Bible Studies

The Mysterious Wife of Job

by Anna Osipov
09/14/24
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Some say she was a princess; others claim she was the daughter of Jacob. In the Bible, she is only referred to as the wife of Job. We can't ascertain exactly who she was without proven facts, but it is obvious that she was a well-known and wealthy woman in her time.

However, we are given facts about Job, such as him being a wise and godly man. Such a man would choose his wife wisely too, at least one would hope.

Their life was quite perfect. They had all they could want; riches, children, land, and fame. Job was a perfect and upright man and God blessed him for that.

Then suddenly, their life fell horribly apart. One catastrophe followed another without warning. Every child died, every animal was stolen or killed, their servants were killed, and all their wealth was gone in an instant. Even Job's health was taken, and he was left covered in painful sores and practically nothing from his former life.

Practically nothing... except his wife. She was still there, untouched by the devastation wrecked upon them. She was not hurt physically, as far as we know, but the tragedy seemed to have done something far worse to her.

Though we don't know exactly how good the relationship between Job and his wife was before the tragedy, one could assume it was quite good. Job was a perfect and upright man before the tragedy struck, and it seemed his wife was not exactly a hindrance to his righteousness.

But now Job was left with nothing, everything taken from him in violence and destruction. Even his body was hurt. But his faith was not shaken. Grieving in sackcloth and ashes, he still was able to say, "The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord."

For a time he was probably grateful to see that the destruction had not touched his wife. But though we are hardly given any information about what happened to her, it seems that Satan had chosen a much craftier attack in her direction. He challenged her on everything she had known and believed life to be. Her husband was perfect; he had rightfully deserved the blessed life they had been living. He was godly - and God had favored them.

And now suddenly everything turned upside down for no reason at all. Everything that was Job's was in a way hers as well. And it hurt her just as much as him when it was taken from them. Her own children were killed. Their wealth and prosperity disappeared in an instant.

In grief and despair, she seems to question everything. How could the God they worshipped and trusted do this to them? There was no good reason that she could understand.

Job faced many great trials as each tragedy occurred. But perhaps the most bitter and dreadful one happened when his wife, whom he loved and trusted, came to him and said in bitter accusation, "Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!"

It is amazing how Job accepted each hardship and still trusted God. He believed that God had a purpose. Though his wife's angry words probably hurt him deeply, he was able to reply, "You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?"

The Bible says that throughout all his troubles, Job never sinned with his lips.

In the heat of trials in our lives, many questions and doubts fill our minds. Attacks and lies from the enemy are directed at us so that we would lose our faith in God's purpose for us. Sometimes grief and shock numb our senses and reasoning, and it seems we have very logical reasons for being angry with our circumstances in life. These hard times can make us voice our angry thoughts to those around us as we try to comfort ourselves by blaming things beyond our control. But our words can have a devastating effect on the people around us, especially when they lean upon us for strength. Bitterness, complaining, and cursing come from the devil and should not proceed from the mouth of a Christian.

The day will come when we will have to answer for every word we have spoken. Job's friends spoke their opinions about the matter and angered God to the point where He wanted to punish them. Job interceded on their behalf and God spared them. (Job 42:7-9)

We don't have information on what happened to Job's wife. I would like to think that as she watched her husband's unwavering faith in God, she began to rethink her words and change her mindset. I'd like to think that God forgave her words and gave her a second chance. After all, an end came to their suffering, and God blessed them again with even more than they had before. While the Bible mentions new wealth, livestock, and children, it doesn't mention a new wife, so I'd like to think that Job's wife had redemption and was with him as they enjoyed the remainder of their lives in God's favor.

We'll just have to wait till we get to Heaven to learn the true story of Job's mysterious wife. But if she's there, I would love to hear her side of the story.