The Meaning of Job 2:5 Explained

Job 2:5

KJV: But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face.

YLT: Yet, put forth, I pray Thee, Thy hand, and strike unto his bone and unto his flesh -- if not: unto Thy face he doth bless Thee!'

Darby: but put forth thy hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and see if he will not curse thee to thy face!

ASV: But put forth thy hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will renounce thee to thy face.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

But  put forth  thine hand  now, and touch  his bone  and his flesh,  and he will curse  thee to thy face. 

What does Job 2:5 Mean?

Context Summary

Job 2:1-13 - "among The Ashes"
It gives God deep pleasure when He can point to one of His servants who has borne fiery trial with unwavering patience and faith. The adversary comes back from his restless, ceaseless rounds, 1 Peter 5:8; but there is one soul at least which has resisted his worst attacks. Observing Job, the principalities and powers in the heavenly places have learned that God can make a man love Him, not for His gifts, but for Himself, Ephesians 3:10.
The adversary suggests a severe test, and God permits it because he knows His child. A limit, however, is put upon the ordeal, 1 Corinthians 10:13, r.v. The story is very comforting, because we see that we are not the sport of chance, but in every detail our education is being carried out by our Father's hand. Our dearest friends may advise us to renounce God and die, but in Gethsemane our Lord taught us to take the Father's will at all costs-though it seem to spell death-sure that he will not leave us in the grave, Psalms 16:10. [source]

Chapter Summary: Job 2

1  Satan, appearing again before God, obtains further leave to tempt Job
7  He afflicts him with sore boils
9  Job reproves his wife, who moved him to curse God
11  His three friends console with him in silence

What do the individual words in Job 2:5 mean?

But stretch out now Your hand and touch unto his bone and his flesh and not to Your face he will surely curse You
אוּלָם֙ שְֽׁלַֽח־ נָ֣א יָֽדְךָ֔ וְגַ֥ע אֶל־ עַצְמ֖וֹ וְאֶל־ בְּשָׂר֑וֹ אִם־ לֹ֥א אֶל־ פָּנֶ֖יךָ יְבָרֲכֶֽךָּ

שְֽׁלַֽח־  stretch  out 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.
נָ֣א  now 
Parse: Interjection
Root: נָא  
Sense: I (we) pray, now, please.
יָֽדְךָ֔  Your  hand 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
וְגַ֥ע  and  touch 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: נָגַע  
Sense: to touch, reach, strike.
אֶל־  unto 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
עַצְמ֖וֹ  his  bone 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: עֶצֶם 
Sense: bone, essence, substance.
בְּשָׂר֑וֹ  his  flesh 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: בָּשָׂר  
Sense: flesh.
פָּנֶ֖יךָ  Your  face 
Parse: Noun, common plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
יְבָרֲכֶֽךָּ  he  will  surely  curse  You 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, third person masculine singular, second person masculine singular
Root: בָּרַךְ 
Sense: to bless, kneel.