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Contemporary English Version
Job 2:9
Bible Study Resources
Concordances:
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- InternationalParallel Translations
His wife said to him, “Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!”
Then his wife said to him, "Do you still maintain your integrity? Renounce God, and die."
Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die.
Then his wife said to him, "Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die."
Job's wife said to him, "Why are you trying to stay innocent? Curse God and die!"
Then his wife said to him, "Are you still holding firmly to your integrity? Curse God, and die!"
Then his wife said to him, "Do you still cling to your integrity [and your faith and trust in God, without blaming Him]? Curse God and die!"
Then his wife said to him, "Do you still hold firm your integrity? Curse God and die!"
Then his wife said to him, "Do you still maintain your integrity? Renounce God, and die."
Then said his wife vnto him, Doest thou continue yet in thine vprightnes? Blaspheme God, and dye.
Then his wife said to him, "Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die!"
Then Job's wife said to him, "Do you still retain your integrity? Curse God and die!"
His wife asked him, "Why do you still hold on to your integrity? Curse God, and die!"
And his wife said to him, Dost thou still remain firm in thine integrity? curse God and die.
His wife said to him, "Are you still holding on to your faith? Why don't you just curse God and die!"
Then his wife said to him, Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God, and die.
His wife said to him, "You are still as faithful as ever, aren't you? Why don't you curse God and die?"
Then his wife said to him, "Are you still persisting in your blamelessness? Curse God and die."
And his wife said to him, Are you still holding fast to your integrity? Bless God and die!
Then sayde his wife vnto him: Dost thou yet cotynue in thy perfectnesse? curse God, & dye.
Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still hold fast thine integrity? renounce God, and die.
And his wife said to him, Are you still keeping your righteousness? Say a curse against God, and put an end to yourself.
Then sayd his wyfe vnto him: Doest thou continue yet in thy perfectnesse? curse God, and dye.
Then said his wife unto him: 'Dost thou still hold fast thine integrity? blaspheme God, and die.'
Then saide his wife vnto him, Doest thou still reteine thine integritie? Curse God, and die.
And when much time had passed, his wife said to him, How long wilt thou hold out, saying, Behold, I wait yet a little while, expecting the hope of my deliverance? for, behold, thy memorial is abolished from the earth, even thy sons and daughters, the pangs and pains of my womb which I bore in vain with sorrows; and thou thyself sittest down to spend the nights in the open air among the corruption of worms, and I am a wanderer and a servant from place to place and house to house, waiting for the setting of the sun, that I may rest from my labours and my pangs which now beset me: but say some word against the Lord, and die.
Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still hold fast thine integrity? renounce God, and die.
Forsothe his wijf seide to hym, Dwellist thou yit in thi symplenesse? Curse thou God, and die.
Then his wife said to him, Do you still hold fast your integrity? renounce God, and die.
Then said his wife to him, Dost thou still retain thy integrity? curse God, and die.
Then his wife said to him, "Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!"
His wife said to him, "Are you still trying to maintain your integrity? Curse God and die."
Then his wife said to him, "Do you still hold on to your faith? Curse God and die!"
Then his wife said to him, "Do you still persist in your integrity? Curse God, and die."
Then said his wife unto him, Art thou still holding fast thine integrity? Curse God, and die!
And his wife said to him: Dost thou still continue in thy simplicity? bless God and die.
Then his wife said to him, "Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God, and die."
And his wife saith to him, `Still thou art keeping hold on thine integrity: bless God and die.'
His wife said, "Still holding on to your precious integrity, are you? Curse God and be done with it!"
Then his wife said to him, "Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die!"
