Job 1

Job 1 is the first chapter of the Book of Job. Together with chapter 2, it forms a prose prologue that establishes the setting for the entire book. It opens by introducing Job.

Outline

• Verses 1–5 Job, who lives in the land of Uz, is a perfect and upright man. He has seven sons and three daughters and owns seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she asses, making him the greatest of all the men of the east. Whenever his children's feasts come to an end, Job offers burnt offerings according to the number of them all.
• Verses 6–12 Satan comes among the sons of God and asks, "Doth Job fear God for nought?" The LORD places Job's possessions in Satan's power but forbids him to lay a hand on Job himself.
• Verses 13–19 Four messengers arrive in quick succession: the Sabeans have seized the oxen and asses; the fire of God has burned up the sheep and the servants; the Chaldeans have carried off the camels; and a great wind has struck the house of the eldest brother, which has collapsed and killed Job's children.
• Verses 20–22 Job rends his mantle, shaves his head, falls down upon the ground, and worships. He blesses the LORD and does not sin.

Key Verses

• Job 1:9 "Doth Job fear God for nought?" This question introduces the inquiry that runs through the whole book: is faith possible that seeks no reward?
• Job 1:21 "The LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away" is Job's confession after losing everything. This passage is also discussed in the article Job 1:20–22.

Characters and Places

• Job: A righteous man living in the land of Uz.
• Satan: The being who questions Job's faith before the LORD. The Korean text followed here spells the name "사단" (Sadan), while the New Korean Revised Version writes "사탄" (Satan).
• The sons of God: Heavenly beings who present themselves before the LORD, commonly understood to be angels.
• Uz: The land where Job lived. Its location is uncertain; it is thought to have been in the region of Edom or Aram.
• The Sabeans and the Chaldeans: Bands that seized Job's livestock and killed his servants.

Points for Reflection

• The heavenly scene in verses 6–12 is known to the reader but not to Job. Job is never told the reason for his suffering, even by the end of the book.
• In the Hebrew text, the word rendered "Satan" carries the definite article and means "the accuser" or "the adversary." Traditionally, this figure has been identified with the Satan of the New Testament. Some interpreters, however, take the term to denote the role of an accuser in the heavenly court.
• Some regard Job as a historical person, while others view the account as a story composed as wisdom literature. Ezekiel 14:14 names Job alongside Noah and Daniel as a righteous man, and James 5:11 refers to "the patience of Job."
• Verse 21 expresses an idea similar to that of 1 Timothy 6:7.

In the Korean Church

Verse 21 is frequently read at funeral services and is widely used as a sermon text on suffering and loss. The New Korean Revised Version renders the verse in wording that may be translated "The one who gave is the LORD, and the one who took back is the LORD."