Job 42 16

Job 42:16 kjv

After this lived Job an hundred and forty years, and saw his sons, and his sons' sons, even four generations.

Job 42:16 nkjv

After this Job lived one hundred and forty years, and saw his children and grandchildren for four generations.

Job 42:16 niv

After this, Job lived a hundred and forty years; he saw his children and their children to the fourth generation.

Job 42:16 esv

And after this Job lived 140 years, and saw his sons, and his sons' sons, four generations.

Job 42:16 nlt

Job lived 140 years after that, living to see four generations of his children and grandchildren.

Job 42 verses

Job 42 16 Meaning

After Job's severe trials and his restoration by God, this verse details the full extent of God's blessing upon him. Job lived for another one hundred and forty years following these events, witnessing his lineage extend for four generations. This signifies an extraordinary blessing of longevity and abundant posterity, far surpassing his previous state and underscoring the completeness of his divine restoration and vindication.

Job 42 16 Context

Job 42:16 concludes the epilogue of the book of Job, which spans from verse 7 to 17 of this chapter. Following a period of profound suffering where Job lost his wealth, children, health, and status, the book climaxes with God's direct intervention. God rebukes Job's friends for their inaccurate theological pronouncements and commands them to offer sacrifices with Job as mediator. Upon Job's prayer for them, God restores Job's fortunes, doubling his previous possessions, and grants him new children (Job 42:10-15). This verse (42:16) serves as the final, crowning blessing of his physical restoration, confirming not only the renewal of his family but also a greatly extended lifespan. In the ancient Near Eastern context, long life, abundant progeny, and prosperity were definitive markers of divine blessing and favor, in stark contrast to the previous suffering that had challenged Job's faith and the prevailing understanding of retribution theology. The verse highlights God's sovereign grace and generous compensation for Job's trials, vindicating his integrity and showcasing God's profound goodness beyond human comprehension.

Job 42 16 Word analysis

• After this (אַחֲרֵי־זֹאת֙ - 'acharei-zot): This Hebrew phrase marks a clear temporal shift, indicating the period following the entire ordeal and resolution, including Job's repentance, God's intervention, the friends' sacrifices, and Job's restored prosperity and family. It emphasizes that the long life and seeing generations are post-suffering blessings.
• Job lived (וַיְחִ֣י אִיֹּ֗וב - wayyachi 'iyyov): The verb chayah (חָיָה), "to live," conveys not merely existence but vibrant, restored life, thriving, and prosperity. It signals a complete reversal from his earlier state near death.
• one hundred and forty years (מֵאָה֩ וְאַרְבָּעִ֨ים שָׁנָה֙ - me'ah v'arba'im shanah): A specific, significant number. While Job's exact age at the start of his trials is not given, this signifies a remarkably long life after his suffering, possibly even double the expected lifespan for his era, mirroring the double blessing of his material wealth. This extended longevity itself is a profound sign of divine favor and peace.
• and saw (וַיִּרְאֶ֗ה - wayyir'eh): The verb ra'ah (רָאָה), "to see," implies not just visual perception but experiencing, witnessing, and enjoying the blessings of his continuing lineage.
• his children and his children's children (אֶת־בָּנָיו֙ וְאֶת־בְּנֵ֣י בָנָ֔יו - et-banav v'et-b'nei vanav): This specifies Job's direct offspring and their children. The emphasis on progeny reinforces the reestablishment and flourishing of his family line, a vital aspect of ancient prosperity and covenant blessing.
• four generations (אַרְבָּעָ֥ה דֹּרֽוֹת - 'arba'ah dorot): This highlights the profound depth and extent of his family line. To see four generations —children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren— was an exceedingly rare and revered blessing, solidifying one's legacy and signifying complete fulfillment and stability for his household. It goes beyond the standard blessing of seeing only one's children.

Job 42 16 Bonus section

The extended lifespan and multi-generational family seen by Job are presented as blessings that signify a complete reversal of his previous devastating losses and the restoration of God's favor. This aspect of his blessing speaks to the deepest human desire for purpose, family continuation, and legacy, confirming Job's integral connection to a blessed future. It completes the picture of restitution begun with his material wealth and new children, affirming that God's grace not only restores what was lost but can far exceed it in abundance and duration. The passage resonates with the ancient understanding that long life and many descendants were prime indicators of a life lived righteously and under God's hand of favor.

Job 42 16 Commentary

Job 42:16 serves as the climactic seal on God's comprehensive restoration of Job. It moves beyond the material blessings and new children by emphasizing the qualitative nature of Job's renewed life: an exceptionally long duration (140 years) during which he experienced the joy of a continuing, flourishing family line. This final blessing addresses not just loss but fulfills the deep human desire for a full, purposeful life crowned by legacy. It strongly refutes the earlier theological framework of Job's friends, which strictly equated suffering with sin, demonstrating that God's ways are beyond simplistic human frameworks of cause and effect. God’s generous and complete restoration underscores His goodness, sovereignty, and faithfulness to those who endure through testing. Job's experience is thus a powerful witness to God's ultimate vindication and the abundance of His grace, a message of hope for those enduring trials.