Job 1:2

2 And seven sons and three daughters were born to him.

Job 1:2 Meaning and Commentary

Job 1:2

And there were born unto him
By his wife, in lawful wedlock, who was now living, and after mentioned:

seven sons and three daughters;
next to his religious character, his graces, and spiritual blessings, and as the chief of his outward mercies and enjoyments, his children are mentioned; and which are indeed blessings from the Lord, and such as good men, and those that fear the Lord, are sometimes blessed with, see ( Psalms 127:3 Psalms 127:4 Psalms 127:5 ) ( Psalms 128:3 Psalms 128:4 ) and to have a numerous offspring was always esteemed a very great favour and blessing, and as such was reckoned by Job; who, having so many sons, might hope to have his name perpetuated by them, as well as his substance shared among them; and having so many daughters, he might please himself with the thought of marrying them into families, which would strengthen his friendship and alliance with them; just the same number of sons and daughters had Bacchaeus, the third king of Corinth ^F25.

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FOOTNOTES:

F25 Heraclides de Politiis ad calcem Aelian. Var. Hist. p. 439.

Job 1:2 In-Context

1 [There] was a man in the land of Uz whose name [was] Job. That man was blameless and upright and God-fearing and turning away from evil.

2 And seven sons and three daughters were born to him.

3 Then his livestock came to be seven thousand sheep and goats and three thousand camels and five hundred pairs of oxen and five hundred female donkeys, and he had very many slaves, and that man was greater than all the people of the east.

4 And his sons used to go and hold a feast {at each other's house} on his day, and they would send, and they would invite their three sisters to eat and to drink with them.

5 {Then when} the days of the feast had run their course, {Job would send}, and he would sanctify them. Thus he would arise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings [according to] the number of all of them, because Job thought, "Perhaps my children have sinned and {cursed} God in their heart." This is what Job used to do {all the time}.