Hebrew-English Text
I. Summary
Job responds to his friends by attempting to refute their arguments.

II. Photo
Job describes the banality of his friends’ statements: “Or speak to the ground, it will teach you; The fish of the sea, they will inform you. Who among all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this?” (vv. 8-9)

III. Important Verses
vv. 2-3: Indeed, you are the [voice of] the people, And wisdom will die with you. But I, like you, have a mind, And am not less than you. Who does not know such things?
v. 6: Robbers live untroubled in their tents, And those who provoke God are secure, Those whom God’s hands have produced.
vv. 7-9: But ask the beasts, and they will teach you; The birds of the sky, they will tell you,  Or speak to the earth, it will teach you; The fish of the sea, they will inform you. Who among all these does not know That the hand of the LORD has done this?
vv. 17-19: He makes counselors go about naked And causes judges to go mad. He undoes the belts of kings, And fastens loincloths on them. He makes priests go about naked, And leads temple-servants astray.
v. 23: He exalts nations, then destroys them; He expands nations, then leads them away.

IV. Outline
1. Introduction
2-6. Rejecting the doctrine of retribution
7-11. Exposing the banality of the friends’ words
12-25. Ironic hymn about God’s control of everything, even the bad

V. Comment
Chapter 12 is the introduction of Job’s fourth speech. The speech, which is the second longest in the book (only Job’s speech in chaps. 29-31 is longer), lies in between the first and second cycle of dialogue. The speech can be divided into two main sections: an address to the friends (12:1-13:19) and an address to God (13:20-14:22). In terms of the structure of chapter 12, vv. 2-11 use disputational language, parody, and vv. 13-25 are a negative form of “hymnic praise.”

While Job’s main goal is to refute the claims of his friends, he complains as well. As one might expect, many of his complaints mirror those found elsewhere in Tanakh. For example, in v. 4 he laments, “I have become  laughingstock (sechoq) to my friend — ‘One who calls to God and is answered, Blamelessly innocent’ — a laughingstock (sechoq).” This is similar to Jeremiah’s complaint in Jer. 20:7, “You enticed me, O LORD, and I was enticed; You overpowered me and You prevailed. I have become a constant laughingstock (sechoq), Everyone jeers at me.” Similarly, Lam. 3:14 says, “I have become a laughingstock (sechoq) to all people, The butt of their gibes all day long.” Also see Ps. 22:8, 44:14-15, and 79:4.

In their speeches, the three friends repeatedly explained that God punishes the wicked for their sins. However, in v. 6 Job refutes his friends with one simple observation: “Robbers live untroubled in their tents, And those who provoke God are secure, Those whom God’s hands have produced.” Then, in vv. 7-8, Job parodies his friends: “But ask the beasts, and they will teach you; The birds of the sky, they will tell you,  Or speak to the earth, it will teach you; The fish of the sea, they will inform you.” How do we know that these verses are parody? Clines explains: “The use of the second person singular indicates that the verses are cast as address to Job, that is, as Job’s depiction of how he imagines the friends addressing him.” Also, the introductory word ‘ulam “however” implies that Job disagrees with what he is saying. In regards to Job’s idea of learning wisodm from animals, see Prov. 30:24-30 where people observe – but don’t speak to – animals.

V. 9 contains the only occurence of the Tetragrammaton in the poetic core of the book (chaps. 3-37). What is it doing here? While some scholars believe it to be a scribal insertion, Clines writes (p. 294): “Job is ‘citing’ the words of his friends, whom he envisages as deploying religious clichés. So it is a quotation, not directly of Isa 41:20, no doubt, but of a well-worn idiom that is used there also (cf Weiser). It is true that the friends themselves in their speeches never use the [Tetragrammaton], but Job is not noticeably careful to do justice to the friends’ exact theological position on other matters. It is a little more surprising that the poet allowed himself the freedom to use [the Tetragrammaton] here; the reason must be that “hand of [the Tetragrammaton]” is a fixed phrase (over thirty occurrences); while “the hand of God” (Elohim) is very rare (1 Sam 5:11; 2 Chr 30:12; Ecclus 9:1; Job 19:21 has “the hand of Eloah” and 27:11 “the hand of El”).” Yet, Clines also notes how some manuscripts do use the name ‘elohah (see the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia).

In vv. 12-25 Job seems to praise God in the hymnic style characteristic of the book of Psalms. Clines writes (p. 296): “The purpose or significance of the hymn is not immediately evident… It cannot simply be a hymn of praise, for Job has no call to praise God. Nor can it be a mere acknowledgment of God’s power, since God’s power is usually the object of complaint on Job’s part (cf 9:3–4, 17, 34). Its purpose rather is to convey Job’s ‘wisdom,’ his understanding of the true nature of God’s activity. The God he has encountered is no placid governor of a universe of order, but an eccentric deity, equally inapprehensible and untameable whether he stands aloof from humans or frenetically and obnoxiously interferes in their lives. This is the deeper wisdom, the higher knowledge, that calls forth a hymn—half-serious because Job is truly awed by this revelation of a God beyond theological entrapment and half-ironic because Job deeply despises a God who does not play fair.”

In v. 23 Job speaks of God’s might: “He exalts nations, then destroys them; He expands nations, then leads them away.” For a similar contrast between building and destroying, see I Sam 2:6-7: “The LORD deals death and gives life, Casts down into Sheol and raises up. The LORD makes poor and makes rich; He casts down, He also lifts high.” Also see Ps. 107:33-34: “He turns the rivers into a wilderness, springs of water into thirsty land, fruitful land into a salt marsh, because of the wickedness of its inhabitants.”

VI. Works Used
(see “Commentaries” page)
Clines, Proverbs 1-20 (Word Biblical Commentary)

Photo taken from  http://www.isis-inc.org/podcast/Eartoground.jpg

Hebrew-English Text
I. Summary
Zophar, the third of Job’s three friends, confronts Job in chapter 11. He defends God’s position, belittles Job for questioning God, and encourages Job to return to God.

II. Photo
Zophar urges Job to turn to God: “But if you direct your mind, And spread forth your hands toward Him… You will then put your misery out of mind, Consider it as water that has flowed past.” (vv. 13, 16)

III. Important Verses
v. 2: Is a multitude of words unanswerable? Must a loquacious person be right?
vv. 5-6: But would that God might speak, And talk to you Himself. He would tell you the secrets of wisdom, For there are many sides to sagacity; And know that God has overlooked for you some of your iniquity.
v. 14: If there is iniquity with you, remove it, And do not let injustice reside in your tent.
v. 16: You will then put your misery out of mind, Consider it as water that has flowed past.

