the patriarch, from whom one of the books of the Old Testament is named. His residence in the
land of Uz marks him as belonging to a branch of the Aramean race, which had settled in the lower
part of Mesopatamia (Probably to the south or southeast of Palestine, in Idumean Arabia), adjacent
to the Sabeans and Chaldeans. The opinions of Job and his friends are thus peculiarly interesting
as exhibiting an aspect of the patriarchal religion outside of the family of Abraham, and as yet
uninfluenced by the legislation of Moses. The form of worship belongs essentially to the early
patriarchal type; with little of ceremonial ritual, without a separate priesthood, it is thoroughly
domestic in form and spirit. Job is represented as a chieftain of immense wealth and high rank,
blameless in all the relations of life. What we know of his history is given in the book that bears
his name.
(persecuted), the third son of Issachar, (Genesis 46:13) called in another genealogy Jashub. (1
Chronicles 7:1)
Job, Book Of
This book has given rise to much discussion and criticism, some believing the book to be strictly
historical; others a religious fiction; others a composition based upon facts. By some the authorship
of the work was attributed to Moses, but it is very uncertain. Luther first suggested the theory which,
in some form or other, is now most generally received. He says, “I look upon the book of Job as a
true history, yet I do not believe that all took place just as it is written, but that an ingenious, pious
and learned man brought it into its present form.” The date of the book is doubtful, and there have
been many theories upon the subject. It may be regarded as a settled point that the book was written
long before the exile, probably between the birth of Abraham and the exodus of the Israelites from
Egypt—B.C. 2000-1800. If by Moses, it was probably written during his sojourn in Midian. “The
book of Job is not only one of the most remarkable in the Bible, but in literature. As was said of
Goliath’s sword, ’There is none like it;’ none in ancient or in modern literature.”—Kitto. “A book
which will one day, perhaps, be seen towering up alone far above all the poetry of the world.”—J.A.
Froude. “The book of Job is a drama, and yet subjectively true. The two ideas are perfectly consistent.
It may have the dramatic form, the dramatic interest, the dramatic emotion, and yet be substantially
a truthful narrative. The author may have received it in one of three ways: the writer may have been
an eyewitness; or have received it from near contemporary testimony; or it may have reached him
through a tradition of whose substantial truthfulness he has no doubt. There is abundant internal
evidence that the scenes and events recorded were real scenes and real events to the writer. He
gives the discussions either as he had heard them or as they had been repeated over and over in
many an ancient consensus. The very modes of transmission show the deep impression it had made
in all the East, as a veritable as well as marvellous event.”—Tayler Lewis. the design of the
book.—Stanley says that “The whole book is a discussion of that great problem of human life: what
is the intention of Divine Providence in allowing the good to suffer?” “The direct object is to show
that, although goodness has a natural tendency to secure a full measure of temporal happiness, yet
that in its essence it is independent of such a result. Selfishness in some form is declared to be the
basis on which all apparent goodness rests. That question is tried in the case of Job.”—Cook.
Structure of the book .-The book consists of five parts:— I. Chs. 1-3. The historical facts. II. Chs.
4-31. The discussions between Job and his three friends. III. Chs. 32-37. Job’s discussion with
Elihu. IV. Chs. 38-41. The theophany—God speaking out of the storm. V. Ch. 42. The successful
termination of the trial. It is all in poetry except the introduction and the close. The argument .—
frankie
(Frankie)
#1