In brief
Job's wife is the spouse of this upright man from the land of Uz. The Bible does not give her name. After Job loses all his possessions and his ten children die, he is struck with painful sores. His wife then tells him to renounce God and die. Job answers that she speaks like a foolish woman and refuses to sin with his lips. The lesson is that in the heart of trial we must choose trust in God over bitterness.
What does the name Job's Wife mean?
The book of Job does not give her name: she appears only as Job's wife (Job 2:9). The names that some ancient traditions attribute to her do not come from the biblical text.
The story of Job's Wife
The wife of an upright man
Job 1:1-5Job lives in the land of Uz. He is blameless and upright, fears God and turns away from evil. He has seven sons and three daughters and very large herds. After his sons' days of feasting, he sanctifies them and offers burnt offerings for each of them. The text does not yet mention his wife.
The house struck down
Job 1:13-22With Yahweh's permission, Satan strikes everything Job owns. In a single day, messengers announce the loss of the oxen, donkeys, sheep, camels and servants, then the death of all his sons and daughters under a collapsed house. Job tears his robe, bows down and blesses the name of Yahweh.
“Renounce God, and die”
Job 2:7-9Satan then strikes Job with painful sores from the sole of his foot to the top of his head. Job sits among the ashes and scrapes himself with a potsherd. Then his wife speaks: “Do you still maintain your integrity? Renounce God, and die.” Her words echo what Satan had predicted before Yahweh (Job 2:5).
Job's answer
Job 2:10Job replies: “You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. What? Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?” He refuses to follow her advice. The text concludes: “In all this Job didn’t sin with his lips.” His faith holds firm despite the pain and despite the voice of those closest to him.
Job's restoration
Job 42:10-15When Job has prayed for his friends, Yahweh restores him and gives him twice as much as he had before. He again has seven sons and three daughters, Jemimah, Keziah and Keren Happuch. The text does not mention his wife in this last chapter and does not say who the mother of these children is.
What Job's Wife teaches us
- In suffering, the temptation is to accuse God and break with him; faith chooses to keep trusting him.
- We can love someone and still give them bad advice: every word, even from a loved one, must be weighed before God.
- Receiving good from God without accepting trial would reveal a self-interested faith, the kind Satan attributed to Job.
- Guarding our lips in pain is an act of faith, like Job, who did not sin with his lips.
Key verses
The only words spoken by Job's wife. She acknowledges her husband's integrity but urges him to renounce God, as Satan had predicted. Her words show how far trial can push a person toward despair.
Job's answer is a confession of faith: God remains God in good times and in bad. The text stresses that in all this Job did not sin with his lips.
The New Testament remembers Job's patience, not his wife's advice. The end of his story reveals a Lord full of mercy and compassion toward those who suffer patiently.
Bible verses to meditate on
Sermons about Job's Wife
- John 5: You Are Not Alone, Count on the LORDThe preacher cites Job's wife to show that suffering makes us forget God's blessings. He recalls that the sufferings of this present time are not comparable to the glory to come.
- Keeping the Spiritual Deposit After a Season of RevivalThe preacher contrasts Job's wife, who urges her husband to renounce God, with believers who, when attacked, do not lament but present their needs to God with thanksgiving.
- Thanksgiving, the Believer's Secret WeaponWhere the devil hoped to see believers curse God, as Job's wife advised, the preacher invites us to choose joy and thanksgiving, even when everything goes wrong.
Frequently asked questions
Why did Job's wife tell him to renounce God?
The text does not give her reasons. It reports only her words, spoken when Job, having lost everything, is struck with painful sores (Job 2:7-9). She observes that he still maintains his integrity and urges him to renounce God and die. Job refuses and tells her she speaks like a foolish woman.
What happens to Job's wife at the end of the book?
The Bible does not say. Chapter 42 tells how Yahweh restores Job, gives him twice his possessions and again seven sons and three daughters. His wife is not mentioned in this passage, and the text does not say who the mother of these children is. It is better to claim nothing more.
Where is the story of Job's wife in the Bible?
She appears in the book of Job, chapter 2, verses 9 and 10, where she speaks to her husband struck by illness. Job mentions her again in his speeches, for example in Job 19:17 and Job 31:10. The whole book tells of Job's trial and restoration.