Job 2
Summary for Job 2:1-3: 2:1-3 a This scene is an exact repetition of the scene presented in 1:6-8 b.2:3 c The phrase without cause (Hebrew khinnam) is a wordplay on Satan’s question in 1:9 d.
2:5 e take away his health (literally strike his flesh and bones): Bones were thought to be the seat of health.
2:6 f spare (literally guard/watch over): God ironically made Satan responsible for guarding Job’s life (cp. 10:13-14 g; 13:27 h; 33:11 i).
2:7 j This term for terrible boils was used for any inflamed, running sores (Exod 9:10 k; Lev 13:18-20 l; Deut 28:27 m, 35 n).
2:8 o Job might have scraped his skin to relieve itching; the Greek Old Testament says that it was “to scrape away the pus.”
• The ashes might refer to a place where lepers were quarantined, but Job was probably demonstrating his grief and dismay (30:19 p; Gen 18:27 q; 2 Sam 13:19 r; Isa 58:5 s; Jon 3:6 t).
2:9 u Job’s wife first summarized the essence of Job’s temptation by echoing God’s words (2:3 v); Job was trying to maintain his integrity. In her frustration and anguish, however, she then counseled Job to curse God and thus unknowingly fulfill Satan’s prediction (1:11 w; 2:5 x).
2:10 y Job’s acceptance of bad as well as good things from God’s hand demonstrates his righteousness and faith (cp. 1:21 z; 2 Sam 12:16-20 aa; Luke 22:42 ab).
• By saying nothing wrong, Job controlled his tongue (Prov 13:3 ac; 21:23 ad; see Jas 3:2 ae).
2:11 af It might have taken several months for Job’s friends (see study note on 6:14-27) to hear of his afflictions (see 7:3 ag).
• The text implies that Job’s friends were Edomites, a people who were famous for their wisdom (Jer 49:7 ah; Obad 1:8 ai).
• Eliphaz the Temanite was probably a descendant of Esau’s grandson Teman (Gen 36:10-11 aj, 15 ak); his land was located in Edom (Ezek 25:13 al; Amos 1:11-12 am).
• The Bil- element in Bildad would remind Hebrew readers of names like Bilhan, a descendant of Esau (Gen 36:27 an; 1 Chr 1:42 ao). The -dad element would remind them of names like Bedad, father of the Edomite king Hadad (Gen 36:35 ap; 1 Chr 1:46 aq).
• Shuhite: No place named Shuah is known, but Abraham’s son Shuah was sent to “a land in the east” (Gen 25:1 ar, 6 as; 1 Chr 1:32 at).
• The Greek Old Testament lists Zophar instead of Zepho as one of Esau’s grandsons (Gen 36:11 au, 15 av; 1 Chr 1:36 aw). A Naamathite might reside in a town named Naamah, but no such location is known. Two Old Testament women are named Naamah, but neither is a likely ancestor of Zophar (Gen 4:22 ax; 1 Kgs 14:21 ay).
2:12 az they scarcely recognized him: This expression indicates the extreme suffering Job had experienced (cp. Isa 52:14 ba; 53:3 bb).
• Job’s friends mourned by wailing loudly, just as they would have done for a dead man.
• Throwing dust sometimes expressed anger or disdain (see 2 Sam 16:13 bc; Acts 22:23 bd), but here it signaled mourning (see Josh 7:6 be; 1 Sam 4:12 bf; Neh 9:1 bg; Lam 2:10 bh).
2:13 bi Job’s friends sat on the ground to identify with Job’s suffering (see 2:8 bj).
• The standard period for mourning the death of a notable person or for acknowledging other disastrous news was seven days and nights (Gen 50:10 bk; 1 Sam 31:13 bl; see also Ezek 3:14-15 bm).
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