Archaeological Find in Israel

Job Remembers 

Moreover Job continued his parable, and said, Oh that I were as in months past, as in the days when God preserved me; When his candle shined upon my head, and when by his light I walked through darkness; As I was in the days of my youth, when the secret of God was upon my tabernacle; When the Almighty was yet with me, when my children were about me; When I washed my steps with butter, and the rock poured me out rivers of oil; When I went out to the gate through the city, when I prepared my seat in the street!

The young men saw me, and hid themselves: and the aged arose, and stood up. The princes refrained talking, and laid their hand on their mouth. The nobles held their peace, and their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth. When the ear heard me, then it blessed me; and when the eye saw me, it gave witness to me: Because I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and him that had none to help him.

The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me: and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy. I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: my judgment was as a robe and a diadem. I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame. I was a father to the poor: and the cause which I knew not I searched out. And I brake the jaws of the wicked, and plucked the spoil out of his teeth.

Then I said, I shall die in my nest, and I shall multiply my days as the sand. My root was spread out by the waters, and the dew lay all night upon my branch. My glory was fresh in me, and my bow was renewed in my hand. Unto me men gave ear, and waited, and kept silence at my counsel. After my words they spake not again; and my speech dropped upon them.

And they waited for me as for the rain; and they opened their mouth wide as for the latter rain. If I laughed on them, they believed it not; and the light of my countenance they cast not down. I chose out their way, and sat chief, and dwelt as a king in the army, as one that comforteth the mourners. (Job 29:1-25 kjv)

The Book of JOB The Book of Job is one of the few books in the Hebrew Scriptures that does not derive its title from the first word in the text. The name is a transliteration of the Hebrew word 'Iyov (347) which means "the hated or persecuted one." Although there is no mention of the author's name within the book, most scholars accept the Talmudic tradition that Moses is the author of the book. There are others who propose that Solomon was the author. They suggest that Solomon's vast knowledge of foreign countries and cultures would have provided him with the information to write the Book of Job.   This fails to prove that only Solomon could have written the book, for would not Moses, having received the highest training in Egypt, have learned of numerous foreign nations. However, the main problem with the Solomonic view of authorship is the time span that separated the patriarchal period and Solomon's lifetime. On the other hand, Mosaic authorship is supported by the use of many words and phrases found in the Book of Job, which are also used in the Pentateuch.   Another argument in favor of this view is that the land of Uz was adjacent to Midian where Moses spent forty years prior to his return to Egypt. It seems entirely possible that he could have heard the story of Job there and been inspired by God to correctly relate the events and conversations that occurred.   It is generally accepted that he dwelled in Midian between the years of 1485 and 1445 B.C. Furthermore, there is good reason to believe that the events took place during the patriarchal period. No reference is made to the events of the Exodus, and the patriarchal name for God, 'the Almighty," is used approximately thirty times in the book. The fact that Job acted as the priest for his family (Job 1:5) implies that the Mosaic Law had not yet been given. The length of Job's life (Job 42:16) is comparable to those living during the time of the patriarchs (Gen. 25:7; 35:28). The Book of Job is the first of the so-called Poetical Books of the Bible. The truth is, however, that poetry is found throughout the Old Testament. For example, it is used in blessings and cursings (Gen. 49:2 -27), in certain historical accounts (Ex. 15:1 -18), and in dirges (2 Sam. 1:19 -27).   The poetry of the Old Testament is very different from modern poetry. It involves not the rhyming of sounds, but the "rhyming" of thoughts or ideas. This characteristic of Hebrew poetry is now called parallelism. For the most part, parallelism may either be antithetical (where the thoughts are opposite to one another, Prov. 10:1, 7) or synonymous (where the thoughts are the same as or similar to one another, Ps. 24:1). Or Since rhymes of sound are difficult, if not impossible, to carry over in translation, the appreciation of English poetry is limited to those who know the language. On the other hand, the beauty of the "thought-rhythm" of Hebrew poetry may be carried over into any language. The Book of Job is a beautiful example of Hebrew poetry, though in fact not all of the book is poetic in form. The prologue (chaps. 1; 2) and the epilogue (Job 42:7-16) are written in prose. The drama of Job's suffering, the majestic style, and the nature of the discussions have helped to make Job universally accepted as a literary masterpiece. The purpose of the book is to show the unfathomable wisdom of God's providence, and and the benevolence of God even in the trials brought upon His children. It also explains why God allows righteous people to suffer: to expose their frailty and sinfulness, to strengthen their faith, and to purify them. The spiritual perspective of the account and the fact that God exercised total control over Satan promotes complete trust in God. Throughout the book, Job's friends relentlessly accused him of committing some great sin. Although he questioned God's actions in the midst of these onslaughts, it should not be assumed that his queries were motivated by a resentful, self-seeking attitude. On the contrary, they confirm his determination to hold on to his faith in God despite the circumstances that providence had brought upon him. [Source for Introduction of chapter: Hebrew Greek Key Study Bible KJV edited by Spiros Zodhiates, Th.D. AMG Publishers, Chattanooga, TN 37422]