Job 2

King James Version

Full text for Job Chapter 2

1¶ 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.

2And 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.

3And 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.

4And Satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life.

5But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face.

6And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, he [is] in thine hand; but save his life.

7¶ 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.

8And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among the ashes.

9Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die.

10But 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.

11¶ 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.

12And 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.

13So 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.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Satan again presents himself before the LORD, who highlights Job's continued integrity despite his previous losses. Satan challenges that Job's loyalty is conditional, asserting that Job would curse God if his physical health were afflicted. The LORD permits Satan to strike Job with grievous boils, yet Job endures this suffering without sinning with his lips, even rebuking his wife for suggesting he curse God. Subsequently, Job's three friends arrive to mourn with him, sitting in silent solidarity for seven days.

Medium Summary

The chapter opens with Satan once more appearing before the LORD, who points out Job's unwavering integrity despite the previous afflictions. Satan, however, contends that Job's devotion is superficial, arguing that Job would surely curse God if his own flesh and bone were touched, proposing "skin for skin." The LORD grants Satan permission to afflict Job's body, but strictly commands him to spare Job's life. Consequently, Satan strikes Job with painful boils from head to foot, leading Job to sit among ashes and scrape himself with a potsherd. When his wife urges him to curse God and die, Job rebukes her, affirming that they should accept both good and evil from God's hand, and he does not sin with his lips. Hearing of his plight, Job's three friends—Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar—arrive to comfort him, and upon seeing his extreme suffering, they express their grief by weeping, rending their garments, and sitting silently with him for seven days.

Long Summary

Job chapter two begins with the sons of God, including Satan, again presenting themselves before the LORD. The LORD questions Satan's wanderings and then commends Job, noting that he remains a perfect and upright man who fears God and eschews evil, still holding fast his integrity despite the previous trials instigated by Satan. Satan responds by challenging Job's motives, asserting that Job's piety is merely a result of his prosperity and health, proposing that if his "bone and his flesh" were touched, Job would surely curse God to His face, declaring "skin for skin." The LORD then grants Satan permission to afflict Job's body, but with the explicit command to preserve Job's life. Following this divine allowance, Satan departs and afflicts Job with grievous boils that cover him from the sole of his foot to his crown. In his agony, Job takes a potsherd to scrape himself and sits among the ashes, a sign of deep mourning and affliction. His wife then confronts him, questioning his continued integrity and urging him to "curse God, and die." Job sharply rebukes her, comparing her words to those of a foolish woman and asking if they should only receive good from God's hand and not also evil. The KJV text explicitly states that "In all this did not Job sin with his lips." Subsequently, Job's three friends—Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite—hear of his calamities and travel from their respective homes to mourn and comfort him. Upon seeing Job from afar, they are so shocked by his disfigured appearance that they do not recognize him, leading them to lift their voices and weep. As a sign of their profound grief, they rend their mantles and sprinkle dust upon their heads toward heaven. They then sit with Job on the ground for seven days and seven nights, maintaining a profound silence, for they perceived that his grief was exceedingly great.

Core Concepts

  • Satan's ChallengeSatan appears before the LORD, challenging Job's integrity by asserting that Job's faithfulness is conditional upon his physical well-being, proposing that Job would curse God if afflicted in his flesh.
  • Divine PermissionThe LORD grants Satan permission to afflict Job's body with disease, but explicitly commands him to spare Job's life, demonstrating God's sovereign control over the extent of Job's suffering.
  • Job's Physical AfflictionSatan strikes Job with severe boils from head to foot, a painful and disfiguring disease that forces Job to sit among ashes and use a potsherd to scrape himself.
  • Job's Steadfast IntegrityDespite extreme physical suffering and his wife's urging to curse God, Job maintains his integrity, rebuking her and accepting both good and evil from God without sinning with his lips.
  • Acceptance of AdversityJob's response to his wife ("shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?") illustrates his profound acceptance of both prosperity and adversity as coming from God.
  • The Friends' Arrival and GriefJob's three friends travel to mourn and comfort him, but are so overwhelmed by his unrecognizable appearance and immense suffering that they weep, rend their garments, and sit in silent solidarity for seven days.