“But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face.”
My Notes
What Does Job 2:5 Mean?
Satan's second challenge: touch his body. In round one, Satan asked to take Job's possessions and children (1:11). God permitted it and Job passed. Now Satan escalates: "put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face." The attack moves from external (what Job has) to internal (who Job is).
The phrase "touch his bone and his flesh" means direct, personal, physical suffering. Not the loss of things connected to him. Pain in his own body. The first test was financial and familial devastation. The second is physical torment. Satan's argument: the first test wasn't hard enough. Touch him, not just his stuff.
"He will curse thee to thy face" is Satan's prediction — the same as round one (1:11). Satan is consistent: he believes everyone's loyalty to God is transactional. Make it hurt enough, and they'll curse God. The adversary's worldview is fundamentally cynical: love is always conditional. Faith is always purchasable. Pain is the price at which devotion breaks.
Reflection Questions
- 1.Does Satan's theory (everyone has a price, pain will break any loyalty) describe something you've feared about your own faith?
- 2.How does the escalation from external loss (things) to internal suffering (body) test a different dimension of faith?
- 3.What does God's willingness to permit a second test reveal about His confidence in Job — and in you?
- 4.Can you love God 'for free' — with no blessings, no comfort, no health? Is your faith that resilient?
Devotional
Touch his body. Then he'll curse you. Satan's escalation: from things to flesh.
Round one took everything external: possessions, servants, children. Job didn't curse God. So Satan raises the stakes: the external losses didn't break him? Fine. Make it personal. Touch his bone. Touch his flesh. Hit the body. When the pain is inside you — not around you, but in you — that's when loyalty breaks.
Satan's theory is simple and cynical: everyone has a price. Job survived losing his stuff. He won't survive losing his health. The previous test was about what Job had. This test is about who Job is. Can you take away the body's comfort and keep the soul's devotion?
"He will curse thee to thy face" — Satan's prediction is the same both times. He only knows one outcome: cursing. In Satan's worldview, every person is a transaction waiting to fail. Love God when things are good? Of course. Love God when your bones ache and your skin peels? Impossible. Satan can't conceive of loyalty that outlasts suffering because Satan's own loyalty didn't outlast his ambition.
God permits the test (verse 6: "he is in thine hand"). Again. The same sovereign permission. The same boundaries ("save his life" — don't kill him). God is confident enough in Job's integrity to authorize a second round of destruction. And Satan is certain enough in his cynicism to request it.
The question Job is answering — without knowing he's answering it — is: does anyone love God for free? Without the blessings. Without the health. Without the comfort. For nothing in return. Just... love God?
Job's answer will cost him everything. And his answer is yes.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
And the Lord said unto Satan, behold, he is in thine hand,.... Well may a behold be prefixed to this, it being matter of…
But put forth thine hand now - Satan felt that he had no power to afflict Job without permission. Malignant as he was,…
Satan, that sworn enemy to God and all good men, is here pushing forward his malicious prosecution of Job, whom he hated…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture