My journey with the book of Job began in 1993 as an Arts student at the University of Melbourne. I was deciding on an area of Old Testament research for my honours thesis, and in a conversation with my mentor Dr Peter Adam, he suggested the book of Job. That night for the first time I read through the whole book in one sitting. The next day I was working up a topic which became ‘The Creator God in the Book of Job’. It was soon clear to me that this extraordinary Bible book held far more for its readers than mere academic interest.
I am forever grateful to God for the ministry of the Christian Union, the Australian Fellowship of Evangelical Students and my mentors and friends, including Stephen Williams, David Walter and Gordon Cheng, each of whom constantly reminded me of the gospel of grace in Jesus and taught me how to read and receive the Scriptures as God’s word to us. My honours supervisor and first teacher of Hebrew, Dr Geoff Jenkins, challenged me to think critically, and he also introduced me to Professor F.I. (Frank) Andersen. Frank’s biblical and linguistic insights and godly example, as well as his own 1976 commentary on Job, influence every page of this book. I miss our conversations, but rejoice that Frank is now with the Lord.
At Ridley College in Melbourne, I was privileged to be taught wisdom literature and read the Hebrew Bible under Dr Lindsay Wilson. Lindsay later became the supervisor for my master’s thesis (‘The relationship between the Creator and the creature in the book of Job: an exploration of the theme of the book of Job’). This research led to subsequent journal articles, which undergird key sections in this book. Lindsay’s love for the book of Job and his personal
encouragement—together with his own journal articles and commentary—have provided much help and inspiration.
I am thankful for those who read and commented on early drafts, including my parents Richard and Ann Prideaux, my friend and wise guide Dr Andrew Moody (who also helped with diagrams and editing), Peter Adam and Frank Andersen. Without their support and encouragement, this commentary would never have seen the light of day. Heartfelt thanks also go to my friend and colleague at the University of Melbourne, Robert Miller, CU/AFES campus team leader, and to the other staff, students and all our gospel partners. The national board of AFES were generous in providing study leave so I could complete this project. I also give thanks for the prayers and encouragement of God’s people in our church families of St Paul’s Anglican and Rope Factory Churches‚ Warragul.
I am indebted to the encouragement of Dr Andrew Reid, a long-term contributor to this series, and to Dr Paul Barnett, the former series editor who gave me the opportunity to write this commentary. Thanks also go to series editor Dr Mark Thompson and the editorial team at Aquila led by Natasha Percy: Rachel Macdonald, Dr John McIntosh and Rachel Aitken.
Over a number of years now, I have faced significant challenges to my mental health. On many occasions, it has been hard to see God in the dark. But whether I have felt it or not, God’s goodness has been constant to me and his grace sufficient for me. I am grateful for a faithful group of friends who have listened, prayed and spoken truth into my life—the exact opposite of Job’s ‘comforters’! I also give thanks for wise health professionals and the support of my wife Ness and my parents. What a comfort it is to know that God’s word speaks into the brokenness and confusion of our lives this side of the new creation! The book of Job is unanimous with the rest of the Scriptures in maintaining that it is by the committed love and unsearchable wisdom of God that he holds us fast to himself and upholds the entire creation. Job was a man who learned this more than most, vii
and for whom the experience of knowing God was for a long time painful and confusing. Yet his life was ultimately crowned by his enduring hope and final glory. Job’s perseverance in his life lived with God continues to provide a faithful example for God’s people to follow. The book of Job gives us the language of lament, helping us to come to our steadfast, faithful heavenly Father honestly, whatever state we are in and whatever our trials might be. By the power of the Holy Spirit we are led through Job into a deeper appreciation of our heavenly Father’s deep and powerful love for us in his eternal Son: God’s faithful suffering Servant par excellence, the Lord Jesus Christ (James 5:7–11).
To God alone be the glory, Andrew R Prideaux
Introduction Finding our way through the book of Job
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE TEACH US?
Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son … (Hebrews 1:1–2a)
The very existence of the Bible reminds us of at least three wonderful truths about God: he is able, he is gentle and he is loving. The everlasting God is able to reveal himself to finite human beings; he is gentle with us in the way that he speaks to us with words and methods that we can understand and receive; and he does this so that he can demonstrate his merciful love towards us.
Left to ourselves and lost in the confusion of sin, we have no chance of finding or knowing God. But God is determined to make himself known to us. He does this in the person of his Son, Jesus Christ, the Word of God made flesh. We hear God speak to us about his Son through his Spirit-breathed Scriptures. The Bible is at the same time the word of the prophets and the Apostles and the word of Christ and of God (e.g. John 16:12–15; 17:20; 2 Timothy 3:14–17; 2 Peter 1:19–21).