IV. Outline
1. Introduction
2-6. A defense of God
7-12. Discrediting Job’s philosophy
13-19. Counseling Job and offering him hope
20. The fate of the wicked

V. Comment
In chapter 11 Zophar confronts Job. He begins by describing Job’s excessive words (v. 2), then accuses him of “mockery” (v. 3), rejects his arguments (vv. 4-6), and calls his philosophy into question (vv. 7-12). Clines writes (p. 272) that Zophar has “no question of Job’s guilt. What Job has done wrong he must suffer for; it cannot be atoned for, forgiven or prayed away.” At verse 13 the speech takes a positive turn; Zophar counsels Job on the way to live and guarantees him a happy life if he follows his advice. In terms of structure, the speech contains disputational elements (vv. 2-6), hymnic elements (vv. 7-11), and an enigmatic proverbial saying (v. 12). Vv. 15-19 contain the types of assurances found in some psalms (e.g. Ps. 91).

Like many of the speeches in the book, Zophar’s speech begins with a reference to the “words” and “speaking” of his predecessor: “Is a multitude of words unanswerable? Must a loquacious person be right? Your prattle may silence men; You may mock without being rebuked” (vv. 2-3; cf. vv. 4:2; 8:2; 9:2; 15:2–3; 16:2–3; 18:2; 20:2; 21:2; 32:6–33:3; 34:2; 36:2; 38:2). Zophar calls Job’s speech rov devarim “a multitude of words.” It is interesting to note that this phrase appears in two other places in Tanakh, and both occurrences have a negative connotation. Prov. 10:19 says, “Where there is much talking (berov devarim), there is no lack of transgressing, But he who curbs his tongue shows sense,” and Eccl. 5:2 says, “Just as dreams come with much brooding, so does foolish utterance come with much speech.” Zophar also calls Job an ’ish sefatayim “a man of speech [lit. lips].” While the word sefatayim often has a negative connotation (cf. Prov 4:24, 10:8, 10:10, 12:13, 14:23), it sometimes appears in a positive light (cf. Prov 16:21, 24:26, 26:23).

In Job’s third speech (ch. 9-10) Job spoke of his desire to bring God to trial, but lamented the futility of such an endeavor: “If I summoned Him and He responded, I do not believe He would lend me His ear.” (9:16) In vv. 11:5-6 Zophar appoints himself a “spokesman” for God and answers Job: “But would that God might speak, And talk to you Himself. He would tell you the secrets of wisdom, For there are many sides to sagacity; And know that God has overlooked for you some of your iniquity.” Zophar’s last point, namely the fact that God has overlooked some of Job’s iniquity, is a common theme in Tanakh (see Mic 7:18, Ezek 20:17, Jer 46:28; Ezra 9:13, etc.). It also indicates Zophar’s critical view of Job: while Eliphaz and Bildad viewed Job’s living as an indication of righteousness, Zophar thinks the only reason Job is alive is God’s kindness.

In v. 14 Zophar says, “If there is iniquity with you, remove it, And do not let injustice reside in your tent.” Clines places this statement in its broader Wisdom context (p. 268): “How does Zophar propose Job can get rid of his sin? Not by sacrifice or atonement, not even by repentance, but by a renunciation of it, a distancing of himself from it, putting himself far from it. This is wisdom theology speaking. Sin is not something to be covered up or cleansed or forgiven, but to be avoided, departed from, disassociated from (cf Ps 1:1; Prov 1:10–15; 4:14, 24; 5:8; 30:8). Once sin has been committed there is nothing that can be done about it except suffer the inevitable future… Job can only “renounce” his present wrongdoing, and, to use a metaphor familiar to the world of oriental hospitality, give it no house room as a guest (“let iniquity not dwell in your tent”).”

In vv. 13-19 Zophar guarantees Job a prosperous life if he follows his advice. In v. 16 he says, “You will then put your misery (‘amal) out of mind, Consider it as water that has flowed past.” Besides for the fact that Zophar – like Eliphaz and Bildad – ignores that Job would rather die than live happily, it is interesting to note the similarities between this verse and Gen 41:51: “Joseph named the first-born Manasseh, meaning, ‘God has made me forget completely my hardship (‘amal) and my parental home.’” Both verses speak of “forgetting” one’s pain (‘amal).

In v. 17 Zophar guarantees Job the “light” of better days: “Life will be brighter than noon; You will shine, you will be like the morning.” This should be viewed in the context of Job’s bleak statements about darkness, e.g. 10:21-22, “Before I depart — never to return — For the land of deepest gloom; A land whose light is darkness, All gloom and disarray, Whose light is like darkness.” While Job only wanted the darkness of death, Zophar urges him to consider the light of life.

VI. Works Used

(see “Commentaries” page)

Clines, Proverbs 1-20 (Word Biblical Commentary)

Photo taken from  http://www.ionizers.org/images/waterflowing.jpg

Hebrew-English Text
I. Summary
In chapter 10 Job asserts his innocence, audaciously accuses God of injustice, and demands to be left alone. Once again Job’s sole wish is to die.

II. Photo
Job questions why God, who treats him unfairly, created him in the first place: “Consider that You fashioned me like clay; Will You then turn me back into dust?” (v. 9)

III. Important Verses
v. 1: I am disgusted with life; I will give rein to my complaint, Speak in the bitterness of my soul.
v. 8: Your hands shaped and fashioned me, Then destroyed every part of me.
v. 9: Consider that You fashioned me like clay; Will You then turn me back into dust?
vv. 12-14: You bestowed on me life and care; Your providence watched over my spirit. Yet these things You hid in Your heart; I know that You had this in mind: To watch me when I sinned And not clear me of my iniquity
vv. 20-22: My days are few, so desist! Leave me alone, let me be diverted a while Before I depart — never to return — For the land of deepest gloom; A land whose light is darkness, All gloom and disarray, Whose light is like darkness.

IV. Outline
1. Opening statement
2-17. Job provokes God
18-22. Job’s petition to be left alone

V. Comment
In chapter 10 Job audaciously accuses God of cruelty and even questions His motives for creating man. In terms of structure, Job begins with an opening remark (v. 1, cf. 7:11), proceeds to provoke God (v. 2-17), and then demands to be left alone (vv. 20-22). In terms of tone, this speech might be Job’s harshest yet; he confidently tells God that He is unjust.

