Chapter 42 is the final chapter of Sefer Iyov. This is the chapter that brings the entire debate to a close, the chapter in which everything becomes clear, and the chapter where Iyov receives back all that he had, and twice over. Here Sefer Iyov concludes. After finishing the chapter, we will also be able to study the matter of Iyov's reincarnations - to see, according to the teachings of the Arizal and the Kabbalah, who Iyov was, what his gilgulim (reincarnations) were, what he came to rectify, and why he suffered so deeply.
וַיַּעַן אִיּוֹב אֶת־יְהֹוָה וַיֹּאמַר׃ יָדַעְתִּי כִּי־כֹל תּוּכָל וְלֹא־יִבָּצֵר מִמְּךָ מְזִמָּה׃ - Then Iyov answered Hashem and said: I know that You can do everything, and that no purpose can be withheld from You.
Now that the debate has concluded, Iyov comes and lays his cards on the table. He reveals everything that was in his heart all along: Master of the Universe, I knew that You can do everything. In truth, deep inside, my heart was whole with Hashem; in truth, I stood firm through the trial, and I believed in all the foundations of faith. True, I posed questions that sounded outright heretical, but those questions did not stem from what I personally held or believed. Deep down inside, I believed in Hashem with complete faith. If so, the question arises: why ask heretical questions if you already know the answers?
Rather, there are two ways of knowing the answers. One possibility is: I believe in Hashem, may He be blessed, with one hundred percent complete faith. Do I have proof? No. But I believe in Hashem without the slightest shadow of doubt or hesitation. This is a person who has answers, but does not have specific answers to every single question. What does he have? "I know there is a Creator of the world, there is One who watches over it, there is One who grants reward, there is eternity for the soul" - with complete faith. This was the faith of our grandparents, people of pure, simple emunah.
Yet there is another category: the level of demonstrable knowledge. Knowledge does not merely mean that I believe by virtue of tradition, but that I can prove the matter through intellectual inquiry, deep reflection, and philosophical proof. Thus, even if someone says to me, "You believe - good for you, but I do not," I can tell him: I will make a believer out of you, because I will prove the existence of the Creator to you, prove His divine providence to you, prove His reality to you, prove that the world was not abandoned to the natural constellations, and prove to you that there is a World to Come.
Therefore, Iyov comes and says: in terms of emunah, I had complete faith, and do not suspect that I truly believed in the premise of what I asked. It was clear to me; the answers were clear to me beyond all doubt. What then? My entire debate was conducted by way of analytical inquiry. I wanted these matters to be clarified through definitive proofs. And when one proceeds in this manner, there must be a challenger and a respondent. This is how Sefer HaKuzari is structured, for example. One could present the ideas directly, but from a pedagogical standpoint, one of the classic methods of education and instruction is the method of question and answer.
Therefore, in order for the question to be posed with full force, someone must represent the skeptic. He can then ask the question with maximum strength, challenging the other side to provide answers grounded in clear proof and evidence. Iyov says: I, as it were, represented the skeptic. And why did I want to do this? Because I wanted everyone to know that clear answers exist, and I wanted there to be intellectual proof, through investigation and philosophical inquiry - not just heart-based faith. And how could I extract that proof from you? By saying: "Who says? Not at all, who says there is?" I provoked you so that you would search and prove it to me, bringing evidence so that it would not remain merely within the realm of emunah, but become absolute knowledge.
This is also why he called upon Hashem to debate with him. He wanted the Holy One, blessed be He, to transform these truths from matters accepted and understood by the heart - for the seat of emunah is in the heart, not the intellect - into matters understood and validated by the intellect. The difference between heart and mind is this: what is in the heart belongs to me, but you might say, "I do not have it; I feel nothing." Intellect, however, can be transmitted. When I understand something intellectually, I can convey it to another person. That is a proof that has become knowledge. Therefore: please, Hashem, come debate with me. Not to teach me something I do not know - for I know it clearly with the knowledge of the heart - but so that it becomes intellectual knowledge, something that can be demonstrated rationally.
