Bible Commentaries
Job 42

Verses 1-6

Job's Humble Confession.

v. 1. Then Job, now fully overcome by the Lord's arguments, answered the Lord and said,

v. 2. I know that Thou canst do every thing, the omnipotence, the creative power of God, had been set before him in the most convincing manner, and that no thought can be withholden from Thee, no undertaking, no venture, is forbidden to Him; no matter what He does, His justice cannot be questioned. No matter how hard it is for men to understand, God's ways are always right.

v. 3. Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? That was the question which the Lord had addressed to Job at the beginning of His discourse, 38:2, and Job now acknowledges the truth of this verdict. Therefore have I uttered that I understood not, making statements concerning things beyond his comprehension; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not, passing judgment on God's government of human affairs which cannot be fathomed by man's finite mind as long as he is in this world.

v. 4. Hear, I beseech Thee, and I will speak, for Job was ready now to make the right answer; I will demand of Thee, and declare Thou unto me, he was ready humbly to ask and to receive instruction.

v. 5. I have heard of Thee by the hearing of the ear, he had drawn his conclusions from outward and incomplete observation only, which, as he now realizes, was faulty; but now mine eye seeth Thee, he had had his spiritual vision opened to the real essence of God, to an understanding of His attributes.

v. 6. Wherefore I abhor myself, Job utterly repudiated and rejected all his rash statements, which had cast slurs upon God's justice, and repent in dust and ashes, in the deepest humiliation and mourning. That is the proper attitude to take if one is convinced of any wrong in his past life; not to slur over the matter, but to make a full confession, to come to the Lord with meekness and repentance, asking His forgiveness.

Verses 7-17

Job Vindicated and Restored to Prosperity

v. 7. And it was so that after the Lord had spoken these words unto Job, after Job had made his penitent reply, the Lord said unto Eliphaz, the Temanite, as the spokesman and leader of the three friends, My wrath is kindled against thee and against thy two friends, Bildad and Zophar; for ye have not spoken of Me the thing that is right as My servant Job hath, they had persisted in their endeavor to brand Job as an enormous sinner, guilty of gross trespasses, their conclusion therefore having been that calamities always prove guilt, this being a false representation of God's manner of dealing with Job.

v. 8. Therefore take unto you now seven bullocks and seven rams, Cf Numbers 23:1, and go to My servant Job, who was to act in the capacity of priest, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering, to make an atonement for themselves; and My servant Job shall pray for you, acting as mediator in their behalf, interceding for them; for him will I accept, regarding him favorably, lest I deal with you after your folly, visiting the penalty of their foolishness upon them, in that ye have not spoken of Me the thing which is right like My servant Job.

v. 9. So Eliphaz, the Temanite, and Bildad, the Shuhite, and Zophar, the Naamathite, went and did according as the Lord commanded them. The Lord also accepted Job, regarding him favorably in his intercession for his friends.

v. 10. And the Lord turned the captivity of Job, restored him, vindicated him, amply indemnified him for the losses which he had sustained, when he prayed for his friends, thus showing the proper forgiving spirit; also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.

v. 11. Then came there unto him all his brethren and all his sisters, all the relatives who had so heartlessly withdrawn from him during his misery, and all they that had been of his acquaintance before, Cf 19:13-19, and did eat bread with him in his house, once more glad to enjoy his hospitality; and they bemoaned him, after the fashion of friends of this type, and comforted him over all the evil that the Lord had brought upon him. Every man also gave him a piece of money, a piece of gold believed to have been stamped with the figure of a lamb, worth about four times as much as a shekel, Genesis 33:19, and everyone an earring of gold, for nose rings and earrings were worn by both men and women at that time.

v. 12. So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning, by doubling his former substance; for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she-asses, Cf 1:3.

v. 13. He had also seven sons and three daughters, a large family being a special sign of God's blessing upon a household.

v. 14. And he called the name of the first, Jemima; and the name of the second, Kezia; and the name of the third, Keren-happuch, all three names being descriptive of the beauty, charm, and grace of the young women and of the happy change in Job's fortunes.

v. 15. And in all the land were no women found so fair as the daughters of Job, distinguished for extraordinary beauty; and their father gave them inheritance among their brethren, this being an indication of the fine harmony which prevailed in this family.

v. 16. After this lived Job an hundred and forty years and saw his sons and his son's sons, even four generations, a special proof of divine favor, Psalms 128:6; Proverbs 17:6.

v. 17. So Job died, being old and full of days, a long and happy life also being a blessing of Jehovah, Genesis 25:8; Genesis 35:29. Note: Many a Christian who is bearing heavy crosses has received comfort from the lesson of Job. It may not always happen so that sufferers among the believers are returned to health and prosperity as was Job, but the time will come when they will know and understand the ways of God, realizing fully that He always has thoughts of peace toward us and never thoughts of evil, that He always desires our welfare.