In v. 7 Job accuses God of assault, “You know that I am not guilty, And that there is none to deliver from Your hand.” Clines contrasts this statement with those of the preceding chapters (p. 247): “Job here reaches a new milestone in his confrontation with God: while in chap. 3 he laid no claim to guiltlessness, and in chaps. 6–7 he had stressed his unhappiness more than his innocence (though cf 6:10c, 30), in this speech he not only vigorously protests his innocence (9:15, 20, 21), but here—for the first time—asserts that God also knows that he is innocent. It would be much more comfortable to believe that God had overlooked his suffering, or even that he had made a mistake about Job’s innocence; to believe that God knows he is innocent and punishes him all the same is to feel utterly trapped. To an absent-minded or mistaken God one could appeal, but from one who knows what he is doing there is indeed ‘no escape.’” In other words, in v. 7 Job says what has hitherto been left unsaid, namely that God is unjust.

In vv. 8-12 Job describes how God created him. Yet, like his use of the “hymnic praise” of the previous chapter (9:5-10), with these words Job is not praising God. In fact, he is impugning God’s motives for creating man: “Your hands shaped and fashioned me, Then destroyed every part of me. Consider that You fashioned me like clay; Will You then turn me back into dust?” (vv. 8-9) For another account of a God creating a single person (besides for the creation of Adam, cf. Gen 2:7) see Ps. 139:13-16: “It was You who created my conscience; You fashioned me in my mother’s womb. I praise You, for I am awesomely, wondrously made; Your work is wonderful; I know it very well. My frame was not concealed from You when I was shaped in a hidden place, knit together in the recesses of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed limbs; they were all recorded in Your book; in due time they were formed, to the very last one of them.” Also see Ps. 119:73, “Your hands made me and fashioned me; give me understanding that I may learn Your commandments.”

Just as he did in his two previous speeches, Job ends with a reference to death (vv. 20-22): “My days are few, so desist! Leave me alone, let me be diverted a while Before I depart — never to return — For the land of deepest gloom; A land whose light is darkness, All gloom and disarray, Whose light is like darkness.” In regards to what makes this reference unique, Clines writes (p. 251): “Here the particular characteristic of death is not that it provides a release from pain (as in 3:20–22) or as a permanent hiding from God (as in 7:21b), but that it envelops one in darkness (see H. Ringgren, TDOT 5:255–56). Job has cried out for darkness (“Would that I had died before any eye had seen me,” v 18b); he knows that darkness is for the moment denied him. But he desires the darkness; life before death can be “comfortable” only if God’s gaze can be turned away from him (v 20b), if he can secrete himself from the glare of the divine attention or rather inquisition.”

VI. Works Used
(see “Commentaries” page)
Clines, Proverns 1-20 (Word Biblical Commentary)
Photo taken from  http://www.treesaskatoon.com/images/images/hands_clay.jpg

Hebrew-English Text
I. Summary
In a fervent and moving speech, Job proclaims his innocence and accuses God of injustice. While Job would like to bring God to trial, he knows that God would find some way to prove him wrong.

II. Photo

Job confronts God about the unfairness of his situation: “If I washed with soap, Cleansed my hands with lye, You would dip me in muck Till my clothes would abhor me.” (vv. 30-31)

III. Important Verses
vv. 2-4: Indeed I know that it is so: Man cannot win a suit against God. If he insisted on a trial with Him, He would not answer one charge in a thousand. Wise of heart and mighty in power — Who ever challenged Him and came out whole?
vv. 14-15: How then can I answer Him, Or choose my arguments against Him? Though I were in the right, I could not speak out, But I would plead for mercy with my judge.
v. 20: Though I were innocent, My mouth would condemn me; Though I were blameless, He would prove me crooked.
vv. 21-24: I am blameless — I am distraught; I am sick of life. It is all one; therefore I say, “He destroys the blameless and the guilty.” When suddenly a scourge brings death, He mocks as the innocent fail. The earth is handed over to the wicked one; He covers the eyes of its judges. If it is not He, then who?
vv. 30-31: If I washed with soap, Cleansed my hands with lye, You would dip me in muck Till my clothes would abhor me.
vv. 32-33: He is not a man, like me, that I can answer Him, That we can go to law together. No arbiter is between us To lay his hand on us both.
vv. 34-35: If He would only take His rod away from me And not let His terror frighten me, Then I would speak out without fear of Him; For I know myself not to be so.

IV. Outline

1. Introduction
2-24. Third-person Complaint
    2-4. Man cannot beat God in court
    5-10. Hymnic praise
    11-21. Futility of putting God on trial
    22-25. God is guilty
25-31. Second-person Complaint
32-35. Futility of putting God on trial

V. Comment
In chapter 9 Job begins his third speech. He makes two passionate points: (a) God is guilty of favoring the wicked and “laughing” while the innocent suffer, and (b) even though God is guilty, it is impossible to convict Him in a court of law. It isn’t always clear who Job is addressing because he speaks of God in the third-person (vv. 2-24), the second-person (vv. 25-31), and the third-person again (vv. 32-35). In terms of literary form, the chapter incorporates many legal references (v. 3, 14, 15, 16, 19, 32), and even hymnic praise found in the psalms (vv. 5-10).

While Job’s previous speeches have been intense, Clines notes (p. 225) that “a new level of intensity and poignancy is reached in these chapters.” Indeed, Job seems to accuse God of injustice (vv. 21-24), “I am blameless — I am distraught; I am sick of life. It is all one; therefore I say, ‘He destroys the blameless and the guilty.’ When suddenly a scourge brings death, He mocks as the innocent fail. The earth is handed over to the wicked one; He covers the eyes of its judges. If it is not He, then who?” While God is known to “mock” his enemies (cf. Ps. 2:4, 59:9), and Wisdom mocks those who don’t follow her (Prov. 1:26), this is the only time that God is accused of mocking the innocent.

Job is sure that he is in the right, but proclaims that he would lose any legal dispute with God. In v. 15 he says, “Though I were in the right, I could not speak out, But I would plead for mercy with my judge,” and in v. 20 says, “Though I were innocent, My mouth would condemn me; Though I were blameless, He would prove me crooked.” Similarly, Job says “Indeed I know that it is so: Man cannot win a suit against God. If he insisted on a trial with Him, He would not answer one charge in a thousand. Wise of heart and mighty in power — Who ever challenged Him and came out whole?” (vv. 2-4) It is interesting that Job mentions the ratio of 1/1000; it appears in many other contexts. For example, Josh. 23:10 says, “A single man of you would put a thousand to flight, for the LORD your God Himself has been fighting for you, as He promised you,” and Eccl. 7:28 says, “As for what I sought further but did not find, I found only one human being in a thousand, and the one I found among so many was never a woman.”

What is the nature of the legal dispute that Job would like to carry out?  While it isn’t clear from our chapter, Clines writes (p. 228), “What is envisaged is a lawsuit in which a person lays charges and one’s adversary (in this case God) counters them with questions of cross-examination until the position of one or other of the disputants falls to the ground through inability to give satisfactory answers… The dominant legal metaphor in Job has Job as the defendant and God as the plaintiff; here Job envisages changing roles by laying a counter charge.” Thus, while Job is on the offensive in this chapter, it seems that he wanted to enter into a back-and-forth debate with God. See 13:22 where Job speaks of himself as a defendant, “Then summon me and I will respond, Or I will speak and You reply to me.”

