איוב, פרק י״ט, פסוק י״א

Job experiences a profound and painful sense of divine hostility, feeling as though he has been marked as a sworn enemy. The primary approach among commentators is that God is angry with Job and treats him as a hated rival. Consequently, God strikes him repeatedly and brings him harm, mirroring how a person naturally acts against an adversary [רמב״ן, מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. This harsh reality sets the stage for the immense animosity and restlessness decreed upon Job. The situation ultimately leads to his complete isolation, driving away even his own household and closest loved ones [תקות אנוש].

In contrast to the idea that this hostility comes directly from God, another perspective views the anger as an independent entity acting as a messenger. According to this line of thought, God stirred up an abstract force of wrath against Job, and it is this force itself that treats him as an opponent [מלבי״ם]. A more specific interpretation identifies this primary destructive force directly with Satan. In this view, God incited Satan against Job by pointing out Job's righteousness. As a result, Satan views Job as an enemy, treating him with the intensity reserved for a multitude of adversaries. The root of this deep hostility is Job's steadfast integrity; by remaining righteous, Job causes Satan to appear as a liar and a failure before God [אלשיך].