Job (biblical figure)

Job (/ˈdʒoʊb/; Hebrew: אִיּוֹב, Modern Iyyov, Tiberian ʾIyyôḇ) is the central character of the Book of Job in the Bible. Job (Arabic: أيّوب, Ayyūb‎) is considered a prophet in the Abrahamic religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. In rabbinical literature, Iyov (אִיּוֹב) is called one of the prophets of the Gentiles.

Job is presented as a good and prosperous family man who is beset with horrendous disasters that take away all that he holds dear, including his offspring, his health, and his property. He struggles to understand his situation and begins a search for the answers to his difficulties. God rewards Job's obedience during his travails by restoring his health, doubling his original wealth and giving him seven new sons and three new daughters, which bore his great grandchildren before he died, 140 years later.

Book of Job

The Book of Job begins with an introduction to Job's character—he is described as a blessed man who lived righteously in the Land of Uz. The Lord's praise of Job prompted Satan to challenge Job's integrity, suggesting that Job served God simply because God protected him. God removed Job's protection, allowing Satan to take his wealth, his children, and his physical health (but not his life) in order to test Job's character. Despite his difficult circumstances, he did not curse God, but rather cursed the day of his birth. And although he anguished over his plight, he stopped short of accusing God of injustice.