In vv. 30-31 Job uses a metaphor to describe his helplessness: “If I washed with soap, Cleansed my hands with lye, You would dip me in muck Till my clothes would abhor me.” It is interesting that the analogy of cleansing is used elsewhere in regards to sin. For example, Jer. 2:22 says, “Though you wash with natron And use much lye, Your guilt is ingrained before Me — declares the Lord GOD,” and Psa. 51:4 says, “Wash me thoroughly of my iniquity, and purify me of my sin.”

VI. Works Used
(see “Commentaries” page)
Clines, Proverbs 1-20 (Word Biblical Commentary)
Murphy, Wisdom Literature (FOTL)
Photo taken from  http://greenandchic.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/clothes-line-300×199.jpg

Hebrew-English Text
I. Summary
Bildad, the second of Job’s friends, gives his first speech in chapter 8. He explains that all suffering is a form of punishment, describes how the wicked suffer, and assures Job that he will be rewarded if he turns to God.

II. Photo
Bildad attempts to persuade Job to turn to God: “Ask the generation past, Study what their fathers have searched out… Surely they will teach you and tell you, Speaking out of their understanding.” (vv. 8, 10)

III. Important Verses
v. 2: How long will you speak such things? Your utterances are a mighty wind!
v. 3: Will God pervert the right? Will the Almighty pervert justice?
vv. 5-7: But if you seek God And supplicate the Almighty, If you are blameless and upright, He will protect you, And grant well-being to your righteous home. Though your beginning be small, In the end you will grow very great.
vv. 13-14: Such is the fate of all who forget God; The hope of the impious man comes to naught — Whose confidence is a thread of gossamer, Whose trust is a spider’s web.
v. 20: Surely God does not despise the blameless; He gives no support to evildoers.
v. 21: He will yet fill your mouth with laughter, And your lips with shouts of joy.

IV. Outline
1. Introduction
2. Opening remark
3-7. The doctrine of retribution
8-19. The fate of the wicked
20-22. A happy future for Job

V. Comment
In chapter 8 Bildad gives his first speech, and it consists of three parts. The first section is a reflection on how suffering is a form of punishment (“the doctrine of retribution,” vv. 3-7), the second section describes the fate of the wicked (vv. 8-19), and the third section garauntees Job a happy future. In terms of literary structure, Bildad’s speech incorporates “triplets” (units of three two-line verses, cf. vv. 2-4. 5-7, 8-10, 11-13, 20-22). There is also an emphasis on turning to one’s elders (vv. 8-10), a hallmark of Wisdom literature (see below).

Bildad begins his speech brusquely, “How long will you speak (temallel) such things? Your utterances (imrei fikhe) are a mighty wind! Will God pervert the right? Will the Almighty pervert justice?” Like most speeches in the book, Bildad’s opening remarks reference the words or speaking of his predecessor (cf. 4:2; 9:2; 11:2–3; 15:2–3; 16:2–3; 18:2; 20:2; 21:2; 32:6–33:3; 34:2; 36:2; 38:2). It is interesting to note that Bildad’s speech is much like Eliphaz’s (ch. 4-5), but with a stronger tone. Both friends strictly adhere to the doctrine of retribution: Bildad says in v. 3, “Will God pervert the right? Will the Almighty pervert justice?” and Eliphaz says in 4:7, “Think now, what innocent man ever perished? Where have the upright been destroyed?” Yet, while Eliphaz was timid and conciliatory, Bildad takes a confrontational  approach. Clines writes (p. 212), “there is a more distinct air of severity in Bildad’s speech. It is apparent in 8:2 where Bildad professes himself shocked by Job’s tempestuous words against God; it is seen again in the brusque statement of the reasons for the death of Job’s children. It shows itself also in the single-mindedness with which Bildad expounds the doctrine of retribution; for him (unlike Eliphaz), no other considerations are relevant to Job’s condition. Above all, it is plain in the retributionist theology itself which he espouses: the behavior of God and humans alike is rigidly schematized, and the moral universe is conceived entirely in black and white.”

In vv. 8-19 Bildad describes the fate of the wicked. While it might seem odd for him to describe the wicked at this point (is he calling Job wicked?), Eliphaz did the same in 5:2-7. It seems that both speakers wish to encourage Job to remain loyal to God – to do otherwise would mean death. Yet, they both seem to miss the point: Job doesn’t want better days, he wants his days to end.

In vv. 8-10 Bildad tries to “convince” Job by appealing to the elders, “Ask the generation past, Study what their fathers have searched out — For we are of yesterday and know nothing; Our days on earth are a shadow — Surely they will teach you and tell you, Speaking out of their understanding.” Similar appeals to the “elders” are found in Deuteronomy and have analogs in Wisdom literature. For instance, Deut. 32:7 says “Remember the days of old, consider the years for past ages: ask thy father, and he shall relate to thee, thine elders, and they shall tell thee,” and Deut. 4:32 says, “Ask of the former days which were before thee, from the day when God created man upon the earth, and beginning at the one end of heaven to the other end of heaven, if there has happened any thing like to this great event, if such a thing has been heard.” Similarly, Ben Sira 8:9 says, “Miss not the discourse of the elders: for they also learned of their fathers, and of them thou shalt learn understanding, and to give answer as need requireth,” and the book of Proverbs is full of speeches of men to younger boys.

In evaluating the efficacy of Bildad’s speech, Clines makes an important point (p. 207): “The truth about human existence, according to Bildad, is to be learned, and learned from others. The truth is knowledge, not experience. Job knows the force of traditional doctrine (9:2a; 12:3; 13:1–2; 16:4), but his own experience is every bit as real to him as the learned dogma, and it contradicts the dogma. In appealing to knowledge rather than to personal experience Bildad talks straight past Job, and deserves the name of “traitor” that Job has already applied to the friends (6:15).” Thus, because he sticks to dogma, Bildad is not be able to convince Job to change his ways.

VI. Works Used
(see “Commentaries” page)
Clines, Proverbs 1-20 (Word Biblical Commentary)
Photo taken from http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/worldbalance/images/prod-holt-elders.jpg

Hebrew-English Text

I. Summary
In chapter 7 Job laments his wretched state, describes his longing for death, and demands that God leave him alone. All he wants is to die.

II. Photo
In v. 4 Job complains about his insomnia, “When I lie down, I think, ‘When shall I rise?’ Night drags on, And I am sated with tossings till morning twilight.”

