Job 42 Study Notes: Job Repents and Is Restored
Job confesses that God can do anything, admits he spoke of things beyond him, and repents after meeting God for himself. The LORD rebukes Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar, who must offer sacrifices while Job prays for them. God then restores Job with double his former wealth, a new family and a long life.
General
When Job's relatives and acquaintances comfort him in 42:11, who does the verse say had brought his adversity upon him?
Answer: The LORD
In 42:11 Job's brothers, sisters and old friends come to eat with him and console him for every trouble the LORD had sent him, and each brings him a gift of silver along with a ring of gold. The verse speaks of the adversity as coming from the LORD. Satan had been the one who struck Job, but only with God's permission and within God's limits (1:12). Job himself had said we should accept trouble as well as good from God (2:10). God is never the author of evil, yet He rules over all things, even over the evil plans of others, and works them for good (Genesis 50:20).
- Job 42:11 (BSB)“All his brothers and sisters and prior acquaintances came and dined with him in his house. They consoled him and comforted him over all the adversity that the LORD had brought upon him. And each one gave him a piece of silver and a gold ring.”Job's family and friends console him for the adversity the LORD had brought on him.
- Job 1:12 (BSB)““Very well,” said the LORD to Satan. “Everything he has is in your hands, but you must not lay a hand on the man himself.” Then Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.”Satan could touch Job only with the LORD's permission and within the limits He set.
- Job 2:10 (BSB)““You speak as a foolish woman speaks,” he told her. “Should we accept from God only good and not adversity?” In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.”Job had already said that we should accept adversity as well as good from God.
- Genesis 50:20 (BSB)“As for you, what you intended against me for evil, God intended for good, in order to accomplish a day like this—to preserve the lives of many people.”Joseph confesses that God intended for good what others intended for evil, showing God's rule over evil acts without approving them.
Theological
To whom does 42:11 attribute the adversity for which Job's relatives console him?
Answer: The LORD
When Job's brothers, sisters and former acquaintances gather to console him (42:11), the adversity is attributed to the LORD. Satan was the immediate agent in chapters 1-2, yet he acted only by divine permission and within limits set by God (1:12), and Job had already confessed that adversity as well as good is to be received from God (2:10). Scripture holds both truths together: God governs all things, including the evil acts of creatures, while never being the author of evil, and He directs them to good ends (Genesis 50:20).
- Job 42:11 (BSB)“All his brothers and sisters and prior acquaintances came and dined with him in his house. They consoled him and comforted him over all the adversity that the LORD had brought upon him. And each one gave him a piece of silver and a gold ring.”Job's family and friends console him for the adversity the LORD had brought on him.
- Job 1:12 (BSB)““Very well,” said the LORD to Satan. “Everything he has is in your hands, but you must not lay a hand on the man himself.” Then Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.”Satan could touch Job only with the LORD's permission and within the limits He set.
- Job 2:10 (BSB)““You speak as a foolish woman speaks,” he told her. “Should we accept from God only good and not adversity?” In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.”Job had already said that we should accept adversity as well as good from God.
- Genesis 50:20 (BSB)“As for you, what you intended against me for evil, God intended for good, in order to accomplish a day like this—to preserve the lives of many people.”Joseph confesses that God intended for good what others intended for evil, showing God's rule over evil acts without approving them.
General
What contrast does Job draw in 42:5 between his past and present knowledge of God?
Answer: He had known of God by report, but now he had met God for himself
In 42:5 Job says that before, he had only heard about God, but now his eyes have seen Him. Job had worshiped God for years, but his knowledge had mostly come by hearing. Now the LORD has spoken to him directly from the storm (38:1), and that personal encounter changes him. People in the Bible who come face to face with God's holiness and power often respond by seeing their own unworthiness, as Isaiah and Peter did (Isaiah 6:5; Luke 5:8). That is what happens to Job in the next verse.
- Job 42:5 (BSB)“My ears had heard of You, but now my eyes have seen You.”Job contrasts his former knowledge of God by hearing with his present encounter.
- Job 38:1 (BSB)“Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind and said:”The LORD had answered Job out of the whirlwind, the encounter Job now describes.
- Isaiah 6:5 (BSB)“Then I said: “Woe is me, for I am ruined, because I am a man of unclean lips dwelling among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of Hosts.””Isaiah's vision of the LORD likewise led him to a sense of ruin over his own sin.
