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Portrait of JobPortrait · Job

Patriarchs · Old Testament

Job

Patient Sufferer Vindicated by God

Name meaning
Persecuted or object of hostility; meaning debated
Name origin
Hebrew: אִיּוֹב (Iyyov), etymology debated, commonly associated with "persecuted"

Quick facts

Occupation
  • Landowner
  • Patriarchal figure
Birthplace
Land of Uz (location debated, likely northern Arabia/Edom region)
Modern-day location
Possibly southern Jordan or northwestern Saudi Arabia; the location of Uz is debated.
Family
  • Father of seven sons and three daughters (later ten more)
  • Husband (wife is unnamed)
First mention
Job 1:1
Last mention
Job 42:16-17; James 5:11
Key artifacts
  • Sackcloth and ashes
  • Whirlwind
  • Restored household

Key verses

  • “Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.”

    Job 1:21

  • “For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:”

    Job 19:25

  • “I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee.”

    Job 42:5

Biography

Early Life

Job was described as blameless and upright, fearing God and shunning evil, with great wealth and a large family in the land of Uz.

Defining Biblical Moments

Job lost children, wealth and health, yet wrestled faithfully with friends who offered simplistic explanations. God answered from the whirlwind, and Job was restored, interceding for his friends and receiving double restoration.

Strengths

Job is portrayed as patient under extreme trial, honest in lament, and unwilling to accept easy answers that misrepresent God.

Weaknesses & Lessons

His lengthy protests and demands for vindication show the human struggle to reconcile suffering with faith, ultimately resolved through encounter with God's wisdom rather than full explanation.

Life Lessons for Today

Faith can include honest questioning; comfort requires presence and humility rather than quick explanations, and restoration may come in unexpected forms.

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Job appears in Heroes, Kings & Prophets of the Old Testament, alongside more profiles like this one.

Page #39 in Heroes, Kings & Prophets of the Old Testament

Heroes, Kings & Prophets of the Old Testament front cover

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