See also greg parsons excellent article on job guidelines for understanding and proclaiming the book of job from bibliotheca sacra 151, 1994, pages 3934 introduction the reader who desires to unlock the rich theological treasures contained in the book of job should assume its literary unity. Both deal with the question of suffering in the lives of believers. You have heard of the perseverance of job and seen the end intended by the lord that the lord is very compassionate and merciful james 5. Sep 07, 2010 the book of job has been widely given the theme of patience and we see this mentioned in the new testament book of james. Commentary on job 3842 job meets god tough questions. The prologue, which provides context in the heavenly. Study guide for job 1 by david guzik blue letter bible. Job 39 commentary matthew henry commentary on the whole. The book of job the book of job, named after its protagonist apparently not an israelite.
The author s own translation from the original hebrew forms the basis of the commentary proper. The two great themes of the book of job, as explained by james, are the perseverance of job and the end intended. But the odious judgments made by his friends caution us against making toocertain application of any model to our own lives. Job is a wealthy and godfearing man with a comfortable life and a large family.
The book of job, named after its protagonist apparently not an israelite. Tomorrow, if all literature was to be destroyed and it was left to me to retain one work only, i should save job. Satan had leave to touch, to touch and take, all he had, and was confident that he would then curse god to his face. Job free bible commentary in easy english easyenglish bible.
Job 2 commentary matthew henry commentary on the whole. Job is perhaps one of the most interesting and perplexing books of the bible, and longmans commentary does much to shed light on some of the primary difficulties people often encounter when engaging with job. Eliphaz is the first of job s friends to respond to job. The text of job is so ancient that in some places we dont really know the exact meaning of some of the words. A major difficulty in understanding the meaning of the book is, what insight leads job to submit so humbly to god at the end. Zuck, a biblical theology of the old testament, pp. The poetic discourseswhich probe the meaning of jobs sufferings and the manner in which he should respondconsist of three cycles of speeches that contain. Once more we benefit from know the storybehindthestory, which job and his friends do not know at this point in the narrative. Book of job is one of the most misunderstood books in the bible.
The book of james is particularly related to the book of job in the old testament. Job asks why god hides from him, and does not reveal his sins. Commentary on the book of job chapter one by wm w wells. Job proves faithful to god in prosperity and in adversity. Its author is unknown yet it is possible that job himself wrote it. You have heard of the perseverance of job and seen the end intended by the lord that the lord is very compassionate and merciful. This only is certain, that it presents a picture of a very early civilisation. The book of job is considered being part of the poetic books job, psalms, proverbs, ecclesiastes, and song of songs in todays bible editions. Job accuses god of being unjust and not operating the world according to principles of justice, and his friends believe that job s sin caused his suffering. The book of job challenges the simple equation of suffering with punishment, by telling the story of one righteous mans confrontation with overwhelming misfortune. The meaning of law in the book of job uc hastings scholarship. And so, job starts off in verses 14 by claiming that hes been free of. Habel has contributed a small but helpful study for preaching the whole book of job.
Job 1 commentary matthew henry commentary on the whole. It addresses the problem of theodicy, meaning why god permits evil in the world, through the experiences of the. The instructions to be learned from the patience of job, and from his. Gods answer to the problem of undeserved suffering. However, the name does occur in genesis 46 and ezekiel 14. Free bible commentaries in easy english easyenglish bible. It is interesting that the name of yahweh appears over and over in the book of job, and his name was unknown prior to the time of moses exodus 6. Job is a pious believer who is struck by misfortune so great that it cannot be explained in the usual way as a prompting to repentance, a warning, let alone a punishment the arguments later. And this man was blameless and upright, fearing god and shunning evil. Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans. People say things about god and other people that just arent right. Job s speech shifts gears in verse 2 as he appears to be addressing god himself with his thoughts. Read job commentary using matthew henry commentary on the whole bible complete. Book of job matthew henrys bible commentary concise.
