JOB 42
42 And Job answered Yahweh saying, 2 “I
know that you are capable of doing everything and your plan can’t be
restrained. 3 You asked,
‘Who is this who is obscuring guidance whilst knowing nothing?’ Therefore I announced, ‘I can’t figure out
things that are too incredible for me – things I don’t understand!’ 4
You said, ‘Listen now and I will speak.
I will ask you and you will explain it
to me.’ 5 By listening with my ear I had heard you, but now my eye
has seen you. 6 Therefore I despise myself and grieve in dirt and
ash.”
7 And so, after Yahweh had said these things to Job, he then says to Eliphaz the Temanite, “My anger burns against you and your two friends because you haven’t spoken the truth about me the way my servant Job has. 8 So now take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and present a burnt offering for yourselves. Then my servant Job will intercede for you because I will strengthen him to face me so as not to deal with you according to your disgrace, because you haven’t spoken the truth about me the way my servant Job has.”
9 So Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite went and did as Yahweh had told them, and Yahweh strengthened Job to face him. 10 So Yahweh reversed Job’s captivity through his intercession for his friends, and he also gave him twice as much as before. 11 Then all his brothers and sisters came to him, along with all those who knew him personally, and they had a meal with him in his house. They were compassionate to him and lamented with him concerning all the misery that Yahweh had brought upon him, and each one gave him a piece of silver and a gold ring. 12 What's more Yahweh blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the beginning, and he acquired 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 yoke of oxen, and 1,000 female donkeys. 13 He also had seven sons as well as three daughters – 14 the first he called Jemimah, the second was named Keziah, and the third was named Keren-Happuch. 15 Nowhere in the whole land were there found women as beautiful as Job’s daughters, and their father gave them an inheritance along with their brothers.
16 After this Job lived for 140 years and saw his children and their children through four generations. 17 Then Job died, elderly and full of days.
7 And so, after Yahweh had said these things to Job, he then says to Eliphaz the Temanite, “My anger burns against you and your two friends because you haven’t spoken the truth about me the way my servant Job has. 8 So now take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and present a burnt offering for yourselves. Then my servant Job will intercede for you because I will strengthen him to face me so as not to deal with you according to your disgrace, because you haven’t spoken the truth about me the way my servant Job has.”
9 So Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite went and did as Yahweh had told them, and Yahweh strengthened Job to face him. 10 So Yahweh reversed Job’s captivity through his intercession for his friends, and he also gave him twice as much as before. 11 Then all his brothers and sisters came to him, along with all those who knew him personally, and they had a meal with him in his house. They were compassionate to him and lamented with him concerning all the misery that Yahweh had brought upon him, and each one gave him a piece of silver and a gold ring. 12 What's more Yahweh blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the beginning, and he acquired 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 yoke of oxen, and 1,000 female donkeys. 13 He also had seven sons as well as three daughters – 14 the first he called Jemimah, the second was named Keziah, and the third was named Keren-Happuch. 15 Nowhere in the whole land were there found women as beautiful as Job’s daughters, and their father gave them an inheritance along with their brothers.
16 After this Job lived for 140 years and saw his children and their children through four generations. 17 Then Job died, elderly and full of days.
3) You asked, ‘Who is this... 'You asked' is not in the original Hebrew but is used to indicate that Job is quoting God's words from 38:2. Yep, he was listening!
4) You said... Same as for 'you asked' in verse 3, but now he's quoting God from 38:3 and 40:7.
8) you haven’t spoken the truth about me the way my servant Job has. In all that has transpired, God still affirms Job's integrity. What was God's goal in all of this? Not to answer the question of theodicy ('How does God let bad things happen, especially to good people?'), but to show Job how much of a distance there is (in holiness, majety, power, timelessness...) between the two of them. Now Job gets that (v5,6) he is in the place to be lifted up again (v8-9, where the phrase 'I will strengthen him' is literally 'I will lift him up').
10, 12) twice as much as before. When you look at the numbers of possessions in v12, it is indeed twice as much as he had before (1:2-3), except for one element: his children. Is the Bible wrong, then? No, I think I go along with those who suggest that his first 7 kids are simply yet to be reunited with him in heaven. When all is made right by God he will have all 14. This is a great encouragement for those faithful who have lost children in this life, and for me it's more of a convincing argument as to the destiny of children of believers than David's quote in 2 Sam 12:23.
14) Jemimah,...Keziah,...Keren-Happuch. Jemimah means 'dove' (representing peace), Keziah is a probably a form of Cassia (a fragrant spice like cinnamon), and Keren-Happuch literally means 'a horn of adornment' (in the context of a woman's make-up). So we see Job's daughters symbolize his blessings of peace, fragrance/flavour and beauty in his new beginning.
16) After this Job lived for 140 years. Living this much more beyond his sufferings puts his likely final age up near 200, consistent with the thesis that he lived around the time of the Israel's patriarchs.
4) You said... Same as for 'you asked' in verse 3, but now he's quoting God from 38:3 and 40:7.
8) you haven’t spoken the truth about me the way my servant Job has. In all that has transpired, God still affirms Job's integrity. What was God's goal in all of this? Not to answer the question of theodicy ('How does God let bad things happen, especially to good people?'), but to show Job how much of a distance there is (in holiness, majety, power, timelessness...) between the two of them. Now Job gets that (v5,6) he is in the place to be lifted up again (v8-9, where the phrase 'I will strengthen him' is literally 'I will lift him up').
10, 12) twice as much as before. When you look at the numbers of possessions in v12, it is indeed twice as much as he had before (1:2-3), except for one element: his children. Is the Bible wrong, then? No, I think I go along with those who suggest that his first 7 kids are simply yet to be reunited with him in heaven. When all is made right by God he will have all 14. This is a great encouragement for those faithful who have lost children in this life, and for me it's more of a convincing argument as to the destiny of children of believers than David's quote in 2 Sam 12:23.
14) Jemimah,...Keziah,...Keren-Happuch. Jemimah means 'dove' (representing peace), Keziah is a probably a form of Cassia (a fragrant spice like cinnamon), and Keren-Happuch literally means 'a horn of adornment' (in the context of a woman's make-up). So we see Job's daughters symbolize his blessings of peace, fragrance/flavour and beauty in his new beginning.
16) After this Job lived for 140 years. Living this much more beyond his sufferings puts his likely final age up near 200, consistent with the thesis that he lived around the time of the Israel's patriarchs.