- Luke 5:8 (BSB)“When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees. “Go away from me, Lord,” he said, “for I am a sinful man.””Peter, confronted with Jesus' power, fell down confessing that he was a sinful man.
Theological
What contrast between hearing and seeing does Job draw in 42:5?
Answer: He had known of God by report, but now he had met God for himself
Job distinguishes (42:5) between knowledge of God received by hearing and the firsthand encounter he has now had. The LORD's self-revelation from the storm (38:1) has done what argument could not. Scripture regularly shows that a direct encounter with God's majesty produces a deep sense of creaturely and moral unworthiness, as with Isaiah in the temple and Peter in the boat (Isaiah 6:5; Luke 5:8), and Job's next words follow the same pattern.
- Job 42:5 (BSB)“My ears had heard of You, but now my eyes have seen You.”Job contrasts his former knowledge of God by hearing with his present encounter.
- Job 38:1 (BSB)“Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind and said:”The LORD had answered Job out of the whirlwind, the encounter Job now describes.
- Isaiah 6:5 (BSB)“Then I said: “Woe is me, for I am ruined, because I am a man of unclean lips dwelling among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of Hosts.””Isaiah's vision of the LORD likewise led him to a sense of ruin over his own sin.
- Luke 5:8 (BSB)“When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees. “Go away from me, Lord,” he said, “for I am a sinful man.””Peter, confronted with Jesus' power, fell down confessing that he was a sinful man.
General
What does the LORD tell the three friends to do in 42:8 so that He will not deal with them according to their folly?
Answer: Bring a burnt offering to Job and have Job pray for them
The LORD tells the friends to bring seven bulls and as many rams to Job, sacrifice a whole burnt offering on their own behalf, and let Job pray for them; God says He will accept Job's prayer and not treat them as their folly deserves (42:8). A burnt offering was an animal sacrifice wholly burned on the altar to seek God's favor. Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar obey, and the LORD accepts Job's prayer (42:9). The man they accused now prays for them, just as he once offered sacrifices for his children (1:5). Jesus calls His followers to pray for people who mistreat them (Matthew 5:44).
- Job 42:8-9 (BSB)“So now, take seven bulls and seven rams, go to My servant Job, and sacrifice a burnt offering for yourselves. Then My servant Job will pray for you, for I will accept his prayer and not deal with you according to your folly. For you have not spoken accurately about Me, as My servant Job has.” So Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite went and did as the LORD had told them; and the LORD accepted Job’s prayer.”The LORD prescribes a burnt offering and Job's prayer, and He accepts Job's prayer for the friends.
- Job 1:5 (BSB)“And when the days of feasting were over, Job would send for his children to purify them, rising early in the morning to offer burnt offerings for all of them. For Job thought, “Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” This was Job’s regular practice.”Job had long offered burnt offerings on behalf of his children, and now he intercedes for his friends.
- Matthew 5:44 (BSB)“But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,”Jesus commands His followers to pray for those who mistreat them, as Job prays for the friends who wronged him.
Theological
What remedy does the LORD prescribe for the friends in 42:8?
Answer: Bring a burnt offering to Job and have Job pray for them
God provides the friends a way of reconciliation (42:8): seven bulls and as many rams offered as a burnt offering, with Job, repeatedly called My servant, praying for them; the LORD also promises to receive his prayer and spare them the treatment their folly deserved. The three obey, and Job's prayer is accepted (42:9). The accused becomes the intercessor for his accusers, continuing his earlier priestly practice for his children (1:5) and exemplifying the command to pray for people who mistreat us (Matthew 5:44).
- Job 42:8-9 (BSB)“So now, take seven bulls and seven rams, go to My servant Job, and sacrifice a burnt offering for yourselves. Then My servant Job will pray for you, for I will accept his prayer and not deal with you according to your folly. For you have not spoken accurately about Me, as My servant Job has.” So Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite went and did as the LORD had told them; and the LORD accepted Job’s prayer.”The LORD prescribes a burnt offering and Job's prayer, and He accepts Job's prayer for the friends.
- Job 1:5 (BSB)“And when the days of feasting were over, Job would send for his children to purify them, rising early in the morning to offer burnt offerings for all of them. For Job thought, “Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” This was Job’s regular practice.”Job had long offered burnt offerings on behalf of his children, and now he intercedes for his friends.
- Matthew 5:44 (BSB)“But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,”Jesus commands His followers to pray for those who mistreat them, as Job prays for the friends who wronged him.
