How Many Children Did Job Actually Lose?

I hope the above title doesn't sound flippant, because it's a serious, and obviously tragic, question.

My quest for answers began on 25th May, when I read the following words of Job, as he was suffering incalculable illness and disease throughout chapter 17 of the eponymous book Job in the online God's Word Bible:

My breath offends my wife.
I stink to my own children.

- Job 19:17 (God's Word)

Whoa! Hang on a sec - back in chapter one, didn't it say something along the lines of all ten of Job's children having died?

While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, “Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine at their oldest brother’s home when suddenly a great storm swept across the desert and struck the four corners of the house. It fell on the young people, and they died. I’m the only one who has escaped to tell you.”

- Job 1:18-19 (God's Word)

Hmm... it just says "they died." No total is actually ascribed to the value "they". So when saying "they", could the messenger have possibly been only referring to some of Job's kids, therefore leaving a few others alive and well enough to complain about Job's personal hygiene by chapter 19?

Of course, the God's Word is just one of the many English translations of the Bible that there are on offer. So, not being fluent in Hebrew, I decided to have a quick flick through some of the other English translations, just to find out which, if any, categorically stated that every single one of Job's children had died in that tragic disaster.

Most weren't quite that explicit, but a few were. First-up, ever one to break things to us gently, was the Contemporary English Version.

That servant was still speaking, when a fourth one dashed up and said, "Your children were having a feast and drinking wine at the home of your oldest son, when suddenly a windstorm from the desert blew the house down, crushing all of your children. I am the only one who escaped to tell you."

- Job 1:18-19 (CEV)

Well, that states that they all got crushed, but stops short of confirming that they all died. Some may have survived the accident. So, no hard conclusion there.

Next, here's the New Living Translation:

While he was still speaking, another messenger arrived with this news: “Your sons and daughters were feasting in their oldest brother’s home. Suddenly, a powerful wind swept in from the wilderness and hit the house on all sides. The house collapsed, and all your children are dead. I am the only one who escaped to tell you.”

- Job 1:18-19 (NLT)

"all your children are dead." That's sounds pretty definite, doesn't it?

And yet, I suspect that the use of the word "all" might just refer to all of Job's children who were present in the house that day. As the preceding verse 18 just says "Your sons and daughters were feasting in their oldest brother's home", this may not have meant that all of them were there in the first place. For example, it might just have meant that most of them were there. Even their oldest brother may not have actually been present for the meal.

In fact, none of the quotes above are specific about how many of Job's offspring were definitely at the house before the disaster struck.

Also, if other people's children had also been feasting there with them, then the phrase "all your children are dead" could just refer to those kids present who belonged to Job's family, to distinguish them from the other casualties. Still no definite conclusion.

In fact, I've been through every English translation that I can lay my hands on (about 20), but all of them have stopped short of definitely stating in no uncertain terms that every last one of Job's children died in that awful event. Some, such as the Darby Translation, even just describe "the young men" as victims. And the young women?

However, even if you do find the wording of the New Living Translation above convincing enough, when it catches-up to the later remark in 19:17, it translates "children" as the somewhat cagier "family".

Could it be that my original reason for asking the question was flawed?

My wife can't stand the smell of my breath,
and my own brothers won't come near me.

- Job 19:17 (Good News)

Sheesh, wheels within wheels...

So, somewhat inevitably, I gave up on the English translations, went to biblos.com and clicked on the Lexicon tab to take a look at the original Hebrew language after all, and even that seems to be a bit vague about it. I find that encouraging however, as it means that the ambiguity of the original text has not been strained-out in translation.

So, given Job's arguable later reference to them in chapter 19, did all of Job's kids actually die in chapter one?

The answer, obviously, is I sincerely hope not.