Outside this book. Job is mentioned in Scripture only in Ezk 14'^-" 'These three men, J*oah, Daniel, and Job'; and in Ja 5" 'Ye have heard of the patience of Job.' Both of these passages apparently imply a belief in the actual existence of the proverbially upright and patient man of that name, but not necessarily tue existence of this book, or the treatment which Job's history receives in it.
ii. Contents. — The following is an outline or 'argument' of this remarkable book ; its form and significance will be considered later. It may be divided into five parts. 1. Prologue, written in prose, chs. 1 and 2. 2. Colloquies between Job and his friends, including Job's Lament, ch. 3. First colloquy, chs. 4-14 ; second colloquy, chs. 15-21 ; third colloquy, chs. 2*2-31. In the first two colloquies, each friend speaks once, and Job replies to each ; in the third, according to the present arrangement of the text, Zophar fails to t^ke up his turn, and Job, after replying to lUldad (ch. 20), speaks at unusual length, partly in a kind of monologue (chs. 27-31). 3. Intervention of Elihu, chs. 32-37. 4. A 9heoph(inij ; utterances of J", with very brief replies of Job, chs. 38-42*. 5. Epilogue, written in prose, ch. 42''".
1. The Prologue introduces us to a man named Job, living in the land of Uz, of great wealth and exceptional piety, surrounded by a large and happy family, and possessing every mark of divine favour. Upon this man there falls a series of heavy calamities, succeeding one another with startling rapidity, each more severe and trying than the last. His flocks are carried oil by marauders or smitten by lightning, he is stripped of all his possessions, and bereaved at a stroke of all his children. 'I'lie Prologue represents this as due to a scene in the Council of Heaven, at which there appeared among the ' sons of God ' a being called ' the Satan ' or ' the Adversary,' who questioned the sincerity and disinterestedness of Jobs religion, and received permission to afflict him in various ways, but not to touch him.sulf. This experiment is described as resulting in Job's complete vindication. He bowed in submission to tlie divine will, and in nil this tirst staue be 'sinned not, nor charged God with folly/ i.e. never questioned the moral rectitude of divine providence.
Another council is represented as held in heaven, at which the Adversary accounts for Job's fidelity Dy saying that be has not been made to sutler in ais own person. Permission is then given to
inflict the utmost bodily pain upon Job, only liia life is to be spared. Job is accordingly smitten with one of the most painful and lo.-vtiisome of diseases, elephanliasLs, a |)eculiarly trying form of leprosy. But in his utmost siillering and degradation he utters no complaint, though even his wife bids him 'renounce God and die.' Having received good at God's hand, he was content patiently to ' receive evil,' and in all this Job ' sinned not with his lips-'
2. Three friends, Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar, now come to condole with him. They sit in silent sympathy for seven days and seven nights, and ' none spake a word unto him, for they saw that his paiu was very great.' The silence is at hist broken by Job himself. He had thus far borne unparalleled troubles with unparalleled resig- nation, but now he ' opened his mouth and cursed his daj'.' The long-drawn wail of the third chapter is not a direct arraignment of God's provi- dence, but it contains a bitter, agonised complaint which virtually amounts to this. He curses the day on which he was born, wondering why the misery of birth into such a life should ever have been inflicted upon him, and passionately longing for death as a blessed release which is inexplicably denied him. This outburst from the depth of a soul in anguish forms the occasion of the debate which follows. The tone of Job's complaint appears impious in the ears of his friends, who remonstrate, each after his o^vn fashion, whilst to each elaborate speech Job makes elaborate reply. The first stage of the discussion is chiefly occupied by an assertion on the p.art of the friends of the justice and goodness of God, whose government of the world must be in accordance with tnith and equity, the ■wicked sufl'ering for their sin and the righteous enjoying divine favour. Job meets this by a passionate assertion of his own innocence, and a bitter and often very bold arraignment of the present order of things. At the second stage, the friends dwell more upon history and experi- ence, pointing out the calamities which attend upon evil-doing, and leaving it to be inferred that some kind of sin must lie at the root of the troubles which have overwhelmed Job. On his part. Job clings all the more tenaciously to his original position. At the third stage of discussion, the friends attack Job more directly and explicitly, charging him with definite sins which ttiey are sure lie must have committed, to be thus punished. As the friends become more violent. Job becomes more calm. He has been working his way towards a solution, though as yet it is far from clear. He cares less to debate with men, and throws his soul more and more upon God, though He be still strangely and darkly hidden from him. Job's long monologue is full of pathos and sadness, but the bitterness which marked his ' curse ' and open- ing speeches has given place to a more equable frame of mind.