"주신 이도 여호와시요 거두신 이도 여호와시오니" [욥기 1-42장] 쉬운성경 [Book of Job] "내가 주께 대하여 귀로 ...

I. TITLE: A. In Hebrew the name is boYa! probably from the root meaning “to come back,” or “repent,” thus describing one who “comes back” or “returns to” God.1 B. In Greek LXX the name is transliteration of the Hebrew consonants IWB. II. AUTHOR: Possibly Job, Elihu, or a contemporary of Job A. The author of the book is unknown 1. The text does not identify its author 2. Rabbinic tradition does not attempt to identify an author other than suggesting that the writer must have preceded Moses B. Ones understanding of Date (below) contributes to one’s understanding of the author C. Jacques Bolduc suggested in his commentary of 1637 that the book of Job may have been authored in a secondary way by Moses who found it in its original Aramaic form and translated it into Hebrew2 1. This could account for: a. Its being possessed by the Hebrews b. Its attaining a canonical status c. The Aramaic tone in some of the terms and modes of expression in the text 2. But the style of Job is not really Mosaic; Moses uses the name of Yahweh often whereas Job uses other names, Job uses Arabic words unlike Moses, Moses would not have been familiar with Arabic customs, opinions, and manners D. Job, Elihu, or a contemporary of Job: 1. The date of the book leans toward a patriarchal age 2. The foreign tone of the book allows for it to have been written by Job (Arabic words, nomadic habits, illustrations from sandy plains, awareness of nature and the arts) III. DATE: A. Date of the Events: Probably pre-Mosaic, even patriarchal from the second Millennium B.C. 1. Job is lacking references to historical events and reflects a non-Hebraic cultural background which little is known about 2. Location: a. Uz was located in northern Arabia3 b. Job’s friend, Eliphaz, came from Teman, a city in Edom c. Elihu came from the Buzites who lived next to the Chaldeans in northeast Arabia4 3. Support for a pre-Mosaic date: a. The patriarchal family-clan organization reflects the time of Abraham rather than after the Exodus b. The offering of sacrifice by the head of the family rather than a priest reflects a time before the Exodus c. The mention of a qesitah as a type of money (Job 42:11) suggests a date which is at least during the time of Joshua (cf. Jos. 24:32), if not during the patriarchal period (cf. Gen 33:19)5 4. Support for an early second millennium date of Job as a contemporary with the patriarchs: a. The reference in Ezekiel 14:14 to Job and Daniel may be a reference to the ancient Canaanite hero Dan’el who was a prominent figure in the Ugaritic epics rather than to the contemporary prophet, Daniel6 b. Other names in Job are authentic for the second millennium B.C.: 1) Bildad was short for Yabil Dadum, a name found in cuneiform sources of the second millennium B.C. 2) Job is found in the “Babylonian Job”, a cuneiform composition7 B. Date of Composition: Possibly during the time of the Patriarchs (Second Millennium B.C.) 1. The Patriarchal Age: a. This was the view of the Talmud b. This helps support the accuracy of the conversations between Job and his friends; but this is not necessary since portions of Genesis were accurately transmitted by mouth until Moses wrote them down c. The addition of 42:16-17 could have been added shortly after Job’s death d. The lifestyle and longevity of Job are similar to that of the patriarchs found in Genesis e. The moving bands of Sabaeans and Chaldeans (Job 1:15, 17) matches the early second millennium B.C. f. The literary genre of Job (below) matches that of the patriarchal era g. The name of Job is found in the Amarna letters (c. 1350 B.C.) and the Egyptian Execration texts (c. 2000 B.C.)8 h. Although the evidence does not demand a second millennium B.C. date, it certainly allows for it. “9 2. The Reign of Solomon: a. This was the view of Gregory Nazianzen (fourth century A.D.), Martin Luther, Haevernick, Keil and Delitzsch, Raven, Young, and Unger10 b. Solomon’s age was a peaceful one and thus particularly interested in wisdom’s approach to the deepest, practical problems of life (e.g., Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, Proverbs) c. The wisdom of Proverbs 8 and Job 28 is similar d. While the above arguments are plausible, they are not determinative; as Archer writes, “most of the ... features above mentioned are reconcilable with an earlier date as well, particularly if the account was composed by a non-Israelite author on non-Israelite soil”11 e. In addition a delay of four centuries from the actual experience to the writing down of the experience raises the question of accuracy12 3. The Reign of Manasseh: a. This was the view of Ewald and Hitzig. b. Since this was a time of injustice, the thought is that Job fits the social setting well (cf. Job 9:24) c. But Job does not present trouble that is any greater than could be found at any time in human history, and here the hardship is individual and private rather than national 4. The Reign of Jeremiah: a. This was the view of J. E. Steinmueller b. Similarity i