General
What does 42:15 say Job did for his three daughters?
Answer: He gave them an inheritance along with their brothers
The LORD blessed the latter part of Job's life more than the first, and he once more had a family of ten children, seven of them sons and three of them daughters (42:12-13). His daughters were the most beautiful women in the land, and Job gave them an inheritance along with their brothers (42:15). Job went on to live another 140 years, saw four generations of his family, and died at a great age after a long, full life, the same way Isaac's long life is described (42:16-17; Genesis 35:29; Psalm 128:6).
- Job 42:15 (BSB)“No women as beautiful as Job’s daughters could be found in all the land, and their father granted them an inheritance among their brothers.”Job's daughters are praised for their beauty and given an inheritance among their brothers.
- Job 42:16-17 (BSB)“After this, Job lived 140 years and saw his children and their children to the fourth generation. And so Job died, old and full of years.”Job lives on to see four generations and dies at a ripe old age.
- Genesis 35:29 (BSB)“Then he breathed his last and died and was gathered to his people, old and full of years. And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.”Isaac's death is described in the same terms of a long, full life.
- Psalm 128:6 (BSB)“that you may see your children’s children. Peace be upon Israel!”Seeing one's children's children is pictured as a blessing from the LORD.
Theological
What provision did Job make for his daughters, according to 42:15?
Answer: He gave them an inheritance along with their brothers
The LORD made the end of Job's life more blessed than its beginning, and gave him again a family of ten children, seven of them sons and three of them daughters (42:12-13). His daughters, unequaled in beauty in the land, received a share of the inheritance alongside their brothers (42:15). The book closes with Job living 140 years beyond his trial, seeing four generations, and dying at a ripe age after a full life, as is said of Isaac (42:16-17; Genesis 35:29; Psalm 128:6).
- Job 42:15 (BSB)“No women as beautiful as Job’s daughters could be found in all the land, and their father granted them an inheritance among their brothers.”Job's daughters are praised for their beauty and given an inheritance among their brothers.
- Job 42:16-17 (BSB)“After this, Job lived 140 years and saw his children and their children to the fourth generation. And so Job died, old and full of years.”Job lives on to see four generations and dies at a ripe old age.
- Genesis 35:29 (BSB)“Then he breathed his last and died and was gathered to his people, old and full of years. And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.”Isaac's death is described in the same terms of a long, full life.
- Psalm 128:6 (BSB)“that you may see your children’s children. Peace be upon Israel!”Seeing one's children's children is pictured as a blessing from the LORD.
General
What does Job confess about God at the start of his final reply (42:2)?
Answer: God can do everything, and nothing He intends can be stopped
Job begins his last reply by saying that he knows God is able to do everything and that none of God's plans can be stopped (42:2). After hearing the LORD's speeches, Job does not get an explanation of his suffering, but he comes to rest in who God is. Scripture teaches the same truth in many places: God's purpose will stand (Isaiah 46:10), no one can turn back His hand (Isaiah 14:27), and He works out everything according to His own will, including His saving choice of His people (Ephesians 1:11). This is God's sovereignty, meaning His complete rule over all things. For Job, it is a comfort rather than a threat, because the God who rules all is wise and good.
- Job 42:2 (BSB)““I know that You can do all things and that no plan of Yours can be thwarted.”Job's reply begins with a confession of God's limitless power and unstoppable purpose.
- Isaiah 46:10 (BSB)“I declare the end from the beginning, and from ancient times what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and all My good pleasure I will accomplish.’”God declares that His purpose will stand and He will accomplish all His good pleasure.
- Isaiah 14:27 (BSB)“The LORD of Hosts has purposed, and who can thwart Him? His hand is outstretched, so who can turn it back?”The LORD's purposed plan cannot be thwarted or turned back by anyone.
- Ephesians 1:11 (BSB)“In Him we were also chosen as God’s own, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything by the counsel of His will,”God works out everything by the counsel of His will, including His choosing of His people.
Theological
What confession opens Job's final reply to the LORD in 42:2?
Answer: God can do everything, and nothing He intends can be stopped
Job's final response opens with a confession of omnipotence and of the invincibility of God's purpose (42:2). He receives no explanation for his sufferings, yet the revelation of God in the speeches brings him to rest in God's sovereign counsel. The confession matches the wider witness of Scripture: God's purpose stands and His good pleasure is accomplished (Isaiah 46:10), none can turn back His outstretched hand (Isaiah 14:27), and He works all things according to His own sovereign purpose, including the election of His people (Ephesians 1:11). For the sufferer, the sovereignty of a wise and good God becomes the ground of submission and trust.
