Job 42:11
in Job 42All his brothers and sisters and prior acquaintances came and dined with him in his house. They consoled him and comforted him over all the adversity that the LORD had brought upon him. And each one gave him a piece of silver and a gold ring.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Then came there unto him all his brethren, and all his sisters, and all they that had been of his acquaintance before, and did eat bread with him in his house: and they bemoaned him, and comforted him concerning all the evil that Jehovah had brought upon him: every man also gave him a piece of money, and every one a ring of gold.
KJV
Then came there unto him all his brethren, and all his sisters, and all they that had been of his acquaintance before, and did eat bread with him in his house: and they bemoaned him, and comforted him over all the evil that the Lord had brought upon him: every man also gave him a piece of money, and every one an earring of gold.
⋯
This verse in Job 42
Commentary
10 notes on this verseBut there came to him all his brethren, and all his sisters, and all that knew him before, and did eat bread with him in his house, and moved the head over him. 23. What is designated by the eating of bread but charity, and what by the moving of the head but admiration? But it is well subjoined, And comforted him over all the evil that the Lord had brought upon him. For to console the grief of one that had been smitten, is to rejoice with him on his pardon after he had been smitten.
This site's exposition
All his brothers and sisters and prior acquaintances
“All his brothers and sisters and prior acquaintances”, estranged at 19:13-19, now “dined with him in his house”. Each gave “a piece of silver”, the Hebrew qesitah as at Genesis 33:19, which Delitzsch and Gill read as capital toward the flocks.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church1 voice
The principal adversity of Job was being deserted by his friends, (19:13) and therefore he places the remedy for this adversity first when he says, "Then all his brothers and sisters and all who had known him before came to him," which indicates the remembrance …
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
Then - When Job had humbled himself, and God was reconciled to him. Eat - Feasted with him, to congratulate with him God's great and glorious favour. Bemoaned - They declared the sense which they had of his calamities while they were upon him, although they had hitherto wanted opportunity to express it.
Then came there unto him all his brethren, and all his sisters,....
Every one gave him a piece of money (some more, it is likely, and some less, according to their ability) and every one an ear-ring of gold (an ornament much used by the children of the east), which would be as good as money to him: this was a superfluity which they could well spare, and the rule is, That our abundance must be a supply to our brethren's necessity.
Here he goes on with words to the same purport. Though his patience had not its perfect work, his repentance for his impatience had. He is here thoroughly humbled for his folly and unadvised speaking, and it was forgiven him.
3 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Then came there unto him all his brethren ... - It seems remarkable that none of these friends came near to him during his afflictions, and especially that his “sisters” should not have been with him to sympathize with him. But it was one of the bitter sources of his affliction, and one of the grounds of his complaint, that in his trials his kindred stood aloof from him; so in Job 19:13-14, he says, “He hath put my brethren far from me, and mine acquaintance are verily estranged from me.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
But it is from the Arabic kasat, "weighed out" [UMBREIT], not coined; so Ge 42:35; 33:19; compare with Ge 23:15, makes it likely it was equal to four shekels; Hebrew kashat, "pure," namely, metal.
Then came there unto him all his brethren - “Job being restored to his former health and fortunes, the author,” says Mr. Heath, “presents us with a striking view of human friendship. His brethren, who, in the time of his affliction, kept at a distance from him; his kinsfolk, who ceased to know him; his familiar friends, who had forgotten him; and his acquaintance, who had made themselves perfect strangers to him; those to whom he had showed kindness, and who yet had ungratefully neglected him, on the return of his prosperity now come and condole with him, desirous of renewing former familiarity; and, according to the custom of the Eastern countries, where there is no approaching a great man without a present, each brings him a kesitah, each a jewel of gold.” See Job 42:12. A piece of money - קשיטה kesitah signifies a lamb; and it is supposed that this piece of money had a lamb stamped on it, as that quantity of gold was generally the current value for a lamb. See my note on Gen 33:19 (note), where the subject is largely considered. The Vulgate, Chaldee, Septuagint, Arabic, and Syriac, have one lamb or sheep; so it appears that they did not understand the kesitah as implying a piece of money of any kind, but a sheep or a lamb. Earring of gold - Literally, a nose-jewel. The Septuagint translate, τετραδραχμον χρυσου, a tetra-drachm of gold, or golden daric; but by adding και ασημου, unstamped, they intimate that it was four drachms of uncoined gold.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