III. Important Verses
v. 11: On my part, I will not speak with restraint; I will give voice to the anguish of my spirit; I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.
vv. 13-14: When I think, “My bed will comfort me, My couch will share my sorrow,” You frighten me with dreams, And terrify me with visions!
v. 16: I am sick of it. I shall not live forever; Let me be, for my days are a breath.
vv. 20-21: If I have sinned, what have I done to You, Watcher of men? Why make of me Your target, And a burden to myself? Why do You not pardon my transgression And forgive my iniquity? For soon I shall lie down in the dust; When You seek me, I shall be gone.

IV. Outline

1-10. Reflection
    1-2. Man longs to die
    3-6. Job’s personal agony
    7-10. Job’s personal fate
11-15. Complaint
16-21. Petition to be left alone

V. Comment
In chapter 7 Job delivers a reflective speech (vv. 1-10) and a complains to God about his situation (vv. 11-21). He laments his wretched state, describes his longing for death, and demands that God leave him alone. In terms of literary structure, there is a strong use of metaphor (see vv. 2, 6, 7, 9), and v. 17 might be a parody of Ps. 8:5-6 (see below).

In vv. 3-5 Job describes his miserable state. One aspect of his misery is insomnia: “When I lie down, I think, ‘When shall I rise?’ Night drags on, And I am sated with tossings till morning twilight” (v. 4). Later in the chapter (vv. 13-14) Job accuses God for causing this pain, “When I think, ‘My bed will comfort me, My couch will share my sorrow,’ You frighten me with dreams, And terrify me with visions.” Job also describes his disease in lurid detail (v. 5), “My flesh is covered with maggots and clods of earth; My skin is broken and festering.” It is interesting to note that in all his speeches Job only describes his physical pain; he never mentions the distress of losing his children (but his friends do, cf. 8:4).

In v. 12 we find the book’s second reference to mythical sea creatures (cf. 3:8). Job asks God, “Am I the sea or the Dragon, That You have set a watch over me?” Indeed, God appears to be at odds with the sea creatures in other places of Tanakh as well: Ps. 74:13-14 says, “it was You who drove back the sea with Your might, who smashed the heads of the monsters in the waters; it was You who crushed the heads of Leviathan, who left him as food for the denizens of the desert,” and Ps. 89:10-11 says, “You rule the swelling of the sea; when its waves surge, You still them. You crushed Rahab; he was like a corpse; with Your powerful arm You scattered Your enemies.” While some feel that these verses are speaking of powerful creatures such as the crocodile and the hippopotamus, chapters such as Job 40-41 seem to be describing more mythical beings. Scholars now believe that there was a common ancient Near Eastern conception of God fighting the Sea and it’s creatures. For instance, Day writes in the Anchor Bible Dictionary (“Dragon and Sea, God’s Conflict With,” Vol. II, pp. 228-31), “the background of this mythological imagery was previously believed to be Babylonian, but since the discovery of the Ugaritic texts it has become apparent that the more immediate source of the biblical allusions is Canaanite mythology.” With this background in mind, Job is probably asking God, “am I some sort of enemy of yours, like the sea creatures with which you are at odds?” In other words, “let me be!” (v. 16).

There are two aspects of Job’s speech that seem to be at odds with the book of Psalms. The first is the content of Job’s petition: while many psalms ask God to remember the forsaken ones (e.g. 69:18, “do not hide Your face from Your servant, for I am in distress; answer me quickly”), Job asks God to turn away and let him die, “I am sick of it. I shall not live forever; Let me be, for my days are a breath” (v. 16). The second aspect is v. 17, “What is man, that You make much of him, That You fix Your attention upon him?” This verse, which belittles man, might be a parody of Ps. 8:5-6 which praises man, “what is man that You have been mindful of him, mortal man that You have taken note of him, that You have made him little less than divine, and adorned him with glory and majesty.”

In vv. 20-21 Job mentions sin for the first time, “f I have sinned, what have I done to You, Watcher of men? Why make of me Your target, And a burden to myself? Why do You not pardon my transgression And forgive my iniquity? For soon I shall lie down in the dust; When You seek me, I shall be gone.” Clines writes (p. 194), “It may appear that Job, in the very last verse of his speech, makes a fundamental admission of guilt when he asks, “Why do you not pardon my sin?” Yet if Job considers himself a sinner in need of divine forgiveness, we may well wonder why he has not sought such forgiveness from the very beginning of his suffering rather than proclaim his desire for death and protest God’s assaults on him. Indeed, the supposition that Job acknowledges that he is guilty makes nonsense of the whole course of the book hitherto. It must rather be that Job means by “my sin”: my sin as you (God) reckon it. Job is suffering; and unless God’s dealings with human beings are quite arbitrary—a possibility that Job will only later seriously entertain (cf 9:22)—God must have something against Job to make him suffer as he does.” Thus, while Job has not come to a state of blasphemy, he has also not confessed any guilt.

VI. Works Used
(see “Commentaries” page)
Clines, Proverbs 1-20 (Word Biblical Commentary)
Murphy, Wisdom Literature (FOTL)
Anchor Bible Dictionary, “Dragon and Sea, God’s Conflict With,” Vol. II, pp. 228-31
Photo taken from http://www.steroidstoday.com/steroids/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/insomnia.gif

Hebrew-English Text

I. Summary
In chapter 6 Job begins his second speech. He asserts that he has the right to complain, longs for death, and accuses his companions of being fair-weather friends.

II. Photo
For the first time in the book, Job blames God for his suffering, “For the arrows of the Almighty are in me; My spirit absorbs their poison; God’s terrors are arrayed against me!” (v. 4)
III. Important Verses
vv. 2-3: If my anguish were weighed, My full calamity laid on the scales, It would be heavier than the sand of the sea; That is why I spoke recklessly.
v. 4: For the arrows of the Almighty are in me; My spirit absorbs their poison; God’s terrors are arrayed against me.
vv. 11-12: What strength have I, that I should endure? How long have I to live, that I should be patient? Is my strength the strength of rock? Is my flesh bronze?
v. 14: A friend owes loyalty to one who fails, Though he forsakes the fear of the Almighty (translation open to question)
vv. 29-30: Relent! Let there not be injustice; Relent! I am still in the right. Is injustice on my tongue? Can my palate not discern evil?