God made us in his image, enabling us in turn to creatively develop language, genre and style. Our creator God connects with people of every language and culture, at every time and in every situation, through the agency of other people. And so Isaiah sounds like Isaiah, Moses sounds like Moses, and Job sounds like Job. Sometimes, as is the case with the book of Job, we find a mix of genres.
Yet through all this wonderful variety of human authors and genres (e.g. wisdom literature, history, poetry, hymns, genealogy, Gospels, letters), God clearly and infallibly reveals what he wants to reveal about himself, perfectly achieving his eternal purposes by his living, active and powerful word (e.g. Isaiah 55:6–11; Hebrews 4:12–13).
One of the things that the book of Job teaches us is our limitation as creatures. We can never master God, as if he were merely a concept or an object of our inquiry. However, at the same time, we can have true knowledge of our Maker, because he has graciously chosen to reveal himself to us in order to enter into a relationship with us (cf. Deuteronomy 29:29). One of the things the book of Job does is describe what such a relationship between the Creator, his creation and the creature made in his image looks like.
More than that, all of God’s words in the Bible prepare us for, describe, explain and apply God’s final and complete revelation of himself in his Son (Hebrews 1:2a). In the ‘last days’ in which we live, the time between Jesus’ first and second coming, no further revelation from God is needed. God has spoken to us by his Son, who comes clothed with all the promises of Scripture in both the Old and New Testament (2 Corinthians 1:18–22; 2 Peter 1:16–21).1
JOB IN CONTEXT
The ‘prophet’ Job
Of course, Job was a Gentile and a wisdom figure (a sage) and so strictly speaking not formally a prophet in Israel like people such as Isaiah, Ezekiel or Jeremiah. In fact, the book of Job belongs to the genre of wisdom literature, part of the third section of the Hebrew Bible known as the Writings (alongside the Law and the Prophets). Yet despite this, as the Apostle James seems to imply, Job fulfils the role of prophet in a broader sense (James 5:10–11). While he stood
1. For more on the nature and purpose of Scripture, see Packer, JI 1965, God Has Spoken, Baker Book House, Grand Rapids.
outside God’s purposes for Israel in salvation history, Job knew the Lord and demonstrated a life of steadfast faith and enduring hope in God’s compassion and mercy. In his suffering Job cried out to and waited for the Lord, becoming a suffering servant who in his life anticipated the coming of the Lord Jesus and his death and resurrection. Job now serves as an example of faith for God’s people as we await through tribulation the coming of the Lord Jesus in glory (James 5:7–11).
When and where did Job live?
Job is much harder to pinpoint in the history of God’s purposes than figures like Moses or Isaiah. For those prophets we have been given much more historical context; outside of the book that bears his name, Job is mentioned only in Ezekiel 14:14–20—where he is listed with Noah and Daniel (or Danel) as a person of extraordinary righteousness—and in James 5:11—where Job is presented to Christians as an example of persevering faith.
Job’s country is identified as Uz, east of Israel across the Jordan in Gentile territory (1:1, 3b). The exact location of Uz is hard to determine. One possible theory locates it in Edom, based on the connection made between Uz and Edom in Lamentations 4:21 and Jeremiah 25:20–21. The fact that Edom was known for its wisdom also lends some support to this view (Obadiah 8).2 This theme continues with Job’s three ‘comforters’—Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite—whose places of origin, like Job’s, appear to be Edomite and so traditionally linked with wisdom (2:11).
The two raiding parties that descend on Job’s life, stealing his property and murdering his servants, provide us with two further geographical markers. Sheba, the most prominent Arab state found in Northern Arabia, is highlighted with the mention of the Sabean raiding party (1:15). Famous
2. The LXX/Septuagint (3rd century BC Greek translation) identified Job (Hebrew ‘îyôḇ) with Jobab, king of Edom (Genesis 36:33).
Enduring Hope
as traders and infamous as raiders, they were most active from 1000–500 BC. The Chaldeans (1:17) also occupied this area, with a similar reputation.
Despite this evidence, these brief references make it impossible for us to be completely certain as to the exact location of Job’s country. The great Reformer John Calvin helpfully summarised what we can be certain about concerning the Gentile man from Uz: ‘We know not, neither can we guess in what time Job lived; saving that we perceive he was of great antiquity … and that the children of Abraham might know that God had showed favour to others who were not of the same line’. 3 We might add that the possible Edomite background of both Job and his three friends contributes to a wisdom setting for the debates which follow.
