Job 42
BSB
Job Submits Himself to the LORD
1Then Job replied to the LORD:
2“I know that You can do all things
and that no plan of Yours can be thwarted.
3You 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.
4You said, ‘Listen now, and I will speak.
I will question you, and you shall inform Me.’
5My ears had heard of You,
but now my eyes have seen You.
6Therefore I retract my words,
and I repent in dust and ashes.”
The LORD Rebukes Job’s Friends
7After 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. 8So 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.”
9So 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 request.
The LORD Blesses Job
10After Job had prayed for his friends, the LORD restored his prosperity and doubled his former possessions. 11All 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.
12So the LORD blessed Job’s latter days more than his first. He owned 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 yoke of oxen, and 1,000 female donkeys. 13And he also had seven sons and three daughters. 14He named his first daughter Jemimah, his second Keziah, and his third Keren-happuch. 15No women as beautiful as Job’s daughters could be found in all the land, and their father granted them an inheritance among their brothers.
16After this, Job lived 140 years and saw his children and their children to the fourth generation. 17And so Job died, old and full of years.
Introduction
Job 42
Solomon says, "Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof," Ecc 7:8. It was so here in the story of Job; at the evening-time it was light. Three things we have met with in this book which, I confess , have troubled me very much; but we find all the three grievances redressed, thoroughly redressed, in this chapter, everything set to-rights. I. It has been a great trouble to us to see such a holy man as Job was so fretful, and peevish, and uneasy to himself, and especially to hear him quarrel with God and speak indecently to him; but, though he thus fall, he is not utterly cast down, for here he recovers his temper, comes to himself and to his right mind again by repentance, is sorry for what he has said amiss, unsays it, and humbles himself before God (Job 42:1-6). II. It has been likewise a great trouble to us to see Job and his friends so much at variance, not only differing in their opinions, but giving one another a great many hard words, and passing severe censures one upon another, though they were all very wise and good men; but here we have this grievance redressed likewise, the differences between them happily adjusted, the quarrel taken up, all the peevish reflections they had cast upon one another forgiven and forgotten, and all joining in sacrifices and prayers, mutually accepted of God (Job 42:7-9). III. It has troubled us to see a man of such eminent piety and usefulness as Job was so grievously afflicted, so pained, so sick, so poor, so reproached, so slighted, and made the very centre of all the calamities of human life; but here we have this grievance redressed too, Job healed of all his ailments, more honoured and beloved than ever, enriched with an estate double to what he had before, surrounded with all the comforts of life, and as great an instance of prosperity as ever he had been of affliction and patience (Job 42:10-17). All this is written for our learning, that we, under these and the like discouragements that we meet with, through patience and comfort of this scripture may have hope.
Cross-references: Eccl 7:8 · Job 42:1 · Job 42:7 · Job 42:10