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Job 2

13 verses

TL;DR

In Job 2, Satan challenges God over Job's unwavering faith, and God allows Satan to afflict Job with painful sores, yet preserves his life. Job remains righteous, his wife urges him to curse God, and his friends arrive to mourn and comfort him.

Summary

Job 2 opens with a heavenly council where Satan questions the integrity of Job. God permits Satan to test Job, leading to severe boils that leave him unable to scratch himself, causing him to sit among ashes. Job's wife, despairing, urges him to curse God, but Job replies that he has not sinned and keeps his faith. Job's three friends—Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar—arrive from their respective homes to mourn his suffering. They weep, rent their garments, and sit with Job for seven days and nights, recognizing the depth of his grief and choosing not to speak to him.

Outline
  1. Heavenly council and Satan's challenge (verses 1‑5)
  2. Satan afflicts Job with sores; Job's response (verses 6‑10)
  3. Friends arrive and mourn with Job (verses 11‑13)
Themes
Faith under trialSovereignty of God versus SatanIntegrity and righteousness
Keywords
SatanLORDJobfaithrighteousnesspainfriendshipsufferingsoulintegrity
People
SatanLORDJobJob's wifeEliphazBildadZophar
Places
earthashTemanShuNaamath
Things
sore boilspotsherdashesmantledust
Key Verses
  • Job 2:1: Introduces the heavenly council and Satan’s presence.
  • Job 2:7: Describes Satan’s brutal affliction of Job.
  • Job 2:10: Shows Job’s steadfast faith despite suffering.
  • Job 2:13: Illustrates the friends’ empathetic response.
Questions
  • What does Satan’s challenge reveal about the nature of faith?
  • How does Job maintain integrity in the face of extreme suffering?
  • Why might the friends have chosen silence rather than speaking to Job?
  • In what ways does the chapter illustrate the tension between divine sovereignty and human agency?
Sentiment

mixed
The chapter contains both sorrowful suffering and resilient faith.