Title: Job
Description: The book of Job is one of the most profound literary, theological, and philosophical works ever written. It is a book without equal that has challenged the world's best thinkers ever since it first appeared. The story concerns a man named Job who experienced a series of calamities that tested his faith in God. Outside the book of Job, this character is mentioned only in James 5:11 where he is praised for his "perseverance" and in Ezekiel 14:14, 20 where he is commended for his "righteousness." In both passages he is viewed as an ancient example of a person who was extremely devoted to God -- a hero of the faith, so to speak. The book takes up a topic that was well-known in the ancient world -- the innocent sufferer. The author of Job tackles this topic from a monotheistic viewpoint. Job falls into a genre of literature known as the wisdom literature. Four books in the Old Testament are usually placed in this genre: Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, and Job (plus two in the Apocrypha: Wisdom of Solomon and Ecclesiasticus/Sirach). In addition, there are wisdom sayings and forms scattered throughout the Psalms and Prophets. There are also countless wisdom forms in the New Testament Gospels. Jesus used them frequently in his teaching. The prologue, epilogue, and chapter 29 provide happy scenes at both ends of Job's life when he was blessed by God. But the dialogues describe a middle time period when he was wracked by physical pain, social ostracism, mental anguish, and spiritual doubts about God. As a result, some scholars place this book closer to Proverbs and others closer to Ecclesiastes. Generally speaking, the wisdom literature focuses on universal issues that transcend any one culture. It commonly addresses questions such as: What is the meaning of human existence? What is God's relationship to human beings? Is there any order in this world? Why do good people sometimes suffer awful tragedies and diseases? The writers who first addressed these issues in written form appeared sometime in the first half of the third millennium BC. Down through the centuries there has been no lack of writers on these subjects, even to the present day. - Introduction.
Subjects: Bible, commentaries, o. t. poetical books