previous All who were his friends and acquaintances before the sufferings befell him.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 6 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
33 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיָּבֹ֣אוּ | vaiyavou | and they came | H935 → | 2568 times |
| אֵ֠לָיו | ʾelav | to him | H413 → | 5510 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| אֶחָ֨יו | ʾechav | brothers his | H251 → | 630 times |
| וְכָל־ | vekhol | and all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| אַחְיוֹתָ֜יו | ʾachyotav | sisters his | H269 → | 114 times |
| וְכָל־ | vekhol | and all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| יֹדְעָ֣יו | yodeav | [those who] knew him | H3045 → | 945 times |
| לְפָנִ֗ים | lefanim | <to> before | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| וַיֹּאכְל֨וּ | vaiyokhelu | and they ate | H398 → | 810 times |
| עִמּ֣וֹ | imo | with him | H5973 → | 1050 times |
| לֶחֶם֮ | lechem | bread | H3899 → | 298 times |
| בְּבֵיתוֹ֒ | beveito | in house his | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| וַיָּנֻ֤דוּ | vaiyanudu | and they showed sympathy | H5110 → | |
| לוֹ֙ | lo | to him | ||
| וַיְנַחֲמ֣וּ | vaynachamu | and they comforted | H5162 → | 108 times |
| אֹת֔וֹ | ʾoto | <obj.> him | H853 → | 10935 times |
| עַ֚ל | ʾal | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הָ֣רָעָ֔ה | haraah | the trouble | H7451 → | 662 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| הֵבִ֥יא | hevi' | he had brought | H935 → | 2568 times |
| יְהוָ֖ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| עָלָ֑יו | ʾalav | on him | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| וַיִּתְּנוּ־ | vaiyitenu- | and they gave | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| ל֗וֹ | lo | to him | ||
| אִ֚ישׁ | ʾish | each one | H376 → | 1663 times |
| קְשִׂיטָ֣ה | kesitah | a piece of money | H7192 → | |
| אֶחָ֔ת | ʾechat | one | H259 → | 971 times |
| וְאִ֕ישׁ | veish | and each one | H376 → | 1663 times |
| נֶ֥זֶם | nezem | a ring of | H5141 → | |
| זָהָ֖ב | zahav | gold | H2091 → | 389 times |
| אֶחָֽד׃ ס | ʾechad | one | H259 → | 971 times |
וַיָּבֹ֣אוּand they came
vaiyavouH935 →2568 times
אֵ֠לָיוto him
ʾelavH413 →5510 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
אֶחָ֨יוbrothers his
ʾechavH251 →630 times
וְכָל־and all
vekholH3605 →5413 times
אַחְיוֹתָ֜יוsisters his
ʾachyotavH269 →114 times
וְכָל־and all
vekholH3605 →5413 times
יֹדְעָ֣יו[those who] knew him
yodeavH3045 →945 times
לְפָנִ֗ים<to> before
lefanimH6440 →2123 times
וַיֹּאכְל֨וּand they ate
vaiyokheluH398 →810 times
עִמּ֣וֹwith him
imoH5973 →1050 times
לֶחֶם֮bread
lechemH3899 →298 times
בְּבֵיתוֹ֒in house his
beveitoH1004 →2046 times
וַיָּנֻ֤דוּand they showed sympathy
vaiyanuduH5110 →
לוֹ֙to him
lo
וַיְנַחֲמ֣וּand they comforted
vaynachamuH5162 →108 times
אֹת֔וֹ<obj.> him
ʾotoH853 →10935 times
עַ֚לon
ʾalH5921 →5755 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
הָ֣רָעָ֔הthe trouble
haraahH7451 →662 times
אֲשֶׁר־which
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
הֵבִ֥יאhe had brought
hevi'H935 →2568 times
יְהוָ֖הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
עָלָ֑יוon him
ʾalavH5921 →5755 times
וַיִּתְּנוּ־and they gave
vaiyitenu-H5414 →2011 times
ל֗וֹto him
lo
אִ֚ישׁeach one
ʾishH376 →1663 times
קְשִׂיטָ֣הa piece of money
kesitahH7192 →
אֶחָ֔תone
ʾechatH259 →971 times
וְאִ֕ישׁand each one
veishH376 →1663 times
נֶ֥זֶםa ring of
nezemH5141 →
זָהָ֖בgold
zahavH2091 →389 times
אֶחָֽד׃ סone
ʾechadH259 →971 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Romans 12:15Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep.
it leads to
- 1 Corinthians 12:26
If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
- Hebrews 13:3
Remember those in prison as if you were bound with them, and those who are mistreated as if you were suffering with them.
- Psalms 35:13–14
Yet when they were ill, I put on sackcloth; I humbled myself with fasting, but my prayers returned unanswered.
- 1 Corinthians 12:26
Through
Proverbs 16:7When a man’s ways please the LORD, He makes even the man’s enemies live at peace with him.
it leads to
- Romans 8:31
What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
- 1 John 3:22
and we will receive from Him whatever we ask, because we keep His commandments and do what is pleasing in His sight.
- 2 Chronicles 17:10
And the dread of the LORD fell upon all the kingdoms of the lands that surrounded Judah, so that they did not make war against Jehoshaphat.
- Colossians 1:10
so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,
- Jeremiah 15:11
The LORD said: “Surely I will deliver you for a good purpose; surely I will intercede with your enemy in your time of trouble, in your time of distress.
- Romans 8:31
Where this verse is studied
About Job
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Book of Job; Gregory the Dialogist, Morals on the Book of Job, Book XXXV; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Job.