Job is an example of a righteous man; he is one of whom the Apostle Paul said: “…we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses”, (Hebrews 12:1 NKJV), and consider “the issue of their life, imitate their faith” (Hebrews 13:7 ASV).

In James 5:11, we read, “Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy”. We are also told that “Even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were there, their righteousness would save no one but themselves, says the Sovereign LORD”, Ezekiel 14:14 NLT.

So, let’s research when this righteous man may have lived.

We find that 70 souls left Canaan and traveled into Egypt. Genesis 46:13; “Among them there was one man called Job – son of Issachar: And the sons of Issachar; Tola, and Phuvah, and Job, and Shimron.”

We also read that Jacob had a twin brother called Esau, who had 4 sons, one of them named Eliphaz. (1 Chronicles 1:35)

Within the book of Job, we find both names. Job had three comforters, or friends, who came to talk with him; one man was called Eliphaz (Job 2:11). Thus, the relationship between Job and Eliphaz may be proven by connecting Genesis 46, 1 Chronicles 1, and Job 2. However, some may say that the people in the book of Job reference a different Job and a different Eliphaz. Are there any other scriptures which might further connect them? Yes!

In Eliphaz’s talk to Job he said, “What knowest thou, that we know not? what understandest thou, which is not in us?  With us are both the grayheaded and very aged men, much elder than thy father.” Job 15:9,10

Eliphaz mentioned Job’s father, and he indicated that he knew him. He also mentioned that one of them (indirectly pointing back to himself) was older than his father. Eliphaz mentioned that he was older than Job’s father (Issachar), and that was very true. We remember that Esau married when he was only 40 years old (Genesis 26:34), and he took two wives. Jacob didn’t get married until he was about 70 years old. So of course Esau’s sons were older than Jacob’s sons. This was exactly what Eliphaz said – that he (Eliphaz) was older than his father (Issachar). So this scripture supports the assertion that the genealogy from Genesis is connected to Job.

Another proof focuses on what God said about Job. Job 1:8, “And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?” So, as a result we see that Job lived during a time when there were no other people better than him. During which period of time were there no others with Job’s righteousness?

Returning to the Genesis genealogy, we find that Job must have lived after all the sons of Jacob died and before Moses – in a time in which there were no other faithful people. Some suggest that Job could have lived during Abraham’s and Melchizedek’s time. That would conflict with the Scripture that there was no man on the earth like him (Job), because Abraham was a man of faith. Abraham received the promise that in him and his seed, all the families of the earth would be blessed.

All these scriptures harmonize to show that Job really lived after the sons of Jacob died and before Moses.