Eliphaz
1Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied:
2“Would a wise man answer with empty notions
or fill his belly with the hot east wind?
3Would he argue with useless words,
with speeches that have no value?
4But you even undermine piety
and hinder devotion to God.
5Your sin prompts your mouth;
you adopt the tongue of the crafty.
6Your own mouth condemns you, not mine;
your own lips testify against you.
7“Are you the first man ever born?
Were you brought forth before the hills?
8Do you listen in on God’s council?
Do you limit wisdom to yourself?
9What do you know that we do not know?
What insights do you have that we do not have?
10The gray-haired and the aged are on our side,
men even older than your father.
11Are God’s consolations not enough for you,
words spoken gently to you?
12Why has your heart carried you away,
and why do your eyes flash,
13so that you vent your rage against God
and pour out such words from your mouth?
14“What is man, that he could be pure,
or one born of woman, that he could be righteous?
15If God places no trust in his holy ones,
if even the heavens are not pure in his eyes,
16how much less man, who is vile and corrupt,
who drinks up evil like water!
17“Listen to me and I will explain to you;
let me tell you what I have seen,
18what wise men have declared,
hiding nothing received from their fathers
19(to whom alone the land was given
when no alien passed among them):
20All his days the wicked man suffers torment,
the ruthless through all the years stored up for him.
21Terrifying sounds fill his ears;
when all seems well, marauders attack him.
22He despairs of escaping the darkness;
he is marked for the sword.
23He wanders about—food for vultures;
he knows the day of darkness is at hand.
24Distress and anguish fill him with terror;
they overwhelm him, like a king poised to attack,
25because he shakes his fist at God
and vaunts himself against the Almighty,
26defiantly charging against him
with a thick, strong shield.
27“Though his face is covered with fat
and his waist bulges with flesh,
28he will inhabit ruined towns
and houses where no one lives,
houses crumbling to rubble.
29He will no longer be rich and his wealth will not endure,
nor will his possessions spread over the land.
30He will not escape the darkness;
a flame will wither his shoots,
and the breath of God’s mouth will carry him away.
31Let him not deceive himself by trusting what is worthless,
for he will get nothing in return.
32Before his time he will be paid in full,
and his branches will not flourish.
33He will be like a vine stripped of its unripe grapes,
like an olive tree shedding its blossoms.
34For the company of the godless will be barren,
and fire will consume the tents of those who love bribes.
35They conceive trouble and give birth to evil;
their womb fashions deceit.”
Job
16:1Then Job replied:
2“I have heard many things like these;
miserable comforters are you all!
3Will your long-winded speeches never end?
What ails you that you keep on arguing?
4I also could speak like you,
if you were in my place;
I could make fine speeches against you
and shake my head at you.
5But my mouth would encourage you;
comfort from my lips would bring you relief.
6“Yet if I speak, my pain is not relieved;
and if I refrain, it does not go away.
7Surely, O God, you have worn me out;
you have devastated my entire household.
8You have bound me—and it has become a witness;
my gauntness rises up and testifies against me.
9God assails me and tears me in his anger
and gnashes his teeth at me;
my opponent fastens on me his piercing eyes.
10Men open their mouths to jeer at me;
they strike my cheek in scorn
and unite together against me.
11God has turned me over to evil men
and thrown me into the clutches of the wicked.
12All was well with me, but he shattered me;
he seized me by the neck and crushed me.
He has made me his target;
13his archers surround me.
Without pity, he pierces my kidneys
and spills my gall on the ground.
14Again and again he bursts upon me;
he rushes at me like a warrior.
15“I have sewed sackcloth over my skin
and buried my brow in the dust.
16My face is red with weeping,
deep shadows ring my eyes;
17yet my hands have been free of violence
and my prayer is pure.
18“O earth, do not cover my blood;
may my cry never be laid to rest!
19Even now my witness is in heaven;
my advocate is on high.
as my eyes pour out tears to God;
21on behalf of a man he pleads with God
as a man pleads for his friend.
22“Only a few years will pass
before I go on the journey of no return.
17:1My spirit is broken,
my days are cut short,
the grave awaits me.
2Surely mockers surround me;
my eyes must dwell on their hostility.
3“Give me, O God, the pledge you demand.
Who else will put up security for me?
4You have closed their minds to understanding;
therefore you will not let them triumph.
5If a man denounces his friends for reward,
the eyes of his children will fail.
6“God has made me a byword to everyone,
a man in whose face people spit.
7My eyes have grown dim with grief;
my whole frame is but a shadow.
8Upright men are appalled at this;
the innocent are aroused against the ungodly.
9Nevertheless, the righteous will hold to their ways,
and those with clean hands will grow stronger.
10“But come on, all of you, try again!
I will not find a wise man among you.
11My days have passed, my plans are shattered,
and so are the desires of my heart.
12These men turn night into day;
in the face of darkness they say, ‘Light is near.’
13If the only home I hope for is the grave,
if I spread out my bed in darkness,
14if I say to corruption, ‘You are my father,’
and to the worm, ‘My mother’ or ‘My sister,’
15where then is my hope?
Who can see any hope for me?
16Will it go down to the gates of death?
Will we descend together into the dust?”
18:1Then Bildad the Shuhite replied:
2“When will you end these speeches?
Be sensible, and then we can talk.
3Why are we regarded as cattle
and considered stupid in your sight?
4You who tear yourself to pieces in your anger,
is the earth to be abandoned for your sake?
Or must the rocks be moved from their place?
5“The lamp of the wicked is snuffed out;
the flame of his fire stops burning.
6The light in his tent becomes dark;
the lamp beside him goes out.
7The vigor of his step is weakened;
his own schemes throw him down.
8His feet thrust him into a net
and he wanders into its mesh.
9A trap seizes him by the heel;
a snare holds him fast.
10A noose is hidden for him on the ground;
a trap lies in his path.
11Terrors startle him on every side
and dog his every step.
12Calamity is hungry for him;
disaster is ready for him when he falls.
13It eats away parts of his skin;
death’s firstborn devours his limbs.
14He is torn from the security of his tent
and marched off to the king of terrors.
15Fire resides in his tent;
burning sulfur is scattered over his dwelling.
16His roots dry up below
and his branches wither above.
17The memory of him perishes from the earth;
he has no name in the land.
18He is driven from light into darkness
and is banished from the world.
19He has no offspring or descendants among his people,
no survivor where once he lived.
20Men of the west are appalled at his fate;
men of the east are seized with horror.
21Surely such is the dwelling of an evil man;
such is the place of one who knows not God.”
Job
19:1Then Job replied:
2“How long will you torment me
and crush me with words?
3Ten times now you have reproached me;
shamelessly you attack me.
4If it is true that I have gone astray,
my error remains my concern alone.
5If indeed you would exalt yourselves above me
and use my humiliation against me,
6then know that God has wronged me
and drawn his net around me.
7“Though I cry, ‘I’ve been wronged!’ I get no response;
though I call for help, there is no justice.