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
his wife: Genesis 3:6, Genesis 3:12, 1 Kings 11:4
retain: Job 2:3, Job 21:14, Job 21:15, 2 Kings 6:33, Malachi 3:14
curse God: Job 2:5, Job 1:11
Reciprocal: Leviticus 24:11 - cursed Judges 14:17 - she lay 1 Kings 16:18 - and burnt the king's house 1 Kings 21:13 - blaspheme God Job 1:5 - cursed Job 3:1 - cursed Job 19:17 - breath Job 27:5 - I will not Isaiah 8:21 - curse Matthew 27:5 - and departed 2 Corinthians 2:11 - General 2 Corinthians 4:8 - not in despair
Cross-References
The Lord made a garden in a place called Eden, which was in the east, and he put the man there.
The Lord God placed all kinds of beautiful trees and fruit trees in the garden. Two other trees were in the middle of the garden. One of the trees gave life—the other gave the power to know the difference between right and wrong.
except the one that has the power to let you know the difference between right and wrong. If you eat any fruit from that tree, you will die before the day is over!"
except the one in the middle. He told us not to eat fruit from that tree or even to touch it. If we do, we will die."
Wisdom is a life-giving tree, the source of happiness for all who hold on to her.
Live right, and you will eat from the life-giving tree. And if you act wisely, others will follow.
I make liars of false prophets and fools of fortunetellers. I take human wisdom and turn it into nonsense.
You hid behind evil like a shield and said, "No one can see me!" You were fooled by your wisdom and your knowledge; you felt sure that you alone were in full control.
This tree will crash to the ground, and I will send it to the world below. Then the nations of the earth will tremble. The trees from Eden and the choice trees from Lebanon are now in the world of the dead, and they will be comforted when this tree falls.
King of Egypt, all these things will happen to you and your people! You were like this tree at one time—taller and stronger than anyone on earth. But now you will be chopped down, just as every tree in the garden of Eden must die. You will be sent down to the world of the dead, where you will join the godless and the other victims of violent death. I, the Lord God, have spoken.
Gill's Notes on the Bible
Then said his wife to him,.... The Jews g, who affect to know everything, say, that Job's wife was Dinah, the daughter of Jacob, as the Targum, but this is not very likely; however, we may observe that polygamy had not obtained in these early times; Job had but one wife, and very probably she is the same that after all this bore him ten children more; since we never read of her death, nor of his having any other wife, and might be a good woman for anything that appears to the contrary; and Job himself seems to intimate the same, though she was in the dark about this providence, and under a sore temptation on that account; and therefore says to her husband,
dost thou still retain thine integrity? not as blaming him for insisting and leaning on his integrity, and justifying, and not humbling himself before God, when he should rather confess his sins and prepare for death; for this is contrary to the sense of the phrase used, Job 2:3; where Job is applauded by the Lord himself for holding fast his integrity; nor will Job's answer comport with this sense of her words; nor did she speak as wondering that he should still retain it among so many sore temptations and afflictions; though indeed persevering grace is a marvellous thing; but then he would never have blamed her for such an expression: nor said she this as upbraiding and reproaching him for his religion and continuance in it, and mocking at him, and despising him on that account, as Michal did David; but as suggesting to him there was nothing in religion, and advising him to throw up the profession of it; for he might easily see, by his own case and circumstances, that God had no more regard to good men than to bad men, and therefore it was in vain to serve him; the temptation she laboured under was the same with that good man's, Asaph, Psalms 73:11;
curse God, and die: which is usually interpreted, curse God and then destroy thyself; or utter some such blasphemous words, as will either provoke him to destroy thee, or will make thee liable to be taken notice of by the civil magistrate and put to death for it; or do this in revenge for his hand upon thee, and then die; or, though thou diest; but these are all too harsh and wicked to be said by one that had been trained up in a religious manner, and had been so many years the consort of so holy and good a man: the words may be rendered, "bless God and die" h; and may be understood either sarcastically, go on blessing God till thou diest; if thou hast not had enough of it, take thy fill of it, and see what will be the issue of it; nothing but death; wilt thou still continue "blessing God and dying?" so some i render the words, referring to what he had said in Job 1:21; or else really and sincerely, as advising him to humble himself before God, confess his sins, and "pray" k unto him that he would take him out of this world, and free him from all his pains and sorrow; or rather the sense is, "bless God": take thy farewell of him l; bid adieu to him and all religion, and so die; for there is no good to be hoped for on the score of that, here or hereafter; or at least not in this life: and so it amounts to much the same as before; and this sense is confirmed by Job's answer, which follows.
