Albert Barnes Commentary Job 42:16

"And after this Job lived a hundred and forty years, and saw his sons, and his sons` sons, [even] four generations." — Job 42:16 (ASV)

After this Job lived one hundred and forty years - As his age at the time his calamities commenced is not mentioned, it is, of course, impossible to determine how old he was when he died. The Septuagint, however, has undertaken to determine this, but on what authority is unknown. They render this verse: And Job lived after this affliction one hundred and seventy years: so that all the years that he lived were two hundred and forty.

According to this, his age would have been seventy when his afflictions came upon him; but this is a mere conjecture. Why the authors of that version have added thirty years to the time he lived after his calamities, making it one hundred and seventy instead of one hundred and forty as it is in the Hebrew text, is unknown. The supposition that he was about seventy years of age when his calamities came upon him is not an unreasonable one.

He had a family of ten children, and his sons were grown enough to have families of their own (Job 1:4). It should also be remembered that in patriarchal times, when people lived to a great age, marriages did not occur as early in life as they do now. In this book, also, though Job's age is not mentioned, the uniform representation of him is that of a man of mature years, large experience, and extended observation. He was one who had enjoyed high honor and a wide reputation as a sage and a magistrate. When these circumstances are taken into account, the supposition of the translators of the Septuagint—that he was seventy years old when his afflictions commenced—is not improbable. If so, his age at his death was two hundred and ten years.

The age to which he lived is mentioned as remarkable, and was evidently somewhat extraordinary. It is not proper, therefore, to assume that this was the ordinary length of human life at that time, though it would be equally improper to suppose that there was anything like a miracle in the case.

The fair interpretation is that he reached the period of old age then considered most honorable. He was permitted to arrive at what was then regarded as the outer limit of human life. If this is so, it is not difficult to determine about the time when he lived. The length of human life after the flood suffered a somewhat regular decline until, in the time of Moses, it was fixed at about threescore years and ten (Psalms 90:10). The following instances will show the regularity of the decline and enable us, with some degree of probability, to determine the period of the world in which Job lived.

Noah lived 950 years; Shem, his son, 600; Arphaxad, his son, 438 years; Salah, 433 years; Eber, 464; Peleg, 239; Reu, 239; Serug, 230; Nahor, 248; Terah, 205; Abraham, 175; Isaac, 180; Jacob, 147; Joseph, 110; Moses, 120; Joshua, 110. Supposing, then, that Job's age was somewhat unusual and extraordinary, it would fall in with the period somewhere in the time between Terah and Jacob; and if so, he was probably contemporary with the most distinguished of the patriarchs.

And saw his sons,... - To see one’s posterity advancing in years and honor, and extending themselves in the earth, was regarded as a signal honor and a proof of divine favor in the early ages. For example, and Israel said unto Joseph, I had not thought to see thy face; and lo, God hath also showed me thy seed (Genesis 48:11). Also, children’s children are the crown of old men (Proverbs 17:6). And, yea, thou shalt see thy children’s children (Psalms 128:6); compare to Psalms 127:5; Genesis 12:2; Genesis 17:5–6; Job 5:25; and the notes at Isaiah 53:10.