IV. Outline

1. Introduction
2-13. Monologue
    2-7. Justification of complaint
    8-10. Longing for death
    11-13. Diminishing strength
14-30. Address to friends
    14. Description of loyal friends
    15-20. Disappointment in the actual friends
    21-23. Rationale: Job didn’t ask to be saved
    24-28. Derision of friends
    29-30. Assertion of being in the right

V. Comment
After listening to Eliphaz accuse him of sinning, Job begins his second speech of the book. He justifies his right to complain (vv. 2-13), accuses his friends of deserting him (vv. 14-30), will turn to God in the next chapter. In terms of literary form, Job’s speech contains many metaphors (vv. 2-3, 4, 5, 6, and 15-20). It also contains wisdom sayings similar to those found in the book of Proverbs (vv. 5, 6, 14).

Job begins his speech defiantly, “If my anguish were weighed, My full calamity laid on the scales, It would be heavier than the sand of the sea; That is why I spoke recklessly.” (vv. 2-3) This is understandably more assertive than Eliphaz’s opening, “If one ventures a word with you, will it be too much? But who can hold back his words?” (4:2) While Job analogizes his pain to the weight of sand, it is interesting that sand is most often used in Tanach to describe a large number, e.g. Gen. 22:17, “I will bestow My blessing upon you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars of heaven and the sands on the seashore; and your descendants shall seize the gates of their foes.” Also see Gen. 32:13, Josh 11:4, 1 Kgs 5:9, and Jer 15:8.

In v. 4 Job laments, “For the arrows of the Almighty are in me; My spirit absorbs their poison; God’s terrors are arrayed against me!” Clines writes (p. 170), “For the first time, Job explicitly names God as the ultimate (and immediate) cause of his suffering. Of course, he knows nothing of the events that have taken place in heaven that make his complaint only all the better founded. He simply knows that what happens to him does not arise from any guilt of his own, and since he presumably agrees with Eliphaz that trouble is not selfgenerating (5:6–7), there is only one direction in which he can look for the origin of his suffering.” While there is no other place in Tanach which speaks of  “poisoned” arrows, many other verses speak of God’s arrows being shot at humankind. For instance, Deut. 32:23 says, “I will sweep misfortunes on them, Use up My arrows on them,” and Ps. 64:8 says, “God shall shoot them with arrows; they shall be struck down suddenly.” Also see Job 7:20, 16:12-13, Ps. 38:3, Lam. 2:4, and Ezek. 5:16. [Also see ABD “Resheph” (V, 678-679) regarding the ANE arrow-shooting deity.]

In v. 14 Job describes the ideal friend, “A friend owes loyalty to one who fails, Though he forsakes the fear of the Almighty.” While there are many ways to translate v. 14, one thing is clear: Job expects his friends to realize that he is right. Since they disagree with him (they think that his suffering must be an indication of sin), Job accuses them of being fair-weather friends: he says “My comrades are fickle, like a wadi, Like a bed on which streams once ran,” (v. 15) and “So you are as nothing: At the sight of misfortune, you take fright” (v. 21). It is interesting that the book of Psalms has many descriptions of friends who have become enemies. For instance, Ps. 55:13-15 says, “It is not an enemy who reviles me — I could bear that; it is not my foe who vaunts himself against me — I could hide from him; but it is you, my equal, my companion, my friend; sweet was our fellowship; we walked together in God’s house.” Similarly, Ps. 41:10 says, “My ally in whom I trusted, even he who shares my bread, has been utterly false to me.” Each of these psalms could easily apply to Job’s situation.

Clines makes an excellent point about the way in which Job treats his friends (p. 176-177), “What Job means by ‘loyalty’ is plainly different from what the friends mean by it. He is looking for unqualified acceptance that takes his side whether he is in the right or the wrong. They offer sympathy and support, but only from what seems to them a realistic point of view; it is absurd, they would argue, to take the stance ‘my friend right or wrong’ when the evidence (Job’s suffering) proves that—to some extent at least—Job is in the wrong. Are they to disregard the evidence of their eyes and their learning, and prop Job up in what they believe to be a falsely self-righteous position? Eliphaz has done his utmost to emphasize Job’s essential goodness, but he had to point out as delicately as he knew how that even the righteous are not perfect. Could any more be expected of a ‘loyal’ friend?” Yet, the fact that the reader knows that Job is innocent makes it easier to understand his unreasonable demand. It is hard not to agree with his closing words (vv. 29-30), “Relent! Let there not be injustice; Relent! I am still in the right. Is injustice on my tongue? Can my palate not discern evil?”

VI. Works Used
(see “Commentaries” page)
Clines, Proverbs 1-20 (Word Biblical Commentary)
Murphy, Wisdom Literature (FOTL)
Photo taken from http://www.sevenmeadowsarchery.com/prodimg/arrowheads2.JPG

Hebrew-English Text

I. Summary
Chapter 5 contains the second section of Eliphaz’s conciliatory speech. Eliphaz makes three main points: (1) people bring suffering upon themselves, (2) suffering can be a positive experience, and (3) God is benevolent to those who accept His rebuke.

II. Photo
Eliphaz tries to convince Job to accept his situation and turn to God because God  “Raises the lowly up high, So that the dejected are secure in victory.” (v. 11)

III. Important Verses
v. 6: Evil does not grow out of the soil, Nor does mischief spring from the ground.
vv. 8-11: But I would resort to God; I would lay my case before God, Who performs great deeds which cannot be fathomed, Wondrous things without number; Who gives rain to the earth, And sends water over the fields; Who raises the lowly up high, So that the dejected are secure in victory.
vv. 15-16: But He saves the needy from the sword of their mouth, From the clutches of the strong. So there is hope for the wretched; The mouth of wrongdoing is stopped.
vv. 17-18: See how happy is the man whom God reproves; Do not reject the discipline of the Almighty. He injures, but He binds up; He wounds, but His hands heal.
v. 25: You will see that your offspring are many, Your descendants like the grass of the earth.
v. 27: See, we have inquired into this and it is so; Hear it and accept it.

IV. Outline

1. Motivation
2-7. The fool is cursed
    2. Proverb
    3-7. Imprecation
8-16. Turn to God
    8. Introduction
    9-10. Ruler of the world
    11-14. God controls human affairs
    15-16. God punishes humans to halt their sinning
    17. Beatitude: God’s rebuke is for the best
    18-26. God will grant you all good things
27. Conclusion

V. Comment
Job 5 is the second section of Eliphaz’s conciliatory speech. Eliphaz attempts to convince Job that he sinned, and that if Job accepts this fact he will be rewarded by God. In terms of structure, the chapter incorporates three familiar elements of Wisdom literature. The first is the “beatitude” (“happy is the man who…”) in v. 17, the second is the “ascending numeration” (… x times, no x + 1 times….) of v. 19, and the third is the wisdom saying in v. 2. Beatitudes come up more than 25 times in the book of Psalms, ascending numeration occurs frequently in the book of Proverbs, and wisdom sayings make up the bulk of the book of Proverbs.