And this is what he says: "I know." Even at the beginning of the debate, I knew that You can do everything - I know that You possess absolute omnipotence. "And that no purpose can be withheld from You" - I know that all wisdom and every profound counsel resides with You. And I believed that You, Master of the Universe, in Your wisdom supervise everything that occurs in the world, that ultimately I have free will, and that ultimately You reward every good deed a person does. Why then did I present myself as one who denies free will or denies His knowledge? In order to attain these truths through the intellect as well, so that I would not have to rely solely on faith, but could know them with clear knowledge.
And which level is higher, knowledge or emunah? "Know this day, and take it to your heart" - the highest level is knowledge. I know that you are here right now; I do not know for certain whether my son is at home right now, but I believe that at this hour he ought to be there - that is emunah. Knowledge is knowing something clearly; I know because I see, it is tangible to me. Therefore Iyov asked: Master of the Universe, elevate my faith to the level of knowledge. And what is the root of the word vikuach (debate)? It comes from the root of hokhachah (proof). One who debates is essentially proving. Master of the Universe, I want proofs, so that this truth will be firmly established in the mind as well, and not remain solely in the heart.
Our Sages say: Iyov sought to turn the bowl upside down. As it were, Iyov wanted to overturn the bowl with all the food inside it. Simply understood, this implies that Iyov sought to deny the faith. But what is this parable, and why did they use this specific expression?
The Vilna Gaon explains this through a story that was well known in their time: A king had a faithful servant whom he loved with all his soul, truly loving him as himself, constantly sitting with him and enjoying his company. One day, that servant served the king a bowl of soup, and inadvertently, a single drop splattered onto the king's new garment. Seeing this, the king flew into a destructive rage and immediately commanded the servants standing before him: "Take him and execute him for this deed!" Seeing this, the servant took the entire bowl of soup and poured it all over the king's new garment, and dripped the last drops onto his head - and then they dragged him away. The king saw this and burned with even greater fury, saying: "Execute him with severe torture!"
Yet the king could not calm down from the servant's insolence. How could he have done such a thing? He could find no explanation: "I know this man; he is neither a fool nor an idiot. How could he do this?" Before they carried out the sentence, he said: "I want to speak with him; summon him to me." He asked him: "Tell me, how could you do such a thing?" The servant knelt before the king and said: "My lord king, I love you with all my soul, yet you decreed death upon me for a single drop of soup that splattered onto your garment. When I saw this, I grew deeply afraid - not for myself, for who am I compared to the honor, majesty, and stature of my lord the king? I feared how this would be perceived by the people: a tyrannical and wicked king who executed his beloved servant, known for their close bond, over a mere drop of soup! What will they say about you? What a disgrace! I could not bear that. Therefore, I said to myself: I will pour the entire bowl over the king, and then they will say, 'The king executed his beloved servant, and for what? The man took a bowl of soup and deliberately dumped it on him! What can you say to that? He deserves to be chopped to pieces!' Then the people will understand and vindicate my lord the king." Hearing this, the king loved the servant even more, seeing that even in his direst hour, what mattered to him was that the king's honor should not be disgraced.
The Vilna Gaon explains: So it was here. Iyov sought to turn the bowl upside down. Iyov said: "Master of the Universe, anyone who sees me suffering will ask himself: 'Is this Naomi?' Is this Iyov? A righteous man, God-fearing, turning away from evil - greater praise was spoken of Iyov than of Avraham! How could Hashem do such a terrible thing to His beloved?" Therefore, Iyov said: "If so, it is better that I stand up and act as a heretic outwardly." Did he actually deny Hashem? Heaven forbid! What do you know today that you didn't know yesterday? And if yesterday you had absolute faith in Hashem, what changed today? Rather: "It is better that outwardly I pretend to deny Hashem, and then what will people say in the street? 'Ah, Iyov - do you know the heresy I heard him speak? No wonder Hashem did this to him! Hashem is righteous, and He knows how to deal with people who act that way.' Through this, they will justify the Holy One, blessed be He, and no injustice will be attributed to Him, blessed be He." This is the meaning of "he sought to turn the bowl upside down" - not to deny out of true heresy, but to adopt heresy outwardly in order to vindicate the Holy One, blessed be He.
