Job’s wife may be the most maligned woman in the Bible.

It’s not fair.

What she said was bad, but one must remember when she said it. Her children had just lost their lives. She and her husband had lost all their property. And now the man she loved had lost his health. Under such conditions many would have said foolish things. Depression often causes words to drop from our lips that would never be uttered under normal circumstances.

We must be careful not to judge the man by the moment. Or the woman.

Job understood his wife’s state of mind and spoke to her tenderly. He didn’t call her a fool. He knew her too well for that…and loved her. He simply told her that she was talking like one of the foolish women. He reminded her that she was out of character. This was not like her. There is not a touch of bitterness in his word of correction. This patient and good man knew the load of grief being carried by his deprived wife and he had compassion on her.

And now a good word for Mrs. Job. It is said that whenever a man reaches the top a good woman is holding the ladder. And Job had become a prosperous and respected man. Mrs. Job had evidently been a loyal and helpful companion through the years, a good homemaker and mother. She doesn’t deserve the criticism heaped on her for her single lapse of judgment during a time of deep depression.

To attack others when they are down is to act like the foolish ones. “Husbands, love your wives” (Ephesians 5:25).