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How else did Job have additional kids? Job’s wife is not explicitly mentioned, or is she?

We read:

And the Lord restored Job’s losses when he prayed for his friends. Indeed the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before. Then all his brothers, all his sisters, and all those who had been his acquaintances before, came to him and ate food with him in his house; and they consoled him and comforted him for all the adversity that the Lord had brought upon him.

Each one gave him a piece of silver and each a ring of gold. Now the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; for he had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, one thousand yoke of oxen, and one thousand female donkeys. He also had seven sons and three daughters. And he called the name of the first Jemimah, the name of the second Keziah, and the name of the third Keren-Happuch.

In all the land were found no women so beautiful as the daughters of Job; and their father gave them an inheritance among their brothers. After this Job lived one hundred and forty years, and saw his children and grandchildren for four generations. So Job died, old and full of days. (‭‭Job‬ ‭42:10-17‬) ‭

Q: How do we interpret an “acquaintance” with “family?” Or “wife”?

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    She never left. You’d have to first prove she left which clearly she didn’t Apr 17, 2022 at 2:32
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    I agree - Job's wife did not leave him. However, whether she was the mother of the second batch of children is another question entirely.
    – Dottard
    Apr 17, 2022 at 2:58
  • @Nihil Sine Deo Where was she during the rest of the book then? & why isn’t she mentioned in the end? Or maybe she is? Then where was she the whole middle of the book? I’m not sure we can draw conclusions based on Job chap 42, hence the question.
    – Cork88
    Apr 17, 2022 at 4:04
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    His wife was with Job after all their children had died and lost all his wealth. Even after he contracted the illness she was still there. “Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die.” But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips.” ‭‭Job‬ 2:9-10‬. Job did not remarry. It’s a given it was the same wife who bore him ten more children. Job living up to Abraham’s time meant he lived hundreds of years. He was upright Matt19:8 Apr 17, 2022 at 4:18

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We must consider that even though Job was never said to be righteous by God in the book of Job, he was called blameless and upright Job 1:8

It is worth noting that Job had only one wife. This is in connection to the fact that Job tried to be “by the book” as possible, fulfilling everything that could be fulfilled humanly speaking and one such requirement was and still is, one man and one woman.

“He said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so.” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭19:8‬ ‭

Job extremely wealthy had ONLY one wife and he most certainly never divorced her, for he remained upright and blameless.

Polygamy was not God’s design. It was fallen man’s. Job wanted to be as upright and blameless as he could

So we have

  • Job’s desire to be by the book
  • By the book meant no divorce
  • No divorce meant she never left
  • And Job couldn’t have children by himself

Why isn’t she mentioned again? She isn’t the point of the story. She is only mentioned to point out Job’s response to her poor suggestion. Anything else is a distraction from the point of the book.

God doesn’t mention he had ten more children to highlight Job’s intimate life, it’s to show God’s response to Job’s repentance

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