8He has blocked my way so I cannot pass;
he has shrouded my paths in darkness.
9He has stripped me of my honor
and removed the crown from my head.
10He tears me down on every side till I am gone;
he uproots my hope like a tree.
11His anger burns against me;
he counts me among his enemies.
12His troops advance in force;
they build a siege ramp against me
and encamp around my tent.
13“He has alienated my brothers from me;
my acquaintances are completely estranged from me.
14My kinsmen have gone away;
my friends have forgotten me.
15My guests and my maidservants count me a stranger;
they look upon me as an alien.
16I summon my servant, but he does not answer,
though I beg him with my own mouth.
17My breath is offensive to my wife;
I am loathsome to my own brothers.
18Even the little boys scorn me;
when I appear, they ridicule me.
19All my intimate friends detest me;
those I love have turned against me.
20I am nothing but skin and bones;
I have escaped with only the skin of my teeth.
21“Have pity on me, my friends, have pity,
for the hand of God has struck me.
22Why do you pursue me as God does?
Will you never get enough of my flesh?
23“Oh, that my words were recorded,
that they were written on a scroll,
24that they were inscribed with an iron tool on lead,
or engraved in rock forever!
25I know that my Redeemer lives,
and that in the end he will stand upon the earth.
26And after my skin has been destroyed,
yet in my flesh I will see God;
27I myself will see him
with my own eyes—I, and not another.
How my heart yearns within me!
28“If you say, ‘How we will hound him,
since the root of the trouble lies in him,’
29you should fear the sword yourselves;
for wrath will bring punishment by the sword,
and then you will know that there is judgment.’ ”
Zophar
20:1Then Zophar the Naamathite replied:
2“My troubled thoughts prompt me to answer
because I am greatly disturbed.
3I hear a rebuke that dishonors me,
and my understanding inspires me to reply.
4“Surely you know how it has been from of old,
ever since man was placed on the earth,
5that the mirth of the wicked is brief,
the joy of the godless lasts but a moment.
6Though his pride reaches to the heavens
and his head touches the clouds,
7he will perish forever, like his own dung;
those who have seen him will say, ‘Where is he?’
8Like a dream he flies away, no more to be found,
banished like a vision of the night.
9The eye that saw him will not see him again;
his place will look on him no more.
10His children must make amends to the poor;
his own hands must give back his wealth.
11The youthful vigor that fills his bones
will lie with him in the dust.
12“Though evil is sweet in his mouth
and he hides it under his tongue,
13though he cannot bear to let it go
and keeps it in his mouth,
14yet his food will turn sour in his stomach;
it will become the venom of serpents within him.
15He will spit out the riches he swallowed;
God will make his stomach vomit them up.
16He will suck the poison of serpents;
the fangs of an adder will kill him.
17He will not enjoy the streams,
the rivers flowing with honey and cream.
18What he toiled for he must give back uneaten;
he will not enjoy the profit from his trading.
19For he has oppressed the poor and left them destitute;
he has seized houses he did not build.
20“Surely he will have no respite from his craving;
he cannot save himself by his treasure.
21Nothing is left for him to devour;
his prosperity will not endure.
22In the midst of his plenty, distress will overtake him;
the full force of misery will come upon him.
23When he has filled his belly,
God will vent his burning anger against him
and rain down his blows upon him.
24Though he flees from an iron weapon,
a bronze-tipped arrow pierces him.
25He pulls it out of his back,
the gleaming point out of his liver.
Terrors will come over him;
26total darkness lies in wait for his treasures.
A fire unfanned will consume him
and devour what is left in his tent.
27The heavens will expose his guilt;
the earth will rise up against him.
28A flood will carry off his house,
rushing waters on the day of God’s wrath.
29Such is the fate God allots the wicked,
the heritage appointed for them by God.”
Job
21:1Then Job replied:
2“Listen carefully to my words;
let this be the consolation you give me.
3Bear with me while I speak,
and after I have spoken, mock on.
4“Is my complaint directed to man?
Why should I not be impatient?
5Look at me and be astonished;
clap your hand over your mouth.
6When I think about this, I am terrified;
trembling seizes my body.
7Why do the wicked live on,
growing old and increasing in power?
8They see their children established around them,
their offspring before their eyes.
9Their homes are safe and free from fear;
the rod of God is not upon them.
10Their bulls never fail to breed;
their cows calve and do not miscarry.
11They send forth their children as a flock;
their little ones dance about.
12They sing to the music of tambourine and harp;
they make merry to the sound of the flute.
13They spend their years in prosperity
and go down to the grave in peace.
14Yet they say to God, ‘Leave us alone!
We have no desire to know your ways.
15Who is the Almighty, that we should serve him?
What would we gain by praying to him?’
16But their prosperity is not in their own hands,
so I stand aloof from the counsel of the wicked.
17“Yet how often is the lamp of the wicked snuffed out?
How often does calamity come upon them,
the fate God allots in his anger?
18How often are they like straw before the wind,
like chaff swept away by a gale?
19└It is said,┘ ‘God stores up a man’s punishment for his sons.’
Let him repay the man himself, so that he will know it!
20Let his own eyes see his destruction;
let him drink of the wrath of the Almighty.
21For what does he care about the family he leaves behind
when his allotted months come to an end?
22“Can anyone teach knowledge to God,
since he judges even the highest?
23One man dies in full vigor,
completely secure and at ease,
24his body well nourished,
his bones rich with marrow.
25Another man dies in bitterness of soul,
never having enjoyed anything good.
26Side by side they lie in the dust,
and worms cover them both.
27“I know full well what you are thinking,
the schemes by which you would wrong me.
28You say, ‘Where now is the great man’s house,
the tents where wicked men lived?’
29Have you never questioned those who travel?
Have you paid no regard to their accounts—
30that the evil man is spared from the day of calamity,
that he is delivered from the day of wrath?
31Who denounces his conduct to his face?
Who repays him for what he has done?
32He is carried to the grave,
and watch is kept over his tomb.
33The soil in the valley is sweet to him;
all men follow after him,
and a countless throng goes before him.
34“So how can you console me with your nonsense?
Nothing is left of your answers but falsehood!”
THE SECOND SET OF speeches turn even greater attention to the fate of the wicked. Job is accused of responding arrogantly and failing to face the facts, but not of specific sins committed prior to his calamities. The speeches get shorter as the dialogue continues.
Eliphaz (Job 15)
JOB 15:1–16 contains Eliphaz’s rebuke of Job and 15:17–35 offers his wisdom sayings about the fate of the wicked. Though Eliphaz evaluates Job’s arguments as nonsense, he more importantly accuses Job of sinful words. He uses terminology that we have already encountered to confront what he considers effrontery to God. He makes six accusations in three parallel pairs (15:4–6).