Who else wanted to do something like this? King David. It is said of him, "And David came to the summit [rosh]," and Chazal say: What is the summit? David sought to worship idols, but Chushai the Archite said to him: How could such a thing befit you? When was this? When David was fleeing and pursued. This is astonishing: King David, the fourth leg of the Heavenly Chariot, could he even contemplate worshiping idols? After all, with idolatry a person is punished even for the mere thought, considered as if he actually worshiped idols in thought! How can such a thing be understood?
Rather, King David said: "Master of the Universe, everyone will see David the tzaddik, David the God-fearing man - 'Preserve my soul, for I am pious' - David, holy of holies! How could Hashem do such a thing to him? Raising up evil against him from within his own house, his son rising in rebellion against him and seeking to kill him, while he flees like a partridge in the mountains before his son, and his son defiles his concubines! How could Hashem do this to such a righteous man? But if people say: 'Haven't you heard? They say David worshiped idols' - then Hashem is righteous, he deserves it, and there is no question at all!" In this way, David wanted to vindicate the Holy One, blessed be He, in His judgment.
Why, then, did he not do it? Chushai the Archite said to him: Because if people say that David worshiped idols, there is a danger that someone will imitate you. He will say: "David worshiped idols? Then what is wrong with it? Apparently, he found substance in it!" And then he, too, will go and worship idols following you. What will you have accomplished? You want, as it were, to vindicate Hashem and show that Hashem punished you because you are wicked, but Heaven forbid, people will copy your apparent wickedness, and you will end up causing people to stumble into sin.
מִי זֶה מַעְלִים עֵצָה בְּלִי־דָעַת לָכֵן הִגַּדְתִּי וְלֹא אָבִין נִפְלָאוֹת מִמֶּנִּי וְלֹא אֵדָע׃ שְׁמַע־נָא וְאָנֹכִי אֲדַבֵּר אֶשְׁאָלְךָ וְהוֹדִיעֵנִי׃ - "Who is this who conceals counsel without knowledge? Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wondrous for me, which I did not know. Hear now, and I will speak; I will ask of You, and inform me."
Iyov says: I asked myself, is it conceivable to conceal counsel - meaning all of Hashem's governance, which is conducted with immense wisdom - without knowledge? Is it conceivable that we should not know, relying solely on faith? Is it conceivable that such things should be hidden from us, leaving us with no clear knowledge but only faith in our hearts? On the contrary, it would be far better for us to know its mysteries, to understand its inner workings, to comprehend the ways of Providence, and to have it all through clear knowledge, not merely through faith alone.
"Therefore have I uttered, and I understood not" - since I did not understand the counsel, I did not comprehend Hashem's manner of providence, but only believed; to understand intellectually, however, I did not yet comprehend, for these were "things too wonderful for me, which I knew not" - therefore I only spoke outwardly. "Hear, I beseech You, and I will speak; I will demand of You, and declare You unto me" - I asked, Master of the Universe, that You speak with me and inform me, so that I would have clear knowledge in this matter. The Malbim explains: Philosophers and human inquiry raise many questions regarding divine foreknowledge and free will, and regarding the righteous who suffer and the wicked who prosper. All the questions Iyov asked are well-known and famous questions in philosophy, and he did not know how to answer them. Therefore he says: It is unfitting to obscure counsel without knowledge and rely solely on faith; I want to have clear knowledge in this matter.
לְשֵׁמַע־אֹזֶן שְׁמַעְתִּיךָ וְעַתָּה עֵינִי רָאָתְךָ׃ עַל־כֵּן אֶמְאַס וְנִחַמְתִּי עַל־עָפָר וָאֵפֶר׃ - I had heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You. Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent upon dust and ashes.
