Keren-happuch

Keren-happuch is Job’s third named daughter, introduced in the book’s closing account of his restored household. Though the text gives her no speech or independent action, it distinctly records her place in the family, her beauty, and her share in an inheritance from her father.

Identity and Family

The final chapter names Job’s three daughters in order: Jemima, Kezia, and Keren-happuch. Keren-happuch is therefore the youngest by the sequence of names, though the text gives no ages or further biographical details. The restored household is also said to include seven sons and three daughters, the same numbers given for Job’s children at the beginning of the narrative.

Place in Job’s Restoration

Keren-happuch appears as part of the account of Job’s renewed prosperity. After Job prays for his friends, God restores his fortunes and gives him twice as much as before; relatives and former acquaintances gather at his house, bringing gifts and sharing a meal. The account then gives the increased totals of Job’s herds and mentions his seven sons and three daughters, placing Keren-happuch within the family that marks the restored household.

Inheritance and Narrative Significance

The closing account says that Job gave his daughters an inheritance among their brothers. It does not specify what the inheritance consisted of, but it explicitly includes the daughters in the distribution. It also says that no women in the land were as beautiful as Job’s daughters, grouping Keren-happuch with Jemima and Kezia in this description. The narrative offers no separate characterization of Keren-happuch; her significance lies in these closing details, which give the daughters prominence in the account of Job’s restored family.