Eliphaz first says that Job “undermines piety” (prr + yirʾah). As in 4:6, Eliphaz uses “piety” (= “fear”1) without an accompanying genitive (i.e., not “fear of God” or “fear of Shaddai”). I previously offered the translation, “Is not your [self-proclaimed] piety the basis for this irrational confidence? Is your only hope really in the [presumed] blamelessness of your ways?” The verb prr is also used in Eliphaz’s first speech (5:12), where he says that God “thwarts” the plans of the crafty. The translation “undermine” is probably not strong enough—the sense of the word is more accurately conveyed by “nullify.” This verb occurs only one other place in this book, when Yahweh accuses Job of “nullifying” his justice (40:8). In 15:4, then, Eliphaz does not accuse Job of nullifying piety itself, but of negating his own claims to piety by contradicting himself.
The second phrase indicates that Job has “hindered devotion to God” (grʿ + śiḥah). The verb grʿ generally concerns reduction and is used again in the second part of 15:8. The noun śiḥah is more obscure, occurring only here and twice in Psalms (Ps. 119:97, 99). Another noun form (śiḥ) from the same root occurs fourteen times and the verbal derivative (śiḥ) semantically associated with śiḥah occurs another twenty times; thus, the amount of synchronic data allows us to determine meaning. The root generally refers to deep thought and is sometimes related to anguish and complaint, but it is often more neutral or even positive as a reference to meditation. However, because Job has already used the related verb and noun forms referred to above several times to define his formal complaint against God (7:11, 13; 9:27; 10:1), it seems likely that Eliphaz is saying that Job’s words have not only nullified his claims to piety, but they have effectively reduced the persuasiveness of the claim2 that he would make against deity. In this phrase, “undermine” works better than in the first phrase. Eliphaz claims that Job’s response has weakened his case considerably and undermined the respect of his peers.
The second pair of accusations (15:5) concern Job’s motives and methods. Eliphaz first claims that “your sin prompts your mouth” (ʿawon + ʾlp, Piel). The noun ʿawon can refer to either sin or guilt—in Job, usually the former. The verb ʾlp occurs only four times, three in Job.3 Though there are not enough occurrences to confidently determine subtle nuances, they can arguably be understood to refer to a process of learning that occurs through ongoing observation. If this is the meaning Eliphaz has in mind, he is suggesting that Job has rationalized his sins so much so that he is not aware of them. That is, the sinful deeds he has committed have taught his mouth how to rationalize so that the sins are not recognized for what they are.
The second line in 15:5 follows up on this course of thinking by suggesting that Job has adopted “crafty” (ʿarumim) language to accomplish his rationalization. Though Eliphaz has used the adjective before (5:12) in a negative sense, the term is often used positively in Proverbs. Perhaps ʿarumim is most widely known for its description of the serpent in Genesis 3:1. It expresses an awareness of the subtleties and complexities in carefully crafted words. When we combine this understanding with the first line’s probable allusion to rationalization, we can conclude that Eliphaz is accusing Job of what we today call “spin.”
In the third parallel set (15:6) Eliphaz expresses his assessment of Job’s current position—he stands condemned by his own words. Eliphaz uses legal language to identify Job’s mouth as both the source of his verdict (not the indictment that started the trial, but the pronouncement that ends it) and the witness that has provided testimony to arrive at that verdict. This is close to what Job has said that God would do to him in court—to make his own mouth pronounce the verdict (9:20, using the same verb).
Eliphaz then attacks what he assesses as Job’s arrogance. He clearly identifies “the first man ever born” as a person of great wisdom (15:7), but this identification does not come out of the biblical tradition (though eventually interpreters characterized Adam and Eve as very wise, and some found it as early as Ezek. 28:12).4 Eliphaz’s portrayal has more in common with the Mesopotamian tradition of Adapa, the first of the seven apkallu sent by the gods to teach humans the arts of civilization. These beings were considered sages of great wisdom, servants of the kings who ruled before the flood.5
As readers, we detect the irony of Eliphaz’s rhetorical question concerning Job’s involvement in God’s heavenly council (15:8), since it was the meeting of the council that precipitated Job’s situation. Had Job been privy to the discussions in the divine council, he would have understood his predicament more fully.
One wonders what Eliphaz has in mind when he speaks of God’s “consolations” (tanḥumot) in 15:11. The noun occurs only one other time (21:2), but context indicates that it retains its close association to the root (nḥm).6 What words of comfort or consolation has God offered Job? Since God has not spoken, commentators generally conclude that Eliphaz considers his own words to be the consolations of God, presumptuous as that may sound. More specifically Eliphaz may refer to the revelation that he divulged in 4:12–21. This speech would be considered a consoling word because it suggested that Job was not alone—all humanity shares his deficiency of righteousness (4:17).
Just before Eliphaz explicates the fate of the wicked, he returns to a theme addressed in previous speeches. His opening line in 15:14 alludes to Job’s question in 7:17 (“What is man … ?”). These two Job passages share many similarities with Psalm 8:4[5]:
Job 7:17—mah-ʾenoš ki tegaddelennu: “What is man that you elevate him?”
Job 15:14—mah-ʾenoš ki yizkeh: “What is man that he could be unflawed?”
Psalm 8:4[5]—mah-ʾenoš ki tizkerennu: “What is man that you take note of him?”
All of these point out, but refrain from evaluating, the distance between God and mortal humanity. This statement in 15:14 returns to the key point in Eliphaz’s first speech (4:17). Here, as in 4:18, he follows his initial statement with an assertion concerning God’s lack of trust in his holy ones (15:15). Eliphaz uses the same verb in both 15:15 and 4:18 to indicate that God routinely scrutinizes his heavenly servants. In this sense the verb may well follow the Akkadian cognate that refers to freedom from claim or obligation.7 Even God’s heavenly servants are accountable.
His second line in 15:15, however, departs from the pattern of chapter 4 as he indicates that “even the heavens are not pure,” using a similar verb (zkk) as in the first phrase of 15:14 (zkh). The verb in 15:15 typically refers to objects, whereas that of 15:14 refers to people. In Job 25:5 Bildad refers to the stars not being unobstructed (zkk), parallel to the moon not shining brightly. The Akkadian cognate verb (zakû) is also used to describe the heavens and the moon.8 The point does not concern ritual purity, nor does it personify the heavens or the stars; rather, Eliphaz is suggesting that even those things that seem to be unblemished from our perspective are not so to God. This leads him to the “how much less” conclusion of 15:16, where he notes the intrinsic corruption of humanity.
We cannot pause to consider each detail of 15:17–35, but a few matters stand out. The speech primarily focuses on the destiny of the wicked man rather than on his acts (15:20). In 15:25, however, Eliphaz states specifically that his subject is the man who “shakes his fist at God and vaunts himself against the Almighty.” This statement unequivocally places Job in the category of the wicked, but it does not require Eliphaz to prove specific acts of injustice or violence. Finally we also should note that Eliphaz sees prosperity and other benefits as the ultimate payoff and greatest potential loss. He still does not seem to comprehend that Job is not concerned with these things.
