Job 42:11 · Bible study
Job 42:11 Commentary: Restored Relationships and Gifts of Comfort
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why do Job's relatives, who abandoned him, return after his restoration?
Research Summary
- Meaning: After Job's restoration, his relatives and acquaintances return to eat with him, comfort him, and give gifts, reversing their earlier abandonment.
- Key words: kesitah (piece of money/lamb; archaic word), nezem (ring, nose or ear), nud (show sympathy), nacham (comfort).
- Main debate: Whether kesitah refers to a lamb (Vulgate, Septuagint) or an early form of coinage (most modern translations); the meaning of nezem (nose ring vs. earring).
- Theological theme: God's restoration encompasses not only material wealth but also social relationships, showing that redemption is holistic.
- Best use: Teaching on suffering, community, forgiveness, and the nature of authentic friendship.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
All his brothers and sisters and prior acquaintances came and dined with him in his house. They consoled him and comforted him over all the adversity that the LORD had brought upon him. And each one gave him a piece of silver and a gold ring.
WEB World English Bible 2000
Then all his brothers, all his sisters, and all those who had been of his acquaintance before, came to him and ate bread with him in his house. They comforted him, and consoled him concerning all the evil that Yahweh had brought on him. Everyone also gave him a piece of money, and everyone a ring of gold.
KJV King James Version 1769
Then came there unto him all his brethren, and all his sisters, and all they that had been of his acquaintance before, and did eat bread with him in his house: and they bemoaned him, and comforted him over all the evil that the Lord had brought upon him: every man also gave him a piece of money, and every one an earring of gold.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Then came there unto him all his brethren, and all his sisters, and all they that had been of his acquaintance before, and did eat bread with him in his house: and they bemoaned him, and comforted him concerning all the evil that Jehovah had brought upon him: every man also gave him a piece of money, and every one a ring of gold.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
And come unto him do all his brethren, and all his sisters, and all his former acquaintances, and they eat bread with him in his house, and bemoan him, and comfort him concerning all the evil that Jehovah had brought upon him, and they gave to him each one kesitah, and each one ring of gold.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And all his brethren, and all his sisters, and all they that had been of his acquaintance before, came to him, and they ate bread with him in his house, and they condoled with him, and comforted him concerning all the evil that Jehovah had brought upon him; and every one gave him a piece of money, and every one a golden ring.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And all his brethren came to him, and all his sisters, and all that knew him before, and they ate bread with him in his house: and bemoaned him, and comforted him upon all the evil that God had brought upon him. And every man gave him one ewe, and one earring of gold.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y vinieron á él todos sus hermanos, y todas sus hermanas, y todos los que antes le habían conocido, y comieron con él pan en su casa, y condoliéronse de él, y consoláronle de todo aquel mal que sobre él había Jehová traído; y cada uno de ellos le dió una pieza de moneda, y un zarcillo de oro.
Então vieram e ele todos os seus irmãos, e todas as suas irmãs, e todos os que o conheciam antes; e comeram com ele pão em sua casa, e condoeram-se dele, e o consolaram acerca de toda a calamidade que o SENHOR tinha trazido sobre ele; e cada um deles lhe deu uma peça de dinheiro, e uma argola de ouro.
Les frères, les sœurs, et les anciens amis de Job vinrent tous le visiter, et ils mangèrent avec lui dans sa maison. Ils le plaignirent et le consolèrent de tous les malheurs que l’ Éternel avait fait venir sur lui, et chacun lui donna un kesita et un anneau d’ or.
Und es kamen zu ihm alle seine Brüder und alle seine Schwestern und alle, die ihn vormals kannten, und aßen mit ihm in seinem Hause und kehrten sich zu ihm und trösteten ihn über alles Übel, das der HERR hatte über ihn kommen lassen. Und ein jeglicher gab ihm einen schönen Groschen und ein goldenes Stirnband.
Ook kwamen tot hem al zijn broeders, en al zijn zusters, en allen, die hem te voren gekend hadden, en aten brood met hem in zijn huis, en beklaagden hem, en vertroostten hem over al het kwaad, dat de HEERE over hem gebracht had; en zij gaven hem een iegelijk een stuk gelds, een iegelijk ook een gouden voorhoofdsiersel.
