As I write this post it has "warmed up" to 17 degrees, but it will soon return to those single digits and then back below zero. I do remember the winter of 1980 in Wichita, KS, when the chill factor was minus fifty something. There were also 3 winters at Cornerstone University when the Grand Rapids campus, having no trees, allowed a chill factor that was brutal. So with all the discomfort that life and nature dish out, if you are a believer, why not just curse God and die? Wasn't that Mrs. Job's advice in Job 2:9? Hey, when life gets difficult spout off at God with some awful diatribe and maybe He will just kill you. It is possible that is what Job's wife meant, but perhaps not. Even though many a message has been preached espousing the godless action of Mrs. Job, maybe she isn't quite the bad person she has been made out to be. True she has lost as much as Job, save the physical distress, so it could be she berated Job in anger and bitterness. But, maybe she speaks out of love and concern.
The Hebrew word translated curse is barak. The word also appears in Job 1:11 and 2:5 where Satan is challenging God about His care for Job and says if Job would lose his tangible blessings, he [Job] would "curse you [God] to your face". God gives Satan permission to afflict Job but Job's integrity stands firm. As Job sits in the ashes in agony covered with painful oozing sores, Mrs. Job looks upon his pain and says, "Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die" (Job 2:9). Job responds, "you speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?" (Job 2:10). Seems pretty obvious why the court of public opinion finds Mrs. J guilty. But wait, perhaps we have misunderstood some of the words here. The word barak is indeed translated curse here in Job; but 304 other times it is translated "bless". Along with salute, praise, kneel (as in submit to a higher authority), congratulate and yes, one time, blaspheme. Now, we can't just go by numbers to determine the intent of the original author. However, with the vast number of "bless" translations, it would be prudent to see if other possibilities exist. Maybe even ones that not only fit, but may be be more accurate. We might even find a Biblical solution to vindicate Mrs. Job.
A few thoughts.
The word barak is used most often in God blessing his children or His creation. As in Aaron's blessing in Numbers 6:24, "The LORD bless (barak) you and keep you." But there are times we bless God, "Bless God in the congregations, the Lord, from the fountain of Israel" (Psalm 68:26). Or "Bless the Lord, O my soul" (Psalm 103:1). Of the dozens of times God's people "barak" the Lord or God, Job 2:8 would be the only one where it is not bless. It would be the only time one of God's children would agree with Satan and encourage someone to "curse" God. Not impossible, but perhaps improbable.
There is also the consideration of Hebrew poetry. Unlike other poetry, Hebrew parallels ideas rather than rhyming words. We see that often in the Psalms where there is the reduplication of ideas. Psalm 45:1 "...I recite my composition concerning the king. My tongue in the pen of a ready writer." The same idea expressed with different words. Proverbs is full of contrasting ideas and plays on words. "The wise woman builds her house, but, the foolish pulls it down with her hands" (Proverbs 14:1). God also uses similar words to make a point, as in Isaac's name being similar to the Hebrew word for laughter because Sarah laughed. Is God doing that in Job? Satan predicts that Job will curse God to His face, Job does not; instead Mrs. Job actually encourages him to bless God. Is she cursing, as Satan desires, or is God poking Satan with her request for Job to submit, to kneel, to praise, to bless God and die. End the suffering and seek God's end of life. A poetic play on words to show her heart felt desire to see her beloved's pain come to a close. She asks if he will continue to hold onto his integrity or innocence rather than asking for the pain and suffering to end. Should he suffer and seem guilty or bless God and die with a measure of honor remaining? Job, by the way, borrows his wife's thought and will not admit to his accusers any guilt, "Far be it from me that I should say you are right; till I die I will not put away my integrity (or claim of innocence) from me" (Job 27:5). For Job a life of pain is better than a death with a possible appearance of guilt. Doesn't mean that is how Mrs. Job saw things. However, seeing a blessed end to her husbands great suffering may be her highest priority at this point.
We also need to look at Job's response. She calls, pleads, asks, for him to look for the release of death. Job responds in verse 10 "You speak as a foolish one speaks. Shall we accept good from God but not adversity?" Job does not say she is foolish. Rather he seems to suggest that her words are out of character. How about this speculation? "You are speaking like someone foolish would speak. That is not like you. You have stood with me during the times of good and the family God graciously gave us. You accepted God's dealings with us then, but now you want to refuse His hand upon us? It all came from Him and He can be trusted in the good times and the times of adversity." There is nothing else heard from Mrs. J as Job (and his wife) endure the accusations of his "friends". You know, those who have God all figured out, good stuff equals righteousness, bad stuff equals sin. However, God does not fit in anyone's box. If we fast forward to chapter 42 God rebukes Job's counselors, calls for them to offer sacrifices and has Job pray for them. Job is vindicated. We find God restores Job's earthly possessions, and then some. Mrs. Job is there to love him and birth seven sons and three daughters, daughters whose names are recorded in God's Word for eternity. It was said that there were none in the land so beautiful. I wonder if they took after their mother?
Now it could be that Job's wife was bitter and vindictive. It could be that this is a very odd use of the word barak. It could be she agreed with Satan and told her beloved husband, in the midst of his loss and pain, to curse God and die. After all it was her loss as well. She could be the only human in all of Scripture to use the word as a curse rather than a blessing toward God. However, she stays. She is still with him at the end. She still gives birth to his ten children and enjoys their restored fortunes. She also enjoys the renewed "blessings" from God. Job's friends are rebuked by God; she never is. Maybe God has a better view of Job's wife than most commentators and preachers. Maybe we need to rethink our view of this remarkable woman who stood by her suffering husband amidst the horrific assault on his integrity by so-called friends. Just some things to ponder. As for me, well, I think maybe this wounded woman has gotten a lot of bad press. What do you think?
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