Job (Job 16–17)
FOLLOWING HIS USUAL TENDENCY, Job turns his attention increasingly toward/about God as the dialogue progresses. He continues to delineate new charges against God. Though he voices accusations in 16:11–14, his main charge is summarized in 16:9. Three verbs portray God as a savage, predatory beast: “assails” (ṭrp, tearing up prey), “tears” (śṭm, acting hostile), and “gnashes his teeth” (ḥrq, expressing the aggression of enemies). Again Job accuses God of making him a target, but here he uses different terminology; in 7:20 Job used mipgaʿ while here in 16:12 he uses maṭṭarah. The former only occurs once, but judging from the etymology (an unreliable guide, but that’s all we have in this case) it is more like a punching bag (or we might say, a tackling dummy) while the latter is a target for archers (cf. 1 Sam. 20:20; Lam. 3:12).
Having noted the pitiless attacks of God and his own mourning and innocence, Job turns again to his long-desired court case. As in 9:33 he anticipates some help in his litigation. There we noted that Job used a legal term (mokiaḥ) in referring to one who argues a case or negotiates on another’s behalf. In 16:18–21 we see a variety of terms:
• cry (zaʿaqah)9
• witness (ʿed)
• advocate (śahed)
• intercessor (meliṣ)
• one who pleads (yokaḥ, from the same root as mokiaḥ used in 9:33)10
Clines appeals to the first term here in the list and uses it as the determinative factor in identification of the focus of Job’s hope.11 Since the “cry” is nonpersonal, he sees the other terms as personifications of Job’s cry that hovers in the air, awaiting an answer. Other interpreters have commonly seen God himself as the mediator.12 As Clines points out, however, it would be strange to posit God as the mediator between Job and himself. This would set up precisely the kind of kangaroo court that Job has feared.
The other alternative is that Job is expecting a third party to step up and represent him, testify on his behalf, and advocate for his innocence. Theoretically such a third party could be a human being or someone from the divine council. Ironically, Job’s predicament actually began when God advocated for him before the divine council; in fact, one who could potentially call God to account (the Challenger) precipitated Job’s calamities.13 Though all of this is unknown to Job, it shows that the last thing Job really needs is someone else calling God to account.
Thus far we have been led to believe that Job has no relative at hand to serve as his advocate,14 and that even if such a person were available, they could not hope for access to the heavenly court. This leaves us the option that Job desires an advocate from the divine council.15 While interpreters have accurately pointed out that Eliphaz previously suggested that Job should not count on such an option (5:1), we need not take this too seriously. Job does not hesitate to dismiss other points made by Eliphaz; for example, Job still pursues the idea of a hearing, though Eliphaz told him before to drop the idea altogether. Furthermore, Elihu later identifies just such a role, using one of the terms that appears in 16:20 (meliṣ, 33:23 in reference to an angel).
We must examine the terms to arrive at the best explanation. The use of witness (ʿed) and arbitrator (yocaḥ/mokiaḥ) have already positioned this individual in legal terms. “Advocate” (śahed) occurs only here in Hebrew, but several of the cognate Semitic languages (particularly Aramaic) attest to the meaning “witness.”16 The last term (meliṣ) occurs only four other times. The passages show different roles, but each refers to someone who speaks on behalf of another, a middleman or go-between (“interpreter,” Gen. 42:23; “envoys,” 2 Chron. 32:31; “spokesmen,” most likely prophets and priests, Isa. 43:27). If we combine information from the context of Job, the Old Testament, and court documents from the ancient Near Eastern cultural background, we can infer that Job hopes for a member of the divine council to call God to account on his behalf.
In chapter 17 Job returns to the topic of death. Again it is clear that he sees no vindication after the grave; he cannot return from the grave (16:22) and death offers no relief (17:1, 13). In 17:15–16 he again makes it clear that he has no hope in the afterlife. As we discussed in detail earlier (p. 125–34), the Old Testament indicates that the Israelites as a whole (until Dan. 12) and Job in particular had no revelation of reward or judgment in the afterlife and viewed the netherworld as a place where all relationships (human and divine) were ruptured. The NIV interprets the Hebrew as a reference to the “gates of death” (= Sheol). Such an understanding is reminiscent of Mesopotamian literature, particularly the famous myth This Descent of Ishtar; this work recounts the journey of the goddess, who must pass seven gates before she can enter the netherworld. Nevertheless, the Hebrew word never means gates; rather, it refers to poles or shoots. The NIV has apparently chosen to interpret the poles of Sheol as “bars” and then associate those bars with gates that can be locked shut.17
Chapter 17 also affirms Job’s tenaciously held and accurate view of righteousness. In light of all of the abuse that he has suffered at the hands of friends and strangers, his declaration is 17:9 makes his position clear: “Nevertheless, the righteous will hold to their ways, and those with clean hands will grow stronger.” Not one whisper comes from Job about the righteous getting all their prosperity back. Truly righteous people are concerned about their integrity, not the rewards they receive.
Bildad (Job 18)
WHEN BILDAD SPEAKS OF the earth’s abandonment and the rocks’ removal, he is speaking metaphorically to convey how radically Job is challenging traditional wisdom. Bildad, the traditionalist in the group, reasserts traditional wisdom concerning the plight of the wicked. In so doing he illustrates what the friends have done all along in their interpretation of the RP. It is one thing to say that the wicked will suffer, but it is quite another to conclude that anyone who is suffering must be wicked; this, however, is the inference drawn by the friends. For one to conclude that only the wicked suffer, it is necessary to believe that wickedness always results in suffering and that only wickedness can bring about suffering. Those are monumental assumptions not essentially part of the RP, yet they were regularly included as corollaries.
Bildad’s litany concerning the doom of the wicked contains a particularly obscure statement: “Death’s firstborn devours his limbs” (18:13b). The description speaks not of a slowly progressing disease, but of the total destruction of the body in the grave. The more intriguing question concerns the identity of the “firstborn of death.” The Hebrew word mawet is personified and said to have a firstborn. Mot, the god of death, plays a prominent role in Ugaritic literature. Unfortunately, the extant literature ascribes no offspring to Mot. J. B. Burns considers the merits of identifying Resheph (the plague god in Ugaritic text) as Mot’s firstborn, but he finally prefers a Mesopotamian connection. He summarizes this option as follows:
Namtar is the god of plague and pestilence. He is described as sukallu irṣiti, the “vizier of the underworld.” He is also the ilitti dereškigal, the “offspring of Ereshkigal,” who was the queen of the underworld. In Mesopotamian mythology the first-born, if male, was generally the vizier of his parent…. As Namtar was both the offspring of Ereshkigal and the vizier of the underworld, he was, most probably, her first-born. The First-born of Death is the god of plague and pestilence.18
Clines considers all the evidence in detail and prefers to interpret Death’s offspring as a vague reference to a demon rather than to any particular mythological tradition.19 He considers the subject nouns in 18:12 (NIV: “calamity” and “disaster”) also to be demons,20 but we must tread carefully here since the Old Testament offers so little of belief in or reference to demons.21 Abstractions can be personified literarily without being demonized.
