Reading 1,34 - 42 Chapters - 1,070 verses - 10,102 words

Vital Statistics

 Purpose:  To demonstrate God's sovereignty and the meaning of true faith. If addresses the question, "Why do the righteous suffer?"   
 Author:  Unknown, possibly Job. Some have suggested Moses, Solomon, or Elihu  
 Date written:  Unknown. Records events that probably occurred during the time of the patriarchs, approximately 2000-1800 B.C.  
 Setting:  The land of Uz, probably located northeast of Palestine, near desert land between Damascus and the Euphrates River 
 Key people:  Job, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, Zophar the Naamathite, Elihu the Buzite  
 Special features:  Jos is the first of the poetic books in the Hebrew Bible. Some believe this was the first book of the Bible to be written. The book gives us insights into the work of Satan. Ezekiel 14:14, 20 and James 5:1 mention Job as a historical character   


    Although most of the book consists of the words of Job and his friends, Job himself was not the author. We may be sure that the author was an Israelite, since he (not Job or his friends) frequently uses the Israelite covenant name for God (Yahweh; NIV "the Lord").  In the prologue (chs 1-2), divine discourses (38:1- 42:6) and epilogue (42:7-17) "Lord" occurs a total of 25 times, while in the rest of the book (chs. 3-37) it appears only once (12:9). 

    This unknown author probably had access to a tradition (oral or written) about an ancient righteous man who endured great suffering with remarkable "perseverance" (Jas 5:11) and without turning against God (Eze 14:14,20), a tradition he put to use for his own purpose. While the author preserves much of the archaic and non-Israelite flavor in the language of Job and his friends, he also reveals his own style as a writer of wisdom literature. The book's profound insights, it literary structures and the quality of his rhetoric display the author's genius.   


    Two dates are involved: (1) that of Job himself and (2) that of the composition of the book. The latter could be dated anytime from the reign of Solomon to the time of Israel's exiles in Babylonia. Although the author was a Israelite, he mentions nothing of Israel's history. He had an account of a non-Israelite sage Job (1:1) who probably lived in the second millennium B.C. (2000-1000). Like the Hebrew patriarchs, Job lived more than 100 years (42:16). Like them, his wealth was measured in livestock and servants (1:3), and like them he acted as priest for his family (1:5). The raiding of Sabean (1:15) and Chaldean (1:17) tribes fits the second millennium, as does the mention of the kesitah, "a piece of silver," in 42:11 (see Ge 33:19; Jos 24:32). The discovery of a Targum (Aramaic paraphrase) on Job dating to the first or second century B.C. (the earliest written Targum yet discovered) makes a very late date for composition highly unlikely.  

Language and Text


Setting and Perspective

    While it may be that the author intended his book to be a contribution to an ongoing high level discussion of major theological issues in an exclusive company of learned men, it seems more likely that he intended his story to be told to godly sufferers who like Job were struggling with the crisis of faith brought on by prolonged bitter suffering. He seems to sit too close to the suffering - to be more the sympathetic and compassionate pastor than the detached theologian or philosopher. He has heard what the learned theologians of his day have been saying about the ways of God and what brings on suffering, and he lets their voices be heard. Ad he knows that the godly sufferers of his day have also heard the "wisdom" of the learned and have internalized it as the wisdom of the ages. But he also knows what "miserable confort" (16:2) that so-called wisdom gives - that it only rubs salt in the wounds and creates a stumbling-block for faith. Against that wisdom he has no rational arguments to marshal. But he has a story to tell that challenges it at its very roots and speaks to the struggling faith of the sufferer. In effect he says to the godly sufferer, "Forget the logical arguments spun out by those who sit together at their ease and discuss the ways of God, and forget those voices in your own heart that are little more than echoes of their pronouncements. Let me tell you a story."                         

Literary Form and Structure


    The wisdom poem in ch. 28 appears to be the words of the author who sees the failure of the dispute as evidence of a lack of wisdom. So in praise of true wisdom he centers his structural apex between the three cycles of dialogue-dispute (chs. 3-27) and the three monologues: Job's (chs. 29-31), Elihu's (chs. 32-37) and God's (38:1-42:6). Job's monologue turns directly to God for a legal decision: that he is innocent of the charges his counselors have leveled against him. Elihu's monologue - another human perspective on why people suffer - rebukes Job but moves beyond  the punishment theme to the value of divine chastening and God's redemptive purpose in it. God's monologue gives the divine perspective: Job is not condemned, but neither is a logical or legal answer given to why Jod has suffered. That remains a mystery to Job, though the readers are ready for Job's restoration in the epilogue because they have had the heavenly vantage point of the prologue all along. So the literary structure and the theological significance of the book are beautifully tied together.              

Job Interpretive Challenges

The most critical interpretive challenge involves the book’s primary message. Although often thought to be the pressing issue of the book, the question of why Job suffers is never revealed to job, though the reader knows that it involves God’s proving a point to Satan— a matter which completely transcends Job’ ability to understand. James’ commentary on job’s case (5:11) draws the conclusión that it was to show God’s compassion and mercy, but without apology, offers no explanation for Job’s specific ordeal. Readers find themselves putting their proverbial hands over their mouths, with no right to question or accuse the all-wise and all powerful Creator, who will do as He please, and in so doing, both proves his points in the spiritual realm to angels and demons and defines His compassion and mercy. Engaging in “theodicy” i.e., man’s attempt to defend God’s involvement in calamity and suffering, is shown to be appropriate in these circumstances, though in the end, it is apparent that God does not need nor want a human advocate. The book of Job poignantly illustrates Dt 29:29. “The secret things belongs to the Lord our God…”    

