Job 2:10 Explained

"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 receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips." — Job 2:10 (KJV)

Job's answer to his wife, and the narrator's verdict on it — which is not the same as approval of everything he says later.

Read it in context: The Book of Job. Also gathered under verses about sickness.

Job 2:10 in context

What does Job 2:10 mean?

The question assumes a single hand behind both, and Job does not soften it — 'evil' here is calamity rather than moral wrong, but he still traces it to God. The narrator's comment is precise: he did not sin with his lips. That qualification matters, because Job goes on to say a great deal that is furious, and the book never withdraws the verdict. Honesty and reverence are not opposed here.

What is the context of Job 2:10?

Job has lost his children and his property, and is now covered in sores. His wife tells him to curse God and die, which is the only line she is given in the book. This is his reply, at the end of chapter 2, before the thirty-five chapters of argument begin.

How do I pray Job 2:10?

Ask the question rather than assert it, since Job asks it. And take the licence the narrator gives: what follows in the book is not calm, and it is not counted as sin. If your wife or husband said what Job's wife said, note that he calls the speech foolish and not the speaker.

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