Job 1:6-19 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Job 1:6-7: 1:6-7 The members of the heavenly court are heavenly beings; they may be either holy angels or rebellious demons (Gen 6:2 , 4 ). They join God in his deliberations, including at creation (Gen 1:26 ) and in his rule over creation (Job 1:6 ; Gen 3:22 ; 2:1 ; 1 Kgs 22:19-22 ; Pss 82:1 ; 89:5 , 7-8 ; Dan 3:13 , 17 , 23 , 25 ; 7:9-14 ). • The account remains unclear as to whether Satan usually came with other members of the heavenly court to make a report or whether he was intruding as Job’s adversary. • Where have you come from? The question was God’s sovereign demand for a report from a subordinate (see Gen 3:9 ). • Satan was not patrolling to implement God’s judgments (cp. 1 Chr 21:1-14 ; 2 Kgs 19:35 // Isa 37:36 ; Ezek 1:5-9 ) but to oppose God’s purposes (2 Tim 2:26 ; 1 Pet 5:8 ).

Summary for Job 1:6-7: 1:6-7 ^a The members of the heavenly court are heavenly beings; they may be either holy angels or rebellious demons (Gen 6:2 ^b, 4 ^c). They join God in his deliberations, including at creation (Gen 1:26 ^d) and in his rule over creation (Job 1:6 ^e; Gen 3:22 ^f; 2:1 ^g; 1 Kgs 22:19-22 ^h; Pss 82:1 ⁱ; 89:5 ^j, 7-8 ^k; Dan 3:13 ^l, 17 ^m, 23 ⁿ, 25 ^o; 7:9-14 ^p).

• The account remains unclear as to whether Satan usually came with other members of the heavenly court to make a report or whether he was intruding as Job’s adversary.

• Where have you come from? The question was God’s sovereign demand for a report from a subordinate (see Gen 3:9 ^q).

• Satan was not patrolling to implement God’s judgments (cp. 1 Chr 21:1-14 ^r; 2 Kgs 19:35 ^s // Isa 37:36 ^t; Ezek 1:5-9 ^u) but to oppose God’s purposes (2 Tim 2:26 ^v; 1 Pet 5:8 ^w).
1:8 ^x my servant: This title was used for the patriarchs (Gen 26:24 ^y; Exod 32:13 ^z), the prophets (2 Kgs 17:13 ^aa; Jer 7:25 ^ab; Zech 1:6 ^ac), and David (e.g., 2 Sam 7:1-29 ^ad; Pss 18:1 ^ae; 36:1 ^af).
Summary for Job 1:9-11: 1:9-11 ^ag Job has good reason (Hebrew khinnam; see study note on 2:3) to fear God: The wisdom tradition links piety with prosperity. Satan went a step further by suggesting that Job’s piety was contingent upon his affluence.
1:10 ^ah wall of protection: See 1 Sam 25:16 ^ai; Pss 5:12 ^aj; 34:7 ^ak; Zech 2:5 ^al; cp. Isa 5:5 ^am.
Summary for Job 1:11-12: 1:11-12 ^an reach out ... test him ... Do whatever you want: Satan was God’s agent; the hand he put forth was the Lord’s as well as Satan’s, for here they acted against everything Job possessed and later against Job himself (2:5-6 ^ao).

• Job later cursed the day of his birth (3:1 ^ap, 8 ^aq), but he did not curse God (31:30 ^ar), even when his distraught wife urged him to do so (2:9 ^as).

• God allowed Satan to test Job to prove that Satan’s cynicism was incorrect (1 Cor 10:11 ^at; see Jas 1:13 ^au; cp. Luke 22:31-32 ^av; John 19:11 ^aw).
Summary for Job 1:13-19: 1:13-19 ^ax These attacks destroyed the blessings enumerated in 1:2-3 ^ay; Job was left alone with the four ominous messengers who came to report and a wife who offered misguided counsel.

• The repetition of while he was still speaking emphasizes the relentlessness of the attacks (see Jer 51:31 ^az). The repetition of I am the only one who escaped to tell you emphasizes the total obliteration of Job’s resources.
1:15 ^ba The Sabeans were marauding bandit tribes from the desert (cp. Judg 6:3 ^bb). By the 700s BC, the southern Sabeans would become a national power that traded in gold, precious stones, perfume, and slaves (Ps 72:10 ^bc; Isa 43:3 ^bd; 45:14 ^be; 60:6 ^bf; Jer 6:20 ^bg).
1:16 ^bh The fire of God ... from heaven (20:26 ^bi) might have been lightning (Lev 10:2 ^bj; 1 Kgs 18:38 ^bk; 2 Kgs 1:10-14 ^bl), wildfire (Num 11:1-3 ^bm), or volcanic activity (Gen 19:24 ^bn).
1:19 ^bo That the wind ... hit the house on all sides suggests that Job and his children were settled farmers living in houses rather than nomads living in tents.