Job 2:4
Then Satan answered the LORD and said, “Skin for skin! All that a man has he will give for his life.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
Satan isn't just saying Job will give up possessions for life; he's implying Job will sacrifice others' lives ("skin for skin") to save his own. The real challenge, Satan sneers, isn't loss of property or children, but pain to one's own flesh and bones—a test Job hasn't truly faced yet.
Having just lost his vast possessions and all his children, Job still remains physically unharmed. Satan scoffs, arguing that Job's endurance is merely self-preservation; he'll give up anything, even his "skin" (representing everything he has), as long as his own life is spared. The devil implies that Job's faith isn't genuine, just a calculation to save himself from further divine wrath.
Satan throws a fiery dart with the phrase 'Skin for skin.' What does this ancient proverb really mean, and why is it so devastating to Job's reputation?
This is where we hit the core of Satan's accusation.
The Meaning of 'Skin for Skin'
This was a common saying, a bit like our modern 'tit for tat' or 'an eye for an eye.' It speaks to a fundamental human reality: exchange.
Satan's Twisted Application
Satan uses this proverb to argue that Job's response to his losses was purely selfish. Job lost property and children, but crucially, he was still alive and unharmed in his own body. Satan sneers that Job's patience isn't genuine piety, but mere self-preservation. He's willing to give up his 'skin' (possessions, family) because his own 'skin' (his body, his life) is still intact and far more precious to him.
Satan had already destroyed Job's wealth and family. Why wasn't that enough? The devil's next move reveals a chilling focus on the self.
Satan's argument hinges on a critical distinction that he believes proves Job's insincerity.
The Limit of the Test
Satan argues that the previous trials – the loss of livestock, servants, and even children – didn't truly test Job's core commitment.
Understand the original words
or be'ad or · Hebrew Idiom
An idiom suggesting a harsh, transactional worldview where one yields their external 'skin' (possessions or comforts) to preserve their 'life' (existence).
This passage directly echoes Satan's sentiment, questioning the value of gaining the whole world if it means losing one's own life or self. It highlights the ultimate worth of a person's soul over material possessions.
Matthew 16:26Jesus' teaching here directly contrasts Satan's view, asking what good it is to gain the whole world and forfeit one's soul. It underscores that a person's inner self or soul is more valuable than any earthly possession.
Genesis 3:4-5Satan's initial temptation to Eve also plays on the idea of self-preservation and gaining something desirable ('like God, knowing good and evil') at the cost of obedience. This shows a pattern of Satan questioning true motives by appealing to self-interest.
Job 19:20Job’s desperate cry, 'My bone cleaveth to my skin, and to my flesh; and I escape out with the skin of my teeth!', vividly illustrates the 'skin for skin' proverb. It shows a man literally clinging to the barest survival of his physical being when everything else is lost.
bensonJob 2:4: "And Satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life."
Job 2:4 . Skin for skin, &c. — The design of these words is plain, which was to detract from Job, and to diminish that honour and praise which God gave him, by pretending that he had done no more than the meanest men commonly do by the law of self-preservation. And it is equally clear that this was a proverbial speech then in use, to denote the great value in which life is held,…
clarkeJob 2:4: "And Satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life."
Skin for skin - That is, A man will part with all he has in the world to save his life; and he will part with all by piecemeal, till he has nothing left on earth, and even be thankful, provided his life be spared. Thou hast only destroyed his property; thou hast left him his life and his health. Thou hast not touched his flesh nor his bone; therefore he is patient and resigned. M…
Satan isn't just saying Job will give up possessions for life; he's implying Job will sacrifice others' lives ("skin for skin") to save his own. The real challenge, Satan sneers, isn't loss of property or children, but pain to one's own flesh and bones—a test Job hasn't truly faced yet.
Having just lost his vast possessions and all his children, Job still remains physically unharmed. Satan scoffs, arguing that Job's endurance is merely self-preservation; he'll give up anything, even his "skin" (representing everything he has), as long as his own life is spared. The devil implies that Job's faith isn't genuine, just a calculation to save himself from further divine wrath.
Having just lost his vast possessions and all his children, Job still remains physically unharmed. Satan scoffs, arguing that Job's endurance is merely self-preservation; he'll give up anything, even his "skin" (representing everything he has), as long as his own life is spared. The devil implies that Job's faith isn't genuine, just a calculation to save himself from further divine wrath.
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Ask a follow-up
Ask Sola things like:
Live chat about Job 2:4 is available in the Sola app.
A Glimpse into Satan's Worldview
Satan operates from a place of deep cynicism about humanity. He sees self-interest as the only driving force. He can't conceive of love for God that would withstand the ultimate threat to personal existence.
"Then Satan answered the LORD and said, “Skin for skin! All that a man has he will give for his life." — Satan isn't just saying Job will give up possessions for life; he's implying Job will sacrifice others' lives ("skin for skin") to save his own. The real challenge, Satan sneers, isn't loss of prop…