All this was until now, Iyov says, when I had only "heard of You by the hearing of the ear." I had not seen You in prophecy, but only through matters I received via tradition - generation from generation, father to son. When a person receives things through tradition, he has faith rather than direct knowledge: my father would not sell me falsehoods, so I believe that what he told me is true; and his father also did not sell him falsehoods, and he believed that what was transmitted to him was true. That is faith. And until now that was the case - only what I heard as a son from a father, but I still lacked direct knowledge. There was room to doubt all those questions: the righteous who suffer, the wicked who prosper, foreknowledge and free will.
Now, however, "my eye sees You." When a person sees something, seeing is on the level of clear knowledge. Now everything is clear to me without any doubts. Through Your revealing Yourself to me in a prophetic vision, I have learned several things. First, I saw that You, Hashem, supervise all the actions of human beings - here You saw the debate I had with the companions and intervened in the middle. This means that Hashem has not forsaken the earth; Hashem exercises providence, is present here, and grants prophecy to human beings.
Second, I learned that there is a reality of a soul that is external to the body, and that this soul exists forever and will ultimately cleave to God. For if this were not so, how could a person attain prophecy? After all, the attainment of prophecy involves the soul divesting itself from the bodily faculties. If there is no eternal soul, how could prophetic attainment be possible? The Holy One, blessed be He, does not connect to man through his body - the body is physical matter, the body is bestial. The Holy One, blessed be He, connects to man through the eternal soul. And from this I also deduce that the soul has eternity: if the soul can cleave to God, then when the body dies - death applies only to the body, whereas the soul is eternal, returning to cleave to its Creator.
And an additional matter became clear to me with distinct knowledge: that the soul has a spiritual reward, and that it is destined to receive reward for all its deeds. And what is that reward? As the Ramchal explains in Derech Hashem, the greatest reward is cleaving to Him, blessed be He. And when does one merit this? After the soul departs from the body. The more a person removed the partitions between himself and Hashem, blessed be He, the greater the cleaving to Hashem he will merit to attain after his death. This is the bliss higher than any other, the delight loftier than any other, and the most wondrous thing a human being could ever desire. And now I have come to see this, for I experienced a cleaving to Him, blessed be He, while still alive - namely, the reception of prophecy.
Consequently, "wherefore I abhor myself, and repent upon dust and ashes": as a result of this, I despise bodily life and console myself regarding the body, which is dust and ashes. Over all the destruction and ruin that befell my body - I am consoled. It is only a body; it is nothing, for the body is ultimately dust and ashes. What is it compared to the true, eternal delight that the soul enjoys after a person passes away? Consequently, I no longer have any difficulty regarding the righteous who suffer: he suffers here in this world - and what is this world? I abhor it. As for the damage done to the dust and ashes, over this I am already consoled; it is nothing. A single moment of sublime, supreme spiritual sweetness is worth all the pleasures and delights of this world. Through this, Iyov says, all the clouds that obscured my intellectual understanding have cleared away, and the light of knowledge has been revealed to me, enabling me to understand these matters with clear comprehension and discernment.
וַיְהִי אַחַר דִּבֶּר יְהֹוָה אֶת־הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה אֶל־אִיּוֹב וַיֹּאמֶר יְהֹוָה אֶל־אֱלִיפַז הַתֵּימָנִי חָרָה אַפִּי בְךָ וּבִשְׁנֵי רֵעֶיךָ כִּי לֹא דִבַּרְתֶּם אֵלַי נְכוֹנָה כְּעַבְדִּי אִיּוֹב׃ - And it was so, that after Hashem had spoken these words unto Iyov, Hashem said to Eliphaz the Temanite: "My wrath is kindled against you and against your two friends, for you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Iyov has."
After the debate with Iyov concluded, Hashem turns to Eliphaz the Temanite: My wrath is kindled against you and against your two friends, for you have not spoken of Me what is right. That is to say, when you argued with Iyov, you did not speak the appropriate things. Iyov may have sinned with his lips, but in his heart he spoke what is right; for as he testified, not for a moment was there heresy in his heart, but rather he believed with complete faith, and with his mouth he merely represented the heretics in order to elicit an intellectual answer.