- Job 42:2 (BSB)““I know that You can do all things and that no plan of Yours can be thwarted.”Job's reply begins with a confession of God's limitless power and unstoppable purpose.
- Isaiah 46:10 (BSB)“I declare the end from the beginning, and from ancient times what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and all My good pleasure I will accomplish.’”God declares that His purpose will stand and He will accomplish all His good pleasure.
- Isaiah 14:27 (BSB)“The LORD of Hosts has purposed, and who can thwart Him? His hand is outstretched, so who can turn it back?”The LORD's purposed plan cannot be thwarted or turned back by anyone.
- Ephesians 1:11 (BSB)“In Him we were also chosen as God’s own, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything by the counsel of His will,”God works out everything by the counsel of His will, including His choosing of His people.
General
In the setting of 42:3-6, what is Job repenting of when he says he despises himself and repents?
Answer: His words spoken about God's ways without true understanding
Job ends his reply by saying he despises himself and repents amid dust and ashes (42:6). The verses just before show what he is turning from. The LORD had asked who was hiding His counsel with words lacking knowledge (38:2), and Job now admits he is that person: he spoke about God's ways without understanding (42:3). The LORD had also rebuked him for condemning God in order to prove himself right (40:8). Job is not admitting that some secret sin caused his losses, as the friends claimed. Through all his first losses he neither sinned nor blamed God (1:22), and the LORD Himself goes on to say Job spoke accurately about Him while the friends did not (42:7). Dust and ashes picture lowliness before God, as when Abraham called himself dust and ashes (Genesis 18:27). God does not reject a humble, broken heart like this (Psalm 51:17).
- Job 42:6 (BSB)“Therefore I despise myself, and I repent in dust and ashes.””Job responds to his encounter with God by humbling himself and repenting.
- Job 42:3 (BSB)“You asked, ‘Who is this who conceals My counsel without knowledge?’ Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know.”The confession that precedes 42:6 shows what Job repents of: speaking of what he did not understand.
- Job 40:8 (BSB)“Would you really annul My justice? Would you condemn Me to justify yourself?”The LORD had rebuked Job for condemning God in order to justify himself, part of what Job now turns from.
- Job 1:22 (BSB)“In all this, Job did not sin or charge God with wrongdoing.”Through all his first losses Job neither sinned nor blamed God, so his repentance is not for a hidden sin behind his suffering or for cursing God.
- Genesis 18:27 (BSB)“Then Abraham answered, “Now that I have ventured to speak to the Lord—though I am but dust and ashes—”Abraham calls himself dust and ashes as he speaks before the Lord, a picture of humility.
- Psalm 51:17 (BSB)“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.”God does not despise a broken and contrite heart, the heart Job now shows.
Theological
Read in the light of 42:3, what is the object of Job's repentance in 42:6?
Answer: His words spoken about God's ways without true understanding
Job's closing words (42:6) express self-abasement and repentance amid dust and ashes. The immediate context identifies the object: he has accepted the LORD's opening charge of obscuring His counsel without knowledge (38:2; 42:3), and with it the rebuke for condemning God in order to vindicate himself (40:8). He does not confess a hidden sin as the cause of his suffering. The prologue records that he neither sinned nor blamed God in his losses (1:22), and the LORD rejects the friends' theory of hidden guilt when He commends Job's speech over theirs (42:7). Dust and ashes picture creaturely humility before the Lord (Genesis 18:27), and such a contrite heart God does not despise (Psalm 51:17).
- Job 42:6 (BSB)“Therefore I despise myself, and I repent in dust and ashes.””Job responds to his encounter with God by humbling himself and repenting.
- Job 42:3 (BSB)“You asked, ‘Who is this who conceals My counsel without knowledge?’ Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know.”The confession that precedes 42:6 shows what Job repents of: speaking of what he did not understand.
- Job 40:8 (BSB)“Would you really annul My justice? Would you condemn Me to justify yourself?”The LORD had rebuked Job for condemning God in order to justify himself, part of what Job now turns from.
- Job 1:22 (BSB)“In all this, Job did not sin or charge God with wrongdoing.”Through all his first losses Job neither sinned nor blamed God, so his repentance is not for a hidden sin behind his suffering or for cursing God.