The nature of job’s guilt and innocence raises perplexing questions. God declared Job blameless, upright fearing God, and shunning evil (1:1). But Job’s comforters raised a critical question based on Job’s ordeal: Had not job sinned? On several occasions Job readily admitted to having sinned (7:21; 13:26). But Job questioned the extent of his sin as compared to the severity of his suffering. God rebuked Job in the end for his demands to be vindicated of the comforters’ accusations (chap.38-41). But He also declared that what job said was correct and what the comforter said was wrong (42:7)


Understanding this book requires:    

  1. Understanding the nature of wisdom, particularly the difference between man’s wisdom and God’s.

  2. Admitting that Job and his friends lacked the divine wisdom to interpret Job’s circumstances accurately, though his friends kept trying while Job learned to be content in God’s sovereignty and mercy. The turning point or resolution  for this matter is found in job 28 where the character of divine wisdom is explained: divine wisdom is rare and priceless; man cannot hope to purchase it; and God possesses it all. We may not know what is going on in heaven or what God’s purpose are, but we must trust Him. Because of this, the matter of believers suffering takes a backseat to the matter of divine wisdom.     



I. Prologue (chs. 1-2)

A. Job’s Happiness (1:1-5)

B. Job’s Testing (1:6- 2:13)

1. Satan’s first accusation (1:6-12)

2. Job’s faith despite loss of family and property (1:13-22)

3. Satan’s second accusation (2:1-6)

4. Job’s faith during personal suffering (2:7-10)


A. Job’s Opening Lament (ch. 3)

B. First Cycle of Speeches (chs. 4-14)

1. Eliphaz (chs. 4-5)

2. Job’s reply (chs. 6-7)

3. Bildad (ch. 8)

4. Job’s reply (chs. 9-10)

5. Zophar (ch. 11)

6. Job’s reply (chs. 12-14)



(chs. 3-27)

C. Second Cycle of Speeches (chs. 15-21)

1. Eliphaz (ch. 15)

2. Job’s reply (chs. 16-17)

3. Bildad (ch. 18)

4. Job’s reply (ch. 19)

5. Zophar (ch. 20)

6. Job’s reply (ch. 21)

D. Third Cycle of Speeches (chs. 22-26)

1. Eliphaz (ch. 22)

2. Job’s reply (chs. 23-24)

3. Bildad (ch. 25)

4. Job’s reply (ch. 26)

E. Job’s Closing Discourse (ch. 27)

III. Interlude on Wisdom (ch. 28)

A. Job’s Cal  for Vindication (chs. 29-31)

1. His past honor and blessing (ch. 29)

2. His present dishonor and suffering (ch. 30)

3. His protestation of innocence and final oath (ch. 31)

IV. Monologues (29:1-42:6)

B. Elihu’s Speeches (chs. 32-37)

1. Introduction (32:1-5)

2. The speeches themselves (32:6-37:24)

  1. First speech (32:6-33:33)

  2. Second speech (ch. 34)

  3. Third speech (ch. 35)

  4. Fourth speech (chs. 36-37)

C. Divine Discourses (38:1-42:6)

1. God’s first discourse (38:1-40:2)

2. Job’s response (40:3-5)

3. God’s second discourse (40:6-41:34)

4. Job’s repentance (42:1-6)

V. Epilogue (42:7-17)

A. God’s Verdict (42:7-9)

B. Job’s Restoration (42:10-17)

 Job Horizontal

1:1 - Prosperity, Possession, Health are taken

3 Tests


2:11 - Job’s 3 friends come


3:1 - Job: Why did I not die at birth?

4:1 - Eliphas: Innocent even perished?

6:1 - Job: Make me understand how I have erred

1st Cycle

8:1 - Blidad: Hope-godless man-perish


9:1 - Job: I am innocent

11:1 - Sophar: Let not wickedness dwell  

12:1 - Job: Withdraw your hand from me

15:1 - Eliphaz: wicked man writhes-pain


16:1 - Job: God has worn me out


18:1 - Bildad: Light of wicked - put out

2nd Cycle


19:1 - Job: God has put me in  the wrong



20:1 - Zophar: Wicked man’s portion

21:1 - Why do the wicked live?

22:1 - Eliphaz: No and to your iniquity

23:1 - Job: Oh, that I knew that where I might find him

25:1 - Bildad: Dominion/fear with God

3rd Cycle

26:1 - Job: Who understand his power


27:1 - Job: Let my enemy be as the wicked


29:1 - Job: Now I am a byword

31:1 - Job: If I have walked with falsehood

32:1 - Elinu: Let me also declare my option

34:1 - Elihu: Almighty will not perverse justice

Elihu speaks

36:1 - Elihu: He delivers the afflicted by their affliction  

38:1 - God: Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?


40:3 - Job: I am of small account



40:6 - God: Have you an arm like God?


42:1 - Job: I despise myself and repent

42:7 - The Lord accepted Job’s prayer

God’s mercy


God's character in Job

  1. God is delivering - 33:27, 28
  2. God is glorious - 37:22
  3. God is invisible - 23:8, 9
  4. God is just - 4:17; 8:3; 34:12; 37:23
  5. God is loving - 7:17 
  6. God is powerful - 5:9; 9:4, 10; 26:4; 36:22; 40:9
  7. God is provident - 1:21; 26:10; 37:9-13
  8. God is righteous - 36:3
  9. God is unsearchable - 11:7; 37:23
  10. God is wise - 9:4; 11:11; 21:22; 23:10; 28:24; 34:21; 36:4, 5; 37:16
  11. God is wrathful - 9:13; 14:13; 21:17

Christ in Job

    The book of Job raises many questions over the purpose of suffering. While durect answers are difficult to find in Job, our hope rests in Christ who identifies with our suffering (Heb 4:15). Ultimately, Job cries out to Christ, the Mediator between God and man (933; 25:4; 33:23).