With the companions, however, the Malbim explains that it was the exact opposite. They argued on Hashem's behalf - meaning that with their mouths they were on the side of the Holy One, blessed be He, but their hearts did not agree with their mouths. This is what Iyov said to them: "Will you mock Him, as one mocks a man? Shall not His majesty terrify you?" - How are you not ashamed to say things that you yourselves do not believe? Iyov argued to them: What you are saying are merely superficial words to silence me, but you do not truly believe in them.
It turns out, therefore, that what you did was worse than what Iyov did, says the Holy One, blessed be He. Outwardly, Iyov spoke improperly, but in his inner thought he spoke properly; whereas you outwardly spoke properly, but in your inner thought improperly. And what is the primary speech before the Holy One, blessed be He? The speech of the heart, not the outward speech of the mouth. What does Hashem examine in a person? The heart and the innermost motives. Hashem says: I am not interested in what is on the outside; I care about what is on the inside. And who was worse here? The companions. For although Iyov spoke poorly outwardly, the speech of his heart was true and upright, and he believed in Hashem; whereas with you, the outward speech was fine, but the inner speech, which is the main thing, was not right.
וְעַתָּה קְחוּ־לָכֶם שִׁבְעָה־פָרִים וְשִׁבְעָה אֵילִים וּלְכוּ אֶל־עַבְדִּי אִיּוֹב וְהַעֲלִיתֶם עוֹלָה בַּעַדְכֶם וְאִיּוֹב עַבְדִּי יִתְפַּלֵּל עֲלֵיכֶם כִּי אִם־פָּנָיו אֶשָּׂא לְבִלְתִּי עֲשׂוֹת עִמָּכֶם נְבָלָה כִּי לֹא דִבַּרְתֶּם אֵלַי נְכוֹנָה כְּעַבְדִּי אִיּוֹב׃ - "And now, take for yourselves seven bulls and seven rams, and go to My servant Iyov and offer up a burnt offering for yourselves, and My servant Iyov will pray for you; for only his face will I favor, so as not to deal with you according to your disgrace, for you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Iyov has."
He commands them to bring burnt offerings (olot), since an olah comes to atone for improper thoughts of the heart - and as we explained, their sin lay precisely in the thoughts of the heart. It also atones for having reviled Iyov without cause: after all, they told him that he was wicked, that what Hashem was doing to him was deserved, and that he had evidently not served Hashem with inner sincerity or attained the true levels he was meant to attain. They leveled many accusations and falsely pinned blame on him. Therefore, they must also seek forgiveness from Iyov, and Iyov must pray on their behalf; only then will Hashem favor the face of the righteous Iyov and not punish them.
And why is the phrase "for you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Iyov has" repeated? The Malbim explains: the first time, it referred to the thoughts of the heart - that your heart was not whole with Hashem; now, it adds that in your outward speech as well you did not speak properly, for in your outward speech you leveled very severe accusations against Iyov that were untrue. Therefore, for this, I require that Iyov forgive you and pray on your behalf.
The Yalkut Shimoni cites: Rava said, from here we learn that a person is not held accountable for words spoken in his sorrow. That is, the Yalkut Shimoni is troubled: Did Iyov really speak so correctly? After all, he uttered very harsh words! According to the Malbim, we have resolved this; but according to the understanding of the Yalkut Shimoni, Iyov indeed did not speak properly either - only that Iyov had a justification: Iyov was suffering, and a person is not held accountable for words spoken in his anguish. But you, what did you suffer? What reason did you have that led you not to speak properly?
וַיֵּלְכוּ אֱלִיפַז הַתֵּימָנִי וּבִלְדַּד הַשּׁוּחִי צֹפַר הַנַּעֲמָתִי וַיַּעֲשׂוּ כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר אֲלֵיהֶם יְהֹוָה וַיִּשָּׂא יְהֹוָה אֶת־פְּנֵי אִיּוֹב׃ - "So Elifaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuchite, and Tzofar the Na'amatite went and did as Hashem had spoken to them; and Hashem favored Iyov."
