The Lord, like a king presiding over his court, appears surrounded by the “sons of God,” his servants and courtiers, among whom is Satan. Neither are they the angels of our Christian theology, nor is this, yet the devil. Satan, “the adversary,” is the name of the office he holds: to roam the earth on a mission of espionage. God is proud of Job’s integrity, but Satan is skeptical, and before the entire heavenly court, he suggests that Job is a virtuous man simply because of the account he has of him. If he lost everything, could the same be said? In the context of a culture of honor and shame, God is now risking his prestige and allows Satan to test Job.