Job – Chapter 42

Old Testament16 Verses

Chapter Summary

Chapter 42 of Job begins: "Then Job answered the Lord, and said:" Job stands at the center of this chapter. Across its 16 verses, two threads run through the text: family and covenant relationships and prayer. Taken as a whole, the chapter forms one movement in the account, preparing what follows and completing what came before.

1Then Job answered the Lord, and said:

2I know that thou canst do all things, and no thought is hid from thee.

3Who is this that hideth counsel without knowledge? Therefore I have spoken unwisely, and things that above measure exceeded my knowledge.

4Hear, and I will speak: I will ask thee, and do thou tell me.

5With the hearing of the ear, I have heard thee, but now my eye seeth thee.

6Therefore I reprehend myself, and do penance in dust and ashes.

7And after the Lord had spoken these words to Job, he said to Eliphaz the Themanite: My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends, because you have not spoken the thing that is right before me, as my servant Job hath.

8Take unto you therefore seven oxen and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer for yourselves a holocaust, and my servant Job shall pray for you: his face I will accept, that folly be not imputed to you: for you have not spoken right things before me, as my servant Job hath.

9So Eliphaz the Themanite, and Baldad the Suhite, and Sophar the Naamathite went, and did as the Lord had spoken to them, and the Lord accepted the face of Job.

10The Lord also was turned at the penance of Job, when he prayed for his friends. And the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.

11And all his brethren came to him, and all his sisters, and all that knew him before, and they ate bread with him in his house: and bemoaned him, and comforted him upon all the evil that God had brought upon him. And every man gave him one ewe, and one earring of gold.

12And the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning. And he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses.

13And he had seven sons, and three daughters.

14And he called the name of one Dies, and the name of the second Cassia, and the name of the third Cornustibii.

15And there were not found in all the earth women so beautiful as the daughters of Job: and their father gave them inheritance among their brethren.

16And Job lived after these things, a hundred and forty years, and he saw his children, and his children's children, unto the fourth generation, and he died an old man, and full of days.

Important Verses in Job 42

Then Job answered the Lord, and said:

Job 42:1

So Eliphaz the Themanite, and Baldad the Suhite, and Sophar the Naamathite went, and did as the Lord had spoken to them, and the Lord accepted the face of Job.

Job 42:9

And the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning. And he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses.

Job 42:12

And Job lived after these things, a hundred and forty years, and he saw his children, and his children's children, unto the fourth generation, and he died an old man, and full of days.

Job 42:16

Historical Context

Job addresses all who wrestle with the mystery of suffering and God's justice within the broader story of God's covenant people. Chapter 42 of 42 brings the book to its close, gathering up themes introduced earlier. It is a wisdom instruction on how to live before God in ordinary circumstances with 16 verses in the Douay-Rheims translation. The chapter focuses on Job, whose actions and words drive the passage forward. The passage starts with these words: "Then Job answered the Lord, and said:" It concludes: "And Job lived after these things, a hundred and forty years, and he saw his children, and his children's children, unto…" Read against its original backdrop, Job confronts the deepest human question: why do the innocent suffer? The book's material reflects the era summarized as follows: Uncertain; commonly dated between the 7th and 4th centuries BC.

Who Wrote It

Unknown inspired poet of Israel

When It Was Written

Uncertain; commonly dated between the 7th and 4th centuries BC

Catholic Commentary

The sage addresses concrete situations—speech, work, relationships, and fear of the Lord. A pivotal line is verse 1: "Then Job answered the Lord, and said:" The passage repeatedly touches on family and covenant relationships.

The Church teaches that every passage of Scripture must be read in light of Christ and the Magisterium (CIC 1965). Here, the Church sees Job as prefiguring Christ in innocent suffering (CIC 1502). The spiritual sense invites believers to recognize family and covenant relationships as part of God's pedagogy of salvation.

Applied to the life of faith, the passage supports the Church's conviction that God's ways transcend human understanding. Whether read privately or heard in the liturgy, Job 42 calls for a response of faith, repentance, and charity.

Main Teachings

  • The family is the first school of faith, where love, obedience, and forgiveness are learned.
  • God invites His people to approach Him confidently in prayer, trusting that He hears and answers.
  • True wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord and is a gift of the Holy Spirit.

People in This Chapter

Job12 mentions

Reflection for Today

In Job Chapter 42, the Church invites us to listen attentively to God's Word within the broader narrative of suffering, faith, and divine mystery.

The Second Vatican Council reminded the faithful that Scripture should permeate Catholic spirituality (Dei Verbum, 21-26). Job Chapter 42 supports that call by drawing attention to humility before the mystery of God within the wider message that God's ways transcend human understanding.

As you continue through Job, carry this chapter's lesson into your family, parish, and work. Catholic faith is always ecclesial—God speaks to us as members of Christ's Body, not as isolated individuals.

💡Catholic Reflection • Church Teachings

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Job Chapter 42 about?

Job 42 contains 16 verses. It opens with "Then Job answered the Lord, and said:" and closes with "And Job lived after these things, a hundred and forty years, and he saw his children, and his children's children, unto…". The book as a whole is wisdom literature in poetic dialogue.

What is a key verse in Job 42?

One of the most significant verses is verse 1: "Then Job answered the Lord, and said:" It is often cited in Catholic teaching and preaching.

Who appears in Job Chapter 42?

This chapter mentions Job.

Who wrote Job and when?

Unknown inspired poet of Israel. Uncertain; commonly dated between the 7th and 4th centuries BC.

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