They do everything Hashem commanded, Iyov entreats on their behalf, and Hashem accepts his prayer.
וַיהֹוָה שָׁב אֶת־שְׁבוּת אִיּוֹב בְּהִתְפַּלְלוֹ בְּעַד רֵעֵהוּ וַיֹּסֶף יְהֹוָה אֶת־כׇּל־אֲשֶׁר לְאִיּוֹב לְמִשְׁנֶה׃ - "And Hashem restored the fortunes of Iyov when he prayed for his friends, and Hashem doubled all that Iyov had possessed."
From here, the Yalkut Shimoni cites: Rava bar Mari said, from where do we derive that which the Sages said: "Whoever prays for mercy for his fellow when he himself needs that very same thing is answered first"? As it is written: "And Hashem restored the fortunes of Iyov when he prayed for his friends." When did Hashem restore everything to him? When he prayed on their behalf. You asked for good to come to them - the Holy One, blessed be He, does good for you as well. We see this also in Parashat Vayeira: Avraham Avinu prayed for Avimelech, king of Gerar, and as a result, "and they gave birth" - until then they were unable to give birth and now they gave birth, and immediately following that, Sarah gave birth. From this we learn that whoever prays for his fellow is answered first. See also the holy Or HaChaim there, who addresses this point - whether one occurred on account of the other or whether they were unrelated - offering two explanations on the matter.
וַיָּבֹאוּ אֵלָיו כׇּל־אֶחָיו וְכׇל־אַחְיֹתָיו וְכׇל־יֹדְעָיו לְפָנִים וַיֹּאכְלוּ עִמּוֹ לֶחֶם בְּבֵיתוֹ וַיָּנֻדוּ לוֹ וַיְנַחֲמוּ אֹתוֹ עַל כׇּל־הָרָעָה אֲשֶׁר־הֵבִיא יְהֹוָה עָלָיו וַיִּתְּנוּ־לוֹ אִישׁ קְשִׂיטָה אֶחָת וְאִישׁ נֶזֶם זָהָב אֶחָד׃ - Then all his brothers, all his sisters, and all who had known him previously came to him, and they ate bread with him in his house; and they sympathized with him and comforted him concerning all the adversity that Hashem had brought upon him. And each one gave him one kesitah, and each one a gold ring.
"All who had known him previously" - the acquaintances he had before, prior to the onset of his afflictions. For when his afflictions struck, "friend and companion ceased from me," as Iyov stated explicitly, "and my acquaintances are estranged from me" - my acquaintances scattered and distanced themselves from me. But now, as his situation returns to what it was, they come to eat and rejoice with him: "and they ate bread with him in his house," bread referring to a festive meal. "And they sympathized with him" (vayyanudu lo) - they nodded their heads, as is customary when comforting a person, now that he had been saved from that misfortune. "And comforted him" - offering him words of consolation, telling him that everything he endured was ultimately for the best, and the like. And each one also gave him a gift, one kesitah and one gold ring, to demonstrate exceptional affection toward him.
To this we may add: it is written, "In this Jubilee year, each man shall return to his ancestral possession, and each man shall return to his family." The commentators ask: "Each man to his ancestral possession" is understandable - he left his land, the Jubilee year arrived, and he returns to it. But what is the meaning of "and each man shall return to his family"? Did he abandon his family? Rather, when a person loses his wealth, suddenly no one recognizes him. Old friends pass him on the street and do not even say hello. When you were someone, everyone flattered you: "Hello! How are you? What do you say?" They laugh even when you did not intend to tell a joke, pure flattery - "the rich man has many lovers." But when his financial situation collapses, suddenly no one knows him. Thus it is said: you sold the field, you sold the estate, you have no money, and even your family abandoned you. But in the Jubilee year, when a man returns to his possession, naturally "each man shall return to his family" - suddenly all the relatives you have not heard from in years are calling: "Hello, how are things, how are you doing?" The person has regained his status, and his admirers multiply.
