Even though they had wrongly accused Job and spoken against God, God still calls Job "my servant," acknowledging his faithfulness. God then establishes Job as the one to lead the sacrifice and prayer for his friends, essentially making Job their priest and demonstrating that God's acceptance comes through a mediator, even when those needing mediation have spoken wrongly.
Now therefore take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and offer up a burnt offering for yourselves. And my servant Job shall pray for you, for I will accept his prayer not to deal with you according to your folly. For you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
After God rebukes Job's friends for misrepresenting Him, He instructs them to offer seven bulls and seven rams as a burnt offering. They must then go to Job and ask him to pray for them, as God will accept Job's intercession and spare them from judgment for their foolish words spoken against Him. This act not only demonstrates God's vindication of Job but also establishes Job as a mediator for his friends, highlighting their own inadequacy in speaking truth about God.
God's instructions to Job's friends are striking: they must bring sacrifices and go to Job to offer them and have him pray. What does this reveal about Job's unique standing?
In the absence of a formal Levitical priesthood, the patriarchs often functioned as priests for their households. Job is elevated even further here.
A Priest for His Friends
This role anticipates the ultimate Mediator, Jesus Christ, who intercedes for us.
Why seven bulls and seven rams? This specific number of sacrifices, and the context of the friends' folly, point to a deeper divine standard.
The number seven often signifies completeness or perfection. Here, it underscores the gravity of the friends' sin and the comprehensive nature of the atonement required.
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The Friends' Misguided Words
God's requirement of seven complete sacrifices shows that their words were not minor errors, but significant deviations that needed a full, divinely accepted remedy through Job's mediation.
Understand the original words
olah · Hebrew Noun
An act of worship in which the entire animal is consumed by fire on the altar, symbolizing complete dedication, surrender, and atonement for sin before the LORD.
palal · Hebrew Verb
The act of interceding with God, acknowledging His sovereignty and seeking His mercy or favor; it is the primary means by which believers align their desires with God's will.
iwweleth · Hebrew Noun
In a biblical context, this refers to a lack of moral understanding, arrogance, or acting in a way that ignores God's wisdom; it is the opposite of the "fear of the Lord."
This passage highlights a pre-Mosaic sacrificial system where chosen individuals acted as priests. It underscores God's direct intervention to vindicate Job and establish him as an intercessor, demonstrating that divine acceptance hinges on righteousness and true speech about God, not just ritual.
Before the Mosaic Law
Patriarchal Age Worship
During this era, patriarchs like Job served as priests for their families, offering sacrifices and interceding with God. This practice predates the formal Levitical priesthood established later in Israel's history.
During the time of Moses, possibly contemporary
Balaam's Sacrifice for Balak
The Moabite king Balak sought the prophet Balaam's help against Israel. Balaam instructed Balak to prepare seven bulls and seven rams for sacrifice, a number and type of offering remarkably similar to what God later requires of Job's friends.
The Book of Job's narrative conclusion— this verse
God Confronts Job's Friends
After Job has endured immense suffering and lengthy discussions with his three friends, God directly intervenes. He rebukes Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar for misrepresenting Him and falsely accusing Job, stating they had not spoken rightly of Him.
The Book of Job's narrative conclusion
Job Appointed as Intercessor
God commands Job's friends to offer seven bulls and seven rams as a burnt offering. Crucially, He directs them to have Job pray for them, signifying Job's vindicated status and priestly role.
The Book of Job's narrative conclusion
God Accepts Job's Prayer
The Lord assures Job's friends that He will accept Job's prayer on their behalf, sparing them from judgment due to their misguided words and actions.
This passage describes Balak the king of Moab asking Balaam to build seven altars and offer seven bulls and seven rams, mirroring the specific sacrifice God commanded for Job's friends, hinting at a shared ancient sacrificial practice or a deliberate parallel.
1 Samuel 2:35God promises to raise up a faithful priest who will walk before His anointed forever, paralleling how God here vindicates Job as His servant and elevates him to an intercessory role for his friends.
1 Timothy 2:5This verse states there is one mediator between God and humanity, Christ Jesus, and Job's role as an accepted intercessor for his friends serves as a powerful Old Testament foreshadowing of this ultimate mediation.
James 5:16James instructs believers to confess their sins to one another and pray for each other so that they may be healed, echoing the principle seen here where Job's prayer is crucial for the healing and acceptance of his friends.
clarkeJob 42:8: "Therefore take unto you now seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you: for him will I accept: lest I deal with you after your folly, in that ye have not spoken of me the thing which is right, like my servant Job."
Take - seven bullocks and seven rams - From this it appears that Job was considered a priest, not only in his own family but also for others. For his children he offered burnt…
wesleyJob 42:8: "Therefore take unto you now seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you: for him will I accept: lest I deal with you after your folly, in that ye have not spoken of me the thing which is right, like my servant Job."
42:8 My servant - Whom though you condemned as an hypocrite, I own for my faithful servant. Offer - By the hand of Job, whom I hereby constitute your priest to pray and sacrif…
Even though they had wrongly accused Job and spoken against God, God still calls Job "my servant," acknowledging his faithfulness. God then establishes Job as the one to lead the sacrifice and prayer for his friends, essentially making Job their priest and demonstrating that God's acceptance comes through a mediator, even when those needing mediation have spoken wrongly.
After God rebukes Job's friends for misrepresenting Him, He instructs them to offer seven bulls and seven rams as a burnt offering. They must then go to Job and ask him to pray for them, as God will accept Job's intercession and spare them from judgment for their foolish words spoken against Him. This act not only demonstrates God's vindication of Job but also establishes Job as a mediator for his friends, highlighting their own inadequacy in speaking truth about God.
After God rebukes Job's friends for misrepresenting Him, He instructs them to offer seven bulls and seven rams as a burnt offering. They must then go to Job and ask him to pray for them, as God will accept Job's intercession and spare them from judgment for their foolish words spoken against Him. This act not only demonstrates God's vindication of Job but also establishes Job as a mediator for his friends, highlighting their own inadequacy in speaking truth about God.
"Now therefore take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and offer up a burnt offering for yourselves. And my servant Job shall pray for you, for I will accept his prayer not to deal with you according to your folly. For you…" — Even though they had wrongly accused Job and spoken against God, God still calls Job "my servant," acknowledging his faithfulness. God then establishes Job as the one to lead the sacrifice and prayer…
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Last reviewed October 2026
