Job 1:18

While 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:

While he was yet speaking {H1696}, there came {H935} also another, and said {H559}, Thy sons {H1121} and thy daughters {H1323} were eating {H398} and drinking {H8354} wine {H3196} in their eldest {H1060} brother's {H251} house {H1004}:

While he was still speaking, another one came and said, "Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house,

While he was still speaking, another messenger came and reported: “Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house,

While 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;

Commentary

Job 1:18 delivers the most devastating news to Job, revealing the tragic loss of all his children. This verse is part of a rapid succession of calamities that befall Job, testing his unwavering faith and integrity.

Context

This verse immediately follows three previous reports of immense loss: the Sabeans stealing oxen and asses and killing servants (Job 1:15), a "fire of God" consuming sheep and servants (Job 1:16), and the Chaldeans stealing camels and killing more servants (Job 1:17). The phrase "While he was yet speaking" underscores the relentless and overwhelming nature of the bad tidings. Job, introduced as a "perfect and upright" man who feared God, is now facing the complete dismantling of his worldly prosperity and family.

Key Themes

  • Ultimate Loss: The death of his children represents the most profound and personal loss Job could experience, striking at the very core of his family and legacy. This calamity culminates Satan's initial assault, aiming to provoke Job to curse God.
  • Satan's Strategy: This event highlights Satan's malicious intent, as he seeks to break Job's faith by inflicting maximum pain and stripping him of everything he holds dear. It is a direct fulfillment of the challenge Satan posed to God, suggesting Job's piety was conditional on his blessings (Job 1:9-11).
  • Testing of Faith: The verse sets the stage for Job's monumental response to suffering. His reaction to this unspeakable tragedy will demonstrate the depth and authenticity of his devotion to God, even when faced with overwhelming grief.

Linguistic Insights

The KJV's "While he [was] yet speaking" emphasizes the immediacy and succession of the messengers, creating a rapid-fire delivery of catastrophic news. The detail that his sons and daughters were "eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house" paints a picture of a joyful, festive occasion, making the suddenness and completeness of their demise even more poignant and tragic. There isn't a specific Hebrew term here that requires deep linguistic analysis for a general audience beyond what the English conveys, but the narrative structure itself highlights the relentless nature of the trials.

Practical Application

Job 1:18, while devastating, serves as a powerful reminder of the fragility of life and the unpredictable nature of suffering. It prompts us to consider:

  • Resilience in Adversity: How do we respond when overwhelming loss strikes unexpectedly? Job's example (seen in Job 1:21-22) teaches us about enduring faith and trust in God's sovereignty even in inexplicable pain.
  • God's Sovereignty: This narrative reminds us that even in the face of evil and suffering, God remains sovereign. Though Satan acts, he does so only with divine permission, serving a larger, often mysterious, purpose in God's plan.
  • Empathy and Compassion: The raw pain expressed in Job's story encourages us to have compassion for those experiencing profound grief and loss, understanding that sometimes there are no easy answers or explanations for suffering.
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Cross-References

  • Job 1:4

    ¶ And 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.

  • Job 1:13

    ¶ And there was a day when his sons and his daughters [were] eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house:

  • Job 16:14

    He breaketh me with breach upon breach, he runneth upon me like a giant.

  • Amos 4:6

    ¶ And I also have given you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and want of bread in all your places: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD.

  • Amos 4:11

    I have overthrown [some] of you, as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and ye were as a firebrand plucked out of the burning: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD.

  • Ecclesiastes 9:2

    All [things come] alike to all: [there is] one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as [is] the good, so [is] the sinner; [and] he that sweareth, as [he] that feareth an oath.

  • Psalms 34:19

    Many [are] the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.