Job 1:22

22 In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong.

Job 1:22 Meaning and Commentary

Job 1:22

In all this Job sinned not
Not that he was without sin, he was conscious to himself of it, and owns it, ( Job 9:20 Job 9:30 Job 9:31 ) ; but in all the above things he did or said he sinned not; not in his rending his garments, in shaving his head, and laying himself prostrate on the ground, which were done as common usages in such cases, and not through excess of passion; nor in anything that dropped from his lips, which were ill-becoming the character he bore as a religious man; and though he might be guilty of some failings and imperfections, as the best of men are, even in doing the best of things, yet he sinned not that sin the devil said he would, that is, curse God to his face; there was nothing of this, nor like it, but the reverse of it in all he said and did:

nor charged God foolishly:
or "gave not folly to [him]" F13; did not ascribe it to him, did not arraign his wisdom, nor charge him with folly; though there might be some things he could not account for, or see into the reasons of them, he knew the Lord could; he considered that he was a God of knowledge, the only and all wise God, and did all things after the counsel of his will, and to answer the best ends and purposes, and therefore he submitted all to his wisdom; nor did he himself speak foolishly of him, arraigning his justice and holiness, as if he had done wrong to him; he knew there was no unrighteousness in God, nor in any of his ways and works, and that he had a right to do what he would with his own, to give and take it away at his pleasure: he spoke nothing that was "unsavoury" F14, as the word signifies; nothing contrary to right reason and true religion; nothing unsuitable unto, or unbecoming him as a man, as a religious man, as in connection with God, a servant of his, and one that feared him. The Arabic version is, "nor blasphemed God"; and the Targum,

``neither did he set in order words of blasphemy before God;''

he did not curse God, as Satan said he would, neither in heart and thought, nor in words; this is a testimony of him given by the Lord himself, the searcher of hearts, and who only could give such a testimony of him; and which, as Cocceius observes, is a proof of the divine authority of this book.


FOOTNOTES:

F13 (hlpt Ntn alw) (kai ouk edwken afrosunhn) , Sept. "nec attribuit insulsitatem", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Drusius.
F14 (hlpt) "insulsum", Pagninus, Montanus, Vatablus, Bolducius.

Job 1:22 In-Context

20 Then Job arose, and rent his robe, and shaved his head, and fell upon the ground, and worshiped.
21 And he said, "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return; the LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD."
22 In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong.
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1952 [2nd edition, 1971] by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.