Tutti i suoi fratelli, tutte le sue sorelle e tutte le sue conoscenze di prima vennero a trovarlo, mangiarono con lui in casa sua, gli fecero le loro condoglianze e lo consolarono di tutti i mali che l’Eterno gli avea fatto cadere addosso; e ognuno d’essi gli dette un pezzo d’argento e un anello d’oro.
Zeszli się tedy do niego wszyscy bracia jego, i wszystki siostry jego, i inni wszyscy, którzy go przedtem znali, i jedli z nim chleb w domu jego, a żałując go cieszyli go z strony wszystkiego złego, które był Pan nań przywiódł; i dał mu każdy z nich upominek jeden, i każdy nausznicę złotą jedne.
Тогда пришли к нему все братья его и все сестры его и все прежние знакомые его, и ели с ним хлеб в доме его, и тужили с ним, и утешали его за все зло, которое Господь навел на него, и дали ему каждый по кесите и по золотому кольцу.
約伯的 弟兄、 姊妹，和 以先 所認識的人 都來 見他，在他家裡 一同 吃 飯；又論到 耶和華 所 降 與他 的一切 災禍，都為他 悲傷 安慰 他。每人 也送 他 一塊 銀子 和一個 金 環。
And all his brothers and sisters, and his friends of earlier days, came and took food with him in his house; and made clear their grief for him, and gave him comfort for all the evil which the Lord had sent on him; and they all gave him a bit of money and a gold ring.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Job 42:11
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that this verse marks the social reversal of Job's lament in Job 19:13, 14, where he cried out that his relatives and acquaintances had become estranged. Now, after God's rebuke of the three friends and Job's intercession (vv.7, 9), “all his brothers, all his sisters, and all those who had been of his acquaintance before” return. Matthew Henry observes that God turned their hearts when Job humbled himself; Gill notes that they had kept their distance during his affliction but now come. Keil and Delitzsch put it sharply: “prosperity now brought those together again whom calamity had frightened away.” They eat bread with Job, a sign of renewed friendship and covenant fellowship (Ps. 41:9). The comfort they offer (the Hebrew verbs nud, “to show sympathy,” and nacham, “to comfort”) echoes the original purpose of Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar in Job 2:11, but this time the wider circle succeeds. The gifts, a kesitah and a gold ring, are widely understood as honoraria, consistent with ancient Near Eastern customs of bringing presents to a restored dignitary (2 Chr. 32:23).
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: It is undisputed that Job's relatives and acquaintances, who had abandoned him, now return to share a meal, offer comfort, and present gifts, signifying the full restoration of his social standing as part of God's blessing.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Why relatives now return to Job | All commentators agree that the relatives had abandoned Job during his suffering (Job 19:13, 14) and now come after his restoration. | Some read their return as genuine sympathy and repentance (Matthew Henry, Wesley); others see it as self-serving or fair-weather friendship (Keil and Delitzsch: 'prosperity now brought those together whom calamity had frightened away'). |
| Meaning of the gift (kesitah) | It is a valuable gift, something of significant worth, whether livestock or metal. | The Vulgate and Septuagint translate it as 'lamb' or 'sheep'; Barnes, Cambridge Bible and most modern versions read it as a piece of silver or money of fixed weight. Clarke notes the parallel in Gen. 33:19 and Josh. 24:32. |
| The gold ring (nezem) | It is an ornament made of gold. | Whether it was worn on the nose or ear is disputed; Jamieson-Fausset-Brown leave it open, noting that both were common in the ancient Near East (Gen. 35:4; Isa. 3:21). |
| The phrase 'all the evil that the LORD had brought' | God is sovereign over all circumstances, including suffering; the evil refers to calamity and affliction, not moral evil. | Some traditions emphasize God's direct agency (Gill, Geneva: 'brought by the LORD'); others nuance it as permitted or allowed within His purposes, avoiding any attribution of evil to God's character. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Eating bread together was a deeply meaningful act in the ancient world. As Jamieson-Fausset-Brown note, sharing a meal with someone was a token of friendship and loyalty, a practice cited in Psalm 41:9 and elsewhere. That Job’s family and acquaintances now “ate bread with him in his house” signals a formal renewal of relationship after their earlier desertion.