Bildad ends on a stinging insinuation. He has described the plight of the wicked using a number of statements that coincide with Job’s experiences, and in 18:21 he concludes that such things happen to those who do not know God. Has it come to this? Not only is Job considered guilty of wicked deeds, but now Bildad tacitly suggests that he has no knowledge of God. It matters little whether Bildad means that Job lacks a relationship with God or accurate information about God (or both)—this is a devastating judgment.
Job (Job 19)
IT IS NO SURPRISE that Job feels crushed by the words of Bildad. His sense of abandonment leads him to reiterate that his friends have deserted him and to claim blatantly that God has wronged him (ʿiwwetani, 19:6). The root ʿwt occurs eleven times in the Old Testament and has already been used incredulously by Bildad in Job 8:3.22 There it was translated “pervert” since the nature of the verb concerns bending, twisting, or distorting. Here, however, rather than having an abstraction as the direct object of the verb (mišpaṭ and ṣedeq in 8:3), Job himself is the object (for other occurrences where people are the object of the verb see Ps. 119:78; Lam 3:36). The verb does not pertain to moral wrongdoing, but just making a mess of things. God has made Job’s life wreckage (note 19:21: “The hand of God has struck me”). This begins a series of accusations specifying how God has brought disaster, which parallels Bildad’s litany of the plight of the wicked. Job, however, still refuses to admit that this treatment might be God’s response to his behavior.
This leads us into one of the most familiar yet controversial sections of the book. In 19:25 we find the much beloved declaration, “I know that my Redeemer lives” (NIV, “redeemer” = Heb. goʾel), immortalized in Handel’s Messiah. Even more than 13:15, this verse stands in many people’s minds as representing the posture and hope of Job. A christological interpretation is clearly indicated by those translations that capitalize “Redeemer” despite the fact that the New Testament never integrates this verse into its own Christology or suggests this was a prophecy fulfilled in Christ.
Unfortunately, in the analysis that follows, we will see little that is certain in 19:23–27. As we sort through the problems in translation, we must also seriously consider how these verses fit with what Job and his friends are saying throughout the rest of the book. These verses ought not be interpreted as an inexplicable departure from the context.
The issues with the Hebrew text are myriad and complex; we will address the problems as they arise in the following close lexical, syntactical, and grammatical analysis.
Job 19:23–24. Because Job does not expect to be around much longer to present his case personally, he wishes for a permanent record of his sufferings and claims for posterity. The Behistun Inscription is one example of an engraving filled with lead, but lead tablets are also known.
Job 19:25. The word goʾel fits into the same semantic category as the variety of words discussed in 16:19–20 (advocate, witness, etc.; see p. 214). A goʾel is also one who enters a legal situation on behalf of another. Scenarios include gaining release from debt slavery (Lev. 25:25), avenging a murder (Num. 35:19; Deut. 19:6–12), marrying a brother’s widow (Ruth), and purchasing land (Jer. 32:7–8). It is not unusual to see God identified as the goʾel of his people (Pss. 19:14; 78:35; Isa. 44:6; 49:7, 26, etc.). The job of the goʾel is to recover losses and to salvage the dignity of one who has suffered loss. It is not surprising, then, to hear Job speak of a goʾel who might act on his behalf. We will return to the question of who might serve as this goʾel after the other language issues are addressed.
Job is persuaded that his goʾel is alive (i.e., help is on the way), and that this one will arise to take a stand. The verb qwm can be used in a legal sense of someone being called to testify (e.g., Job 16:8; Ps. 27:12; Zeph. 3:8) or to render judgment (Ps. 76:9[10]). The former is more likely here because that is what the goʾel is supposed to do. The questions here are when and where. The timing is addressed in the word ʾaḥaron (NIV: “in the end”).23 Job is anticipating the end of his ordeal, and this word introduces what Job thinks will happen in the climactic final scenes. The place is stipulated as ʿal-ʿapar (NIV: “upon the earth”).
The general interpretation offered by the NIV is not likely, given the specific word that was chosen (support could be given based on Job 41:33[25], but the syntactical context is quite different). The word ʿapar designates the substance from which humans were made and to which they will return (Gen. 3:19); in Job, it has aptly been used to reference the place of death (e.g., 7:21; 10:9; 16:15; 17:16; 20:11; 21:26; 34:15). In a synchronic study, we should first match all the essential elements as closely as possible. In this case we can look for all occurrences that feature the following similarities to Job 19:25: human subject + verb + preposition ʿal + ʿapar with no further construct element. Five of the six matching constructions occur in Job (Job 17:16; 20:11; 21:26; 34:15; 42:6; also Isa. 47:1), referring to the place where one dies or mourns. This evidence suggests that Job expects his goʾel to arrive and testify at the place where he is mourning and where he has expected to lie down and turn to dust—his dung heap (2:8),24 his expected grave.25
Job 19:26. Three major theories have been posited concerning Job’s understanding of when the goʾel will appear in relation to his death.26
• Resurrection. Job believes that God will raise him from the grave to witness his vindication. This view is supported strongly in church history (e.g., Clement, Origen, Jerome, Luther), but is problematic because it seems to contradict Job’s earlier affirmations that the grave is permanent. Furthermore, resurrection is not a tenet of Job’s belief before or after this chapter, nor is it part of Israelite doctrine throughout most of the Old Testament.
• Posthumous vindication. Job expects to witness his vindication as a bodiless spirit from the grave. This view finds support in Jewish interpreters as early as Jubilees 23:30–31. Unfortunately it also contradicts Job’s earlier affirmations (e.g., 14:12) and proves to be a less-than-definitive vindication.
• Last-minute reprieve. Job expects God to intervene and vindicate him before he dies (e.g., Hartley, Habel). Clines favors a variation of this by differentiating Job’s expectation (death) from his hope (reprieve). This reprieve solution finds a parallel in the last minute healing in the Babylonian Ludlul bel nemeqi (2.114–15). The author reports that the grave was already opened and the funerary goods prepared—in other words, the formal mourning had already taken place, even though he had not yet died. It was at that point that the deity intervened and brought healing.
Verse 26 starts with a temporal adverb, “after,” and sets the time of the action subsequent to Job’s skin being “destroyed” (NIV; Piel of nqp). The verb occurs only in one other context (Isa. 10:34), where it refers to cutting down thickets. A derivative noun form occurs in Isaiah 17:6 and 24:13 to refer to olives harvested from an olive tree.27 Major lexicons and commentaries can only speculate about the meaning,28 but all approach the same conclusion. Does Job expect still to be alive at this point? I view this as intentional hyperbole that plays on the words with the next clause, expressed by this expanded paraphrase: “Even after I have to flay off all my skin this way (i.e., with his scraping potsherd), yet in my flesh I will see God.” Skin may be all but gone, but he still retains his fleshly frame. This paraphrase takes the last controversial word in 19:26 (mibbeśari) as introduced with the usual meaning of the Hebrew preposition min, “from” (note same form and meaning in 19:22).