- Genesis 18:27 (BSB)“Then Abraham answered, “Now that I have ventured to speak to the Lord—though I am but dust and ashes—”Abraham calls himself dust and ashes as he speaks before the Lord, a picture of humility.
- Psalm 51:17 (BSB)“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.”God does not despise a broken and contrite heart, the heart Job now shows.
General
True or False: According to 42:10, the LORD restored Job's fortunes once Job had interceded for the three friends.
Answer: True
This is true. Once Job had interceded for the three friends, the LORD gave back his fortunes and doubled everything he had owned before (42:10). Job did not earn this by a formula; it was the LORD's own gift, just as Job had said at the start that the LORD gives and takes away (1:21). James points to this very story: believers know how Job endured and what the Lord finally did for him, which shows how compassionate and merciful the Lord is (James 5:11). The New Testament points God's suffering people mainly to the restoration God gives in Christ, which reaches into eternal glory (1 Peter 5:10).
- Job 42:10 (BSB)“After Job had prayed for his friends, the LORD restored his prosperity and doubled his former possessions.”The LORD restores Job and doubles his possessions after Job prays for his friends.
- James 5:11 (BSB)“See how blessed we consider those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen the outcome from the Lord. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.”James points to Job's perseverance and to the outcome the Lord brought about, showing that the Lord is full of compassion and mercy.
- Job 1:21 (BSB)“saying: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD.””At the beginning Job confessed that the LORD gives and takes away, so the restoration is likewise the LORD's free giving.
- 1 Peter 5:10 (BSB)“And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore you, secure you, strengthen you, and establish you.”Peter promises that after a little suffering the God of all grace will Himself restore His people, pointing to eternal glory in Christ.
Theological
True or False: The restoration of Job's fortunes in 42:10 comes after Job intercedes for the three friends.
Answer: True
This is true. The LORD gave back Job's fortunes and doubled all he had owned, once Job had interceded for the friends (42:10). The restoration is narrated as the free act of the LORD who gives and takes away (1:21), not as a reward formula. James cites the outcome as evidence of the Lord's compassion and mercy toward His persevering servant (James 5:11). The New Testament directs suffering believers above all to the restoration God Himself will accomplish in calling them to His everlasting glory in Christ (1 Peter 5:10).
- Job 42:10 (BSB)“After Job had prayed for his friends, the LORD restored his prosperity and doubled his former possessions.”The LORD restores Job and doubles his possessions after Job prays for his friends.
- James 5:11 (BSB)“See how blessed we consider those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen the outcome from the Lord. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.”James points to Job's perseverance and to the outcome the Lord brought about, showing that the Lord is full of compassion and mercy.
- Job 1:21 (BSB)“saying: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD.””At the beginning Job confessed that the LORD gives and takes away, so the restoration is likewise the LORD's free giving.
- 1 Peter 5:10 (BSB)“And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore you, secure you, strengthen you, and establish you.”Peter promises that after a little suffering the God of all grace will Himself restore His people, pointing to eternal glory in Christ.
General
In 42:3 Job repeats the LORD's question from 38:2. What does he then admit?
Answer: He had talked about matters he did not understand, beyond his knowing
In 42:3 Job quotes back the LORD's first question to him (38:2), about who was hiding God's counsel by speaking without knowledge. Job answers it honestly: he is that person. He admits he spoke about matters beyond his understanding, matters too marvelous for him to grasp. Job does not say his suffering was caused by sin. He confesses that he spoke beyond what any human can grasp about God's ways. David speaks in a similar way of knowledge too wonderful for him and of matters too high for him to pursue (Psalm 139:6; Psalm 131:1).
- Job 42:3 (BSB)“You asked, ‘Who is this who conceals My counsel without knowledge?’ Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know.”Job repeats the LORD's opening question and admits he spoke beyond his understanding.
- Job 38:2 (BSB)““Who is this who obscures My counsel by words without knowledge?”The LORD's first words to Job asked who was obscuring His counsel with words lacking knowledge.
- Psalm 139:6 (BSB)“Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.”David likewise confesses that God's knowledge is too wonderful and lofty for him.
- Psalm 131:1 (BSB)“A song of ascents. Of David. My heart is not proud, O LORD, my eyes are not haughty. I do not aspire to great things or matters too lofty for me.”The psalmist refuses to occupy himself with matters too lofty for him, the humility Job now learns.