The word kesitah (קְשִׂיטָה) occurs only three times in the Old Testament (Gen. 33:19; Josh. 24:32; Job 42:11). Its meaning is debated: the Vulgate and Septuagint translate it as “lamb” or “sheep,” suggesting a livestock gift (Clarke). Others, like Barnes and the Cambridge Bible, read it as an uncoined piece of silver of a certain weight, a very early form of money, predating the shekel system. This lexical uncertainty points to the patriarchal setting of the story, before standard coinage had developed. The “ring of gold” (nezem zahab) was likely a nose ring or earring, worn by both men and women; it served as both ornament and portable wealth.
The relatives are described as “those who had known him before” (לְפָנִים lefanim), emphasizing that they were acquainted with Job in his former prosperity but had withdrawn during his suffering. The text bluntly says the comfort was “concerning all the evil that Yahweh had brought on him.” Commentators like Gill carefully explain that this phrase refers to the afflictions God permitted, not to moral evil, highlighting the sovereignty of God over the entire ordeal.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants affecting the meaning of this verse. The main translational difference concerns the Hebrew kesitah: the Vulgate, Septuagint, and Targums render it as “lamb” or “sheep,” while most English versions translate it as “piece of money” or “piece of silver.” This reflects uncertainty about the object's precise nature in the patriarchal period, not a textual corruption. A few manuscripts (including the Syriac) read “golden ring” for “ring of gold,” but the difference is negligible.
Reception History
This verse has received less independent treatment than Job's opening laments, yet it has played a quiet but steady role in Christian reflection on restoration. Early church fathers like Gregory the Great, in his massive Moralia on Job, used the return of the relatives to illustrate how God's servants are honored after trial, both in this life and ultimately in the resurrection. Medieval commentators saw the gifts of kesitah and gold as allegories for the spiritual gifts restored to the repentant soul. In the Protestant tradition, Matthew Henry and others emphasized the providence of God in turning the hearts of estranged friends. The verse is often cited in sermons on the restoration of broken relationships, serving as a concrete example that social healing is part of God's redemptive work.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The return of the estranged. Those who had abandoned Job now reappear. Their absence during his suffering had been a source of deep pain (Job 19:13, 14). Their return after his restoration shows how quickly human loyalties shift with fortune, and how God can restore broken relationships.
- Authentic comfort and shared fellowship. They do not merely show up; they eat with him and express sympathy. The verbs nud (to show sympathy) and nacham (to comfort) echo the initial mission of the three friends (Job 2:11), fulfilling what those friends had failed to sustain.
- Gifts that honor and restore. Each relative gives a kesitah and a gold ring, tokens of honor and restitution. In the ancient world, such gifts were expected when visiting a man of rank after a calamity (2 Chr. 32:23). They symbolize that Job’s social standing has been fully restored.
Five-point outline
- The timing of the visit: “Then”, after Job’s humility, prayer, and God’s acceptance. The restoration of relationships follows the restoration of the vertical relationship with God.
- The people who come: “All” the relatives and acquaintances, emphasizing completeness. The earlier alienation (Job 19:13) is now fully reversed.
- The act of eating together: A covenant meal. It signifies acceptance, forgiveness, and renewed community.
- The comfort offered: They nud (shake their heads in sympathy) and nacham (console). This is what friends should have done from the start; now it is possible because God has vindicated Job.
- The gifts presented: The kesitah and gold ring are both practical and symbolic, they restore Job’s wealth and honor him publicly.
Illustration hooks
- A family that stays away during a member’s hospitalization but throws a welcome-home party after recovery.
- Work colleagues who ignore a coworker during a personal crisis but celebrate later when the person returns to full productivity.
- A church that neglects a member in long-term illness but rallies around when the person returns to services.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Why do some friends and family only show up when things are going well?
- How do we receive people who neglected us during hard times? Should we hold grudges or welcome them back as Job did?
