The big picture
Job 2 opens in verse 1 with “Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD …”, reaches its middle movement near verse 7 with “So went Satan forth from the presence of the LORD , and smote Job with sore boils from…”, and closes in verse 13 with “So they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights, and none spake a…” Repeated or prominent terms include LORD, Satan, evil, hand, curse. Together, those details trace this chapter’s own movement from its opening to its conclusion.
Scripture beside the summary
Job · King James Version · 13Job 2:1-7
1–7: Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves…
Job 2:1–7 opens with “Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD , and…” and reaches “So went Satan forth from the presence of the LORD , and smote Job with sore boils from the sole…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Job on the ash heap in bodily pain while his wife speaks from her own grief; Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar sitting silently with Job for seven days before anyone speaks, with particular weight carried by LORD, Satan, earth.
Context that brings the passage to life
This block contains 2 explicit questions. They are more than punctuation: they reveal where a voice is searching, challenging, afraid, or trying to understand.
“Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD , and Satan came also among them…” Naming Again keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
“And the LORD said unto Satan, From whence comest thou? And Satan answered the LORD , and said, From going to and fro…” The question slows the passage down. Notice who is being pressed to answer, what the question assumes, and whether the next lines provide a response.
Job 2:1-7
King James Version1Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD , and Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD .
2And the LORD said unto Satan, From whence comest thou? And Satan answered the LORD , and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.
3And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause.
4And Satan answered the LORD , and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life.
5But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face.
6And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life.
7So went Satan forth from the presence of the LORD , and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown.
Job 2:8-13
8–13: He took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among…
Job 2:8–13 opens with “And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among the ashes.” and reaches “So they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights, and none spake a word…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Job on the ash heap in bodily pain while his wife speaks from her own grief; Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar sitting silently with Job for seven days before anyone speaks, with particular weight carried by evil, lifted, receive.
Context that brings the passage to life
This block contains 2 explicit questions. They are more than punctuation: they reveal where a voice is searching, challenging, afraid, or trying to understand.
“And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among the ashes.” The line’s distinctive content terms include ashes, potsherd, scrape. Its relationship to verses 9 shows what work it does in this passage.
Job 2:8-13
King James Version8And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among the ashes.
9Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die.
10But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.
11Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this evil that was come upon him, they came every one from his own place; Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite: for they had made an appointment together to come to mourn with him and to comfort him.
12And when they lifted up their eyes afar off, and knew him not, they lifted up their voice, and wept; and they rent every one his mantle, and sprinkled dust upon their heads toward heaven.
13So they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights, and none spake a word unto him: for they saw that his grief was very great.
Details worth noticing
The opening image
Job 2:1 begins with “Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD , and Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD .”
Where the chapter turns
Job 2:5 forms a natural hinge: “But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face.”
The final note
Job 2:13 leaves the reader with “So they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights, and none spake a word unto him: for they saw that his grief was very great.”
A word trail through the chapter
The words LORD, Satan, evil, hand, curse, earth help reveal the chapter’s repeated concerns.
Which gifts come before the prohibition?
Life, the garden, food and meaningful work. The command occurs inside generosity.
How does chapter 2 deepen chapter 1?
It concentrates on dependence, partnership and responsibility within the shared human calling.
KJV words made clear
- behold
- look, or pay close attention
- unto
- to
- thee
- you
- thou
- you
- thy
- your
Text first
Where readers differ
The chapter summary begins with what the passage says and how its parts fit together. It does not assume one denomination has already settled every question. Where a conclusion depends on a tradition, literary theory, or historical reconstruction, that dependence is named openly.
The KJV text is presented first. Interpretive conclusions are labeled, and differences are introduced only when they help a reader understand why serious communities do not always reach the same answer.
Comparative interpretive notes for this chapter are in preparation. Until reviewed notes are ready, this page separates the KJV text from summary and application without claiming that serious readers agree on every question.