Job 2

Chapter 2 of Job forms the second half of the prose prologue that spans chapters 1–2. In Job 1, Job lost his possessions and his children without blaming God; in this chapter a second trial follows, this time striking his body.

Outline

• Verses 1–6: When the sons of God present themselves before the LORD, Satan again comes among them. The LORD points to Job's integrity, and Satan replies, "Skin for skin," asserting that if Job's body is struck, he will curse God. The LORD permits this on the condition that Job's life be spared.
• Verses 7–8: Satan smites Job "with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown." Job sits down among the ashes and scrapes himself with a potsherd.
• Verses 9–10: When his wife tells him to curse God and die, Job replies by asking whether they should receive good and not also receive evil. The text records that Job did not sin with his lips.
• Verses 11–13: Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite come to comfort him. They weep aloud, tear their mantles, and sprinkle dust upon their heads, then sit on the ground with Job for seven days and seven nights without speaking.

Key Verses

• Job 2:3: The words "although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause" inform the reader in advance that Job's suffering is not the result of his sin.
• Job 2:10: "Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?" These words are frequently quoted in discussions of faith amid suffering.
• Job 2:13: The friends' silent presence beside Job stands in contrast to the lengthy debate that follows.

Characters and Places

• Job: A righteous man of the land of Uz. In this chapter he suffers bodily affliction.
• Satan: The older Korean spelling is Sadan; the New Korean Revised Version renders the name Satan. He appears as one who accuses Job before God.
• Job's wife: Her name is not given in the text.
• Job's three friends: Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar.
• Teman: Eliphaz's place of origin, known as a place associated with Edom. The locations of Shuah, Bildad's home, and Naamah, Zophar's home, are uncertain.

Points for Reflection

• The "sons of God" are commonly understood as heavenly beings. In Hebrew, the word satan carries the definite article and means "the accuser." Interpretations therefore differ as to whether this figure should be identified with the devil of later tradition or understood as filling the role of accuser in the heavenly court.
• The Hebrew word translated "curse" in verses 5 and 9 ordinarily means "to bless." It is understood as a euphemism used in place of the word "curse."
• The words of Job's wife have traditionally been read negatively. Some interpreters, however, read them sympathetically as the lament of one who could no longer bear the suffering. The Septuagint contains an extended speech by the wife in verse 9 that is absent from the Hebrew text.
• Some strands of Jewish tradition read "In all this did not Job sin with his lips" as leaving unstated whether the same was true of his heart.
• In the New Testament, James 5:11 refers to "the patience of Job."

In the Korean Church

Verse 10 is frequently quoted in sermons on suffering. Verse 13 is often cited in discussions of the proper attitude in pastoral visitation when comforting a bereaved family.