- Is the comfort offered here genuine, or is it self-serving? What distinguishes authentic comfort from fair-weather friendship?
Leading a Discussion
This verse sits at the turning point of the book. After Job’s humiliation and God’s vindication, the relationships that had broken down in chapter 19 are restored. It raises honest questions about the fragility of human friendships and the depth of God’s restorative work.
Discussion questions
- Read Job 19:13, 14. How did Job describe his relatives during his suffering? What emotions does he express there?
- Now read Job 42:11. What has changed? What might have caused the relatives to return? Consider Job’s restored health, his vindication by God, and the social pressure of prosperity.
- The relatives “ate bread with him in his house.” Why is sharing a meal significant in this context? How does it function as a sign of reconciliation?
- The verse says the relatives comforted Job “concerning all the evil that Yahweh had brought on him.” Does this language attribute moral evil to God? How would you explain God’s role in Job’s suffering to someone who finds this troubling?
- Each relative gave a kesitah and a gold ring. Why do you think these gifts are mentioned? What do they communicate about Job’s restored status?
- How does Job’s likely response (the text does not record his words, but he receives them) challenge us in our own relationships with those who may have let us down?
- If you were in Job’s shoes, how would you feel about the return of those who abandoned you? What would it take for you to welcome them back?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Genesis 24:22 | As the camels had finished drinking, the man took a golden ring of half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands of ten shekels weight of gold, |
| Genesis 24:53 | The servant brought out jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and clothing, and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave precious things to her brother and her mother. |
| Genesis 37:35 | All his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. He said, “For I will go down to Sheol to my son, mourning.” His father wept for him. |
| Joshua 24:32 | They buried the bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel brought up out of Egypt, in Shechem, in the parcel of ground which Jacob bought from the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for a hundred pieces of silver. They became the inheritance of the children of Joseph. |
| I Samuel 10:27 | But certain worthless fellows said, “How could this man save us?” They despised him, and brought him no tribute. But he held his peace. |
| Job 2:11 | Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this evil that had come on him, they each came from his own place: Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite; and they made an appointment together to come to sympathize with him and to comfort him. |
| Job 4:4 | Your words have supported him who was falling, you have made the feeble knees firm. |
| Job 6:22 | Did I ever say, ‘Give to me’? or, ‘Offer a present for me from your substance’? |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke notes that kesitah refers to a lamb rather than money. He also explains that the term for a gold earring means a nose jewel.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes notes that some of Job’s relatives stayed away during his trouble because they thought he had been abandoned by God. After his suffering ended and he was blessed again, they returned to show their friendship by eating with him in his house and giving him money and gold ornaments.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges notes that this money was a Kesita which is an uncoined piece of silver of a set weight. It shows that Job had valuable possessions even after losing all his friends.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Notes draw attention to the full circle of Job’s restoration: those who had earlier kept their distance now return, share a meal with him, show compassion, and give generous gifts of money and gold earrings. Every relationship lost is restored, and every token of honor is given back.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill notes that Job’s relatives and old friends returned after his situation improved because they had been afraid of him during his suffering. They expressed pity for what he had endured and gave him gifts to show they were reestablishing their friendship.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
Jamieson Fausset Brown notes that the gift given to Job is a kesita which is a weight of metal rather than a regular shekel. This shows it was an ancient form of payment used before coins existed.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil and Delitzsch observe that Job’s relatives and friends return only now that he is prosperous, exposing human love as varying shades of selfishness. Job does not push them away, leaving final judgment to God. The gift of a kesitah, an indefinite weighed metal piece, suits the patriarchal age of Job’s story.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange highlights that the very relatives and acquaintances who had abandoned Job in his suffering now return to share a meal and give gifts. Their presence and generosity confirm his full social restoration, reversing the painful isolation he had endured and described so bitterly.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry notes that after Job prayed for his friends the Lord restored his fortunes giving him twice as much property as before. He also says that all his relatives came to visit him sharing food with him and offering gifts to comfort him.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley notes that Job's relatives came to feast with him only after his reconciliation with God. Their bemoaning was a delayed expression of sympathy they had felt during his calamities but lacked opportunity to show until now, when God restored him.