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Was Job’s Wife Just Another Shrieking Harpy or Something More?
By Marc | October 22, 2008
Last night at my men’s Bible study, we studied the book of Job, talked about our observations, and asked questions.
Job’s unnamed wife, who only appears briefly, comes across as just another bane to her husband.
His wife said to him, “Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!”
He replied, “You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?”
In all this, Job did not sin in what he said. – Job 2:9-10
On top of all his calamity and pain, he had a nagging woman who seemed to be sent by Satan.
A good friend, Sean, brought up something he and his wife had discussed: Job wasn’t the only one who lost everything.
Job’s spouse also lost her children. She also lost servants and livestock. She lost the life she was accustomed to living. Her husband was afflicted with painful oozing sores all over his body and had no idea how to help him. She was probably grieving just like him, but was handling it differently.
If there’s something I’ve learned in my ten years of marriage (and am still working at), women don’t always need men to be strong in times of stress. Sometimes they just need someone to share their sorrow and be understanding.
In the movie, What Dreams May Come
Chris: That’s when I realized I’m part of the problem. Not because I remind you…but because I couldn’t join you. So I left you alone.
Perhaps Job’s wife isn’t the shrew we first perceive her to be. After all, they did have ten children together. Then, after all his trials, they had ten more children. Plus, a man known for his greatness and property wouldn’t have that reputation if his wife weren’t there to support him.
Look at our nation’s presidents. Behind each man who held the office was usually a woman just as notable. Look at women such as Eleanor Roosevelt, Betty Ford, Nancy Reagan, Dolley Madison, Jackie Kennedy, and Hillary Clinton.
Isn’t it odd that America’s worst president, James Buchanan, never married? I’m not saying anything about that choice, but a good wife can make or break a man. Perhaps history would be different if he had that extra voice to act as conscience and guide.
I believe Job had such a wife.
Sure, he was committed to the Lord and kept hope. But the story doesn’t mention in any place that Job comforted his wife or tried to understand her. Sometimes, all that’s needed is just a simple, “I don’t know why this is happening, either” or “I’m frustrated and angry too, but I’m here for you”. He was blameless before God, but I think he could have tried harder at being the husband his wife needed.
In his defense, though, he did have pus-filled boils all over his body, so his mind could have been a little preoccupied.
Topics: Life and Living, Miscellaneous | 2 Comments »
November 4th, 2008 at 5:45 am
You might be interested in this online commentary “Putting God on Trial: The Biblical Book of Job” (http://www.bookofjob.org) as supplementary or background material for your study on the Book of Job. It is written by a Canadian criminal defense lawyer, now a Crown prosecutor, and it explores the legal and moral dynamics of the Book of Job with particular emphasis on the distinction between causal responsibility and moral blameworthiness embedded in Job’s Oath of Innocence. It is highly praised by Job scholars (Clines, Janzen, Habel) and the Review of Biblical Literature, all of whose reviews are on the website. The author is an evangelical Christian, denominationally Anglican. He is also the Canadian Director for the Mortimer J. Adler Centre for the Study of the Great Ideas, a Chicago-based think tank.
May 19th, 2009 at 1:51 am
Greetings, This is good and also in the end God corrected Job and his so called friends but nothing is mentioned about his wife. While she is grieving her loss she also has to care for a sick Job and be hostess to his so called friends. At the very end Job is blessed with 10 more children. Guess who carried each one and nursed each one.
One thing I don’t like is when preacher talk like it fine cause God gave them 10 more kids. I lost one daughter to SIDS. It took 8 years to have another child and it was another daughter. 22 months later came another daughter. So Wow I got two daughters in place of the one I lost? NO! Each daughter was an individual and neither one of my daughter replaced the first one I lost. I could have a dozen daughter and still it will not replace the one i lost. No baby can replace another that was lost. So that just a little more I wanted to add.
In Christ,
Laurie