The Geneva Bible Translation Notes, [1599], at sacred-texts.com
Job Chapter 2
Again there was a day when the (a) sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and (b) Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD.
(a) That is, the angels, (Job 1:6).
(b) Read (Job 1:6).
And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that [there is] none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, (c) although thou movedst me against (d) him, to destroy him without cause.
(c) He proves Job's integrity by this that he ceased not to fear God when his plagues were grievously upon him.
(d) That is, when you had nothing against him, or when you were not able to bring your purpose to pass.
And Satan answered the LORD, and said, (e) Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life.
(e) By this he means that a man's own skin is dearer to him than another man's.
But put forth thine hand now, and touch his (f) bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face.
(f) Meaning, his own person.
And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, he [is] in thine hand; but save (g) his life.
(g) Thus Satan can go no further in punishing than God has limited him.
So went Satan forth from the presence of the LORD, and smote Job with sore (h) boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown.
(h) This sore was most vehement, with which God also plagued the Egyptians, (Exo 9:9) and threatened to punish rebellious people, (Deu 28:27) so that this temptation was most grievous: for if Job had measured God's favour by the vehemency of his disease, he might have thought that God had cast him off.
And he took him a (i) potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among the ashes.
(i) As destitute of all other help and means and wonderfully afflicted with the sorrow of his disease.
Then said his (k) wife unto him, Dost thou (l) still retain thine integrity? (m) curse God, and die.
(k) Satan uses the same instrument against Job, as he did against Adam.
(l) Meaning, what do you gain from serving God, seeing he thus plagues you, as though he were your enemy? This is the most grievous temptation for the faithful, when their faith is assailed, and when Satan goes about to persuade them that they trust in God in vain.
(m) For death was appointed to the blasphemer and so she meant that he would quickly be rid of his pain.
But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not (n) receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his (o) lips.
(n) That is, to be patient in adversity as we rejoice when he sends prosperity, and so to acknowledge him to be both merciful and just.
(o) He so bridled his desires that his tongue through impatience did not murmur against God.
Now when Job's three (p) friends heard of all this evil that was come upon him, they came every one from his own place; Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite: for they had made an appointment together to come to mourn with him and to comfort him.
(p) Who were men of authority, wise and learned, and as the Septuagint writes, kings, and came to comfort him, but when they saw how he was visited, they conceived an evil opinion of him, as though he was a hypocrite and so justly plagued by God for his sins.
And when they lifted up their eyes afar off, and knew him not, they lifted up their voice, and wept; and they rent every one his mantle, and sprinkled (q) dust upon their heads toward heaven.
(q) This was also a ceremony which they used in those countries as the renting of their clothes in sign of sorrow etc.
So they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights, and none spake a word unto him: for they saw that [his] grief was very (r) great.
(r) And therefore thought that he would not have listened to their counsel.