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Job 2

Job book home•Chapter 2 of 42•13 verses

Chapter overviewAt a glance + deeper study

REVIEWED OVERVIEW

Job 2 Overview

Satan again challenges Job, and God permits him to afflict Job’s body while forbidding his death. Job is struck with painful boils from head to foot. His wife urges him to curse God and die, but Job refuses. Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar arrive, mourn with him, and sit silently for seven days.

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Before you read Job 2

Coming from

Chapter 1 ended with Job faithful after the loss of possessions, servants, and children.

In this chapter

The test deepens from external loss to bodily suffering, and the three friends enter the story.

Leads into

Chapter 3 breaks the seven-day silence when Job curses the day of his birth and pours out his anguish.

Key understandingExplore deeper

The friends’ initial action is one of the strongest things they do in the book: they come to mourn and comfort, recognize Job’s suffering from afar, weep, and sit with him in silence. Their later error is not simply that they speak, but that they insist on a false explanation for his suffering.

Major truths in this chapterExplore deeper

Truth 1

Physical suffering can intensify spiritual and emotional anguish without proving divine rejection.

Truth 2

Job distinguishes receiving both good and adversity under God’s providence from accusing God of evil.

Truth 3

Compassionate presence can be more fitting than quick explanations when suffering is overwhelming.

Connections to the rest of ScriptureExplore deeper

Connection 1

James 5:11 points back to Job’s endurance through suffering.

Connection 2

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 emphasizes comfort in affliction rather than simplistic blame.

Connection 3

John 9:1-3 rejects the assumption that every affliction can be traced directly to a particular personal sin.

What is clear, and where care is neededExplore deeper

Keep this clear 1

Job’s refusal to “curse God” does not mean he will speak with perfect restraint throughout the book; later he will complain sharply and require correction.

Keep this clear 2

His wife’s words are recorded, not commended, and the text does not make her the central villain of the story.

Keep this clear 3

Do not treat illness itself as proof of spiritual failure.

Read Job 2 watching for…

The second limit placed on Satan.

The physical extent of Job’s disease.

Job’s answer to his wife.

The friends’ reaction when they first see him.

The significance of seven days of silence before anyone argues.

Chapter outline3 sections

1-6Satan again challenges Job, and the LORD permits him to afflict Job’s body but spare his life 7-10Job suffers sore boils and refuses his wife’s counsel to curse God 11-13Job’s three friends come to comfort him and sit silently with him seven days

Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD.

And the LORD said unto Satan, From whence comest thou? And Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.

And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause.

And Satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life.

But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face.

And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life.

So went Satan forth from the presence of the LORD, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown.

And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among the ashes.

Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die.

But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.

Now when Job's three friends heard of all this evil that was come upon him, they came every one from his own place; Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite: for they had made an appointment together to come to mourn with him and to comfort him.

And when they lifted up their eyes afar off, and knew him not, they lifted up their voice, and wept; and they rent every one his mantle, and sprinkled dust upon their heads toward heaven.

So they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights, and none spake a word unto him: for they saw that his grief was very great.

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Job 2:8

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