Job 1:2

2 He had seven sons and three daughters,

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. And this man was blameless and upright, fearing God and shunning evil.

2 He had seven sons and three daughters,

3 and he owned 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 female donkeys, and a very large number of servants. Job was the greatest man of all the people of the East.

4 Job’s sons would take turns holding feasts in their homes, and they would invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them.

5 And when the days of feasting were over, Job would send for his children to purify them, rising early in the morning to offer burnt offerings for all of them. For Job thought, “Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” This was Job’s regular practice.