One talmudic tradition suggests moses as author since the land of uz 1. As the first poetic book of the english bible, job introduces the reader to the idea of hebrew poetry, which involves the repetition and combination of ideas more than sounds. Some scholars claim it might have been written in the 5th. He curses the man who brought his father the joyous tidings of the birth of a son, and wishes him the fate of sodom and gomorrha. Job went through one of the most difficult seasons i think recorded in the bible. It is also unclear to job how a human can appease or court gods justice. The book of job, celebrated as a classic of world literature and one of the glories of the bible, can often be puzzling and frustrating. Job, in turn, has responded to each of them, declaring his innocence and demanding that god give him answers. This reference in james is the only time job is mentioned by name in the n. Job baker commentary on the old testament wisdom and psalms. Jun 22, 2015 commentary on job 3842 job meets god june 22, 2015 bill pratt 0 comments through job 37, job has listened to three friends and elihu speak to him about why he is suffering so badly. He lived soon after abraham, or perhaps before that patriarch.
This list of commentaries is intended to help the reader understand and apply the authors message in the book of job. There is an evil spirit, the enemy of god, and of all righteousness, who is continually seeking to distress, to lead. Job, it is probable, kept many, though they are not mentioned among his possessions, cattle for use in husbandry being there valued more than those for state and war, which alone horses were then reserved for, and they were not then put to such mean services as with us they are commonly put to. The book of job is a true story set in poetry, which delves into the feelings and emotions of the human mind when faced with trauma and suffering, since poetry is the language of the heart, job reveals the innermost thoughts of men more so than outward deeds. It should be kept in mind that job is not the author, but the principal character.
We left job honourably acquitted upon a fair trial between god and satan concerning him. Study the bible online using commentary on job and more. Job tears his clothes and shaves his head in mourning, but he still blesses god in his prayers. God knew that it was there, and he knew that in shaking this godly, blameless man there would arise some imperfection into his life, and that it would need to be purged. The book of job begins with a prologue job 12, which describes a wager between satan and god, in which satan the adversary bets god that joba particularly pious manwill abandon his piety and curse god if all his wealth and wellbeing are taken away. The book of job is rightly understood to be a masterpiece of hebrew poetry and western literature. Aug 01, 2012 the newest release in the baker commentary on the old testament wisdom and psalms is tremper longman iiis commentary on the book of job. It is uncertain exactly when the book was written and who wrote it. This book is so called from job, whose prosperity, afflictions, and restoration, are here recorded.
Each commentary opens with an introduction to the biblical book, looking especially at questions concerning its background, authorship, date, purpose, structure, and theology. My jewish learning is a notforprofit and relies on your help. Thus it is to be explained, that not only job in this poem, but also jeremiah in the book of his prophecy, job 20. Job 31 commentary 14 lust and so, job starts off in verses 14 by claiming that hes been free of sexual immorality even in the form of lusting after women. In the course of one day, job receives four messages, each bearing separate news that his livestock, servants, and ten children have all died due to marauding invaders or natural catastrophes. Key personalities of this book include job, eliphaz the temanite, bildad the shuhite, zophar the naamathite, and elihu the buzite. It addresses the problem of theodicy, meaning why god permits evil in the world, through the experiences of the eponymous protagonist. Many commentaries do take up the doctrine of retribution and the theme of punishment and reward but only to report that job learns the falseness of this doctrine. This was another one of elihus strong warnings to job. God brags to satan about job s virtue, but satan contends that job is only righteous because god has favored him generously.
Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of bible. There are exegetical commentaries, scholarly and technical commentaries, as well as commentaries that are easy to understand. Job is an unlikely candidate because the books message rests on jobs ignorance of the events that occurred in heaven as they were related to his ordeal. A very short commentary on the book of job david j. Throughout the book, job, his wife, and his friends speculate on why he, an upright man, suffers. Alfred smith has contributed prac tical insights for lessons and sermons on the book of job.
Yes, there is ample intriguing symbolism within blakes twentyone engravings and the included engraved texts as done in 1825. The book is found in the ketuvim writings section of the hebrew bible tanakh, and is the first poetic. Job was, like his friends, hindered by a philosophy too narrow. Both are considered the earliest book of each testament. Elihus wisdom in analyzing the water cycle has led people to wrongly conclude that the book of job must have been written later than commonly supposed. There was a man in the land of uz, whose name was job. The book also urges the faithful to look beyond the trials of this life to the glorious resurrection, made possible by the savior, for job boldly testified, i know that my redeemer liveth, and in my flesh shall i see god job 19. Study guide for job 7 by david guzik blue letter bible. Job is the name of the principal character in this book and the title is the same in hebrew as it is in english. Book of job overview insight for living ministries. The book of job tells how one man suddenly awakened to the anarchy rampant in the world, yet his attachment to god outlived the ruin of his tidy system. A select bibliography also points readers to resources for their own study.
