Job 42

Respuesta de Job

1 Job respondió entonces al SEÑOR. Le dijo:

2 «Yo sé bien que tú lo puedes todo,que no es posible frustrar ninguno de tus planes.

3 “¿Quién es este —has preguntado—,que sin conocimiento oscurece mi consejo?”Reconozco que he hablado de cosasque no alcanzo a comprender,de cosas demasiado maravillosasque me son desconocidas.

4 »“Dijiste: “Ahora escúchame, yo voy a hablar;^[a]yo te cuestionaré, y tú me responderás”.

5 De oídas había oído hablar de ti,pero ahora te veo con mis propios ojos.

6 Por tanto, me retracto de lo que he dicho,y me arrepiento en polvo y ceniza».

Epílogo

7 Después de haberle dicho todo esto a Job, el SEÑOR se dirigió a Elifaz de Temán y le dijo: «Estoy muy irritado contigo y con tus dos amigos porque, a diferencia de mi siervo Job, lo que ustedes han dicho de mí no es verdad.

8 Tomen ahora siete toros y siete carneros, y vayan con mi siervo Job y ofrezcan un holocausto por ustedes mismos. Mi siervo Job orará por ustedes, y yo atenderé a su oración y no los haré quedar en vergüenza. Y conste que, a diferencia de mi siervo Job, lo que ustedes han dicho de mí no es verdad».

9 Elifaz de Temán, Bildad de Súah y Zofar de Namat fueron y cumplieron con lo que el SEÑOR les había ordenado, y el SEÑOR atendió a la oración de Job.

10 Después de haber orado Job por sus amigos, el SEÑOR lo hizo prosperar de nuevo y le dio dos veces más de lo que antes tenía.

11 Todos sus hermanos y hermanas, y todos los que antes lo habían conocido, fueron a su casa y celebraron con él un banquete. Lo animaron y lo consolaron por todas las calamidades que el SEÑOR le había enviado, y cada uno de ellos le dio una moneda de plata^[b] y un anillo de oro.

12 El SEÑOR bendijo más los últimos años de Job que los primeros, pues llegó a tener catorce mil ovejas, seis mil camellos, mil yuntas de bueyes y mil asnas.

13 Tuvo también catorce^[c] hijos y tres hijas.

14 A la primera de ellas le puso por nombre Paloma, a la segunda la llamó Canela, y a la tercera, Linda.^[d]

15 No había en todo el país mujeres tan bellas como las hijas de Job. Su padre les dejó una herencia, lo mismo que a sus hermanos.

16 Después de estos sucesos Job vivió ciento cuarenta años. Llegó a ver a sus hijos, y a los hijos de sus hijos, hasta la cuarta generación.

17 Disfrutó de una larga vida y murió en plena ancianidad.

Job 42 Commentary

Chapter 42

Job humbly submits unto God. (1-6) Job intercedes for his friends. (7-9) His renewed prosperity. (10-17)

Verses 1-6 Job was now sensible of his guilt; he would no longer speak in his own excuse; he abhorred himself as a sinner in heart and life, especially for murmuring against God, and took shame to himself. When the understanding is enlightened by the Spirit of grace, our knowledge of Divine things as far exceeds what we had before, as the sight of the eyes excels report and common fame. By the teachings of men, God reveals his Son to us; but by the teachings of his Spirit he reveals his Son in us, ( Galatians 1:16 ) , and ( 2 Corinthians. 3:18 ) deeply humbled for the sins of which we are convinced. Self-loathing is ever the companion of true repentance. The Lord will bring those whom he loveth, to adore him in self-abasement; while true grace will always lead them to confess their sins without self-justifying.

Verses 7-9 After the Lord had convinced and humbled Job, and brought him to repentance, he owned him, comforted him, and put honour upon him. The devil had undertaken to prove Job a hypocrite, and his three friends had condemned him as a wicked man; but if God say, Well done, thou good and faithful servant, it is of little consequence who says otherwise. Job's friends had wronged God, by making prosperity a mark of the true church, and affliction a certain proof of God's wrath. Job had referred things to the future judgment and the future state, more than his friends, therefore he spake of God that which was right, better than his friends had done. And as Job prayed and offered sacrifice for those that had grieved and wounded his spirit, so Christ prayed for his persecutors, and ever lives, making intercession for the transgressors. Job's friends were good men, and belonged to God, and He would not let them be in their mistake any more than Job; but having humbled him by a discourse out of the whirlwind, he takes another way to humble them. They are not to argue the matter again, but they must agree in a sacrifice and a prayer, and that must reconcile them, Those who differ in judgment about lesser things, yet are one in Christ the great Sacrifice, and ought therefore to love and bear with one another. When God was angry with Job's friends, he put them in a way to make peace with him. Our quarrels with God always begin on our part, but the making peace begins on his. Peace with God is to be had only in his own way, and upon his own terms. These will never seem hard to those who know how to value this blessing: they will be glad of it, like Job's friends, upon any terms, though ever so humbling. Job did not insult over his friends, but God being graciously reconciled to him, he was easily reconciled to them. In all our prayers and services we should aim to be accepted of the Lord; not to have praise of men, but to please God.

Verses 10-17 In the beginning of this book we had Job's patience under his troubles, for an example; here, for our encouragement to follow that example, we have his happy end. His troubles began in Satan's malice, which God restrained; his restoration began in God's mercy, which Satan could not oppose. Mercy did not return when Job was disputing with his friends, but when he was praying for them. God is served and pleased with our warm devotions, not with our warm disputes. God doubled Job's possessions. We may lose much for the Lord, but we shall not lose any thing by him. Whether the Lord gives us health and temporal blessings or not, if we patiently suffer according to his will, in the end we shall be happy. Job's estate increased. The blessing of the Lord makes rich; it is he that gives us power to get wealth, and gives success in honest endeavours. The last days of a good man sometimes prove his best, his last works his best works, his last comforts his best comforts; for his path, like that of the morning light, shines more and more unto the perfect day.

Footnotes

• [a]. "dijiste" . Véase 38:3.
• [b]. "moneda de plata" . Lit. "quesita " (término monetario hebreo cuyo peso y valor no se conocen).
• [c]. "catorce" . Alt. "siete" .
• [d]. "Linda" . Lit. "Frasquito de maquillaje" .

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO JOB 42

This chapter contains Job's answer to the last speech of the Lord's, in which he acknowledges his omnipotence, and his certain performance of his purposes and pleasure; owns his own folly and ignorance, and confesses his sins; for which he abhorred himself, and of which he repented, Job 42:1-6; it also gives an account of the Lord's decision of the controversy between Job and his friends, blaming them and commending him above them; and ordered them to take sacrifices and go to Job and offer them, who should pray for them and be accepted, which was done, Job 42:7-9; and it closes with a relation of the great prosperity Job was restored unto, in which he lived and died, Job 42:10-17.