Job 42:16–17 and Greek 42:17a–e
Old and full of days, and the Greek ending
The Hebrew ends: Job lived 140 more years and died old and full of days. The Greek gives 170 more years (240 or 248 in all), then adds that he will rise again with those the Lord raises, and identifies him with Jobab king of Edom. The library's Church Slavonic (42:17) and Sahidic Coptic (42:18) contain the addition; our copy of Giguet leaves it blank.
Read Job 42:16–17 and Greek 42:17a–e in every edition
Disputed addition: some witnesses include it, some do not
The family tree
Each row is a language or text tradition. Witnesses in the same row may share ancestry, revise one another, or have an uncertain relationship; the line under each box says which. A solid arrow appears only where direct copying or a documented revised edition is established. Order by date never implies copying. Scroll sideways on a phone.
✓ includes the disputed words · ✕ does not include them · ❝ quotes part of them · ⓘ reports on manuscripts · ▢ pages lost · – no copy survives
- Same line, through lost copies
- Translation
- Sahidic Coptic JobTranslated c. 3rd–4th century AD from the pre-Origen GreekTranslated from the shorter Old Greek
- Church Slavonic (Elizabeth Bible)1751, from GreekTranslated from the Greek text
- Greek Job, filled-out text (library: Giguet's French)Printed Septuagint; translated 1872Translated from the Greek text as filled out after Origen
Every witness, in order
Poem often dated 6th–4th century BC (debated)
Original Job
No original survives. Small Hebrew fragments of Job are known from Qumran (2Q15, 4Q99–101).
