Albert Barnes Commentary Job 1:19

"and, behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee." — Job 1:19 (ASV)

There came a great wind - Such tornadoes are as common in Eastern countries as in the United States. Indeed, they are more abundant in regions near the equator than in those more remote, and in hot countries than in those of higher latitude.

From the wilderness - The marginal note is "From aside." This means from the side of the wilderness. The word translated "from aside" in the margin (מדבר mı̂dbâr) properly means "from across," and Dr. Good translates it this way. The word עבר ‛âbar literally means a region or country beyond, or on the other side—namely, of a river or a sea, which one must 'pass' (Judges 11:18; Genesis 2:10–11; Deuteronomy 1:1, 1:5). It then means on the other side, or beyond; see the notes on Isaiah 18:1. Here it means that the tornado came sweeping across the desert. On the vast plains of Arabia, it would have the opportunity to accumulate its devastating power and would sweep everything before it.

The Hebrew word translated here as "wilderness," מדבר mı̂dbâr—does not express exactly what our word denotes. We usually mean by it a wholly uncultivated region, covered with forests, and the habitat of wild animals.

The Hebrew word more accurately denotes a "desert": an uninhabited region, a sterile, sandy country, though sometimes suitable for pasture. In many places, the word would be well translated by the phrases "open fields" or "open plains"; compare (Joel 2:22); (Psalms 65:13); (Jeremiah 23:10); (Isaiah 42:11); (Genesis 14:6); (Genesis 16:7); (Exodus 3:1); (Exodus 13:18); (Deuteronomy 11:24); compare also (Isaiah 32:15); (Isaiah 35:1–2).

And smote the four corners of the house - It came as a tornado usually does, or like a whirlwind. It seemed to come from all points of the compass and leveled everything before it.

And it fell upon the young men - The word translated here as "young men" is the same as that translated as "servants" in Job 1:15 and Job 1:17 (הנערים hana‛arı̂ym). However, there can be no reasonable doubt that the messenger, by this word, refers to Job's children. It is noteworthy that his daughters are not specifically mentioned, but they may be included in the word used here, נערים na‛arı̂ym—which can have the same meaning as our phrase "young people," including both sexes. Eichhorn translates it similarly: "Es stürzte über den jungen Leuten zusammen."