In his lament (ch. 3) Job made it clear that he wants to die: “Why did I not die at birth, Expire as I came forth from the womb?” (v. 11), “Why does He give light to the sufferer And life to the bitter in spirit; To those who wait for death but it does not come, Who search for it more than for treasure, Who rejoice to exultation, And are glad to reach the grave?” (vv. 20-22) However, Eliphaz assumes that what Job really wants is to be healed. He therefore speaks of a happy existence awaiting him in vv. 19-26: “You will know that all is well in your tent; When you visit your wife you will never fail. You will see that your offspring are many, Your descendants like the grass of the earth. You will come to the grave in ripe old age, As shocks of grain are taken away in their season.” It is no wonder that Job, who feels misunderstood, speaks up in ch. 6 and says (vv. 2-3), “If my anguish were weighed, My full calamity laid on the scales, It would be heavier than the sand of the sea; That is why I spoke recklessly.” Eliphaz seems to be misunderstanding Job’s desires.

In v. 2 Eliphaz speaks of the ‘awil “fool.” The fool here does not mean someone stupid, but someone who is “always morally bad” (BDB). Is Eliphaz calling Job a fool, and implicitly wishing him and his family harm (vv. 4-5)? This is unlikely, especially because Eliphaz asserts that Job can expect to live a long life if he accepts his fate (the fools can expect immediate death). Rather, Eliphaz seems to speak about a “fool” in order to demonstrate a general principle: people are the cause for their own troubles. Implicit in this statement is that Job, who isn’t entirely evil, is nevertheless a sinner. Thus, 4:7 says, “Think now, what innocent man ever perished? Where have the upright been destroyed?”

It was pointed out in the comment to the previous chapter that Eliphaz’s tone seems to be conciliatory. One of the reasons for this assertion is v. 8: “But I would resort to God; I would lay my case before God…” Clines writes, “it is a sign of Eliphaz’s attempted delicacy, as also of his self-assuredness, that he speaks only of himself and does not presume to tell Job what to do.” Indeed, throughout the entire speech Eliphaz never tells Job what to do, nor does he explicitly call him a sinner. Yet, Eliphaz is still assertive; he tells Job confidently in v. 27, “See, we have inquired into this and it is so; Hear it and accept it.”

In vv. 17-19 Eliphaz says, “See how happy is the man whom God reproves; Do not reject the discipline of the Almighty. He injures, but He binds up; He wounds, but His hands heal. He will deliver you from six troubles; In seven no harm will reach you.” This statement must have deeply troubled Job: on the one hand Eliphaz is telling him how great “rebuke” is for improving one’s relationship with God, but on the other hand Job knows that he has done nothing wrong. Once again, Job has been punished chinam “for no reason.”

Eliphaz asserts that if Job accepts his state “You will see that your offspring are many, your descendants like the grass of the earth.” While it is true that Job will live to see many offspring (cf. 42:13, 16), it is interesting that Isa. 44:3 also refers to offspring with a grass metaphor: “Even as I pour water on thirsty soil, And rain upon dry ground, So will I pour My spirit on your offspring, My blessing upon your posterity.” Other verses in Tanach use similar analogies.

VI. Works Used

(see “Commentaries” page)

Clines, Proverbs 1-20 (Word Biblical Commentary)

Photo taken from http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/wp-content/images/mountain_top.jpg

Hebrew-English Text
I. Summary
One of Job’s friends, Eliphaz, tries to comfort him with a speech. Eliphaz asserts that God only punishes those who are guilty of sin; the innocent do not suffer.

II. Photo
Eliphaz uses a metaphor to explain the fate of the wicked, “The lion may roar, the cub may howl, but the teeth of the king of beasts are broken. The lion perishes for lack of prey, and its whelps are scattered.” (vv. 10-11)

III. Important Verses
vv. 4-5: Your words have kept him who stumbled from falling; You have braced knees that gave way. But now that it overtakes you, it is too much; It reaches you, and you are unnerved.
v. 7: Think now, what innocent man ever perished? Where have the upright been destroyed?
vv. 8-9: As I have seen, those who plow evil And sow mischief reap them. They perish by a blast from God, Are gone at the breath of His nostrils.
vv. 17-19: Can mortals be acquitted by God? Can man be cleared by his Maker? If He cannot trust His own servants, And casts reproach on His angels, How much less those who dwell in houses of clay, Whose origin is dust, Who are crushed like the moth.

IV. Outline
1. Introduction
2. Opening statement
3-6. Job’s hypocrisy
7-11. Wicked people perish
12-21. God punishes people for their sins

V. Comment
Job 4 is the first part of Eliphaz’s speech, and it will continue until the end of chapter 5. In regards to the mood and purpose of the speech, Clines writes (p. 121), “The hesitant opening (4:2), the positive assessment of Job’s former life (4:3–4), the affirmation of his present piety and integrity (4:6), and the concluding note of advice (5:27), all show Eliphaz as well-disposed and consolatory toward Job.” Thus, while one might view Eliphaz’s speech to be a diatribe, the aforementioned verses imply that it is an attempt to assuage Job’s awful state.

It is interesting that Eliphaz begins his speech with a reference to “words” in v. 2, “If one ventures a word with you, will it be too much? But who can hold back his words?” Most of the speeches in the book also begin with a reference to words/speaking (cf. 8:2; 9:2; 11:2–3; 15:2–3; 16:2–3; 18:2; 20:2; 21:2; 32:6–33:3; 34:2; 36:2; 38:2). It is also interesting that Eliphaz describes the fate of the wicked in a highly stylized way; this type of description is a common occurrence in the book (cf. 5:2–5; 8:13–19; 15:20–35; 18:5–21; 20:5–29; 27:13–23).

Eliphaz asserts that people suffer on account of their sins, “Can mortals be acquitted by God? Can man be cleared by his Maker? If He cannot trust His own servants, And casts reproach on His angels, How much less those who dwell in houses of clay, Whose origin is dust, Who are crushed like the moth.” (vv. 17-19) Yet, Eliphaz makes the point that only the wicked perish (vv. 7-9), “Think now, what innocent man ever perished (‘avad)? Where have the upright been destroyed (nikhchadu)? As I have seen, those who plow evil And sow mischief reap them. They perish by a blast from God, Are gone at the breath of His nostrils.” Thus, Eliphaz is implicitly telling Job, “You are suffering because you are a sinner. But, on the brighter side, you are still alive because you are not entirely evil.” The notion that God does not forsake the righteous, which will be taken up again by Eliphaz in chapter 5, also occurs in Ps. 37:23-25, “The steps of a man are made firm by the LORD, when He delights in his way. Though he stumbles, he does not fall down, for the LORD gives him support. I have been young and am now old, but I have never seen a righteous man abandoned, or his children seeking bread.” Also see Ben Sira 2:10, “Look at the generations of old, and see; did ever any trust in the Lord, and was confounded? Or did any abide in his fear, and was forsaken? Or whom did he ever despise, that called upon him?”