Translated c. 3rd–4th century AD from the pre-Origen Greek
Sahidic Coptic Job
How the site knows this: Reported in scholarship; not checked by the site.
ⲁ ⲓⲱⲃ ⲇⲉ ⲱⲛϩ ⲙⲛⲛⲥⲁ ⲧⲉⲡⲗⲏⲅⲏ ⲛϣⲉ ϣϥⲉ ⲛⲣⲟⲙⲡⲉ ⲛⲣⲟⲙⲡⲉ ⲇⲉ ⲧⲏⲣⲟⲩ ⲙⲡⲉϥⲁϩⲉ ⲡⲉ ϣⲏⲧ ϩⲙⲉϣⲙⲏⲛ ϥⲥⲏϩ ⲇⲉ ⲟⲛ ⲉⲧⲣⲉϥⲧⲱⲟⲩⲛ ⲙⲛ ⲛⲉⲧⲉⲣⲉ ⲡϫⲟⲉⲓⲥ ⲛⲁⲧⲟⲩⲛⲟⲥⲟⲩ ⲉϣⲁⲩϩⲉⲣⲙⲏⲛⲉⲩⲉ ⲙⲉⲛ ⲙⲡⲁⲓ ⲉⲃⲟⲗϩⲙ ⲡϫⲱⲱⲙⲉ ⲛⲥⲩⲣⲓⲁⲕⲟⲛ ⲉϥⲟⲩⲏϩ ⲙⲉⲛ ϩⲙ ⲡⲕⲁϩ ⲛⲧⲁⲩⲥⲓⲧⲓⲥ ϩⲛ ⲛⲧⲟϣ ⲛϯⲇⲟⲩⲙⲁⲓⲁ ⲙⲛ ⲧⲁⲣⲁⲃⲓⲁ ⲛⲉⲩⲛⲧϥ ⲟⲩⲣⲁⲛ ⲇⲉ ⲛϣⲟⲣⲡ ϫⲉ ⲓⲱⲃⲁⲃ ⲁϥϫⲓ ⲇⲉ ⲛⲟⲩⲥϩⲓⲙⲉ ⲛⲣⲙⲧⲁⲣⲁⲃⲓⲁ ⲁϥϫⲡⲉ ⲟⲩϣⲏⲣⲉ ⲉⲡⲉϥⲣⲁⲛ ⲡⲉ ⲁⲓⲛⲱⲛ ⲛⲉ ⲡⲉϥⲉⲓⲱⲧ ⲙⲉⲛ ⲡⲉ ⲍⲁⲣⲁ ⲡϣⲏⲣⲉ ⲛⲛϣⲏⲣⲉ ⲛⲏⲥⲁⲩ ⲧⲉϥⲙⲁⲁⲩ ⲇⲉ ⲧⲉ ⲃⲟⲥⲟⲣⲣⲁ ϩⲱⲥⲧⲉ ⲛϥⲣ ⲙⲉϩϯⲟⲩ ϫⲓⲛ ⲁⲃⲣⲁϩⲁⲙ ⲁⲩⲱ ⲛⲁⲓ ⲛⲉ ⲛⲉⲣⲣⲱⲟⲩ ⲉⲛⲧⲁⲩⲣⲣⲣⲟ ϩⲛ ⲉⲗⲱⲙ ⲧⲉⲭⲱⲣⲁ ϩⲱⲱϥ ⲉⲛⲧⲁϥⲉⲓⲣⲉ ⲉϫⲱⲥ ⲡϣⲟⲣⲡ ⲡⲉ ⲃⲁⲗⲁⲕ ⲡϣⲏⲣⲉ ⲛⲃⲁⲓⲱⲣ ⲁⲩⲱ ⲡⲣⲁⲛ ⲛⲧⲉϥⲡⲟⲗⲓⲥ ⲡⲉ ⲇⲉⲛⲛⲁⲃⲁ ⲙⲛⲛⲥⲁ ⲃⲁⲗⲁⲕ ⲓⲱⲃⲁⲃ ⲡⲉⲧⲟⲩⲙⲟⲩⲧⲉ ⲉⲣⲟϥ ϫⲉ ⲓⲱⲃ ⲙⲛⲛⲥⲁ ⲡⲁⲓ ⲁⲥⲟⲙ ⲡⲉ ⲛⲉϥⲟ ⲛϩⲏⲅⲉⲙⲱⲛ ⲉⲃⲟⲗϩⲛ ⲧⲉⲭⲱⲣⲁ ⲛⲑⲛⲁⲧⲁⲩⲥⲓⲧⲏⲥ ⲙⲛⲛⲥⲁ ⲡⲁⲓ ⲁⲇⲁⲇ ⲡϣⲏⲣⲉ ⲛⲃⲁⲣⲁⲇ ⲡⲉⲛⲧⲁϥϭⲟϫϭϫ ⲙⲙⲁⲇⲓϩⲁⲙ ϩⲛ ⲧⲥⲱϣⲉ ⲙⲙⲱⲁⲃ ⲁⲩⲱ ⲡⲣⲁⲛ ⲛⲧⲉϥⲡⲟⲗⲉⲓⲥ ⲡⲉ ⲅⲉⲑⲉⲙ ⲛⲉϥϣⲃⲉⲉⲣ ⲇⲉ ⲉⲛⲧⲁⲩⲉⲓ ϣⲁⲣⲟϥ ⲛⲉ ⲛⲁⲓ ⲉⲗⲓⲫⲁⲥ ⲡⲉⲃⲟⲗϩⲛ ⲛϣⲏⲣⲉ ⲛⲏⲥⲁⲩ ⲡⲣⲣⲟ ⲛⲛⲉⲑⲁⲓⲙⲁⲛⲱⲛ ⲃⲁⲗⲇⲁⲇ ⲡⲧⲩⲣⲁⲛⲛⲟⲥ ⲛⲛⲥⲁⲩⲭⲁⲓⲟⲥ ⲥⲱⲫⲁⲣ ⲡⲣⲣⲟ ⲛⲙⲙⲓⲛⲛⲁⲓⲟⲥ.
Coptic text; its 42:18 contains the appendix.
c. AD 390s, from Hebrew
Jerome's Vulgate
How the site knows this: Read in the site's library text: Clementine Vulgate (1592 edition).
Vixit autem Job post hæc centum quadraginta annis, et vidit filios suos, et filios filiorum suorum usque ad quartam generationem: et mortuus est senex, et plenus dierum.
AD 1008
Masoretic Text (Leningrad Codex)
How the site knows this: Read in the site's library text: Westminster Leningrad Codex, a digital transcription of the Leningrad Codex.