So it is here as well: "and all who had known him previously." When his situation was dire - "Do you know Iyov?" "No, I have no connection to him." "A relative?" "Well, a distant relative." But when his situation is restored and flourishes - "Iyov? Of course, he's my second cousin, what are you talking about!" Suddenly the entire family is his best friends again.
וַיהֹוָה בֵּרַךְ אֶת־אַחֲרִית אִיּוֹב מֵרֵאשִׁתוֹ וַיְהִי־לוֹ אַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר אֶלֶף צֹאן וְשֵׁשֶׁת אֲלָפִים גְּמַלִּים וְאֶלֶף־צֶמֶד בָּקָר וְאֶלֶף אֲתוֹנוֹת׃ - And Hashem blessed the latter end of Iyov more than his beginning; and he possessed fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, one thousand yoke of oxen, and one thousand female donkeys.
In the merit of Iyov forgiving his humiliation and praying on their behalf, Hashem restored his fortunes and gave him twofold - double what he had previously possessed. The Malbim explains: according to what is implied by Chazal, all the possessions Iyov previously owned, as well as his children who supposedly died, were not actually destroyed. Rather, the Satan concealed them from his sight and sent a messenger to announce all these terrible reports to him. Where were they? Held by the Satan. What happened to them during that time? We have not asked them; but at any rate, they did not die, says the Malbim. And this is what is meant by "and Hashem doubled all that Iyov had": first "all that Iyov had" - returning what he had originally, and in addition "doubled" - giving him twice as much as before: fourteen thousand sheep, and so forth.
וַיְהִי־לוֹ שִׁבְעָנָה בָנִים וְשָׁלוֹשׁ בָּנוֹת׃ - And he had seven sons and three daughters.
"And he had" - these were the very same previous children he had, except that the daughters grew in beauty, and on account of their added beauty he gave them new names, which, as we will see in the next verse, testify to their great splendor. And shiv'anah, Rashi explains, signifies twice seven - he already had seven sons, and another seven sons were added to him.
A question arises: why did the Holy One, Blessed be He, not take Iyov's wife as well? A humorous answer: because had He taken his wife, He would later have had to give him two, and He did not want him to suffer! But in truth, his wife was part of the trial: after all, someone needed to say to him, "Bless God and die." Since she was part of the test, she necessarily had to remain with him, as she was part of what he was being tested with.
וַיִּקְרָא שֵׁם־הָאַחַת יְמִימָה וְשֵׁם הַשֵּׁנִית קְצִיעָה וְשֵׁם הַשְּׁלִישִׁית קֶרֶן הַפּוּךְ׃ - And he named the first Yemimah, the second Keziah, and the third Keren-happuch.
Because of their abounding beauty he gave them these names, named after their beauty, as Rashi explains. Yemimah - clear and bright as day, fair as day. When one wants to say someone is unattractive, one says "as fair as night," and when one wants to say she is beautiful, one says "as fair as day." Ketziah - one of the varieties of spices, whose fragrance wafted afar like the scent of cassia. Keren-Hapuch - a horn, like the horn of an ox, inside of which they would place kohl, soaps, and various cosmetics for women. Not like today, where every cosmetic company has fancy compacts; in those days, the container they used was an animal horn. Therefore she was called Keren-Hapuch, related to "though you enlarge your eyes with paint (puch)" - puch is cosmetics, which was kept inside a horn and with which women lined their eyes.
וְלֹא נִמְצָא נָשִׁים יָפוֹת כִּבְנוֹת אִיּוֹב בְּכׇל־הָאָרֶץ וַיִּתֵּן לָהֶם אֲבִיהֶם נַחֲלָה בְּתוֹךְ אֲחֵיהֶם׃ - "And no women were found as fair as the daughters of Iyov in all the land; and their father gave them an inheritance among their brothers."
Iyov's daughters were so exceptional, both in beauty and in fortune, that he gave them an inheritance among their brothers. The meaning of this is that daughters ordinarily do not inherit, but because they were not ordinary daughters but uniquely extraordinary, on account of their stature Iyov granted them an inheritance just as if they were among the sons.