The book of job gives an account of a righteous man who faithfully responded to difficult trials. The book of job a man in the land of uz, whose name was job. In the book of job, we find questions about gods justice and why good people suffer. It seems significant that god would choose this topic to deal with in the earliest books of both testaments. Irving jensen, jensens survey of the old testament, p. Study job using matthew henrys bible commentary concise to better understand scripture with full outline and verse meaning. It is plain, from this history, that the lord watched over his servant job with the affection of a wise and loving father. The book of job discusses why god allows pain and suffering.
And thats the position that the biblical character elihu finds himself in in the 33 rd chapter of the book of job. Most likely it was written by job himself, and it is the most ancient book in existence. Jun 28, 2010 the book of job is one of the first documents in history to concentrate solely on how a just gd can allow the suffering of innocents. The contents of the book, together with its artistic structure and elegant style, place it. Whole chapters of the book are devoted to speeches by job s counselors.
The two great themes of the book of job, as explained by james, are the perseverance of job and the end intended by the lord, and it is important that we learn both themes. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the book of job 1985. Job commentary matthew henry commentary on the whole bible. The name job is mentioned only 54 times and mostly just in the book of job.
The book of job is also distinctive for a passage confirming the reality of the premortal life. Job is an unlikely candidate because the book s message rests on job s ignorance of the events that occurred in heaven as they were related to his ordeal. Jun 02, 2008 when god shook job, the sediment colored the water, and you find job saying some terrible things about god in this book. In fact, some scholars believe that job requires and understanding of the book as a whole more than any other book of the old testament. What does the book of job teach us about the coronavirus. God is unseen, and his ways are inscrutable and beyond human understanding. The book of job is considered to be one of the three books of wisdom literature found within the bible. The contents of the book, together with its artistic structure and elegant style, place it among the literary masterpieces of all time. He is blameless and upright, constantly mindful to live in a righteous manner. It broke down the book of job and explained things so well. Summary of the books of job the story of the bible. And when we hear people saying those kinds of things, were often compelled to speak in defense of god or those other people. Now there was a day a certain time appointed by god. No answers are given, but god reminds us to trust his wisdom and.
The poetical masterpiece that confronts the inexplicable mystery of good and evil can be a companion on your own spiritual journey. Job s experience invites us to ponder difficult questions about the causes of suffering, the frailty of human existence, and the reasons to trust in god, even when life seems unfair. Pdf a very short commentary on the book of job david. The authorship and date of the book of job are problems yet unsolved. The loss of job s property, and the death of his children. It follows that this commentary, like all commentaries, was written by an uninspired, fallible human. There is an evil spirit, the enemy of god, and of all righteousness, who is continually seeking to distress, to lead astray, and, if possible, to destroy those who love god. A commentary the old testament library kindle edition by habel, norman c download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. The book of job is one of the most problematic portions of the bible and has called forth a variety of interpretations. In this bible story from the book of job, there is a wealthy man named job residing in an area called uz with his extended family and vast flocks. According to the sacred writer, the truly wise man should realize that the fear of the lord, that is wisdom.
This chapter is a continuation of job s third speech which began in job 9 see notes, a response to bildads speech. The author, date, and place of the book of job are all uncertain. It is possible that job is the oldest of any book of the bible written approximately 21001800 b. The book of job is included among the wisdom writings precisely because it teaches man that pain and suffering are a mystery of divine wisdom. To understand the full impact of the book of job the book must be read and understood as a whole. God allows satan to torment job to test this bold claim, but he forbids satan to take jobs life.
If they do not obey, they shall perish by the sword. Job believed that god was against him and was punishing him, but it wasnt true. Guidelines for understanding and proclaiming the book of job. The book of job 3 the book of job introduction to the book the book of job has long been praised as a masterpiece of literature.
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