וַיְחִ֤י אִיּוֹב֙ אַֽחֲרֵי־זֹ֔את מֵאָ֥ה וְאַרְבָּעִ֖ים שָׁנָ֑ה וירא וַיִּרְאֶ֗ה אֶת־בָּנָיו֙ וְאֶת־בְּנֵ֣י בָנָ֔יו אַרְבָּעָ֖ה דֹּרֽוֹת׃ וַיָּ֣מָת אִיּ֔וֹב זָקֵ֖ן וּשְׂבַ֥ע יָמִֽים׃
Our digital copy appends stray digits to 42:17 (a digitization artifact); they are omitted here.
1611
King James Bible
How the site knows this: Read in the site's library text: King James Version (1769 text).
After this lived Job an hundred and forty years, and saw his sons, and his sons’ sons, even four generations. So Job died, being old and full of days.
1751, from Greek
Church Slavonic (Elizabeth Bible)
How the site knows this: Reported in scholarship; not checked by the site.
Поживе же Иов по язве лет сто седмьдесят, всех же лет поживе двести четыредесять осмь. И виде Иов сыны своя и сыны сынов своих, даже до четвертаго рода. И скончася Иов стар и исполнь дний. Писано же есть паки востати ему, с нимиже Господь возставит и. Тако толкуется от Сирския книги: в земли убо живый Авситидийстей, на пределех Идумеи и Аравии: прежде же бяше имя ему Иовав: взем же жену Аравляныню, роди сына, емуже имя Еннон: бе же той отца убо Зарефа, Исавовых сынов сын, матере же Восорры, якоже быти ему пятому от Авраама. И сии царие царствовавшии во Едоме, еюже и той обладаше страною: первый Валак сын Веоров, и имя граду его Деннава: по Валаце же Иовав, нарицаемый Иов: по сем Ассом бывший вождь от Феманитидийския страны: по сем Адад, сын Варадов, иже изсече Мадиама на поли Моавли, и имя граду его Гефем. Пришедшии же к нему друзие, Елифаз (сын Софань) от сынов Исавовых, царь Феманийский, Валдад (сын Амнона Ховарскаго) Савхейский властитель, Софар Минейский царь.
Contains the resurrection notice and the Jobab material in 42:17.
Printed Septuagint; translated 1872
Greek Job, filled-out text (library: Giguet's French)
How the site knows this: Known here only through a translation.
Et Job, après ses jours d’affliction, vécut cent soixante-dix ans; et la durée de toute sa vie fut de deux cent quarante ans. Et Job vit ses fils et les fils de ses fils, jusqu’à la quatrième génération, et Job finit très-avancé en âge et plein de jours.
Greek via Giguet's French (filled-out printed text); not checked against Ziegler's critical edition. Its 42:17–22 are blank in our copy (a data gap).
What changed, and why
The addition says it comes from "the Syriac book." It shows how ancient readers placed Job in biblical history (Genesis 36). It is ancient interpretation, not independent evidence that Job was Jobab.
What the evidence shows
- The Greek tradition adds a resurrection notice and the Jobab genealogy.
- Job was Jobab king of Edom.
Sources
Related lessons
- Now Mine Eye Seeth Thee →Job answers: God can do everything; Job spoke of things too wonderful for him. "I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes," a verse with several possible meanings. Then God tells Eliphaz his anger burns against the three friends, "for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath." They must offer sacrifices and Job must pray for them. God restores Job twice over; his family comforts him; he has seven sons and three beautiful daughters, Jemimah, Keziah and Keren-happuch, who inherit with their brothers. Job lives 140 more years and dies "old and full of days." The Greek adds that he will rise again, and that he was Jobab, king of Edom.
- Investigation: Was Job Jobab? →The Hebrew book gives Job no genealogy, no date and no tribe. The Greek translation ends with an appendix that does: it says Job lived in Ausitis on the borders of Edom and Arabia, that his earlier name was Jobab, and lists him among the kings of Edom from Genesis 36. A Hellenistic Jewish writer, Aristeas the Exegete, made the same identification. The Talmud records rabbis placing Job in the times of the patriarchs, Moses, the judges, the Persian kings, or calling him a parable. These are interpretations, not independent historical evidence.