Job is commonly referred to as ‘wisdom literature’ in our Old Testament. Most of the book is composed in Hebrew poetry except for chapters one and two and a narrative section at the beginning of chapter thirty-two. All of the speeches by the various individuals are presented in Hebrew poetry. Many newer translations will use indentation to indicate Hebrew poetry. You can see if your translation indicates Hebrew poetry by comparing the print in Job chapter two with Job chapter three beginning with verse 2. It should be easily noticeable. There is a good concise article on Hebrew poetry in the Holman Concise Bible Commentary (HCBC) on page 199 written by an Old Testament Professor at SBTS. This same article with some additions is also in the CSB Study Bible (CSBSB) on page 761. Dr. Garrett will discuss the use of parallelism and chiasm in poetry and wisdom literature. Chiasm is also found in portions of the Old Testament that we don’t refer to as poetry or wisdom literature. In our last six months of reading, we will be reading a lot of Hebrew poetry. If you don’t have the HCBC or the CSBSB you can read the article in the church library. The Bible Projects Summary video is very helpful as an introduction to Job, you will find the link here.
Job addresses the age-old question of ‘Why do bad things happen to good people?’ Is it Satanic? Is it punishment for sin? Is it corrective discipline? Ezekiel mentions Job as righteous along with Noah and Daniel, see Ezek. 14:14. In the N.T. Job is also mentioned by James who refers to Job’s endurance/perseverance/patience in Ja. 5:11. A second Bible Projects discussion on Job as wisdom literature can be found here.
Chapter 28 deals specifically with wisdom. D.A. Carson gives a brief introduction to this chapter,
Up to this point, none of the friends has comprehended wisdom. This poem is constructed around the question that constitutes the refrain: “Where can wisdom be found?” (vv. 12, 20). It divides the poem into three strophes: (1) the human search has not discovered wisdom (vv. 1–11); (2) human wealth cannot buy wisdom (vv. 13–19); (3) only God knows the way to wisdom (vv. 21–28). When the poet finally provides the classical definition of wisdom (v. 28), it comes as no surprise that Job is its representative (1:1). Yet something of the mystery of wisdom is still hidden from Job. In this way the poem points away from itself to God’s speeches.[1]
There is a lot about Job we just do not know. It’s generally believed that he lived during the time of the Patriarchs, Abraham or Isaac. Most scholars do not believe that Job was Jewish or that he lived in the Promised Land. They place the location of Uz either in Edom or Syria. Arguments can be made for either of these locations. His three friends seem to have been Edomites. A fourth mysterious person shows up in chapter 32 named Elihu that confronts Job’s three friends as well as Job. His speech is a long one from chapter 32 through chapter 37. Neither Job nor his friends answer Elihu and when he finishes speaking then the Lord speaks to Job. After God’s address to Job, he will no longer complain he responds in chapter 42,
5 I had heard reports about you,
but now my eyes have seen you.
6 Therefore, I reject my words and am sorry for them;
I am dust and ashes.[2]
[1] Carson, D. A., ed. 2018. NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible, 847. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
[2] Christian Standard Bible. 2020. Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
