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Testament of Job

About this book
Chapter 5

1 And when Satan saw that he could not put me to despair, he went and asked my body of the Lord in order to inflict plague on me, for the Evil one could not bear my patience. 2 Then the Lord delivered me into his hands to use my body as he wanted, but he gave him no power over my soul. 3 And he came to me as I was sitting on my throne still mourning over my children. 4 And he resembled a great hurricane and turned over my throne and threw me upon the ground. 5 And I continued lying on the floor for three hours. and he smote me with a hard plague from the top of my head to the toes of my feet. 6 And I left the city in great terror and woe and sat down upon a dunghill my body being worm-eaten. 7 And I wet the earth with the moistness of my sore body, for matter flowed off my body, and many worms covered it. 8 And when a single worm crept off my body, I put it back saying: “Remain on the spot where you have been placed until He who has sent you will order you elsewhere.” 9 Thus I endured for sever years, sitting on a dung-hill outside of the city while being plague-stricken. 10 And I saw with mine own eyes my longed-for children carried by angels to heaven 11 And my humbled wife who had been brought to her bridal chamber in such great luxuriousness and with spearmen as body-guards. I saw her do a water-carrier’s work like a slave in the house of a common man in order to win some bread and bring it to me. 12 And in my sore affliction I said: “Oh that these braggart city rulers whom I would not have thought to be equal with my shepherd dogs should now employ my wife as servant!” 13 And after this I took courage again. 14 Yet afterwards they withheld even the bread that it should only have her own nourishment. 15 But she took it and divided it between herself and me, saying woefully: “Woe to me! Soon he may no longer feed on bread, and he cannot go to the market to ask bread of the bread-sellers in order to bring it to me that he may eat” 16 And when Satan learned this, he took the guise of a bread-seller, and it was as if by chance that my wife met him and asked him for bread thinking that it was that sort of man.⁠ 17 But Satan said to her: “Give me the value, and then take what you wish.” 18 Whereupon she answered saying: Where shall I get money Do you not know what misfortune happened to me. If you have pity, show it to me; if not, you shall see.” 19 And he replied saying: “If you did not deserve this misfortune, you would not have suffered all this. 20 Now, if there is no silver piece in your hand, give me the hair of your head and take three loaves of bread for it, so that you may live on these for three days. 21 Then she said to herself: “What is the hair of my head in comparison with my starving husband” 22 And so after having pondered over the matter, she said to him: “Rise and cut off my hair.” 23 Then he took a pair of scissors and took off the hair of her head in the presence of all, and gave her three loaves of bread. 24 Then she took them and brought them to me. And Satan went behind her on the road, hiding himself as he walked and troubling her heart greatly.

Texts in conversation

Compare Testament of Job 5:16 and 2 Corinthians 11:14

Pseudepigrapha, Testaments · New Testament

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Summary

The Testament of Job and 2 Corinthians both describe Satan disguising himself to deceive others. In the Testament of Job, he appears as a bread seller to exploit Job’s suffering, while in 2 Corinthians he disguises himself as an angel of light.

Passages

Testament of Job 5:16

Pseudepigrapha, Testaments
15 But she took it and divided it between herself and me, saying woefully: “Woe to me! Soon he may no longer feed on bread, and he cannot go to the market to ask bread of the bread-sellers in order to bring it to me that he may eat” 16 And when Satan learned this, he took the guise of a bread-seller, and it was as if by chance that my wife met him and asked him for bread thinking that it was that sort of man. 17 But Satan said to her: “Give me the value, and then take what you wish.” 18 Whereupon she answered saying: Where shall I get money Do you not know what misfortune happened to me. If you have pity, show it to me; if not, you shall see.” 19 And he replied saying: “If you did not deserve this misfortune, you would not have suffered all this. 20 Now, if there is no silver piece in your hand, give me the hair of your head and take three loaves of bread for it, so that you may live on these for three days.
75–50 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in the Testament of Job

2 Corinthians 11:14

New Testament
9 When I was with you and was in need, I was not a burden to anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia fully supplied my needs. I kept myself from being a burden to you in any way, and will continue to do so. 10 As the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting of mine will not be stopped in the regions of Achaia. 11 Why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do! 12 And what I am doing I will continue to do, so that I may eliminate any opportunity for those who want a chance to be regarded as our equals in the things they boast about. 13 For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is not surprising his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will correspond to their actions.
55–57 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in 2 Corinthians

References

"... The notion that Satan can transform his outer form at will is familiar in Jewish literature. For instance, in the Testament of Job he is said to have disguised himself as a beggar (2 Corinthians 6:4) and then as a bread seller (Job 23:1) ..."
Linda L. Belleville, 2 Corinthians, IVPNTC (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2011), 194.

References are not endorsements of their contents. Read each reference in full to understand its author's intentions in using these texts.

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Testament of Job 5:16 and 2 Corinthians 11:14

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