Commentary - Job 1:6-12

Bird's-eye view

In these verses, the curtain of the visible world is pulled back, and we are granted a glimpse into the throne room of the universe. We are shown that the events of our lives are not the result of blind chance or impersonal fate. Rather, they are governed by the sovereign hand of God, who presides over a heavenly council. The central drama of the book is established here: a cosmic contest over the nature of true faith. The accuser, Satan, presents his cynical thesis that man only serves God for material reward. God, in His inscrutable wisdom, allows His faithful servant Job to be the test case. This is not a battle between two equal powers; it is a demonstration of God's ultimate authority and the genuineness of a God-given faith, even in the face of inexplicable suffering.

Outline

Commentary

Job 1:6

Now it was the day that the sons of God came to stand before Yahweh, and Satan also came among them.

The narrative shifts abruptly from the serene portrait of Job on earth to the majestic court of heaven. A day was appointed for this meeting. This is not a chaotic, ad hoc gathering; it is a scheduled report. The "sons of God" are angelic beings, messengers and ministers who are accountable to the sovereign King. They come to present themselves, to give an account of their activities. And right in the thick of them, as though he belonged, is Satan. The name Satan means "the accuser" or "the adversary." He is not a rival god, but a created being, a fallen angel who must also appear when court is in session. He is on a leash, and the one holding the leash is Yahweh. This scene establishes the absolute sovereignty of God from the outset. Nothing, not even the activity of the great adversary, happens outside of His presence and authority.

Job 1:7

And Yahweh said to Satan, “From where do you come?” Then Satan answered Yahweh and said, “From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it.”

God initiates the conversation. He is the interrogator, the one demanding an account. He is not surprised to see Satan; He is questioning him for the record. Satan's reply is telling. He has been "roaming about" and "walking around." This is the picture of a restless, malevolent vagrant. He is not building or creating anything. He is patrolling, inspecting, looking for an opening, a weakness to exploit. The apostle Peter picks up this imagery when he warns us that our adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour (1 Pet. 5:8). He is the cosmic troublemaker, the inspector general from hell, and he has just completed a tour of the earth.

Job 1:8

Then Yahweh said to Satan, “Have you set your heart upon My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil.”

This is a staggering verse. It is God who brings up Job's name. God puts His servant on the line. He points him out to the accuser. The phrase "set your heart upon" can be translated as "considered" or "paid close attention to." God is essentially asking, "In all your restless wandering, did you happen to notice my man Job?" God is proud of Job. He boasts about him, using the very same description from the introduction: blameless, upright, God-fearing, and turning from evil. This is not just the narrator's assessment; this is the divine verdict. Before the trial begins, God declares Job's righteousness. This is crucial. Job's suffering is not a punishment for some secret sin. God is setting the stage to prove the quality of a faith that He Himself has planted in Job's heart.

Job 1:9

And Satan answered Yahweh and said, “Does Job fear God without cause?”

Here is the sneer of the adversary. Satan cannot dispute the facts of Job's behavior, so he attacks the motive. This is the classic move of the accuser. Since he cannot deny the righteous deeds, he impugns the reason for them. His question drips with cynicism. "Without cause?" or "for nothing?" He is a thoroughgoing materialist. In his worldview, no one does anything for nothing. He believes that all religion is transactional, a spiritual quid pro quo. Job is not righteous because he loves God; Job is righteous because it pays. This is the central question of the book: Is disinterested righteousness possible?

Job 1:10

Have You not made a hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land.

Satan now lays out his evidence. He essentially accuses God of bribery. He acknowledges God's providential protection, this "hedge" of blessing, but he frames it as the reason for Job's piety. "Of course he serves you! Look at the benefits package. You've surrounded him with protection. You've blessed everything he touches. His business is booming. His livestock multiply." Satan's argument is that Job's faith is nothing more than a good investment strategy. He serves God because God makes him rich and keeps him safe. The implication is that if the benefits stop, the service will stop too.

Job 1:11

But send forth Your hand now and touch all that he has; he will surely curse You to Your face.”

The accuser now proposes the experiment. The word "But" signals the turning point. "Take away the props, and the whole thing will come crashing down." Notice he says, "send forth Your hand." Satan knows where the ultimate power lies. He cannot touch Job without divine permission. He is challenging God to remove the blessings. And he makes a bold prediction: Job will not just quietly lose his faith. He will "curse You to Your face." This will be an act of open, defiant rebellion. The stakes are incredibly high. Satan is predicting that Job's piety is a thin veneer, and underneath is a heart that will blaspheme God the moment the going gets tough.

Job 1:12

Then Yahweh said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your hand, only do not send forth your hand toward him.” So Satan went out from the presence of Yahweh.

God accepts the terms. He gives Satan permission to proceed. "Behold, all that he has is in your hand." This is a terrifying permission, but it is not unlimited. God immediately sets a boundary: "only do not send forth your hand toward him." Satan can take the property, the livestock, the servants, and even the children, but he cannot touch Job's person. God is always sovereign. He is sovereign in what He allows, and He is sovereign in what He restrains. Satan is a powerful and malicious being, but he is an instrument. He operates within the fixed boundaries established by the Almighty. And so, with this grim permission, Satan departs from the divine presence, eager to unleash his destructive work, all the while unwittingly serving the higher purposes of the God he hates.

Application

This passage forces us to confront the reality of a spiritual world that is just as real as the physical one. Our struggles are not merely against flesh and blood. There is an accuser who questions our motives and seeks our destruction. But more importantly, there is a sovereign God who rules over all, who is confident in the grace He gives His people, and who sets firm limits on the evil that can befall them.

When we suffer, we must resist the satanic lie that God is punishing us for some hidden sin, or the equally satanic lie that our faith was only for the good times. True faith, a gift from God, clings to God for who He is, not for the hedge of protection He provides. This passage teaches us that God may, for His own glorious purposes, remove that hedge. He may test our faith in the crucible of loss. The ultimate purpose is not to destroy us, but to prove that our faith is genuine, to silence the accuser, and to display the sustaining power of His grace. Our confidence is not in our own strength to endure, but in the God who boasts of His servants and who will not allow them to be tested beyond what they are able, with the testing, also providing the way of escape, that they may be able to endure it.