Job 42:7-17 | TNotes | STEP | 42:7 Eliphaz the Temanite was the spokesman for the friends, which probably indicates his seniority. Eliphaz had falsely implied that his advice originated in prophetic visions (4:12-16 ); now God did speak to him, but not to affirm his message. • Unlike his three friends (cp. 13:7-10 ), Job had spoken accurately about God. Job’s blunt questions were better suited to arriving at the truth about God than the friends’ superficial orthodox doctrine.

42:7 ^a Eliphaz the Temanite was the spokesman for the friends, which probably indicates his seniority. Eliphaz had falsely implied that his advice originated in prophetic visions (4:12-16 ^b); now God did speak to him, but not to affirm his message.

• Unlike his three friends (cp. 13:7-10 ^c), Job had spoken accurately about God. Job’s blunt questions were better suited to arriving at the truth about God than the friends’ superficial orthodox doctrine.
Summary for Job 42:8-9: 42:8-9 ^d The Lord made Job the mediator that Job had hoped to find for himself (9:33 ^e; 16:19-21 ^f; 19:25 ^g) and that Elihu desired to be (32:1–37:24 ^h).

• go to my servant Job: God wanted Job’s friends to be reconciled with Job before they presented their offerings (Matt 5:23-24 ⁱ).

• My servant Job will pray for you; he had also prayed for his children (1:5 ^j; cp. Jas 5:16 ^k; 1 Jn 5:16 ^l).

• When the Lord accepted Job’s prayer, it ironically fulfilled Eliphaz’s promise (Job 22:26-30 ^m).
42:10 ⁿ Job’s fortunes probably included his health (42:16-17 ^o). God created humans in order to bless them, not curse them.
42:11 ^p Although Job was restored, he still needed to be consoled and comforted for the loss of his children. Following Job’s own earlier practice (4:4 ^q; 16:5 ^r), his family and former friends took up where the three other friends left off (2:11 ^s; cp. 2 Cor 7:6 ^t).

• The gift of money was not so much charity to provide a financial basis for Job’s restored fortune as it was to honor and seek the favor of an influential man (e.g., Prov 18:16 ^u), and perhaps even to assuage disfavor (e.g., Gen 32:20 ^v; 33:10 ^w; 43:11 ^x; 1 Sam 25:27 ^y).

• A gold ring was worn in a woman’s nose (Gen 24:47 ^z; Prov 11:22 ^aa; Isa 3:21 ^ab) or on the ears of either men or women (Gen 35:4 ^ac; Exod 32:2-3 ^ad; Judg 8:24 ^ae).
42:12 ^af When God blessed Job, it ironically fulfilled Bildad’s promise (8:7 ^ag).
42:14 ^ah The beautiful names of Job’s new daughters spoke of Job’s renewed and pleasant good fortunes.

• Jemimah means “dove” (see Song 2:14 ^ai).

• Keziah means “cassia” or “cinnamon flower” (see Ps 45:8 ^aj).

• Keren-happuch means “horn of antimony,” which refers to a lustrous container for cosmetics.
42:15 ^ak their father put them into his will: Daughters normally inherited only when there were no male heirs (Num 27 ^al; 36 ^am). Perhaps Job’s unusual action expressed his superabundant prosperity; only a wealthy man could afford to pass some of his wealth to the families into which his daughters would marry.
42:16 ^an 140 years was twice the normal life span (Ps 90:10 ^ao). If the analogy of double restoration holds (Job 42:10 ^ap), Job might have been 70 already and then lived another 140 years. A life span of 210 years would not be out of keeping with the patriarchal setting of the book (see Gen 25:7 ^aq; 35:28 ^ar; 47:28 ^as; 50:26 ^at; Deut 34:7 ^au; Josh 24:29 ^av).

• living to see four generations of his children and grandchildren: Job’s blessing extended to watching his multigenerational family grow (Gen 50:23 ^aw; Ps 128:6 ^ax).
42:17 ^ay Like Abraham and Isaac, who also died at a ripe old age (Gen 25:8 ^az; 35:29 ^ba), Job lived a long, full life, fulfilling Eliphaz’s promise (Job 5:26 ^bb), which was based on God’s general promise (Deut 6:2 ^bc; Ps 91:16 ^bd).

• At the end of the book, the Greek Old Testament adds a note declaring that Job will rise from the dead at the resurrection. It goes on to provide information about where and when Job and his descendants lived.