Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Job 2:5

But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face.

But put forth thine hand now – Satan felt that he had no power to afflict Job without permission. Malignant as he was, he knew that God only could subject the holy man to this trial – another proof that Satan is under the control of the Almighty, and acts only as he is permitted to act in tempting and trying the good.

And touch his bone – See the note at Job 1:11. Afflict his body so as to endanger his life. The words bone and flesh denote the whole body. The idea was, that the whole body should be subjected to severe pain.

And he will curse thee to thy face – Notes at Job 1:11.

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Verse 5. He will curse thee to thy face.] Literally, If he will not bless thee to thy face or appearances. His piety to thee will be always regulated by thy bounty to him. See Clarke on Job 1:11.

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

Touch, i.e. smite him, not slightly, but to the quick, and to the bones and marrow, so as he may feel pain and anguish indeed, which is oft expressed by reaching to the bones, as Psa 6:2; 32:3; 51:8.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh,…. That is, his body, which consisted of flesh and bones; these are the constituent parts of the body, and which distinguish it from spirit, Lu 24:39; this is the motion made by Satan for a second trial of Job’s integrity; he moves that God would take off his hand of providence over him, which secured his health unto him, and stretch his hand of power upon him, and fill his flesh with diseases, and his bones with rottenness; or break them, and touch him to the quick, to the marrow, which gives exquisite pain; or by his bone may be meant him himself u:

and he will curse thee to thy face; he will fly in thy face, arraign thy providence, and call in question thy wisdom, justice, truth, and faithfulness: or he will “bless thee” w, and take his farewell of thee x, and have nothing more to do with thee or religion; if he does not do this, for something is to be understood, the words being an imprecation, let me be in a worse condition than I am at present; let me not have the liberty of ranging about in the earth, to do the mischief I delight in; let me bound, and cast into the bottomless pit before my time, or be thrown into the lake burning with fire and brimstone, where I know I must be forever.

u So Gussetius and Genevenses, in ib. p. 630. w “benedicet tibi”, Piscator, Cocceius, Schmidt. x “Te valere jubebit”, Schultens.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

5. Touch his bone Among the most painful diseases are those that have their seat in the bone. Job touchingly refers to this feature of his disease. (Job 30:17; Job 30:30.) The association of , touch, with , ( into or even to,) rather than , as in Job 1:11, Delitzsch has well remarked, “expresses increased malignity.”

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Job 2:5. He will curse thee Blaspheme thee.

Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke

Job 2:5 But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face.

Ver 5. But put forth thine hand now ] See Trapp on “ Job 1:11 “ This God did at Satan’s motion, yet non ad exitium Iobi, sed ad exercitium; not for the destruction of Job but his training, Job’s temptation is of Satan, but his trial and invincible constancy is of God. God in a sense tempted Job. Satan also; even as the dog may be said to bait the beast, and the owner of the beast too, that suffered him to be baited.

And touch his bone and his flesh ] Pinch him to the quick, that not his flesh only may feel it, but the marrow also in his bones, Psa 6:2 ; Psa 32:3 ; Psa 51:8 . The bone and flesh are the chief materials of man’s body, which is fitly compared to a fabric, wherein the bones are the timber work, the head the upper lodging, the eyes as windows, the eyelids as casements, the brows as pent-houses, the ears as watch towers, the mouth as a door, to take in that which shall uphold the building, and keep it in reparations, the stomach as a kitchen, to dress that which is conveyed into it, the guts and baser parts as sinks belonging to the house, &c., as one maketh the comparison. Now in all these and the rest of his parts of body Satan would have Job to be smitten; and then he made no question of a conquest. Pain is a piercing shaft in Satan’s quiver of temptations; hence he stirred up his agents to tympanize and torment the martyrs with as much cruelty as the wit of malice could devise; but all in vain, Heb 11:35-36 . Apollonia had all her teeth pulled out of her head (hence Papists make her the saint for toothaches). Blandina tired those that tortured her. Theodorus was cruelly whipped, racked, and scraped with sharp shells, by the command of Julian, but yielded not (Socrat. Theodor.). Rose Allen had her hand wrist burnt by Justice Tyrrell, who held a candle under it till the sinews brake that all the house heard them; and then thrusting her from him violently, said, Ah, strong whore, wilt thou not cry? thou shameless whore, thou beastly whore, &c. But she quietly suffered his rage for a time, at the last said, Sir, have you done what you will do? and he said, Yea; and if thou think it not well, then mend it. Mend it? said she; nay, the Lord mend you, and give you repentance, if it be his will. And now, if you think it fit, begin at the feet, and burn the head also; for he that set you awork shall pay your wages one day, I warrant you. As little got the devil by these worthies, as he did by Job’s boils and carbuncles. We are ashamed (said one of Julian’s nobles to him), we are ashamed, O Emperor, the Christians laugh at your cruelty, and grow the more resolute.

And he will curse thee to thy face ] Heb. If he curse thee not to thy face, q.d. then damn me, send me to hell presently. This Satan holds in by an Aposiopesis, a rhetorical device, in which the speaker comes to a sudden halt, as if unable or unwilling to proceed. being therein more modest than our desperate and detestable God-damnmes: let them see how they gratify the devil who curse and blaspheme, or protest openly what they know to be false. This the devil did not.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

But = However.

put forth Thine hand. See note on Job 1:11.

touch = touch bone to his.

curse. See note on Job 1:5.

Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics

put forth: Job 1:11, Job 19:20, Job 19:21, 1Ch 21:17, Psa 32:3, Psa 32:4, Psa 38:2-7, Psa 39:10

He will curse: Job 2:9, Job 1:5, Job 1:11, Lev 24:15, Isa 8:21

Reciprocal: Gen 3:3 – touch Lev 24:11 – cursed 2Ki 6:33 – this evil is of the Lord Job 3:1 – cursed Job 4:5 – it toucheth Job 19:22 – and are not Job 23:10 – he hath Isa 54:17 – every Isa 65:3 – to my face Mar 5:12 – General Luk 8:31 – they 2Co 2:11 – General Rev 12:10 – the accuser

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Job 2:5. But touch his bone and his flesh That is, smite him, not slightly, but to the quick, to the bones and marrow, so that he may feel pain and anguish indeed: and he will curse thee to thy face Will openly and daringly blaspheme thy perfections, and reproach the dispensations of thy providence, and so will let go his integrity. Satan knew, and we find by experience, that nothing has a greater tendency to ruffle the mind, and put its passions into disorder, than acute pain and distemper of body.

Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

2:5 But put forth thine hand now, and touch his {f} bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face.

(f) Meaning, his own person.

Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes