand to touch Job's body directly.

Verse 8

Scraping himself with a potsherd (broken pottery) and sitting in ashes were traditional ancient practices signifying deep grief, humiliation, and ritual mourning for severe illness.

Verse 9

Job's wife represents the common theological assumption that unmerited suffering implies divine rejection. Her advice to 'curse God, and die' urges him to abandon his covenant loyalty.

Verse 10

Job refuses to accept the simplistic theology that life should only consist of blessings. His response affirms that true integrity accepts both divine goodness and divine permission of suffering.

Verse 11

These three men are introduced by their place of origin, indicating they were respected figures. Their arrival initiates the lengthy poetic dialogue that forms the core of the book.

Verse 12

Their extreme reaction—weeping, tearing clothes, and sprinkling dust—demonstrates the shocking severity of Job's disfigurement; he was completely unrecognizable.

Verse 13

The seven-day silent vigil is a traditional period of profound mourning. Their initial silence shows great compassion, setting the stage for the failure of their subsequent attempts to comfort him.

Use ← → arrow keys to navigate
Settings

Reading Style

Typeface

Font Size 19px

Reading Width 45 chars

Options