It is fitting to the context and to Job’s other statements in the book that he expects to see vindication before he dies. So far in this interpretation, the goʾel is currently alive (not one yet to come) and is expected to arrive at the climactic moment to the place of Job’s mourning. Though he loses more skin by the hour, Job expects to live to see God. In this context, to “see God” would be to receive an audience with him, presumably to regain his favor and restore the relationship. This verb (ḥzh) usually takes a vision as the direct object, but in five other contexts it occurs with deity in this position (Ex. 24:11; Pss. 11:7; 17:15; 27:4; 63:2). In each of these latter instances, the verb refers to the favored status of one enjoying relationship with God. Job is not expecting this to happen in heaven—we have seen throughout the book that he has no hopes for the afterlife. If Job believed in resurrection, or even in judgment and reward in the afterlife, certainly one must wonder why those issues do not figure more prominently in his understanding of God’s justice and practices. In fact, statements such as those found in 14:12 suggest that he had no such hope.29
Job 19:27. Job’s statement in 19:27, “I myself will see him with my own eyes” (NIV), further substantiates the idea that Job will enjoy restored favor with God in his own flesh. The phrase in the middle of the verse (loʾ-zar, NIV: “not another”), however, is problematic. The word zar usually refers to an outsider—someone foreign, unauthorized; a stranger. Does Job mean that he will see the God he has long been familiar with rather than the God of his recent experience, who seems to be a stranger? This understanding is unlikely, for God would not be appropriately classified as an outsider. Does Job mean that he himself will see God, rather than a stranger standing in for him? This is also improbable, because a person standing in for him would be authorized to do so. Does Job mean that he will not be a stranger to God or perhaps that God will no longer treat him as a stranger? I consider this last idea the most likely, as it parallels nicely the idea of being received back favorably into God’s presence; no longer an outsider, Job is welcomed back into fellowship.
Finally, the last clause of this difficult sequence (NIV: “How my heart yearns within me!”) refers to Job’s deepest yearnings. The word that the NIV translates “heart” is actually “kidneys” (kilyot, for anatomical use, see Ex. 29:13), which he locates in his bosom (ḥeq, NIV: “within me”). In the ancient world many of the internal organs were considered to be involved in cognitive intellectual and emotional processes. The ancients were unaware of the physiology and role of the brain. Translators, understanding the cognitive connotation of the word, often translate it “mind” (cf. NIV in Ps. 7:9; Jer. 11:20; 17:10; 20:12), and other times as “inmost being” (Ps. 139:13; Prov. 23:16). The verb (klh) in the Qal stem refers to something coming to an end, fading away, failing, or perishing. Job would not be talking about kidney failure here, but the failure of his mind and spirit. He is mentally exhausted, emotionally drained. Despite the strong convictions he expresses in the first part of the verse, Job knows that he cannot hang on much longer.
In summary of this technical analysis, I would offer the following expanded paraphrase:
“I firmly believe that there is someone,30 somewhere, who will come and testify on my behalf right here on my dung heap at the end of all this. Despite my peeling skin, I expect to have enough left to come before God in my own flesh. I will be restored to his favor and no longer be treated as a stranger. This is my deepest desire!” (prosperity has nothing to do with it).
FINALLY THE THEOLOGIAN SPEAKS—but his words can only echo what the mystic and the traditionalist have already asserted: It is the wicked who suffer. Eliphaz made his case based on his observation and experience (15:17). Bildad, as the traditionalist, couched his observations in aphorisms; now Zophar grounds his argument in God’s actions against the wicked: He takes away their riches (20:15), rains down blows on them (20:23), and carries away all that they have (20:28–29). The reader knows that even though Job has experienced these things, they do not result from the wrath of God, as Zophar suggests (20:28). Zophar indirectly accuses Job of pride (20:6) and of concealing evil (20:12). As always, the friends observe Job’s circumstances but draw illegitimate conclusions about God’s motives and Job’s conduct.
Job (Job 21)
IN RESPONSE TO THESE three speeches about the plight and destiny of the wicked, Job offers his own observations about the wicked—diametrically opposed to the neat and tidy perspective of the friends. Job confronts them with evidence that contradicts the traditions they have been spouting: The wicked often prosper (21:7–33).31 This is information that they all know but prefer to ignore. Job is preparing his case that the system is broken, for whether people have a secure and prosperous life or a miserable life of destitution, they all die (21:26). This sentiment picks up a theme well-known from Ecclesiastes. We will explore this in greater detail under Bridging Contexts.
Bridging Contexts
Rhetorical Issues
THE SECOND SET OF speeches is dominated by discussions of the fate of the wicked. The antagonism of Job’s friends and his hostile responses escalate, and the idea of comfort (2:11) slips away. They have reached an impasse, but the dialogue continues, drawing out the inevitable conclusions to the reasoning that the speeches employ. Even as Job’s antagonism toward his friends grows, so too does his antagonism toward God. He turns more and more of his attention toward God as he stridently demands his day in court.
The second cycle takes the following pattern:
Eliphaz: ch. 15 | Job: chs. 16–17 |
Bildad: ch. 18 | Job: ch. 19 |
Zophar: ch. 20 | Job: ch. 21 |
Below I summarize each speech and then focus on a couple of important issues.
Eliphaz: Your bluster is a disgrace; you are merely digging a deeper hole for yourself. What makes you think you are so much better than everyone else? Stop railing against your circumstances and accept that what has come upon you is the result of the corruption shared by all humanity. Since wicked people are ferreted out, you ought to consider how much you have in common with them.
Job: Talk is easy, Eliphaz, but I would be more encouraging if I were you. Meanwhile, God, why are you attacking me? You have abandoned me to be tormented by enemies and then you pitilessly join in yourself. If you can’t respond to my misery, I need someone to stand up for me. As for me, I am determined to stay the course of righteousness, though death is all I have to look forward to.
By elaborating on what God does to the wicked, Eliphaz insinuates that Job is to be counted in their number. This differs from his first speech, in which he counseled Job to have confidence in his piety (4:6). Now he accuses Job of undermining piety (15:4) and no longer allows that Job should continue his posture of righteousness. Furthermore, in the first set of speeches the friends counseled Job to appeal to God (Eliphaz, 5:8; Bildad, 8:5), but when Job does so (beginning in 9:14), Zophar responds with disdain, dismissing the claim’s legitimacy (11:5). In the second set of speeches, Job becomes increasingly fixated on pressing the legal case, while the friends neither encourage nor discourage that course of action. As Job more persistently pursues a legal resolution, his accusations against God also become more strident.
Eliphaz: Recognize your guilt by comparing how God treats the wicked to how he is treating you. You have nullified your own piety.
Job: I need protection from God’s attacks and call for an advocate to take up my case.
Bildad: God’s judgment of the wicked is severe, and those who are subject to it (including you, Job) can be classified as those who do not know God.
Job: Despite your accusations, I have done nothing; yet God, in his inexplicable anger, has made a mess of my life. I am an outcast, despised by all. I am confident that someone will come to help and that just when all seems finally lost, I will be vindicated. You supposed friends are in more jeopardy than I am.
