Bible Overview Job
Mike Ervin
Below is a comprehensive overview of the Book of Job, including authorship, date, themes, chapter summary, and its significance.
1. Authorship of Job
Traditional View
• The traditional Jewish and Christian perspective is that Job himself or Moses wrote the book.
• Jewish tradition (Talmud, Baba Bathra 14b-15a) attributes authorship to Moses, who supposedly recorded the story while in the wilderness.
• Some ancient Christian scholars, including Gregory the Great and Origen, also leaned toward Moses as the author.
Modern Scholarly View
• Most modern scholars reject Mosaic authorship due to linguistic style and historical setting.
• The Hebrew in Job is distinct from Mosaic-era Hebrew, with Aramaic influences and wisdom literature elements suggesting a later period.
• Scholars suggest an anonymous wisdom writer, possibly associated with Israelite sages.
• Some propose Solomon or a later wisdom author during the exilic or post-exilic period.
2. Date of Authorship
Traditional View
• Many early traditions suggest Job lived before or during Abraham’s time (c. 2000 BCE).
• Reasons for an early date:
• Patriarchal customs (e.g., Job offers sacrifices like Abraham).
• No mention of Israelite history or Mosaic Law.
• Job’s wealth is measured in livestock, not coinage (like in Genesis).
Modern Scholarly View
• Linguistic and thematic evidence suggests a later date (7th–4th century BCE):
• Hebrew language contains Aramaic influences, indicating a later stage of Hebrew development.
• Theological themes (e.g., Satan as an accuser, discussions of divine justice) align with post-exilic wisdom literature.
• Many scholars date it to the exilic (6th century BCE) or post-exilic (5th–4th century BCE) period, possibly influenced by Babylonian and Persian wisdom traditions.
Conclusion: The book’s setting may be ancient, but its final composition was likely during or after the Babylonian exile (6th–4th century BCE).
3. Main Themes of Job
A. The Problem of Suffering (Theodicy)
• Job questions why the righteous suffer while the wicked prosper.
• Challenges the retribution principle (good people prosper, bad people suffer).
B. God’s Sovereignty and Wisdom
• Human wisdom is limited, and God’s ways are beyond human understanding.
• Job never receives an answer to “why” he suffers but learns to trust God’s wisdom.
C. The Role of Satan (The Accuser)
• Satan appears in Job 1-2 as the accuser, questioning Job’s faithfulness.
• Raises questions about whether suffering tests faith.
D. The Failure of Human Wisdom
• Job’s friends (Eliphaz, Bildad, Zophar) rely on simplistic, traditional wisdom:
• “You suffer because you sinned.”
• Job rejects their logic but struggles to understand his suffering.
E. Restoration and Divine Justice
• Job is eventually restored, but God never explains the test.
• This challenges simplistic ideas of divine justice.
4. Chapter-by-Chapter Summary
Prologue: Job’s Test (Chapters 1–2)
• Job is a righteous man with great wealth and a large family.
• Satan challenges Job’s faithfulness, arguing he serves God only because of his blessings.
• God allows Satan to test Job, taking his wealth, children, and health.
• Job refuses to curse God but is deeply distressed.
Job’s Lament (Chapter 3)
• Job curses the day of his birth, wishing he had never been born.
Dialogues: Job vs. His Friends (Chapters 4–27)
Cycle 1 (Chapters 4–14): First Round of Debate
• Eliphaz: Job’s suffering is due to sin—he should repent.
• Bildad: Job’s children died because of their sin; Job must seek God.
• Zophar: Job deserves worse suffering for his sin.
• Job’s Response: Job insists he is innocent and questions God’s justice.
Cycle 2 (Chapters 15–21): Intensified Accusations
• The friends repeat their arguments more harshly.
• Job remains defiant but begins questioning God’s justice more directly.
Cycle 3 (Chapters 22–27): Breakdown of the Argument
• The friends run out of arguments.
• Job expresses hope in a Redeemer (Job 19:25-27).
Wisdom Poem (Chapter 28): Where Is True Wisdom?
• Wisdom is not found in human experience but belongs to God alone.
Job’s Final Defense (Chapters 29–31)
• Job reflects on his former life of honor and contrasts it with his current misery.
• He swears his innocence and calls on God for an answer.
Elihu’s Speeches (Chapters 32–37)
• A younger speaker, Elihu, rebukes both Job and his friends.
• He argues that God uses suffering to teach and discipline.
God’s Response (Chapters 38–41): The Divine Speeches
• God speaks from a whirlwind and asks Job 70+ rhetorical questions about creation.
• Job realizes he lacks the wisdom to question God.
• God does not explain Job’s suffering but emphasizes His sovereignty.
Job’s Humble Response and Restoration (Chapter 42)
• Job repents in humility.
• God rebukes Job’s friends for misrepresenting Him.
• Job’s wealth, health, and family are restored.
5. Conclusion: The Importance of Job
A. A Unique Biblical Book
• Job is part of Wisdom Literature (along with Proverbs and Ecclesiastes).
• It presents a complex, poetic exploration of suffering unlike any other biblical book.
B. Challenges Simplistic Theology
• It rejects the idea that suffering is always due to personal sin.
• Instead, it presents a mystery—sometimes suffering has no clear explanation.
C. Theological Depth: Trusting in God’s Wisdom
• Job never receives a reason for his suffering, but he learns to trust God’s wisdom.
• This prefigures faith in divine providence, a theme later explored in the New Testament (Romans 8:28; 1 Peter 4:12-19).
D. Influence on Later Thought
• Job’s theme of unjust suffering is echoed in the suffering of Jesus Christ.
• The early Church Fathers, Reformers, and modern theologians have drawn on Job to discuss suffering, faith, and divine justice.
Final Thought: The Book of Job stands as one of the most profound explorations of suffering, faith, and divine wisdom in all of Scripture.