Job 42:13

KJV

He had also seven sons and three daughters.

KJV (with Strong's)

He had also seven {H7658} sons {H1121} and three {H7969} daughters {H1323}.

Complete Jewish Bible

He also had seven sons and three daughters.

Berean Standard Bible

And he also had seven sons and three daughters.

American Standard Version

He had also seven sons and three daughters.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Job 42:13 marks a profound moment in the epilogue of the Book of Job, detailing the complete restoration of Job's family life after his profound suffering. Following his repentance and intercession for his friends, the Lord blesses Job with a new family, specifically "seven sons and three daughters," mirroring the exact number of children he possessed before his trials. This verse serves as a powerful testament to divine restoration, emphasizing God's faithfulness and His capacity to bring about new beginnings and wholeness even after devastating loss, signifying the culmination of Job's vindication and renewed prosperity.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** This verse is situated within the triumphant epilogue of the Book of Job, specifically [Job 42:7-17](/job/42-7 "Job 42:7-17 - The Lord's Restoration of Job"). It immediately follows the Lord's direct address to Job, Job's humble repentance, and his intercession on behalf of his three friends, Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar. The narrative pivot occurs in [Job 42:10](/job/42-10 "Job 42:10 - The Lord Restores Job's Fortunes"), where "the LORD turned the captivity of Job, and also the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before." While his material wealth and livestock were doubled, the restoration of his family is presented differently. This verse, [Job 42:13](/job/42-13 "Job 42:13 - Job's New Family"), specifically enumerates his new children, explicitly stating the return to his original family count, thereby highlighting the unique and irreplaceable value of human life compared to material possessions. It provides a concrete detail of the Lord's comprehensive blessing, bringing the narrative of Job's personal restoration to a satisfying close.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** In the ancient Near East (ANE), a large family, especially one with many sons, was considered a significant sign of divine blessing, prosperity, and a secure future. Sons ensured the continuation of the family line, inheritance, and social standing, while daughters, though often married off, contributed to family alliances and were valued for their beauty and domestic skills, as evidenced by the special mention of Job's daughters' beauty and inheritance in [Job 42:15](/job/42-15 "Job 42:15 - The Beauty of Job's Daughters"). The loss of children, as Job experienced in [Job 1:18-19](/job/1-18 "Job 1:18-19 - The Death of Job's Children"), was one of the most devastating calamities imaginable, akin to the complete annihilation of one's legacy. Therefore, the restoration of Job's children to the exact original number (seven sons and three daughters, as in [Job 1:2](/job/1-2 "Job 1:2 - Job's Original Family")) would have been understood by the original audience as the ultimate symbol of God's complete and perfect restoration, a profound reversal of his former desolation and a clear sign of divine favor.
* **Key Themes:** This verse powerfully encapsulates several overarching themes of the Book of Job. Firstly, it underscores **Divine Restoration and Blessing**, demonstrating God's capacity not only to restore what was lost but to grant new life and abundant blessing after profound suffering. It is a tangible manifestation of the Lord's faithfulness to those who endure trials. Secondly, it speaks to **Completeness and Wholeness**, as the number of children precisely matches his original family, signifying that God's restoration is thorough and leaves nothing essential lacking. This aspect of the narrative provides a sense of **Narrative Resolution** and **Vindication**, affirming that Job's righteousness was ultimately acknowledged and rewarded by God, challenging the simplistic retribution theology espoused by his friends. Finally, the birth of new children symbolizes **New Beginnings and Hope**, offering Job and his wife a fresh start and a future filled with the promise of joy and continuity, starkly contrasting with the despair of their earlier losses and reinforcing the theme of God's ultimate sovereignty over life and destiny.

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

#### Key Word Analysis
* **Sons (Hebrew, _bānim_):** This term refers to male offspring. In ancient Israelite culture, sons were paramount for the continuation of the family line, inheritance, and social standing. The number "seven" here is highly symbolic, representing completeness, perfection, and divine blessing, reinforcing the idea that Job's lineage was fully and perfectly restored.
* **Daughters (Hebrew, _bānot_):** This term refers to female offspring. While not carrying the same weight for lineage as sons, daughters were valued for their beauty, their role in family life, and their potential to form alliances through marriage. The number "three" often symbolizes divine wholeness, manifestation, or completion, complementing the "seven" sons to signify a perfectly rounded and blessed family.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"He had also":** This phrase immediately connects the verse to the preceding narrative of Job's restoration. The "also" indicates that the blessing of new children is an additional, crucial component of the Lord's comprehensive restoration, following the doubling of his material wealth and the renewal of his relationships with family and friends. It signifies a holistic recovery, extending beyond mere possessions to the very core of his family life and legacy.
* **"seven sons":** This specifies the number of male children Job received. The number seven is highly symbolic in biblical literature, frequently denoting completeness, perfection, or divine fullness. By restoring exactly seven sons, God not only replaces those Job lost but signifies a perfect, divinely ordained restoration of his patriarchal line, ensuring his legacy and future. This mirrors the number of sons Job had at the beginning of the book ([Job 1:2](/job/1-2 "Job 1:2 - Job's Original Family")), emphasizing a return to a state of ideal blessing.
* **"and three daughters":** This specifies the number of female children Job received. The number three is also symbolically significant in the Bible, often representing divine wholeness, completion, or manifestation. Together with the seven sons, the three daughters complete the original count of ten children, demonstrating God's meticulous and perfect restoration. The subsequent mention of their exceptional beauty and inheritance rights in [Job 42:15](/job/42-15 "Job 42:15 - The Beauty and Inheritance of Job's Daughters") further highlights their value and the completeness of Job's blessing.

