1Satan appeareth again before God, and is allowed to make further trial of Job. 7He smiteth him with sore boils from head to foot. 9Job rebuketh his wife, who moved him to curse God. 11Three of his friends visit him, and condole with him in silence.
1AGAIN there was a day when the 1sons of God 2came to present themselves before the LORD, and 3Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD.
1 That is, the holy angels of God. See Job 1:6.
2 See at the foresaid place.
3 See also Job 1 on verse 6.
2And the LORD said unto Satan, From whence comest thou? And Satan answered the LORD, and said, From 4going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.
4 See Job 1 on verse 7.
3And the LORD said unto Satan, 5Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an 6upright man, one that feareth God, and eschewetha evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou 7movedst me against him, to 8destroy 9him 10without cause.
5 See Job 1 on verse 8.
6 See the signification of these words Job 1 on verse 1.
a avoid, shun
7 This is spoken of God after the manner of men, Who is not subject to be moved by any causes outside of Him, for, Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world, Acts 15:18; and who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:, Eph. 1:11. But this expression is used to show: I. that Satan is always ready to hurt the children of God; II. that God makes use of Job to try him.
8 That is, to ruin and to devour all at once, which in this affair was the purpose of Satan, but God’s purpose was only the trial of His servant.
9 Understand both his cattle and his children.
10 That is, not for any of his previous sins, or, wicked living; for, we are to understand it thus, God Himself gives testimony of his integrity in this book, Job 1:1, 8, and here in verse 3. Nevertheless, he was not free from the remainders of sin, which are found in all saints, even by his own acknowledgment. See Job 7:20, 21; 9:2; 13:23, 26. The Hebrew word hinnam is likewise taken in the same sense as it is here rendered, 1 Sam. 19:5; 25:31; Psalm 35:7, etc.
4And Satan answered the LORD, and said, 11Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his 12life.
11 That is, men value their own skin and body far above the skin and body of another. Therefore (Satan would infer), though Job has lost his children, it is of no consequence as long as he may escape with his own skin or his life.
12 Hebr. for his soul. See Gen. 19 on verse 17. Or, for himself, that is, for his own person and welfare. See Gen. 12 on verse 5.
5But put forth thine hand now, and 13touch his bone and his flesh, and he will 14curse thee to thy face.15
13 That is, hurt. See Gen. 26 on verse 11.
14 That is, bless. See Job 1 on verse 5.
15 See Job 1 on verse 11.
6And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine 16hand; but 17save his 18life.
16 That is, power and force. See Gen. 16 on verse 6, namely, to afflict and to injure him. Compare Job 1:12.
17 Hebr. keep, preserve or take heed of his life.
18 Hebr. soul; as verse 4. The sense is: that he would not take away his life.
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.
8And 19he took him a 20potsherd to scrape himself withal;b and he 21sat down among the ashes.
19 Namely, Job.
20 Hebr. earthen vessel. Because doubtless his fingers also were sore, that he was not able to rub and scratch himself with his nails, he was glad to make shift with a potsherd, and therewith to scrape over his sore, and to squeeze and take out the raging matter of the same; whereby we may understand not only the greatness and grievousness of Job’s disease, but likewise, that he was destitute of the help of others, who did abhor the loathsomeness of his condition. See Job 19:13, 14, 15, etc.
b also, with
21 This was a sign by the ancients of excessive grief, sadness, sorrow and humiliation of heart, Job 42:6; Jonah 3:6; Mat. 11:21; Luke 10:13.
9¶Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? 22curse God, and die.
22 See Job 1:5. Or, bless God, and though thou diest, that is, since thou art so apt and ready still to bless God in all things, that is, to give Him praise and thanks for all, as thou didst but a little before (Job 1:21), thou hadst best to continue still, and see how well He will requite thee, namely, with such a tormenting death, as thou canst not escape. Thus she mocks and scoffs at his trust in God.
10But 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 23lips.
23 That is, with his words or speeches; as indeed afterwards he was not altogether free or guiltless of this sin. The word lip is so taken in Job 11:2; 12:20; Prov. 7:21; 12:19; 24:28, etc. Compare Gen. 11:1, and the annotation.
11¶Now when Job’s three 24friends heard of all this evil that was come upon him, they came every one from 25his own place; Eliphaz the 26Temanite, and Bildad the 27Shuhite, and Zophar the 28Naamathite: for they had 29made an appointment together to come 30to mourn with him and to comfort him.
24 It is thought that these three friends of Job were of Arabia and Idumea, descended from Abraham.
25 That is, out of their regions.
26 Thus called, for he was of the posterity of Teman, the son of Eliphaz, who was the son of Esau the son of Isaac, Gen. 36:10, 11, who dwelt in Arabia Desert.
27 One of the descendants of Shuah, the son of Abraham by Keturah, Gen. 25:1, 2, and he also inhabited some part of Arabia Desert.
28 It is uncertain whether this surname comes from any of the patriarchs’ family, or from the habitation. Some are of the opinion that he may be issued from Timnah, the son of Esau, of whom you may see Gen. 36:40. Others conjecture that he was born in the city of Naamah, whereof see Joshua 15:41.
29 Compare Amos 3:3. Other, were gathered or come together.
30 Other, to condole with or to be moved or affected over him. Also Job 42:11.
12And when they lifted up their eyes afar off, and knew him not, they lifted up their voice, and 31wept; and they rent every one his 32mantle, and sprinkled dust upon their heads 33toward heaven.
31 Here and in the next verse there are five signs mentioned of exceeding great sorrow, which these friends of Job did show here: 1. their weeping; 2. the renting of their garments; 3. the sprinkling of dust upon their heads; 4. the sitting down upon the ground; 5. their silence. See of similar, disconsolate behavior Gen. 21:16; 37:34; Joshua 7:6; 2 Sam. 12:16, 17; Esther 4:1, 2; Isa. 47:1; Lam. 2:10; Ezek. 27:30.
32 See Job 1 on verse 20.
33 That is, casting the earth or the dust upwards, they thereby sprinkled their heads with it.
13So 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.