While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, “Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house,
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse highlights the devastating impact of bad news arriving in the very moment Job is hearing about yet another disaster. It’s not just a series of unfortunate events, but a relentless, overwhelming onslaught designed to shatter his composure before he can even process the last blow. This piling on of calamity underscores the diabolical intent behind these trials, as one messenger rushes in while the previous one is still speaking.
While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, “Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house,
English Standard Version (ESV)
Job is already reeling from devastating news about the loss of his livestock and servants, and as one messenger is still speaking, another arrives with an even more horrific report. This second messenger reveals that all of Job's sons and daughters, who were gathered for a celebration at their eldest brother's home, have been killed by a violent wind. This relentless cascade of disaster is intended to completely overwhelm Job, striking at his deepest affections and demonstrating the swiftness and totality of his suffering.
Imagine receiving one terrible piece of news. Now, imagine another arriving before you can even process the first. That's the relentless storm Job faced.
This verse highlights an overwhelming strategy of suffering. The messengers arrive in rapid succession, ensuring Job has no moment to breathe.
The Power of Accumulation
Satan’s plan, permitted by God, was to hit Job with a barrage of disasters. The news of his children's death arrives while another messenger is still speaking. This isn't random; it’s a deliberate tactic to crush Job under the sheer weight of multiple losses, leaving him no space for reflection or recovery.
Supernatural Speed
This wasn't just bad luck. The commentators note the supernatural speed and intensity of these events. Misfortunes, as the saying goes, don't come singly; they often arrive in battalions. For Job, this was a supernatural onslaught designed to break him.
Job’s children were feasting, a scene Job himself often worried about. What does this detail reveal about his inner turmoil?
The mention of the children 'eating and drinking wine' isn't just descriptive; it carries a heavy weight for Job.
Job's Lingering Anxiety
Commentators point out that Job had a pattern of praying for his children, fearing they might have sinned during their gatherings (Job 1:5). This news brings his deepest anxieties to the forefront. It’s not just that they are gone; it's the fear that they might have gone in a state of sin, adding a layer of spiritual dread to his grief.
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Aggravated Grief
This detail turns a tragedy into an aggravated one. The potential for their sin magnifies Job's suffering. It connects the disaster to his own worries and spiritual responsibilities, making the loss cut even deeper.
Jesus speaks of a baptism he must undergo, but also of a fire he has come to cast upon the earth, highlighting a disruptive, consuming force that brings about judgment and transformation.
Ecclesiastes 9:7This verse encourages enjoying life and simple pleasures like food and wine, providing a stark contrast to the sudden, tragic end that befell Job's children during their feast.
Job 1:5This earlier verse reveals Job's consistent concern that his children might have sinned during their feasts, showing the underlying fear and tension that the final tragedy tragically confirmed.
1 Peter 4:12Peter reminds believers that the fiery trials they face are not a cause for surprise, echoing the overwhelming and unexpected nature of Job's calamities.
1 Kings 18:41Elijah tells Ahab to eat and drink after praying for rain, a moment of calm enjoyment before the spiritual climax and the end of a drought, contrasting with the premature end of the feast in Job.
gillJob 1:18: "While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house:"
While he was yet speaking, there came another,.... A servant of one of Job's sons, who was in waiting at the feast before mentioned, and here again repeated: and said, thy sons and thy daughters were eating, and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house; See Gill on Job 1:13.
pulpitJob 1:18: "While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house:"
Verse 18. - While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said (see the comment on ver. 16), Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house (comp. ver. 13). It is a common proverb that "misfortunes never come singly." Shakespeare says they "come not single foes, but in battalions."…
The verse highlights the devastating impact of bad news arriving in the very moment Job is hearing about yet another disaster. It’s not just a series of unfortunate events, but a relentless, overwhelming onslaught designed to shatter his composure before he can even process the last blow. This piling on of calamity underscores the diabolical intent behind these trials, as one messenger rushes in while the previous one is still speaking.
Job is already reeling from devastating news about the loss of his livestock and servants, and as one messenger is still speaking, another arrives with an even more horrific report. This second messenger reveals that all of Job's sons and daughters, who were gathered for a celebration at their eldest brother's home, have been killed by a violent wind. This relentless cascade of disaster is intended to completely overwhelm Job, striking at his deepest affections and demonstrating the swiftness and totality of his suffering.
Job is already reeling from devastating news about the loss of his livestock and servants, and as one messenger is still speaking, another arrives with an even more horrific report. This second messenger reveals that all of Job's sons and daughters, who were gathered for a celebration at their eldest brother's home, have been killed by a violent wind. This relentless cascade of disaster is intended to completely overwhelm Job, striking at his deepest affections and demonstrating the swiftness and totality of his suffering.
"While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, “Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house," — The verse highlights the devastating impact of bad news arriving in the very moment Job is hearing about yet another disaster. It’s not just a series of unfortunate events, but a relentless, overwh…
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Last reviewed October 2026