Bildad’s speech is easier to relate to Job’s response to him in the first cycle (chs. 9–10) than to Job’s reply to Eliphaz (chs. 16–17). Job had referred to cosmic effects of judgment (9:5–9), and Bildad here speaks of shaking the earth and moving rocks (18:4). Furthermore, his tacit classification of Job as one who does not know God (18:21) would be a logical response to Job’s many statements about the nature of God in his reply to Bildad in chapters 9–10 (esp. 10:13; these elements are largely absent in 16–17).
Job’s reply shows that his bereavement is fueled by more than the loss of family, possessions, and health; he has lost his self-respect and standing in society. This set of speeches furthers the argument of the book as Job increases his rhetoric against God and continues to assert unflaggingly that he will be vindicated.
Bildad: Give up the pretense; the wicked are doomed. You are among those who do not know God.
Job: It is God who has messed up my life, not me; a defender will arise and vindicate me from your insinuations.
Zophar: You offend me. You know how the rules work. Your self-righteousness betrays you, for all know that such pride characterizes the wicked.
Job: I realize that I am risking a lot by pressing legal action against God. Do you realize how many wicked people prosper despite their arrogance against God? He does nothing about it! In such a world it is a complex and terrifying thing to try to call God to account. If God does not consistently punish the wicked, couldn’t we conclude that he does not consistently protect and prosper the righteous?
Zophar refers to a rebuke that dishonors him (20:3), which again takes us back to Job’s answer to Zophar in chapters 12–14 (note particularly 12:2–3). This speech, like the others in the second cycle, primarily elaborates on the fate of the wicked.
Zophar: Your sin is pride, and God has judged you as wicked.
Job: The system (= God’s policies) is broken.
The second cycle as a whole has focused on the premise of the RP that God judges the wicked. The associated inferences insinuate that those who are apparently under judgment must indeed be wicked. Job’s last speech gets as close as ever to rejecting the RP, though he does not find resolution of the triangle of tension in this direction. The friends have lost their confidence in Job, and Job’s view of God continues to deteriorate though he unwaveringly insists on his own righteousness. He rejects the confession and appeasement resolution proposed by the friends as his desire for a legal resolution escalates. Job continues to insist on vindication rather than restoration, while his friends consider vindication an unrealistic and vain expectation. In their view, Job needs to identify with the wicked since his experiences indisputably place him into that category.
In cycle 2, the differences between Job and his friends become intractable. Job likewise moves further from God as the deity increasingly becomes the object of Job’s suspicions; God’s unresponsiveness to Job’s pleas suggests his continued distance from Job.
As we track the philosophical focus and resolution of each series, we see that the reasoning of this second sequence centers on the RP. Each of the friends spends a major proportion of his speech affirming that the wicked demonstrably and inevitably suffer the judgment of God. The first series broached this topic, but turned it to a consideration of what Job could do to regain his benefits and favored status. In this second series it is the very validity of the RP that is under discussion. After Job’s friends have each elaborated on it at length, Job denies that the suffering of the wicked is either demonstrable or inevitable. The friends have argued for the integrity of a system; Job, convinced of his own integrity, rejects the system as spurious. This stands as the philosophical resolution to the second series and leads into the third, where accusation will replace insinuation.
Theological Issues
CHRIST AS OUR MEDIATOR. The New Testament unequivocally affirms that Christ is our mediator (1 Tim. 2:5; Heb. 8:6; 9:15; 12:24), but we are not free to read even a true doctrine into any text we wish. We desire for our interpretation to reflect the authoritative teaching of the text, and the text cannot mean to us what it never meant to the author or audience.
Job was not looking for a priestly mediator to ritually resolve his sin. This is the role that Jesus fills: He offered his blood for our sin. Job was looking for a legal advocate to take up and argue his case before God. We have nothing to argue before God; we stand guilty and condemned to death. Job was not arguing his sinlessness, but the injustice of his treatment. We cannot argue that God is unjust because we now know all have sinned and death is the penalty of sin. Jesus is our Mediator because he has taken our sin upon himself. Job was not looking for someone to do that for him because he did not see sin as the problem. His redeemer was supposed to defend his legal rights; ours pays the debt that is due.
It would be a total contradiction to think that Job suddenly believed that he had a debt to pay and sins to be cared for. Jesus does not mediate for us by arguing for our innocence; he contends before the Father that we have been justified by his blood. Yes, Christ is our Mediator, but to impose that imagery on the thoughts or words of Job is to misrepresent the case Job is making as well as the doctrine of authority that we hold dear.
Resurrection.32 Some interpreters of Job 19:25–26 believe that Job is expressing a confidence in resurrection.33 We have already noted in the Original Meaning section that there is reason to doubt such an interpretation; it contradicts many other statements Job makes throughout the book. At this stage in the discussion, however, we should explore the extent of the Israelite belief in resurrection in case that may come into play in the development of the book.
To begin, we must phrase the question more carefully. Resurrection may be viewed in three different categories. (1) There is resurrection that represents an individual’s return to physical life. Several Old Testament passages refer to such an occasional occurrence (1 Kings 17:22; 2 Kings 4:35; 13:21). (2) We could speak of a corporate resurrection: a people being brought back into existence from apparent extinction. This is represented in Ezekiel’s vision of the valley of the dry bones, where Israel as a nation is brought back to life (Ezek. 37). (3) There is the doctrine of individual resurrection of the body in the afterlife; we might call this “eschatological” resurrection. The first and second types of resurrection are demonstrably consistent with the beliefs of ancient Israel, but what about the third?
Passages such as Isaiah 26:19 and Daniel 12:1–2 are most easily connected to eschatological resurrection. Additionally, some claim that certain Hebrew terms carry a technical meaning compatible with the concept of resurrection.
But your dead will live;
their bodies will rise.
You who dwell in the dust,
wake up and shout for joy.
Your dew is like the dew of the morning;
the earth will give birth to her dead. (Isa. 26:19)
Isaiah 26:19 is replete with textual difficulties. The second line of the text, contrary to the NIV reproduced above, reads, “my corpse will arise.” Not only is the switch from “your” in line 1 to “my” a problem, but the confusion compounds with the singular noun, “corpse,” and the plural verb “will arise.” The antecedents to all the pronouns are questionable, and to crown the whole passage, the very end of the verse introduces the controversial repaʾim (“the dead”; “shades”?).
Isaiah 26:19 must be understood in contrast to 26:14, a passage that uses much of the same terminology and expresses the idea that the lords who once exercised power over Israel will not rise; instead, they have been punished and brought to ruin. In other words, Isaiah 26:14 has a corporate sense that concerns restoration of a group to life in this world. In 26:15 the author begins to contrast the prosperity brought to the nation Israel. This would lead us to conclude that the passage is concerned with national resurrection (type 2 above), comparable to Ezekiel 37.34 Though the grammar and text of 26:19 remain enigmatic, 26:14 provides an appropriate context for interpretation.
