Job42
New Living Translation
1Then Job replied to the Lord:
2“I know that you can do anything, and no one can stop you.
3You asked, ‘Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorance?’ It is I—and I was talking about things I knew nothing about, things far too wonderful for me.
4You said, ‘Listen and I will speak! I have some questions for you, and you must answer them.’
5I had only heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes.
6I take back everything I said, and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance.”
7After the Lord had finished speaking to Job, he said to Eliphaz the Temanite: “I am angry with you and your two friends, for you have not spoken accurately about me, as my servant Job has.
8So take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and offer a burnt offering for yourselves. My servant Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer on your behalf. I will not treat you as you deserve, for you have not spoken accurately about me, as my servant Job has.”
9So Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite did as the Lord commanded them, and the Lord accepted Job’s prayer.
10When Job prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes. In fact, the Lord gave him twice as much as before!
11Then all his brothers, sisters, and former friends came and feasted with him in his home. And they consoled him and comforted him because of all the trials the Lord had brought against him. And each of them brought him a gift of money and a gold ring.
12So the Lord blessed Job in the second half of his life even more than in the beginning. For now he had 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 teams of oxen, and 1,000 female donkeys.
13He also gave Job seven more sons and three more daughters.
14He named his first daughter Jemimah, the second Keziah, and the third Keren-happuch.
15In all the land no women were as lovely as the daughters of Job. And their father put them into his will along with their brothers.
16Job lived 140 years after that, living to see four generations of his children and grandchildren.
17Then he died, an old man who had lived a long, full life.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Job 42.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: Job humbly submits unto God. (1–6). Job intercedes for his friends. (7–9). His renewed prosperity. (10–17).
vv1-6
Job was now sensible of his guilt; he would no longer speak in his own excuse; he abhorred himself as a sinner in heart and life, especially for murmuring against God, and took shame to himself. When the understanding is enlightened by the Spirit of grace, our knowledge of Divine things as far exceeds what we had before, as the sight of the eyes excels report and common fame. By the teachings of men, God reveals his Son to us; but by the teachings of his Spirit he reveals his Son in us, Ga 1:16, and changes us into the same image, 2Co 3:18. It concerns us to be deeply humbled for the sins of which we are convinced. Self-loathing is ever the companion of true repentance. The Lord will bring those whom he loveth, to adore him in self-abasement; while true grace will always lead them to confess their sins without self-justifying.
vv7-9
After the Lord had convinced and humbled Job, and brought him to repentance, he owned him, comforted him, and put honour upon him. The devil had undertaken to prove Job a hypocrite, and his three friends had condemned him as a wicked man; but if God say, Well done, thou good and faithful servant, it is of little consequence who says otherwise. Job's friends had wronged God, by making prosperity a mark of the true church, and affliction a certain proof of God's wrath. Job had referred things to the future judgment and the future state, more than his friends, therefore he spake of God that which was right, better than his friends had done. And as Job prayed and offered sacrifice for those that had grieved and wounded his spirit, so Christ prayed for his persecutors, and ever lives, making intercession for the transgressors. Job's friends were good men, and belonged to God, and He would not let them be in their mistake any more than Job; but having humbled him by a discourse out of the whirlwind, he takes another way to humble them. They are not to argue the matter again, but they must agree in a sacrifice and a prayer, and that must reconcile them, Those who differ in judgment about lesser things, yet are one in Christ the great Sacrifice, and ought therefore to love and bear with one another. When God was angry with Job's friends, he put them in a way to make peace with him. Our quarrels with God always begin on our part, but the making peace begins on his. Peace with God is to be had only in his own way, and upon his own terms. These will never seem hard to those who know how to value this blessing: they will be glad of it, like Job's friends, upon any terms, though ever so humbling. Job did not insult over his friends, but God being graciously reconciled to him, he was easily reconciled to them. In all our prayers and services we should aim to be accepted of the Lord; not to have praise of men, but to please God. (Job 42:10-17)
vv10-17
In the beginning of this book we had Job's patience under his troubles, for an example; here, for our encouragement to follow that example, we have his happy end. His troubles began in Satan's malice, which God restrained; his restoration began in God's mercy, which Satan could not oppose. Mercy did not return when Job was disputing with his friends, but when he was praying for them. God is served and pleased with our warm devotions, not with our warm disputes. God doubled Job's possessions. We may lose much for the Lord, but we shall not lose any thing by him. Whether the Lord gives us health and temporal blessings or not, if we patiently suffer according to his will, in the end we shall be happy. Job's estate increased. The blessing of the Lord makes rich; it is he that gives us power to get wealth, and gives success in honest endeavours. The last days of a good man sometimes prove his best, his last works his best works, his last comforts his best comforts; for his path, like that of the morning light, shines more and more unto the perfect day.
Key Words
אִיּוֹב: Ijob, the patriarch famous for his patience
עָנָה: properly, to eye or (generally) to heed, i.e. pay attention; by implication, to respond; by extension to begin to speak; specifically to sing, shout, testify, announce
אָמַר: to say (used with great latitude)
יָדַע: to know (properly, to ascertain by seeing); used in a great variety of senses, figuratively, literally, euphemistically and inferentially (including observation, care, recognition; and causatively, instruction, designation, punishment, etc.)
כִּי: (by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed
יָכֹל: to be able, literally (can, could) or morally (may, might)
כֹּל: properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
לֹא: not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles
מְזִמָּה: a plan, usually evil (machination), sometimes good (sagacity)
מִן: properly, a part of; hence (prepositionally), from or out of in many senses
Cross References
Job 42Job quotes God's opening challenge verbatim as the groundwork of his deep repentance.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Job repeats God's demand back to Him in a spirit of absolute surrender.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Job's progressive self-abasement, building on his previous confession of being vile.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
New Testament summary of Job's patience and the ultimate merciful end provided by the Lord.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Abimelech's healing through Abraham's prayer foreshadows Job's intercessory role for his friends.
Supported by JFB
The restoration of captive fortunes is a well-known Hebrew idiom for total vindication.
Supported by JFB
Prophetic parallel of receiving double restoration for shame and confusion.
Supported by JFB
The return of Job's brethren contrasts sharply with their earlier painful estrangement.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Jeremiah's similar confession of God's absolute omnipotence and sovereign power.
Supported by JFB
Isaiah's self-loathing upon seeing the holy presence of God matches Job's response.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Peter's realization of his own sinfulness when confronted directly by the divine.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Fulfills Job's warning that God would surely reprove his friends for speaking falsely.
Supported by JFB
Eliphaz's own earlier words are fulfilled: the innocent Job delivers those who are not innocent.
Supported by JFB
The covenant blessing of seeing one's children and grand-children to multiple generations.
Supported by Matthew Henry