Biblical Exegesis of Job 1:1–12: Faith, Suffering, and Meaning

Introduction

The Book of Job is perhaps one of the most debated sections of canonized scripture among members of established religions, in part due to the unusual nature of the events described in the text and because of the literal interpretations often ascribed to the story without regard to how they fit into broader theological constructs. The first chapter of Job will be critically analyzed in this paper, with a specific focus on verses six through twelve. These verses help set the stage for the calamities that befall Job and provide deeper insight into the message being conveyed by the author.

In order to examine the text with any degree of efficacy, it is necessary to critically analyze the behavior and motives of the major characters in the chapter and to evaluate the larger meaning behind their actions. Such an examination also helps reveal the true meaning of the text — insofar as it can be assessed — and what role the text plays in teaching fundamental tenets of religion. Through this dissection of the material it becomes possible to consider the implications on a more personal level, specifically to answer the question: "What does this material mean to me?" given the additional insight provided by scholarly works cited throughout this paper.

Like many of the works that make up the Old Testament, there is considerable debate surrounding the actual composition of the Book of Job. "The language is difficult and in many cases almost hopelessly obscure… the arrangement is most complicated, the setting is as strange as it is non-Jewish, and what adds to these difficulties, the entire book has been manipulated in the interest of conventional orthodoxy…" (Jastrow 26). This situation is not surprising given the oral traditions that were so important in communicating stories from one generation to the next.

Historical Setting for the Composition of the Book of Job

Habel writes concerning the timeframe during which the material was written that "Scholars have proposed dates from the tenth century to the fourth century B.C." (40). But the fact that the story was produced sometime during those years does not mean that its details were necessarily fixed. "The spoken word in the ancient Orient enjoyed greater authority than the written one… when something was written down it became, as it were, public property and could be augmented and modified ad libitum…" (Jastrow 65). Thus the current version used in Christian theology most likely bears little resemblance to the original work. Furthermore, some scholars argue that the work was intended to have a more universal appeal because of the nationality and location of its principal characters. "[Job] was not a member of the Jewish people but a native of 'the land of Uz' (1:1), which may have been part of Edom. This geographical location is further suggested by the names given to the friends of Job, for they refer to places in the same region." (Gutiérrez 3). The dates of the story's creation most likely coincide with or follow the dispersion of the Jews, which could place the date as late as the third century B.C.E.

The fact that the Book of Job is used today by various religions to illustrate the importance of faith in the face of adversity does little to reveal the original intent of the author. To understand more fully what message the original text was designed to impart, it is necessary to review available research.

One purpose of the Book of Job may have originally been to illustrate the distinct difference between God and humanity — a dramatic contrast between two types of beings existing in mutually exclusive spheres. Glatzer comments on just this point in a review of work by Saadya Gaon, who "kept his good, just, and gracious God far removed from unseemly contact with the human world." (119). Gaon's writings on the Book of Job were completed sometime in the tenth century C.E. and may have captured some of the text's original meaning.

Other purposes are suggested by authors who believe the story may have been created for a writing contest, or who attach no religious origins to it at all, claiming instead that "Job was originally a Greek tragedy in the manner of Euripides, written under Greek influence, at a much later date than has usually been assigned to it." (Penniman 238).

Given the wide-ranging claims regarding the story's original purpose and era, there is value in accepting that it is a religious text designed either to promote specific behavior within a community or to expound on the nature of deity. This assumption allows for further examination of the text in the sense in which it is most commonly read — which is ultimately the reason behind the Book of Job's lasting influence.

Social Factors

It is worth noting that there are two wholly independent spheres of existence in which the characters operate. In one sphere, Job and other humans exist and are acted upon. No actions taken by the humans in the story appear to affect their circumstances. Only the influence of the antagonist — who is either Satan or some general adversarial force — can cause harm in the lives of the humans. Conversely, only the grace that flows from the God of the text can restore and provide protection.

The adversarial character, however, is able to interact with God in a way that is almost familiar. This casual interaction between the two forces is antithetical to portrayals of Satan in other texts, where he is described as incapable of withstanding the presence of the Supreme Being. This contradiction may clarify the nature of the adversary in the story — suggesting that the figure is not Satan himself but some other force, not an enemy of God but a general influence subject to God's will.

Another social factor that broadens the story's appeal is the care Job displays for his children. The worry of a concerned parent and the willingness to do anything to protect one's family is reflected in Job's sacrifice of burnt offerings to safeguard his children from punishment for sins they might have committed.