The Gemara relates: When Rabbi Meir would finish the Book of Iyov, he would say: A person's end is death. Fortunate is he who grows in Torah, whose labor is in Torah, and who gives satisfaction to his Creator. When Rabbi Meir finished learning Sefer Iyov, he would recite these words. And what do they mean? For what has been revealed to us by the end of the Book of Iyov? That the ultimate purpose of life is actually death. As Iyov said at the conclusion of his words: "Therefore I recant and relent, upon dust and ashes" - I despise the physical body; dust and ashes are nothing and void. The main thing is the eternal delight that the soul experiences once it clings to its Creator.
Thus, as long as a person lives and approaches this ultimate purpose, preparing provisions for the destined day, packing full suitcases, fortunate is he. This is what Rabbi Meir says: "Fortunate is he who grows in Torah and whose labor is in Torah," for in this way he reaches the ultimate purpose. And what is that purpose? That a person's end is death, moving on to eternal bliss. And how does one attain that eternal bliss? Through toil here in this world. Fortunate is he whose toil is in Torah, for through this he acts every day toward that ultimate purpose; for each and every day he draws closer to it, and each passing day is another day that has passed from life. The person who toils in Torah prepares provisions for the road for the time that is primary - his eternal home. And this is "A good name is better than precious oil": a good name is better for a person than fine oil, because in the end, that is all that remains with him - his good name.
וַיְחִי אִיּוֹב אַחֲרֵי־זֹאת מֵאָה וְאַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה וַיִּרְאֶה אֶת־בָּנָיו וְאֶת־בְּנֵי בָנָיו אַרְבָּעָה דֹּרוֹת׃ - "And after this, Iyov lived one hundred and forty years, and saw his sons and his grandsons, four generations."
The Yalkut Shimoni states: Iyov's original lifespan was only one hundred and ten years, and an additional one hundred and forty years were granted to him. It turns out that ultimately, Iyov lived for two hundred and fifty years. And what is meant by "after this"? After the afflictions departed from him. Furthermore, he saw with his own eyes four generations of his descendants, not one of whom died in his lifetime.
וַיָּמׇת אִיּוֹב זָקֵן וּשְׂבַע יָמִים׃ - "And Iyov died, old and sated with days."
He died "sated with days": he lived many long years in abundant goodness, until he was completely sated with them. A person is naturally hungry for life; when asked if he wants to depart from the world, he says no, I am hungry for life. But when a person has already lived two hundred and fifty years - "I have had my fill; I am sated with days." This is poetic phrasing, describing someone who has already been fully satisfied with life in this world.
Chapter 42 concludes Sefer Iyov with Iyov's own response: his entire argument did not stem from heresy in his heart, but from a desire to transform faith into clear knowledge. As the Vilna Gaon explained with the parable of the servant and the king - even what appeared to be 'turning the dish upside down' was intended to vindicate Hashem in the eyes of mankind, just as David sought to do. Once Hashem revealed Himself to him in prophecy, Iyov advanced from 'I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear' to 'but now my eye sees You': a clear, direct knowledge of Divine Providence, of the immortality of the soul, and of spiritual reward; and consequently, 'I despise [physical existence] and console myself over dust and ashes.' The companions, who spoke on Hashem's behalf with their mouths but not with their hearts, were commanded to offer burnt-offerings and to seek Iyov's prayer. Because he prayed on behalf of his fellow, he was answered first, and Hashem restored his fortunes and doubled everything he owned. Iyov lived an additional one hundred and forty years, saw four generations, and died old and full of days. And as Rabbi Meir remarked at the conclusion of the book: The end of man is to die; fortunate is he who was raised in Torah, whose toil is in Torah, and who brings gratification to his Maker. May the Holy One, blessed be He, grant us the merit to learn and to teach, to safeguard, perform, and fulfill, and to begin additional books and complete them. In the merit of studying Sefer Iyov, may Hashem remove from us all sorrow, all sickness, all harm, and all disease, Amen ve'Amen.