g T. Hieros. Sotah, fol. 20. 3. h ××¨× ××××× "benedic Deo", Montanus, Piscator, Schmidt, Michaelis. i "Benedicendo et moriendo", Junius Tremellius, Cocceius, Broughton. k "Supplica Deo", Tigurine version so some in Munster. l "Valere jubeas numen et morere", Schultens; "valedic Deo", so some in Mercer.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
Then said his wife unto him - Some remarkable additions are made by the ancient versions to this passage. The Chaldee renders it, âand âDinahâ (××× × dıÌynaÌh), his wife, said to him.â The author of that paraphrase seems to have supposed that Job lived in the time of Jacob, and had married his daughter Dinah; Genesis 30:21. Drusius says, that this was the opinion of the Hebrews, and quotes a declaration from the Gemara to this effect: âJob lived in the days of Jacob, and was born when the children of Israel went down into Egypt; and when they departed thence he died. He lived therefore 210 years, as long as they were into Egypt.â This is mere tradition, but it shows the ancient impression as to the time when Job lived. The Septuagint has introduced a remarkable passage here, of which the following is a translation. âAfter much time had elapsed, his wife said unto him, How long wilt thou persevere, saying, Behold, I will wait a little longer, cherishing the trope of my recovery? Behold, the memorial of thee has disappeared from the earth - those sons and daughters, the pangs and sorrows of my womb, for whom I toiled laboriously in vain. Even thou sittest among loathsome worms, passing the night in the open air, whilst I, a wanderer and a drudge, from place to place, and from house to house, watch the sun until his going down, that I may rest from the toils and sorrows that now oppress me. But speak some word toward the Lord (Ïι ÏÌηÍμα ειÌÏ ÎºÏ ÌÏιον ti reÌma eis kurion) and die.â
Whence this addition had its origin, it is impossible now to say. Dr. Good says it is found in Theodotion, in the Syriac, and the Arabic (in this he errs, for it is not in the Syriac and Arabic in Waltohâs Polyglott), and in the Latin of Ambrose. Dathe suggests that it was probably added by some person who thought it incredible that an angry woman could be content with saying so âlittleâ as is ascribed in the Hebrew to the wife of Job. It may have been originally written by some one in the margin of his Bible by way of paraphrase, and the transcriber, seeing it there, may have supposed it was omitted accidentally from the text, and so inserted it in the place where it now stands. It is one of the many instances, at all events, which show that implicit confidence is not to be placed in the Septuagint. There is not the slightest evidence that this was ever in the Hebrew text. It is not wholly unnatural, and as an exercise of the fancy is not without ingenuity and plausibility, and yet the simple but abrupt statement in the Hebrew seems best to accord with nature. The evident distress of the wife of Job, according to the whole narrative, is not so much that she was subjected to trials, and that she was compelled to wander about without a home, as that Job should be so patient, and that he did not yield to the temptation.
Dost thou still retain thine integrity? - Notes Job 2:3. The question implies that, in her view, he ought not to be expected to mantles, patience and resignation in these circumstances. He had endured evils which showed that confidence ought not to be reposed in a God who would thus inflict them. This is all that we know of the wife of Job. Whether this was her general character, or whether âsheâ yielded to the temptation of Satan and cursed God, and thus heightened the sorrows of Job by her unexpected impropriety of conduct, is unknown. It is not conclusive evidence that her general character was bad; and it may be that the strength of her usual virtue and piety was overcome by accumulated calamities. She expressed, however, the feelings of corrupt human nature everywhere when sorely afflicted. The suggestion âwillâ cross the mind, often with almost irresistible force, that a God who thus afflicts his creatures is not worthy of confidence; and many a time a child of God is âtemptedâ to give vent to feelings of rebellion and complaining like this, and to renounce all his religion.
