Who were the sons of God in the book of Job?

The story of Job is memorable for his suffering and for God’s response to it. Yet the opening scene, depicting Satan appearing in God’s heavenly court, is also intriguing. As Satan and God discussed testing Job, the “sons of God” were present. Job 1:6 paints the picture: “Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them” (KJV). As other passages confirm, the “sons of God” were angels who served in God’s heavenly court (e.g., Job 38:7; Psalm 89:6–7).

Knowing the context of the first chapter of Job helps clarify the identity of the “sons of God.” In the opening verses, Job is introduced as a righteous, wealthy, and devoted family man (Job 1:1–5). Before describing the tragedy that would strike his household (Job 1:13–19), the story depicts a scene in heaven where the sons of God present themselves before the Lord, and Satan is also present (Job 1:6).

In the dialogue that follows, God permits Satan to test Job. Yet He but forbids Satan to harm Job directly. God said to Satan, “Everything he has is in your power, but on the man himself do not lay a finger” (Job 1:12). This heavenly setting reinforces that the “sons of God” are not humans but are heavenly beings.

The book of Job mentions the “sons of God” again later when God challenges Job to consider His role in creation. God says, “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?” (Job 38:4). He then asks a series of rhetorical questions to expose Job’s limited understanding of the world. Among them, God asks where Job was “when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy” (Job 38:7, KJV). This question points to a moment early in creation before human beings existed. It suggests that the sons of God are angelic beings who praised God as He brought the heavens and the earth into existence.

The more literal translations, including the NKJV, ESV, and NASB, use the phrase sons of God in Job 38:7 (and in Job 1:6). The more dynamic translations (NIV, CEV) simply say, “angels.” The International Standard Version has “divine beings.” The Amplified Bible has both “sons of God” and the explanatory note, “angels.” So, many translations reflect the widespread understanding that the “sons of God” were angelic beings in God’s heavenly court.

Another biblical passage that mentions the “sons of God” is Genesis 6:2, which says, “The sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose” (KJV). A plain reading of this verse leads one to believe that certain angels broke God’s law by cohabiting with humans—and the New Testament writers seem to confirm this view. For example, Peter says that “God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them in chains of darkness to be held for judgment” (2 Peter 2:4). And Jude says, “The angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their proper dwelling—these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day” (Jude 1:6). Peter and Jude seemed to believe the sons of God in Genesis 6:2 were angels who sinned when they stepped outside of their God-given role. This interpretation of sons of God agrees with how the phrase is used in the book of Job.

Finally, in the Bible, the phrase sons of, when used to describe a group, often indicates a shared origin, identity, or allegiance. It does not necessarily imply biological descent but a common association or characteristic. For example, the phrase sons of the prophets (2 Kings 2:3) refers to followers or students of the prophets, while sons of disobedience (Ephesians 2:2) describes those who live in rebellion against God. Likewise, the phrase sons of God suggests that all angels, though some fell into sin, were originally members of God’s heavenly court.