The Meaning of Job 2:3 Explained

Job 2:3

KJV: And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause.

YLT: And Jehovah saith unto the Adversary, 'Hast thou set thy heart unto My servant Job because there is none like him in the land, a man perfect and upright, fearing God and turning aside from evil? and still he is keeping hold on his integrity, and thou dost move Me against him to swallow him up for nought!'

Darby: And Jehovah said to Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God and abstaineth from evil? and still he remaineth firm in his integrity, though thou movedst me against him, to swallow him up without cause.

ASV: And Jehovah said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job? for there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and turneth away from evil: and he still holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And the LORD  said  unto Satan,  Hast thou  considered  my servant  Job,  that [there is] none like him in the earth,  a perfect  and an upright  man,  one that feareth  God,  and escheweth  evil?  and still he holdeth fast  his integrity,  although thou movedst  me against him, to destroy  him without cause. 

What does Job 2:3 Mean?

Study Notes

feareth
.
fear of the Lord
The "fear of the Lord," a phrase of the O.T. piety, meaning reverential trust, with hatred of evil.

Context Summary

Job 2:1-13 - "among The Ashes"
It gives God deep pleasure when He can point to one of His servants who has borne fiery trial with unwavering patience and faith. The adversary comes back from his restless, ceaseless rounds, 1 Peter 5:8; but there is one soul at least which has resisted his worst attacks. Observing Job, the principalities and powers in the heavenly places have learned that God can make a man love Him, not for His gifts, but for Himself, Ephesians 3:10.
The adversary suggests a severe test, and God permits it because he knows His child. A limit, however, is put upon the ordeal, 1 Corinthians 10:13, r.v. The story is very comforting, because we see that we are not the sport of chance, but in every detail our education is being carried out by our Father's hand. Our dearest friends may advise us to renounce God and die, but in Gethsemane our Lord taught us to take the Father's will at all costs-though it seem to spell death-sure that he will not leave us in the grave, Psalms 16:10. [source]

Chapter Summary: Job 2

1  Satan, appearing again before God, obtains further leave to tempt Job
7  He afflicts him with sore boils
9  Job reproves his wife, who moved him to curse God
11  His three friends console with him in silence

What do the individual words in Job 2:3 mean?

And said Yahweh to Satan have considered you My servant Job that [there is] none like him on the earth a man blameless and upright one who fears God and shuns evil and he still holds fast to his integrity and although you incited Me against him to destroy him without cause
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוָ֜ה אֶל־ הַשָּׂטָ֗ן הֲשַׂ֣מְתָּ לִבְּךָ֮ עַבְדִּ֣י אִיּוֹב֒ כִּי֩ אֵ֨ין כָּמֹ֜הוּ בָּאָ֗רֶץ אִ֣ישׁ תָּ֧ם וְיָשָׁ֛ר יְרֵ֥א אֱלֹהִ֖ים וְסָ֣ר ؟ מֵרָ֑ע וְעֹדֶ֙נּוּ֙ מַחֲזִ֣יק בְּתֻמָּת֔וֹ וַתְּסִיתֵ֥נִי ב֖וֹ לְבַלְּע֥וֹ חִנָּֽם

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר  And  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
יְהוָ֜ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
הַשָּׂטָ֗ן  Satan 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׂטָן  
Sense: adversary, one who withstands.
הֲשַׂ֣מְתָּ  have  considered 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: שׂוּמָה 
Sense: to put, place, set, appoint, make.
עַבְדִּ֣י  My  servant 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: עֶבֶד  
Sense: slave, servant.
אִיּוֹב֒  Job 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִיּׄוב  
Sense: a patriarch, the subject of the book of Job.
כִּי֩  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
אֵ֨ין  [there  is]  none 
Parse: Adverb
Root: אַיִן 
Sense: nothing, not, nought n.
כָּמֹ֜הוּ  like  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: כְּמֹו  
Sense: like, as, the like of which conj.
בָּאָ֗רֶץ  on  the  earth 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
אִ֣ישׁ  a  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
תָּ֧ם  blameless 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: תָּם  
Sense: perfect, complete.
וְיָשָׁ֛ר  and  upright 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: יָשָׁר 
Sense: straight, upright, correct, right.
יְרֵ֥א  one  who  fears 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular construct
Root: יָרֵא  
Sense: fearing, reverent, afraid.
אֱלֹהִ֖ים  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
וְסָ֣ר  and  shuns 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: סוּר 
Sense: to turn aside, depart.
؟ מֵרָ֑ע  evil 
Parse: Preposition-m, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: רַע 
Sense: bad, evil.
וְעֹדֶ֙נּוּ֙  and  he 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, third person masculine singular
Root: עֹוד  
Sense: a going round, continuance adv.
מַחֲזִ֣יק  still  holds  fast 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Participle, masculine singular
Root: חָזַק  
Sense: to strengthen, prevail, harden, be strong, become strong, be courageous, be firm, grow firm, be resolute, be sore.
בְּתֻמָּת֔וֹ  to  his  integrity 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: תֻּמָּה  
Sense: integrity.
וַתְּסִיתֵ֥נִי  and  although  you  incited  Me 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, second person masculine singular, first person common singular
Root: סוּת  
Sense: to incite, allure, instigate, entice.
ב֖וֹ  against  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
לְבַלְּע֥וֹ  to  destroy  him 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Piel, Infinitive construct, third person masculine singular
Root: בָּלַע 
Sense: to swallow down, swallow up, engulf, eat up.
חִנָּֽם  without  cause 
Parse: Adverb
Root: חִנָּם  
Sense: freely, for nothing, without cause.