Job 2 – Skeptic's Annotated Bible answered

A response and reply to the notes on Job 2 in the Skeptic's Annotated Bible (SAB).

King James Version

SAB comment

My comment


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.

"The sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them."
How many sons does God have?
How are Jesus and Satan alike?

2 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.

God asks where Satan has been lately (Apparently he didn't know.) Does God know everything?

3 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.

"Job ...was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil."
(2:3-6) God and Satan play a little game with Job. God allows Satan to torment Job, just to see how he will react.
Job's trials were not done to torment him, but to show to an unbelieving world and a skeptical Satan that indeed, Job feared God not because of what God had given him and that Job was upright.

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

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

6 And 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.

"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."
Who brought evil to Job?

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

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

10 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.

(2:9-10) Job's wife rightly says that if Job is to keep his integrity, then he should curse God (for playing vicious games with Satan) and die. Job replies that she is talking like a "foolish woman."
To all those that somehow believe that the good in this life is due to their own efforts, Job answers that the good in this life is from the hand of God: “Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?”
The good we have is by grace. The health we have is by grace. That we have muscles and a brain capable of working is by grace.

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.

12 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.

13 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.