#### Literary Devices
Job 42:13 employs several key literary devices to convey its profound message of restoration. **Symbolism** is prominent, particularly through the numbers "seven" and "three." "Seven" often represents completeness and perfection in biblical numerology, while "three" can signify divine wholeness or manifestation. Their combination here underscores a perfectly restored and divinely blessed family, mirroring the ideal ancient Near Eastern family structure. There is also an implicit **Parallelism** with [Job 1:2](/job/1-2 "Job 1:2 - Job's Original Family"), where Job's original family of seven sons and three daughters is introduced. This direct numerical correspondence provides a powerful sense of **Narrative Closure** and **Resolution**, indicating that Job's life has come full circle, and God has fully vindicated and blessed him. The new children themselves serve as a powerful **Symbol** of new life, hope, and God's grace, contrasting sharply with the despair and desolation of Job's earlier losses and marking a definitive new beginning for him and his wife.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Job 42:13 stands as a profound theological statement on God's sovereignty, His capacity for restoration, and the nature of divine blessing. It challenges the simplistic cause-and-effect theology of Job's friends, demonstrating that suffering is not always a direct consequence of sin, and that God's justice ultimately prevails through vindication and abundant grace. The restoration of Job's family, specifically to the exact original number, underscores that while material possessions can be doubled, human life is uniquely precious and irreplaceable, signifying a complete and perfect return to wholeness. This divine act of renewal points to God's ultimate control over life and death, blessing and barrenness, and His unwavering faithfulness to those who persevere in faith, even amidst unimaginable trials. It teaches that God's redemptive plan often culminates in restoration that transcends human expectation, offering hope that even the most devastating losses can be met with new life and renewed purpose by a sovereign and benevolent God.

* [James 5:11](/james/5-11 "James 5:11 - The Patience of Job and the Lord's End")
* [Psalm 127:3](/psalms/127-3 "Psalm 127:3 - Children as a Heritage from the Lord")
* [Joel 2:25](/joel/2-25 "Joel 2:25 - God Restores What the Locusts Have Eaten")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Job 42:13 offers a profound message of hope and encouragement for all who navigate seasons of loss, grief, or seemingly insurmountable challenges. It reminds us that God is ultimately a God of restoration, capable of bringing new life and wholeness even from the ashes of devastation. Job's story teaches us that our present suffering does not define our ultimate destiny, and that faithful endurance can lead to divine vindication and blessing that exceeds our initial state. This verse invites us to trust in God's sovereign plan, even when it is incomprehensible, and to hold onto the promise that He works all things for the good of those who love Him. It encourages us to look beyond immediate circumstances to the faithfulness of God, who can provide new beginnings, new relationships, and new joys, confirming that His grace is sufficient and His restorative power is limitless.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **How does Job's restoration of children, rather than doubling them, speak to the unique value of human life compared to material possessions?**
* **In what areas of your life are you currently seeking God's restoration, and how does Job's story encourage you to persevere in faith?**
* **What does the specific number of Job's new children (seven sons and three daughters) symbolize about the completeness of God's blessing?**

### FAQ

**Why did God restore Job's children to the original number rather than doubling them, as He did with his livestock and wealth?**

Answer: The restoration of Job's children to the original number (seven sons and three daughters) rather than doubling them, as was done with his material possessions, carries profound theological and symbolic significance. It underscores the unique and irreplaceable value of human life. While material wealth can be quantitatively increased, children are a qualitative blessing, each life unique and precious. Doubling them would imply they are mere commodities. Instead, God perfectly restores the *completeness* of Job's family, signifying that his lineage and legacy are fully re-established. This emphasizes that God's restoration is not merely about more, but about wholeness, perfection, and the sacredness of human life. It also highlights the idea of a "new beginning" for Job and his wife, with a new generation of children, rather than the miraculous resurrection of the previous ones. This perfect restoration of his family, matching the original count from [Job 1:2](/job/1-2 "Job 1:2 - Job's Original Family"), signifies a divine vindication and a return to a state of ideal blessing.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Job 42:13, with its narrative of profound suffering followed by complete restoration, finds its ultimate and most glorious fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Job's experience of losing everything, enduring immense pain, and then being divinely vindicated and blessed, serves as a powerful Old Testament foreshadowing of Christ's journey. Jesus, the ultimate righteous sufferer, endured unimaginable agony, rejection, and death on the cross, becoming the [Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world](/john/1-29 "John 1:29 - Jesus, the Lamb of God"). Yet, through His resurrection, God the Father vindicated Him, raising Him to glory and bestowing upon Him [all authority in heaven and on earth](/matthew/28-18 "Matthew 28:18 - All Authority Given to Jesus"). The restoration of Job's family to "seven sons and three daughters" beautifully prefigures the spiritual family that Christ establishes through His redemptive work. Through faith in Him, believers are born again, becoming [children of God](/john/1-12 "John 1:12 - Children of God through Faith") and adopted into His eternal family, the Church. This new spiritual lineage is not merely a restoration but an eternal, unbreakable bond, far surpassing any earthly family. Just as Job received new life and a new legacy, so too do believers receive [new life in Christ](/2_corinthians/5-17 "2 Corinthians 5:17 - New Creation in Christ"), a spiritual inheritance, and the promise of an eternal home with God, the ultimate and perfect fulfillment of all restoration.

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Job 1:2

And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters.

Psalms 107:41

Yet setteth he the poor on high from affliction, and maketh [him] families like a flock.

Psalms 127:3

Lo, children [are] an heritage of the LORD: [and] the fruit of the womb [is his] reward.

Isaiah 49:20

The children which thou shalt have, after thou hast lost the other, shall say again in thine ears, The place [is] too strait for me: give place to me that I may dwell.