Job 42:16

16 Forsooth Job lived after these beatings, or scourgings, an hundred and forty years, and saw his sons, and the sons of his sons, till to the fourth generation; (And after these tribulations, Job lived a hundred and forty years, and he saw his sons, and the sons of his sons, unto the fourth generation;)

Job 42:16 Meaning and Commentary

Job 42:16

After this lived Job an hundred and forty years
Not after he had arrived to the height of his prosperity; not after the birth of his children, and they were grown up, and had their portions given them, which must take in a considerable number of years; but after his afflictions were over, and his prosperity began: and if his years were doubled, as some think, though that is not certain, then he must be seventy years of age when he was so sorely afflicted and must live to the age of two hundred and ten; which is the common notion of the Jewish writers F26: however, he must be fifty or sixty years of age at that time, since his former children were grown up and were for themselves; and it is said F1, his afflictions continued seven years. So that it is not at all improbable that he lived to be about two hundred years of age; and which was a singular blessing of God to him, if you compare his age with that of Jacob, Joseph, Moses, and Joshua, between the two former and the two latter he may be supposed to live;

and saw his sons, and his sons' sons, [even] four generations;
Joseph saw but the third, Job the fourth, he was a great-great-grandfather. This was no doubt a pleasant sight to him, to see such a numerous offspring descending from him; and especially if they were walking in the ways of God, as probably they were, since no doubt he would take all the care of their education that in him lay. This is the great blessing promised to the Messiah, the antitype of Job, ( Isaiah 53:10 ) ; see also ( Isaiah 59:21 ) .


FOOTNOTES:

F26 T. Bava Bathra, fol. 15. 1. Seder Olam Rabba, c. 3.
F1 Suidas in voce (iwb) .

Job 42:16 In-Context

14 and he called the name of the one daughter Jemima, and the name of the second daughter Kezia, and the name of the third daughter he called Kerenhappuch, that is, a horn of women's ointment. (and he called his first daughter Jemima, and his second daughter Kezia, and his third daughter Kerenhappuch, that is, a box of women's ointment.)
15 And there were not found so fair women in all the land, as were the daughters of Job; and their father gave heritage to them among their brethren. (And in all the land, there were not found any women as beautiful, as Job's daughters; and their father gave each of them an inheritance, along with their brothers.)
16 Forsooth Job lived after these beatings, or scourgings, an hundred and forty years, and saw his sons, and the sons of his sons, till to the fourth generation; (And after these tribulations, Job lived a hundred and forty years, and he saw his sons, and the sons of his sons, unto the fourth generation;)
17 and he was dead eld [and he died old], and full of days, that is, he had length and prosperity of life.
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.