Chapter Overview
Summary
LXX Job is one of the LXX's MOST DIVERGENT translations — approximately 17% SHORTER than the MT (about 400 verses shorter overall), with the omissions concentrated in the speech-cycles where the Greek translator either truncated repetitive-Hebrew-poetry or translated from a shorter Vorlage. Origen's Hexapla added the missing-material from Theodotion under asterisks, and modern editions reflect this expanded-form. Job 1 frames the prose-prologue: Job's righteousness (vv. 1–5), the heavenly-council scenes (vv. 6–12), and the four-fold disaster (vv. 13–22). Verse 21's 'the LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away' is one of the Bible's signature-statements of submissive-faith.
Notable Variants
1:6 'sons of God' (benei elohim) → angeloi tou theou in LXX (// Job 38:7); 1:21 'the LORD gave, the LORD has taken away' devotional classic; LXX-Job's ~17% shorter overall length compared to MT — a unique-translational profile.
Structural Notes
MT Job 1 = LXX Job 1. 22 verses. Prose-prologue. LXX-Job is notably abbreviated relative to MT — the largest contracted LXX-translation.
There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil.
'There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job, and that man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil' tracks MT. UZ — likely east of Israel (Edomite-region). The LXX preserves the four-fold characterization: blameless (amōmos), upright (alēthinos), God-fearing, and evil-shunning. James 5:11 ('you have heard of the steadfastness of Job') extends.
Seven sons and three daughters were born to him.
'There were born to him seven sons and three daughters' tracks MT. SEVEN-AND-THREE — the symbolic-completeness numbers of the prose-frame, restored doubled at 42:13.
His livestock numbered seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred female donkeys, and he had a very large household. This man was the greatest of all the people of the east.
'He possessed seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred female donkeys, and very many servants, so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the east' tracks MT.
His sons would go and hold a feast in each one's house on his appointed day, and they would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them.
'His sons used to go and hold a feast in the house of each one on his day, and they would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them' tracks MT.
When the days of feasting had completed their cycle, Job would send for them and consecrate them. He would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings for each of them, for Job said, "Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts." This is what Job did every time.
'And when the days of the feast had run their course, Job would send and consecrate them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said: It may be that my children have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus Job did continually' tracks MT. PRIESTLY-FATHER role — Job as patriarchal-priest interceding for-children.
Now there came a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and the Adversary also came among them.
Masoretic (WLC)
וַיְהִי הַיּוֹם וַיָּבֹאוּ בְּנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים לְהִתְיַצֵּב עַל־יְהוָה וַיָּבוֹא גַם־הַשָּׂטָן בְּתוֹכָם
Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them
Septuagint (LXX)
καὶ ὡς ἐγένετο ἡ ἡμέρα αὕτη καὶ ἰδοὺ ἦλθον οἱ ἄγγελοι τοῦ θεοῦ παραστῆναι ἐνώπιον τοῦ κυρίου καὶ ὁ διάβολος ἦλθεν μετ᾽ αὐτῶν
And it happened on that day, and behold, the angels of God came to stand before the Lord, and the devil came with them
LXX SUBSTITUTES 'ANGELS' FOR 'SONS OF GOD.' The Hebrew benei ha-elohim ('sons of God') becomes hoi angeloi tou theou ('angels of God') in the LXX — characteristic LXX-move to remove ambiguity about polytheistic-implications. Job 38:7 LXX makes the same substitution.
'THE DEVIL' (ho diabolos). The LXX renders the Hebrew ha-satan ('the accuser, the adversary') as ho diabolos ('the slanderer, the accuser') — fixing the figure as the devil-of-NT-tradition. The personification-of-Satan develops here. NT use (Matt 4, Luke 4 temptation, John 8:44 'father of lies,' 1 Pet 5:8 'roaring lion') extends the diabolos-vocabulary.
The LORD said to the Adversary, "Where have you come from?" The Adversary answered the LORD, "From roaming through the earth and walking back and forth across it."
'The LORD said to Satan: From where have you come? Satan answered the LORD and said: From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it' tracks MT. SATAN-ROAMS-THE-EARTH. 1 Peter 5:8 ('your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour') directly echoes the going-and-prowling-on-the-earth motif.
The LORD said to the Adversary, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one like him on the earth — a blameless and upright man who fears God and turns away from evil."
'And the LORD said to Satan: Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?' tracks MT. GOD-INITIATES the test — divine-confidence in Job's-faithfulness.
The Adversary answered the LORD, "Does Job fear God for nothing?"
'Then Satan answered the LORD and said: Does Job fear God for no reason?' tracks MT. SATAN'S-ACCUSATION — fear-of-God reduced to self-interest. The PROSPERITY-DOUBT diagnostic: faith motivated only by reward.
Have You not put a hedge around him, around his household, and around everything he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his livestock have spread across the land.
'Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land' tracks MT. HEDGE-OF-PROTECTION (Ps 91 echoed).
But stretch out Your hand and strike everything he has — he will surely curse You to Your face.
'But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face' tracks MT.
The LORD said to the Adversary, "Very well — everything he has is in your hand. Only do not lay a hand on the man himself." Then the Adversary went out from the presence of the LORD.
'And the LORD said to Satan: Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand. So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD' tracks MT. SATAN-LIMITED-BY-DIVINE-WORD — even adversary acts under divine-permission. 1 Cor 10:13 ('God will not let you be tempted beyond what you are able') extends.
One day, when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house,
'Now there was a day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house' tracks MT.
a messenger came to Job and said, "The oxen were plowing and the donkeys were grazing beside them,
'A messenger came to Job and said: The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them' tracks MT.
when the Sabeans attacked and carried them off. They struck down the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you."
'And the Sabeans fell upon them and took them and struck down the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you' tracks MT. FIRST DISASTER — Sabean raid. The 'I-alone-have-escaped-to-tell-you' formula repeats four-times — a stylistic-frame intensifying the cumulative-disaster.
While he was still speaking, another came and said, "The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants and consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell you."
'While he was yet speaking, there came another and said: The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants and consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell you' tracks MT. SECOND DISASTER — fire-of-God.
While he was still speaking, another came and said, "The Chaldeans formed three raiding parties and swept down on the camels and carried them off. They struck down the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you."
'While he was yet speaking, there came another and said: The Chaldeans formed three groups and made a raid on the camels and took them and struck down the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you' tracks MT. THIRD DISASTER — Chaldean raid.
While he was still speaking, another came and said, "Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house,
'While he was yet speaking, there came another and said: Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house' tracks MT.
when a great wind came from across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house. It collapsed on the young people, and they are dead. I alone have escaped to tell you."
'And behold, a great wind came across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young people, and they are dead, and I alone have escaped to tell you' tracks MT. FOURTH DISASTER — children dead.
Then Job stood up, tore his robe, shaved his head, fell to the ground, and worshiped.
'Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped' tracks MT. WORSHIP-IN-GRIEF — Job's first response. The torn-robe and shaved-head are conventional mourning-rites; the falling-and-worshiping is theologically-distinctive — grief-as-worship.
He said, "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will return there. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD."
'And he said: Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD' tracks MT. THE LORD-GAVE-AND-LORD-TOOK-AWAY. One of the Bible's most-quoted submission-statements. 1 Timothy 6:7 ('we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world') directly echoes 'naked I came / naked I return.'
In all of this, Job did not sin or assign blame to God.
'In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong' tracks MT. JOB-DID-NOT-SIN — the prose-prologue's verdict. James 5:11's 'steadfastness of Job' draws on this picture.