Job Chapter 42 — Restoration and Peace
Job humbles himself before God's power, and the Lord subsequently restores his health, family, and wealth after he prays for his friends.
1Then Job answered the LORD:
2“I know that you can do all things,
3You asked, ‘Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge?’
4You said, ‘Listen, now, and I will speak;
5I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear,
6Therefore I abhor myself,
7It was so, that after the LORD had spoken these words to Job, the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “My wrath is kindled against you, and against your two friends; for you have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job has.
8Now therefore, take to yourselves seven bulls and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you, for I will accept him, that I not deal with you according to your folly. For you have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job has.”
9So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did what the LORD commanded them, and the LORD accepted Job.
10The LORD restored Job’s prosperity when he prayed for his friends. The LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before.
11Then all his brothers, all his sisters, and all those who had been of his acquaintance before, came to him and ate bread with him in his house. They comforted him, and consoled him concerning all the evil that the LORD had brought on him. Everyone also gave him a piece of money,*literally, kesitah, a unit of money, probably silver and everyone a ring of gold.
12So the LORD blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, one thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand female donkeys.
13He had also seven sons and three daughters.
14He called the name of the first, Jemimah; and the name of the second, Keziah; and the name of the third, Keren Happuch.
15In all the land were no women found so beautiful as the daughters of Job. Their father gave them an inheritance among their brothers.
16After this Job lived one hundred forty years, and saw his sons, and his sons’ sons, to four generations.
17So Job died, being old and full of days.
WEB Translation
Notable Verses
Job 42:2
“I know that you can do all things,”
This verse signifies Job's total surrender to God's omnipotence and wisdom after his trial.
Job 42:10
“The LORD restored Job’s prosperity when he prayed for his friends. The LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before.”
This marks the turning point of the narrative where Job's suffering ends and his restoration begins.
Chapter Summary
In the final chapter of the book, Job responds to the Lord's speech by acknowledging God's absolute sovereignty and admitting his own lack of knowledge. The Lord then addresses Eliphaz the Temanite, expressing wrath against him and his two friends for not speaking correctly about God. The Lord commands them to offer a burnt offering and asks Job to pray on their behalf. After Job intercedes for his friends, the Lord restores his prosperity, giving him twice as much wealth as he previously possessed. Job's siblings and former acquaintances return to comfort him, offering gifts of money and gold. His later life is blessed with thousands of livestock and ten children, including three daughters noted for their great beauty. Job lives for another 140 years, seeing four generations of his descendants before dying at a very old age.
Frequently Asked Questions
Job humbles himself and admits that God is capable of all things. He acknowledges that he spoke of matters he did not understand and repents for his previous attitude.
The Lord told Eliphaz that he and his friends had not spoken what was right about God, unlike Job. They were required to offer sacrifices and have Job pray for them to avoid being dealt with according to their folly.
God gave Job twice as much wealth as he had before, including fourteen thousand sheep and thousands of other livestock. He also had seven more sons and three daughters, and he lived to see four generations of his family.
Study Note
The mention of the 'kesitah' in verse 11 is an ancient unit of currency also found in the patriarchal narratives of the book of Genesis.
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