Curse God - See the notes at Job 1:11. The Hebrew word is the same. Dr. Good renders it, âAnd yet dost thou hold fast thine integrity, blessing God and dying?â Noyes translates it, âRenounce God, and die,â Rosenmuller and Umbreit, âBid farewell to God, and die.â Castellio renders it, âGive thanks to God and die.â The response of Job, however Job 2:10, shows that he understood her as exciting him to reject, renounce, or curse God. The sense is, that she regarded him as unworthy of confidence, and submission as unreasonable, and she wished Job to express this and be relieved from his misery. Roberts supposes that this was a pagan sentiment, and says that nothing is more common than for the pagan, under certain circumstances, to curse their gods. âThat the man who has made expensive offerings to his deity, in hope of gaining some great blessing, and who has been disappointed, will pour out all his imprecations on the god whose good offices have (as he believes) been prevented by some superior deity. A man in reduced circumstances says, âYes, yes, my god has lost his eyes; they are put out; he cannot look after my affairs.â âYes, â said an extremely rich devotee of the supreme god Siva, after he had lost his property, âShall I serve him any more? What, make offerings to him! No, no. He is the lowest of all gods? ââ
And die - Probably she regarded God as a stern and severe Being, and supposed that by indulging in blasphemy Job would provoke him to cut him off at once. She did not expect him to lay wicked hands on himself. She expected that God would at once interpose and destroy him. The sense is, that nothing but death was to be expected, and the sooner he provoked God to cut him off from the land of the living, the better.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse Job 2:9. Then said his wife — To this verse the Septuagint adds the following words: "Much time having elapsed, his wife said unto him, How long dost thou stand steadfast, saying, 'Behold, I wait yet a little longer looking for the hope of my Salvation?' Behold thy memorial is already blotted out from the earth, together with thy sons and thy daughters, the fruits of my pains and labours, for whom with anxiety I have laboured in vain. Thyself also sittest in the rottenness of worms night and day, while I am a wanderer from place to place, and from house to house, waiting for the setting of the sun, that I may rest from my labours, and from the griefs which oppress me. Speak therefore some word against God, and die." We translate ××¨× ××××× ××ת barech Elohim vamuth, Curse God, and die. The verb ××¨× barach is supposed to include in it the ideas of cursing and blessing; but it is not clear that it has the former meaning in any part of the sacred writings, though we sometimes translate it so.
Here it seems to be a strong irony. Job was exceedingly afflicted, and apparently dying through sore disease; yet his soul was filled with gratitude to God. His wife, destitute of the salvation which her husband possessed, gave him this ironical reproof. Bless God, and die - What! bless him for his goodness, while he is destroying all that thou hast! bless him for his support, while he is casting thee down and destroying thee! Bless on, and die.
The Targum says that Job's wife's name was Dinah, and that the words which she spake to him on this occasion were ×ר×× ××××¨× ××× ×××ת berich meymera dayai umith. Bless the word of the Lord, and die.
Ovid has such an irony as I suppose this to have been: -
Quid vos sacra juvant? quid nunc AEgyptia prosunt
Sistra? ______
Cum rapiant mala fata bonos, ignoscite fasso,
Sollicitor nullos esse putare deos.
Vive plus, moriere pius; cole sacra, colentem
Mors gravis a templis in cava busta trahet.
AMOR. lib. iii., Eleg. ix. ver. 33.
"In vain to gods (if gods there are) we pray,
And needless victims prodigally pay;
Worship their sleeping deities: yet death
Scorns votaries, and stops the praying breath.
To hallow'd shrines intruding fate will come,
And drag you from the altar to the tomb."
STEPNEY.
