Job 2:8-9

[clark thompson]

Job 2:8-9 King James Version (KJV)
8 And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among the ashes.
9 Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die.
Job 2:8-9 Lexham English Bible (LEB)
8 So he took for himself a potsherd with which to scrape himself, and he sat in the midst of the ashes.
9 Then his wife said to him, “Are you still persisting in your blamelessness? Curse God and die.”
Lexham English Bible (LEB) 2012 by Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software

These are my thoughts, please share yours.
8 To go to a garbage dump must have been a way to deal with grief, people often at this time would have sat down on ashes to show grief. A sad state Job was now in, extreme sate of grief was what he was going thru just sitting there scratching himself with pottery to help with the pain.
9 Job’s wife may have known that God could take him but that did not mean what she was saying was good, the devil had kept her around perhaps just for this reason. We need to hold our faith to Him and not what happens to us.

 

[TaylorDonBarret]

yup

 

[B-A-C]

Over 40 verses in the Old Testament talk about morning and lamenting in sackcloth.
It seems wearing a burlap suit of clothing soaked in wet ashes was part of a penance ritual.
2 Sam 13:19; Est 4:1-3; Isa 58:5; Dan 9:3; Jonah 3:6; Matt 11:21; Luke 10:13;

 

[Br. Bear]

These are my thoughts, please share yours.
8 To go to a garbage dump must have been a way to deal with grief, people often at this time would have sat down on ashes to show grief. A sad state Job was now in, extreme sate of grief was what he was going thru just sitting there scratching himself with pottery to help with the pain.
9 Job’s wife may have known that God could take him but that did not mean what she was saying was good, the devil had kept her around perhaps just for this reason. We need to hold our faith to Him and not what happens to us.

Greetings,

8. Most of us could hardly even begin to get close to what and how it must have been for Job in relation to anything we term as grief. Yes, a garbage dump is a fitting picture in my mind but even that may be a bit exotic? He did it hard.
9. the use of the expression to curse God and die is repeated a few times prior to and after this response by his wife.
I am reminded of the very strong words that Job later pronounced regarding the purity of marriage and therefore debate as to whether Satan could touch Job's wife, being that they were one and satan was not permitted to take Job's life. Some might think that by leaving her, the enemy had a perfect weapon. This can often be the case, meaning that a woman can be a man's undoing and often is but I see no specific reference here to such.
There are several differing points of view on this from his wife. Some even suggest that the use of the word 'curse' is, give or take, the same as bless and that tends to give a different view on it all.
A blessing is as a cursing, one is for good the other evil, but the action is such that it casts a 'vote' for good or bad, the word used here (baruch) being rendered curse.
If that be the case, the idea is that she may have only been suggesting to her husband that he ought to die to escape the pains he was saturated in and with... it would be easier on him and put an end to his suffering. (we may see later that wisdom was not a common practice when opening ones mouth)
The next verse gives a bit of a clue as to what depth of integrity was to be had in her advice.

It is wonderful to wonder about these things.
Thanks for sharing this,
and, yes, we need to hold to our faith, or more correctly preserve the persuasion of Him Who gives and takes, that we must enter judgement and the eternal beyond this life we mistakenly often hold far too dear and it is in His Mercy and Grace that we have our Hope... not the passing things of this world.

Bless you ....><>