Regarding possible dates for Job’s life, pieces of evidence from the text itself suggest a setting for the story in Patriarchal times (2100–1800 BC, e.g. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob) or in an even earlier period. These include:
· the early style of ‘epic prose’ in the prologue
· the preservation of primitive spelling, the inclusion of about 100 words not found elsewhere in the Hebrew Bible, and the use of grammatical forms that predate those used during the time of the monarchy and the exile
· the covenant name for God, Lord (YAHWEH),4 is used in the prologue, the Lord’s speeches and the epilogue, but—with only one exception (12:9)—
3. Calvin, J 1574/1999, Sermons on Job, trans. Arthur Golding, Banner of Truth Trust, Edinburgh, p. 2.
4. The Hebrew text was originally written in consonantal form, with actual pronunciation handed down in oral form through regular reading in the synagogues. Vowel markers were added to the written text by the scribal group known as the Masoretes between the 6th and 10th centuries AD. They gave the word YHWH (the Tetragrammaton, ‘four letters’) the vowels of Adonai—a more general word for ‘lord’—or Elohim (‘God’)—to avoid saying the sacred name. This practice continues in Jewish culture to the present day. In previous generations, Christians pronounced YHWH as ‘Jehovah’, but it is more frequently read now as ‘Yahweh’.
more archaic titles for God are used in the bulk of the book: El, Eloah and Shaddai
· the way of life and customs described, such as Job’s servants and possessions, which bear similarities to the patriarchs
· the qᵊśîṭâ currency mentioned in 42:11, which is found only in the time of Jacob (Genesis 33:19; Joshua 24:32)
· Job’s priestly intercession on behalf of his family that resembles that of Noah or Abraham, predating the formal institution of the priesthood in the time of Moses (1:5).
At this point it is worth noting that some scholars see Job as a fictional character and the book of Job as an extended wisdom parable. However, there are no indications in the text itself that we should read Job in this way. The ancient story of Job has become in its final form a sophisticated wisdom text. As we will see, recognising the different aspects of the book’s distinctive wisdom flavour will be invaluable to our interpretation. However, in and through the book’s style and shape, the historical persona of Job persists. As well as this, the other biblical references to Job that we have noted each point to him being a real historical figure whose life God was at work in, and whose example of persevering faith God’s people are exhorted to follow.
When was the book of Job written?
The time when a book is written and its internal historical situation do not always coincide. Behind a book such as Job there potentially lies a long oral and then written tradition passed down over generations. While this is probable, the text we have is what God in his providence has chosen to preserve for us as the canonical book of Job.5 The Lord Jesus refers to what we now call the Old Testament as ‘the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms’ (Luke 24:44).
5. For more on these issues, refer to Childs, BS 1983, Introduction to the Old Testament as Scripture, SCM, London, Part 5, xxxiv.
Enduring Hope
The Psalms in this context included all ‘the Writings’, of which Job is a part.6 Proposed dates for the writing of Job range from the Patriarchal period to the 4th century BC. Given its distinctive wisdom flavour, as well as its possible relationship to the book of Proverbs, a date during the Solomonic age is plausible (c. 990–931 BC), but we cannot be certain. We will return to discuss Job’s place in the wisdom literature later in this introduction in ‘Making sense of the friends’.7
Start by reading the Bible
While we might find it frustrating that some of our questions about Job are difficult or even impossible to answer, it is important to remind ourselves that the Bible is not primarily a book of answers to our questions but contains what God wants us to know about himself. That is, everything that God wants to tell us and that we need to know is communicated to us. Much of reading the Bible is about learning to ask the right questions. God enables us to do this through his Spirit as we prayerfully read and re-read his word to us.8 So if you haven’t read the book of Job cover to cover yet, now is the time to put this book down and ask God to help you do just that!
HOW TO READ THE BOOK OF JOB
Because God has chosen to speak through human beings using human language, we will only receive his word and honour him if we pay attention to the particular tone, style and shape of each biblical book. As one writer put it, ‘We must attend to the homely phrases, the soaring poetry, the
6. The Hebrew Bible was (and still is) divided into the Law, the Prophets and the Writings, known collectively as the Tanakh (the Hebrew acronym for the three sections). The Writings were sometimes referred to simply as the Psalms, since it is the first and largest collection in that section.
7. For more on questions of background, refer to the commentaries listed at the end of the introduction.
8. See Adam, P 2008, Written for Us: Receiving God’s Words in the Bible, IVP, Leicester, pp. 11–14.
