Open an explanation beneath verses with notes. Your notes and highlights stay on this device.
There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job. That man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God, and turned away from evil.
Verse 1. Hus. The land of Hus was a part of Edom; as appears from Lament. 4:21.—Simple. That is, innocent, sincere, and without guile, ( Challoner.) in opposition to hypocrites and double dealers. Calmet.—Hebrew Tam, “perfect.”
The Hebrew word rendered “God” is “אֱלֹהִ֑ים” (Elohim).
There were born to him seven sons and three daughters.
His possessions also were seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the children of the east.
Verse 3. Sheep. Hebrew including “goats,” which are equally valuable in that country for milk.—Camels. These animals were used for riding in those barren sands, where they can travel for four days without water; and that which is muddy is best for them.—East, in the desert Arabia. Septuagint add at the end of the book, that Job was king; and he seems to have been independent, ( Calmet.) and to have had other kings who acknowledged his authority. Pineda. Calmet. 29:7. and so forth—Each city had its own king in the days of Abraham and of Josue. Job, or Jobab, resided at Denaba. Genesis 36:32. Calmet.
His sons went and held a feast in the house of each one on his birthday; and they sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them.
Verse 4. His day of the week in succession; (Pineda) or each on his birthday, (Genesis 40:20. Matthew 14:6. Grot.) or once a month, and so forth The daughters of Job were probably unmarried.
It was so, when the days of their feasting had run their course, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, “It may be that my sons have sinned, and renounced God in their hearts.” Job did so continually.
Verse 5. Blessed. For greater horror of the very thought of blasphemy, the Scripture both here and verse 11, and in the following chapter (5:5 and 9) uses the word bless, to signify its contrary. Challoner. 3 Kennicott. 21:10.—Thus the Greeks styled the furies Eumenides, “the kind,” out of a horror of their real name. Even those who are the best inclined, can hardly speak of God without some want of respect, ( Calmet.) in the midst of feasts, where the neglect of saying grace is also too common. Bible.—Septuagint “they have thought evil against God.” Every kind of offence may be included, to which feasting leads. Menochius.
Now on the day when God’s sons came to present themselves before the LORD, Satan also came among them.
Verse 6. The sons of God. The angels, ( Challoner.) as the Septuagint express it. Calmet.—Satan also, and so forth This passage represents to us in a figure, accommodated to the ways and understandings of men, 1. The restless endeavours of satan against the servants of God. 2. That he can do nothing without God’s permission. 3. That God doth not permit him to tempt them above their strength: but assists them by his divine grace in such manner, that the vain efforts of the enemy only serve to illustrate their virtue and increase their merit. Challoner.—A similar prosopopeia occurs, 3 Kennicott. 22:19. Zechariah 1:10. Calmet.—Devils appear not in God’s sight, but sometimes in presence of angels, who represent God. Saint Athanasius q. 8. ad Antioc, ( Worthington.) or some ancient author.—The good angels can make known their orders to them. Zechariah 3:1. Jude 9. Both good and bad spirits may be considered as the ministers of God. Calmet.—They appear in judgment; though the latter could not see the Lord.
When rendered in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS, “LORD” or “GOD” is the translation of God’s Proper Name (Hebrew “יהוה”, usually pronounced Yahweh).
The LORD said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, “From going back and forth on the earth, and from walking up and down in it.”
The LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant, Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and an upright man, one who fears God, and turns away from evil.”
Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, “Does Job fear God for nothing?
Verse 9. In vain, without recompense. Bible.
Haven’t you made a hedge around him, and around his house, and around all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.
But stretch out your hand now, and touch all that he has, and he will renounce you to your face.”
Verse 11. Face, like a hypocrite, (Sanctius) or rather curse thee openly, verse 5. Bible.
The LORD said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power. Only on himself don’t stretch out your hand.” So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.
Verse 12. Hand. God permits evils. Worthington.—The devil can do nothing without leave. Calmet.
“Behold”, from “הִנֵּה”, means look at, take notice, observe, see, or gaze at. It is often used as an interjection.
It fell on a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house,
that a messenger came to Job, and said, “The oxen were plowing, and the donkeys feeding beside them,
and the Sabeans attacked, and took them away. Yes, they have killed the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”
Verse 15. Sabeans, descended from Abraham, in the desert ( Calmet.) or happy Arabia. These nations lived on plunder. Pliny vi. 28. Menochius.
While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The fire of God has fallen from the sky, and has burned up the sheep and the servants, and consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”
Verse 16. Heaven, or the air, where the devils exercise a power. Ephes. 2:2.
While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The Chaldeans made three bands, and swept down on the camels, and have taken them away, yes, and killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you.”
Verse 17. Chaldeans. Some copies of the Septuagint read “horsemen.” These nations inhabited the other side of the Euphrates, but made frequent incursions to plunder their neighbours. Calmet.
While he was still speaking, there came also another, and said, “Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house,
and behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young men, and they are dead. I alone have escaped to tell you.”
Then Job arose, and tore his robe, and shaved his head, and fell down on the ground, and worshiped.
Verse 20. Head. Hebrew torn his hair, and rolled in the dust. Bochart. Isaiah 15:2. and so forth Calmet.—The fathers oppose this example to the apathy of the stoics. Saint Augustine de Civ. Dei. i. 9. Romans 1:31.
He said, “Naked I came out of my mother’s womb, and naked will I return there. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the LORD’s name.”
Verse 21. Thither. To that earth from which all are taken. Bible.—Ista terra gentes omnes peperit & resumet demum. Varro.—Ut ater operiens. Pliny ii. 63. See 1 Timothy 6:7.—As … done. Some copies of S. Jerom omit this, which is borrowed from the Septuagint Calmet.
In all this, Job didn’t sin, nor charge God with wrongdoing.
Verse 22. By his lips, is not in Hebrew but occurs Calmet. 2:10.—God. Much less did he blaspheme, as satan had said, verse 11. He did not consider all as the effect of chance, or like a mere philosopher. His thoughts were regulated by religion and the fear of God. Calmet.—The virtue of Job was so much the more wonderful, as he lived among the wicked. Saint Gregory He bore patiently with the loss of all things: and English Catholics have often imitated him. Worthington.—He might well record his own good actions, the gifts of God, being moved by divine inspiration, like Moses, and so forth Saint Gregory