1 Job Outline 1. prose prologue (1-2) 2. Job's lament (3) 3. dialogue between Job & his friends (4-27) a. first cycle (4-14) b. second cycle (15-21) c. third cycle (22-27) 4. poem on wisdom (28) 5. Job's complaint (29-31) 6. Elihu's speeches (32-37) 7. Yahweh's speeches (38:1-42:6) 8. prose epilogue (42:7-17) Date & Authorship dated in 7th C (Andersen), mid-6th C (Terrien), 4th-3rd C (Dhorme, Fohrer) story of Job itself earlier than final form, as indicated by ref. in Ezek 14:14, 20 Edomite setting, lack of cult centralization, picture of Sabeans & Chaldeans as marauding bands in prose sections give appearance of antiquity (2d M), but may be artificial appendix to LXX mss identifies Job with Jobab, king of Edom (Gen 36:33), grandson of Esau Talmud suggests Moses as author (Baba Bathra 14b), but author unknown poet of immense skill & knowledge, employing wide variety of moods & figures of speech & showing great knowledge of natural phenomena (5 words for lion in 4:10-11, 13 precious stones in 28:15-19) Critical Issues Contrast with Traditional Wisdom common proverbs frequently quoted in speeches of friends, implying doubt as to universal validity of traditional (institutional, theory-based) wisdom, as opposed to subversive (alternative, reality-based wisdom) main issue is denial of cause-effect universe, the idea that every good deed is rewarded and every evil deed is punished (i.e., retribution) instead, Job affirms the absolute sovereignty of God God never has to bless or punish Satan and the Heavenly Council imagery of heavenly court with God as king and others around him as servants of court "sons of God," "gods," "holy ones" frequently used term in poetry (Pss 29:1-2; 82:1, 6; 58:1; 86:8; cf. Gen 6:1-2) related to angels (Pss 103:20; 104:4) similar to Canaanite pantheon surrounding El (& Baal), but adapted to OT theology by subjugating all other "gods" to Yahweh
2 Satan mentioned explicitly only 3x in OT: Zech 3:1-2 & Job use article, "the Satan/adversary," 1 Chr 21:1 doesn't use article concept of Satan grew during second temple period, so that by NT times common to Jewish (& Christian) theology Structure of Third Cycle problem: only speech by Eliphaz of normal length: Bildad's speech only 6 verses, & no third speech for Zophar words attributed to Job (e.g., 24:18-24; 27:13-23) contradict his earlier statements & seem more at home on the lips of the friends Dhorme speeches by three 2. Bildad 25:1-6; 26:5-14 3. Zophar 24:18-24; 27:13-23 Hartley (NICOT) speeches by two 2. Bildad 25:1-6; 27:13-23 Westermann speech by one friend, followed by fragments: 2. unfinished fragments of material, some related & other not related to previous sections 24:1-27:23 Sheol place of the dead, destiny of all humanity throughout most of OT (7:9-10) yet God's power extends even into Sheol, suggesting the faint hope that perhaps even after death some chance of acquittal remains (14:13-15) Text LXX (OG) 1/6 shorter than MT, very free rendering 1-2 Prose Prologue the setup: Job described as person of integrity and honesty, who worshiped God and shunned evil the wager: the adversary believes Job worships God only because God has given him so much and protects him from loss (religion of expedience); God maintains that Job's worship is rooted in a pure heart (disinterested righteousness) two waves of misfortune that follow are known to the reader, but not to Job, who never discovers the motivation behind his suffering Job is an innocent sufferer, yet he refuses to curse God, proving that God was right in his assessment of him
3 3 Job's Lament though God has already won the wager, Job examines his circumstances more deeply from the only perspective available to him: his own human perspective, with the statements of his friends as a foil for his thoughts result is new understanding of nature of God & of human suffering Job complains of lack of justice, & longs for death, the great equalizer, as escape from harsh realities of life: Why should the sufferer be born to see the light? Why is life given to those who find it so bitter? (3:20) prefers death to life without justice 4-27 Dialogue between Job & His Friends Eliphaz, Bildad, Zophar proponents of traditional wisdom teaching, they hope to help Job understand that his suffering is the result of sin and turn him back to God, on the theory that adversity understood is easier to bear 4-14 First Cycle 1. (E): the innocent do not suffer (4:7-8; cf. Pr 22:8) 2. (E): trivializes suffering (5:7) 3. (B): tradition gives authority to teachings of friends (8:8-10) 4. (Z): Job's past failures & present unrepentance cause suffering (11:13-20) 1. declares his innocence (6:24) 2. life on earth is difficult (7:1-2) 3. asks God to let him die in peace (7:16, 9-10) 4. God destroys the innocent and the guilty together (9:22-24) 5. wishes for impartial judge, but knows it is impossible to stand before God (9:33-35, 2-3) 6. friends should not presume to speak for God (13:7-12) 7. two views of God: one who desires fellowship (14:15) & one who punishes mercilessly (14:18-20) 15-21 Second Cycle 1. (E): Job's harsh words break the communication with God (15:2-4) 2. (B): it is evildoers who suffer (18:5) 3. (Z): cites the past with authority, but not with accuracy (20:4ff) 1. the privileged/healthy do not understand or know how to address the situation of the oppressed/sick (16:4-5)
4 2. maintains hope that God truly is just (16:18-21) 3. begs for pity and understanding from his friends (19:21-22) 4. in spite of appearances, God is the defender of those who suffer injustices (19:25) 5. in the real world, the wicked rarely suffer for their sins (21:7-18) 22-27 Third Cycle 1. (E): lists Job's sins based on dogma rather than evidence (22:6-11) 2. (E): solution to Job's problems is humble repentance, resulting in restoration of wealth (22:29, 21) 1. God hides himself outside Job's grasp (23:8-9) 2. the plight of the poor surrounded by the rich and God's seeming indifference (24:5-12) 28 Poem on Wisdom wisdom can't be found by human effort God alone can reveal it 29-31 Job's Final Speech directed toward God, not friends maintains innocence & righteousness in spite of suffering 32-37 Speeches of Elihu seems to be intrusion in book, perhaps by same author at later time: 1. Elihu not mentioned in prologue or epilogue 2. interrupts dialogue with monologue 3. interrupts flow between chs. 31 & 38 rebukes both Job for self-righteousness & friends for failure to refute Job (32:11-14; 33:8-12) purpose not to comfort, but to teach & pass judgment (33:31-33) suffering is one way God gets people to pay attention to him (33:14-22; 36:15) maintains God's justice (34:12, 24-28) God is too great to speak to humans (33:12; 35:9-13) though correct about God's greatness and justice, Elihu underestimates God's compassion for the suffering and God's attainability, albeit on God's own terms 38:1-42:6 Speeches of Yahweh addresses Job directly, ignoring friends & Elihu
5 vain to try to speak about God & his work, or esp. to speak for God (38:2-3) God is sovereign and just, and his acts in the world are inscrutable (40:8) Job responds to God's words by repenting of rash statements (42:1-6) 42:7-17 Prose Epilogue God angry at three friends because, though Job spoke without understanding, friends spoke what was false, spoke presumptuously, claiming God's wisdom (42:7) God affirms Job as his faithful servant, in spite of his suffering, failure to understand, and questioning of God (42:8) Questions was some or all of Job's suffering caused by sin? (Sabeans, Chaldeans, wife, friends) though Job denies the concept of retribution, his request for just treatment depends on it