Pretty much everyone in the Book of Job dies except the main characters. But this story is about more than just mass destruction. Don't get us wrong, the mourning rituals we get after Job's entire family dies are fascinating, and we love seeing that not-so-mild mannered Hebrew Bible God. But the physical destruction in the story leads to some major philosophical musings. Suddenly, Job is thinking about how fragile and meaningless human life is. Heavy stuff. But hey, it's Job—we expect nothing less.
Questions About Death
- In the Book of Job, what is God's role in human death? Is he responsible for the death of Job's whole family?
- Speaking of which, poor Job's family. They seem to get the short end of the stick. Are they just casualties for some larger purpose?
- Is Job any wiser after his family dies?
- Do evil people and good people die as equals in the text? Or is that up for debate?