Theological
Having quoted the LORD's question from 38:2, what does Job concede in 42:3?
Answer: He had talked about matters he did not understand, beyond his knowing
Job takes up the LORD's opening indictment (38:2) about one who hides His counsel without knowledge and accepts it as true of himself (42:3): he spoke of matters beyond his understanding, too marvelous for him to grasp. The confession concerns presumption about God's ways, not hidden guilt as the cause of his afflictions. Job's stance now matches the psalmists who confess that divine knowledge is beyond their reach and decline to busy themselves with matters too high for them (Psalm 139:6; Psalm 131:1).
- Job 42:3 (BSB)“You asked, ‘Who is this who conceals My counsel without knowledge?’ Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know.”Job repeats the LORD's opening question and admits he spoke beyond his understanding.
- Job 38:2 (BSB)““Who is this who obscures My counsel by words without knowledge?”The LORD's first words to Job asked who was obscuring His counsel with words lacking knowledge.
- Psalm 139:6 (BSB)“Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.”David likewise confesses that God's knowledge is too wonderful and lofty for him.
- Psalm 131:1 (BSB)“A song of ascents. Of David. My heart is not proud, O LORD, my eyes are not haughty. I do not aspire to great things or matters too lofty for me.”The psalmist refuses to occupy himself with matters too lofty for him, the humility Job now learns.
General
According to 42:7, why is the LORD's anger kindled against Eliphaz and his two friends?
Answer: They had not spoken what was right about God, as Job had
After speaking to Job, the LORD tells Eliphaz the Temanite that His anger burns against him and his two friends, because they have not spoken the truth about God as His servant Job has (42:7). The friends had insisted that suffering always proves sin, that the innocent never perish, and that Job must be very wicked (4:7; 22:5). They condemned a man God called blameless, and in doing so they misrepresented God. Job had spoken rashly and later repented, yet the LORD judges that Job, unlike the friends, spoke rightly about Him. Elihu had also noticed that the friends condemned Job without answering him (32:3).
- Job 42:7 (BSB)“After the LORD had spoken these words to Job, He said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “My wrath is kindled against you and your two friends. For you have not spoken about Me accurately, as My servant Job has.”The LORD tells Eliphaz that His anger burns against him and his two friends because of how they spoke about Him.
- Job 4:7 (BSB)“Consider now, I plead: Who, being innocent, has ever perished? Or where have the upright been destroyed?”Eliphaz had argued that the innocent never perish, assuming Job's suffering proved his guilt.
- Job 22:5 (BSB)“Is not your wickedness great? Are not your iniquities endless?”Eliphaz had accused Job of great wickedness and endless iniquity.
- Job 32:3 (BSB)“and he burned with anger against Job’s three friends because they had failed to refute Job, and yet had condemned him.”Elihu was angry that the three friends had condemned Job without being able to answer him.
Theological
On what ground does the LORD's wrath burn against Eliphaz and his companions in 42:7?
Answer: They had not spoken what was right about God, as Job had
The LORD's verdict in 42:7 is addressed to Eliphaz on behalf of all three: His wrath burns because they failed to speak rightly about Him, as His servant Job did. Their shared assumption, that suffering is always a sign of sin and the innocent never perish (4:7), led them to slander Job with charges of great wickedness (22:5) and so to misrepresent God's ways. Job's rashness is rebuked elsewhere (38:2; 40:8) and he repents (42:6), yet the LORD judges that His servant spoke about Him accurately and the friends did not. Even Elihu had judged that the three condemned Job without refuting him (32:3).
- Job 42:7 (BSB)“After the LORD had spoken these words to Job, He said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “My wrath is kindled against you and your two friends. For you have not spoken about Me accurately, as My servant Job has.”The LORD tells Eliphaz that His anger burns against him and his two friends because of how they spoke about Him.
- Job 4:7 (BSB)“Consider now, I plead: Who, being innocent, has ever perished? Or where have the upright been destroyed?”Eliphaz had argued that the innocent never perish, assuming Job's suffering proved his guilt.
- Job 22:5 (BSB)“Is not your wickedness great? Are not your iniquities endless?”Eliphaz had accused Job of great wickedness and endless iniquity.
- Job 32:3 (BSB)“and he burned with anger against Job’s three friends because they had failed to refute Job, and yet had condemned him.”Elihu was angry that the three friends had condemned Job without being able to answer him.