Questions From Readers

Should we understand from Job 1:8 that during the period when Job lived, he was the only human who was faithful to Jehovah?

No. That conclusion is not justified by Job 1:8, which says:

“Jehovah went on to say to Satan: ‘Have you set your heart upon my servant Job, that there is no one like him in the earth, a man blameless and upright, fearing God and turning aside from bad?’” God provided a similar assessment at Job 2:3, asking Satan: “Have you set your heart upon my servant Job, that there is no one like him in the earth, a man blameless and upright, fearing God and turning aside from bad?”

The book of Job itself indicates that Job was not the only human alive whom God accepted as faithful. Beginning in chapter 32, we read about Elihu. Though being a younger man, Elihu corrected the error of Job’s outlook and magnified the true God.​—Job 32:6–33:6, 31-33; Job 35:1–36:2.

Consequently, God’s comment that ‘there was no one like Job in the earth’ must mean that Job was particularly outstanding as a man of uprightness. Likely Job lived in the interval between the death of Joseph in Egypt and the beginning of Moses’ service as God’s prophet. During that period a large number of Israelites resided in Egypt. There is no reason to think that all of them were unfaithful and unacceptable to God; probably there were many who trusted in Jehovah. (Exodus 2:1-10; Hebrews 11:23) Yet, none of them played a prominent role, as Joseph had, nor were those worshipers outstanding as to true worship, as Moses would be in leading the nation of Israel out of Egypt.

Living elsewhere, though, there was a man of noteworthy integrity. “There happened to be a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job; and that man proved to be blameless and upright, and fearing God and turning aside from bad.”​—Job 1:1.

Jehovah could thus mention Job as a conspicuous or notable example of faith and devotion. Similarly, Bible writers Ezekiel and James retrospectively singled out Job as setting a pattern of righteousness and endurance.​—Ezekiel 14:14; James 5:11.