Clines makes two important points about Eliphaz’s speech. The first has to do with the validity of the argument itself (p. 124): “It may appear quite improbable that Eliphaz’s opinion, that the righteous are never ‘cut off’ in the midst of their days, could ever have been seriously maintained. Yet, however cruel such a doctrine may be, its strength lies in the fact that it is unfalsifiable. If one already believes the doctrine, every instance of premature death is proof of the wickedness (however secret) of the victim, and serves only to support the validity of the original premise.”

The second point is about the speech’s recipient  (p. 124-125): “However crude or cruel Eliphaz’s view may be in the abstract, in the present circumstances it is doubly hurtful. In the first place, it is no consolation to Job to be reminded that as a righteous man he need have no fear of being cut off before his time; for Job not only has no wish to live out his appointed days but numbers himself among those “who long for death . . . who rejoice exceedingly . . . when they find the grave” (3:21–22). In the second place, Eliphaz’s theology implicitly attributes the death of Job’s seven sons and three daughters (1:2) to some sinfulness of theirs. That is hard enough for any father to have to listen to, but is even worse in Job’s case since he had constantly gone out of his way to ensure that any shortcomings on their part had been adequately atoned for by sacrifice (1:5). Job has therefore failed his children as much as they have failed him.”

VI. Works Used
(see “Commentaries” page)
Clines, Proverbs 1-20 (Word Biblical Commentary)
Murphy, Wisdom Literature: Job, Proverbs, Ruth, Canticles, Ecclesiastes, Esther (FOTL)
Photo taken from http://www.lalibela.net/content/wildlife_encyclopedia/lion/2.jpg

Hebrew-English Text

I. Summary

Job fervently curses the day that he was born. He wishes he could have died at childbirth, and wonders why God keeps people who suffer alive.

II. Photo

Job curses the day he was born: “Job spoke up and said: Perish the day on which I was born, And the night it was announced, ‘A male has been conceived!’ May that day be darkness; May God above have no concern for it; May light not shine on it.” (vv. 2-4)

III. Important Verses

v. 2-4: Job spoke up and said: “Perish the day on which I was born, And the night it was announced, ‘A male has been conceived!’ May that day be darkness; May God above have no concern for it; May light not shine on it.”

v. 6: May obscurity carry off that night; May it not be counted among the days of the year; May it not appear in any of its months!

vv. 20-21: Why does He give light to the sufferer And life to the bitter in spirit; To those who wait for death but it does not come, Who search for it more than for treasure?

vv. 24-26: My groaning serves as my bread; My roaring pours forth as water. For what I feared has overtaken me; What I dreaded has come upon me. I had no repose, no quiet, no rest, And trouble came.

IV. Outline

1. Introduction
2-10. Imprecation
     3. Introduction
     4-5. The day of birth
     6-9. The night of birth
     10. Rationale
11-26. Complaint
     11-19. Job wishes he could have died at birth
     20-23. Why does God grant life to those who wish to die?
     24-26. Job describes his state

V. Comment

After sitting in silence with his friends for seven days, Job breaks the silence with a depressing monologue. He curses the day of his birth (vv. 3-10), wishes he had died at birth (vv. 11-19), and then questions why people who suffer remain alive (vv. 20-26). In terms of structure, Job 3 has many of the characteristics of the Complaint/Lament genre found in the book of Psalms: there is an imprecation (vv. 2-10), and a complaint about an undesired situation (vv. 11-26). However, there are two key differences between  Job 3 and other laments/complaints: (a) Job 3 is not directed to God, and (b) Job has no desire for things to improve (his only wish is to die).

In vv. 3-5 Job begins to curse the day he was born: “Perish the day on which I was born, And the night it was announced, ‘A male has been conceived!’ May that day be darkness; May God above have no concern for it; May light not shine on it; May darkness and deep gloom reclaim it; May a pall lie over it; May what blackens the day terrify it.” The concept of cursing the day of one’s birth is also found in Jer. 20:14-18: “Accursed be the day That I was born! Let not the day be blessed When my mother bore me! Accursed be the man Who brought my father the news And said, “A boy Is born to you,” And gave him such joy! Let that man become like the cities Which the LORD overthrew without relenting! Let him hear shrieks in the morning And battle shouts at noontide — Because he did not kill me before birth So that my mother might be my grave, And her womb big [with me] for all time. Why did I ever issue from the womb, To see misery and woe, To spend all my days in shame!” The birthday also comes up in other places: Eccl. 7:1 says, “A good name is better than fragrant oil, and the day of death than the day of birth,” and Gen. 40:20 speaks of Pharaoh’s birthday celebration, “On the third day — his birthday — Pharaoh made a banquet for all his officials, and he singled out his chief cupbearer and his chief baker from among his officials.”

Job employs a light/dark metaphor in his maledictions. It is interesting that he says yehi choshekh “let there be darkness,” a sort of reversal of God’s creative words yehi ‘or “let there be light” (Gen. 1:3). In the metaphor, light represents life and darkness represents death: v. 16 says, “Or why was I not like a buried stillbirth, Like babies who never saw the light?” and v. 20 says, “Why does He give light to the sufferer And life to the bitter in spirit?” Similarly, 10:21-22 describes death as a place devoid of light: “Before I depart — never to return — For the land of deepest gloom; A land whose light is darkness, All gloom and disarray, Whose light is like darkness.”

Clines points out (p. 104) that Job 3 is unique in that it is an expression of emotion and not a theological discourse: “The restraint that makes this a poem of world stature is the exclusive concentration on feeling, without the importation of ideological questions. For a book that is so dominated by intellectual issues of theodicy, it is amazing to find here not one strictly theological sentence, not a single question about the meaning of his suffering, not a hint that it may be deserved, not the slightest nod to the doctrine of retribution. All that will come, in its time, but here we are invited to view the man Job in the violence of his grief. Unless we encounter this man with these feelings we have no right to listen in on the debates that follow; with this speech before us we cannot overintellectualize the book, but must always be reading it as the drama of a human soul.” Thus, Job 3 introduces the human Job – a man who can do nothing except damn his very existence.

VI. Works Used

(see “Commentaries” page)

Clines, Proverbs 1-20 (Word Biblical Commentary)

Murphy, Wisdom literature : Job, Proverbs, Ruth, Canticles, Ecclesiastes, and Esther (Forms of Old Testament Literature)

Photo taken from http://investmentbuddy.com/investments/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/baby-boy.jpg