The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1850-01-31

DR.. RAPHALL's LECTURES ON HEBREW LITE
RATURE-TRe Book Of Job.-The subject an
nounced for the second lecture of this course, de-
livered in Philadelphia on Saturday evening, the
18th inst, was
The FIRST Period Continucd-The Book Of Job. Under
what species Of poetic composition ought this book be
Its plot or actonits dramatis persons Job; lis WIFE KIN
three ends Character of the dalogues connection and
progress
DR.. Raphall began by hastily reviewing the first
lecture. He said that in his opinion, Job was an
historical character as much as Noah and Daniel
with whom he is cassed by the Prophet Ezekiel in
the 14th chapter, 18th verse Though these three
meR, Noah, Daniel and job, etc. Ii is said Of job
There is none like unto him in all the earth.e This
would not have been said had Jacob and Joseph
been living, who were contemporaries with Jobab.
Dr. r. thinks he lived just after The time of 10.
seph. AS proof that Moses did not write the
book and that it was written before his time, he
said there were seventysix Hebrew roots in it that
are used in no other book in the Bible, and must
have been obsolete before the time of Moses. DIR.
r. is therefore positive il was written before his
time. II has been said that it was not written by a
Hebrew because Moses and Aaron, and the Won
ders which they wrought in Egypt, are never once
mentioned. But if we suppose that it was written
before their time, this assertion would have no
weight
The lesson taught in this book is that we are 10
receive our retrhnon hereafter that in this world
r.
Dr. Rapliall considers the book OF Job melo.
dramatic poem. Bishop Lo~th, in his lectures on
Hebrew Poetry, says it cannot be considered gem
nine drama because il has no regular plot. lnths
DR.. R. differs with Bishop Lowth. The book com
mences by giving the character Of Job and enume-
rating his possessions after which it relates that
There was day when the sops of God came TO
present themselves to the Lord, and Satan came
also among them. And the Lord said to Satan,
Hast thou considered my servant Job that there is
none like him in all the eaFsh 90 And Satan an
swered Job is good because il is his interest TO be
so--he is hypOcrile. Take away all that he hath
and he will curse thee to thy face. Satan receives
permission 70 take from him all that he had, only
not to touch him.
In one happy day job is deprived of all that he
had. And then Job arose and rent his mantle
and shaved his head and fell down upon the ground
and worshipped, and said, Naked came out OF my
mothers womb and naked shall return thither /;
the Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away /;
blessed be the name of the Lord" All his afalc-
tons could not make him curse God.
When Satan finds he cannot move him, he says:
Skin for skin, yea, all that man hath, will he
give for his lfe' Satan again receives permission,
and Job is smitten with what is called in the Eng
fish Bible a burning epr0sy' We who live in
temperate climates can have no idea of this horri-
bic disease. By it, piece by piece, the whole body
wastes away.
His wife, who should have been a comforter to
him, advises him TO curse God and die.
n DIR. Raphall said that the word which in the Eng
llsh Bible is translated "curse," means strictly,
bid farewell TO thy GOd''
Dr. X. then went on to describe Jobs friends
and their dialogues
The author Of the Book of lob as If governed
by the rules Of modern criticism always suits his
Style 10 his subject. All who read this book mnst
admire lhe language, plot, and every thing IN it,
Evening Bulletla.