At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered. Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever. (Dan. 12:1–3)
Daniel 12:1–2 is the only passage to speak forthrightly about differing destinies for the righteous and the wicked. But we must not jump too quickly to the standard Christian doctrine of the resurrection. A few observations are in order. (1) The text says “many” (NIV: “multitudes”) will awake, not “all”; so this is not a general resurrection.
(2) The text speaks of those who sleep in “the land of dust” (ʾadmat-ʿapar; NIV: “dust of the earth”). This is the only occurrence of this phrase in the Old Testament, but since it refers specifically to a “land” and since Sheol is often connected with dust (e.g., Job 17:16), one could deduce that it is a reference to Sheol, the netherworld. If this is the case, both classes of individuals are to be found in Sheol.
(3) The phrase translated “everlasting life” (ḥayye ʿolam) occurs only here in the Old Testament, but similar phrases occur (in Greek) in pseudepigraphic literature such as 1 Enoch and the Sibylline Oracles.35 In these contexts it is equated to periods such as 500 years (1 Enoch 10:10).36
(4) Finally, we must observe that the text conveys nothing concerning the place of resurrection; that is, it does not speak of lasting life in heaven or of lasting contempt in any particular locale. In fact, it does not clarify whether the resurrection to which it refers is an afterlife condition or a restoration to life on earth. Additionally, notwithstanding the reference to the “wise” and “those who lead many to righteousness” in verse 3, it does not offer any qualifying criteria for resurrection that would coincide with Christian doctrine.
What then is this passage saying? What belief does it reflect? The author anticipates that numerous individuals will be brought back to life. He does not indicate whether they will be brought back to life in this or another world, though no Old Testament passage speaks clearly of a bodily existence in a world to come. In this resurrected life they will enjoy an extension to their life (as a reward for their faithfulness?) or will suffer ongoing humiliation (as punishment for their treachery?). G. Nickelsburg still sees this passage as most concerned about the reconstitution of the nation:
For Daniel, judgment is the prelude to the reconstitution of the nation. Verse 1 mentions the register of the citizens of new Israel. The resurrected righteous of verse 2 are not isolated individuals; they are raised to participate in this new nation…. The dead apostates are raised so that their bodies can be exposed in the Valley of Hinnom.37
While this relatively late passage exceeds any other statements in the Old Testament, it remains basic and does not approach the fully developed doctrine of the New Testament. While interpreters struggle to define the precise shape of Israel’s doctrine and often arrive at vastly different conclusions, most would agree that Israelite beliefs differed substantially from the doctrine eventually formulated in New Testament theology and church history. Consequently, this later theology should not be read into Job’s statements.
What then should we think concerning the long traditions in the church’s seeing Job 19:25–26 as messianic prophecies of Christ the Redeemer and as expressing hope in the resurrection? Do the existence and truth of these New Testament doctrines supersede the contextual analysis of Job’s words? If any of the New Testament authors commented on Job’s statements here and offered an interpretation of it, we would have a more difficult riddle to solve. But since that is not the case, we only argue against our own interpretive imagination, not against Scripture. If neither the Old nor the New Testament suggests that Job 19:25–26 ought to be interpreted as a reference to Christ or the resurrection, we have no authority for such a conclusion. Though we respect the opinion of the church fathers, they do not carry intrinsic authority; furthermore, they are of mixed opinions on this passage.
We can, of course, continue to enjoy Handel’s Messiah, even though we might disagree with the interpretation of Job that led to it. Our Redeemer does live (though Job is not referring to him), and we will see him in resurrected bodies (though Job did not foresee such a possibility). When we preach or teach a certain passage, we ought to carefully avoid imposing our own agenda on that passage; rather, we should allow it to speak from its own context. Laxity on this matter only encourages the people we teach to employ the same methods, which can lead to naive or even dangerous flights of fancy. The danger is not in the doctrine but in the method, which, when applied without restraint, can result in tragic mishandling of the text.
Job’s view of God. Do we see any movement or development in Job’s view of God in his second set of speeches? In this analysis we move beyond statements of what God has done to Job’s deductions and inferences about the nature of God. In Job 4–14 we saw that Job conceives of God as petty. Just as the friends’ attacks on Job escalate in the second set, in the same way Job’s statements against God grow stronger.
• God is pitiless (16:13).
• God attacks violently (16:14).
• God fails to judge the wicked (21:30–31).
Whereas the accusation of pettiness in previous speeches was based on Job’s assessment of God’s judging criteria, the accusations in this set are based on Job’s assessment of how God acts on those criteria. Job has experienced what he can only conclude is God’s anger. His previous assessment was that God’s system of evaluation needed adjustment to take account of human frailty. Now he has concluded that the system is broken.
Job is wrong about God’s anger—we know this from the prologue. His conclusion about the brokenness of the system shows a glimpse of insight, but he takes this in the wrong direction. Yes, the system as Job understands it is unsalvageable. But this problem with the system concerns only Job’s perception, not the actual system that God has set up. Job and his friends have deduced a system based on the RP, and when it does not hold up under scrutiny, Job assumes that God is incompetent or unconscionable. God is neither; he is being held accountable to a system that he did not set up and that does not accurately represent him. It is no wonder that Job finds such a system inadequate; it has been devised by humans and is intrinsically flawed. Job’s situation reminds us of what we often experience when our world falls apart: Our faulty and inadequate understanding of God suddenly comes to the forefront and is exposed, and this is what creates a spiritual crisis.
Job’s focus is unchanged. He values his righteousness most of all. He still expresses no wish of regaining his benefits. Unfortunately, in his desire to vindicate his own righteousness, Job has let his theological guard down. We will have to reconcile this with Job 42:7–8, in which God asserts that Job has spoken that which was “right” about him.
Contemporary Significance
THE FORCE OF THE argument in this second series of dialogues concerns the suffering of the wicked. Job’s friends insist that the wicked do suffer, and Job’s concluding speech questions whether experience affirms such consistency. What should we think about this, and how does it factor into our own worldview?
Certainly both Old and New Testaments encourage us to think that God delights in good behavior and that he will judge the wicked. We reap what we sow (Gal. 6:7). Yet our own experiences and observations lead us to share in Job’s skepticism. In the Introduction we treated the RP (p. 21–23) at length, and I will not repeat that here. I proposed that we should adopt a modified view of the RP, understood in proverbial and theological terms. In other words, the RP is useful to describe God’s nature, and it therefore helps us to identify general trends in human experience, but it offers no guarantees and cannot be applied consistently or universally in this fallen world.
This interpretation suggests several important conclusions:
• We cannot draw conclusions about people’s behavior from their circumstances.
• We should not expect wicked people to get their just punishment in this life.
• We should never rejoice in the misfortune of an enemy, though we may take consolation that justice is sometimes served in this world.
On the last point we would distinguish between judicial actions and personal circumstances. In the former case, justice is vindicated when a corrupt politician is caught, indicted, tried, and punished for his or her crimes. Without indulging vindictive feelings, we can rejoice that justice was served and that the system worked. However, we should not respond gleefully when someone we consider an enemy or a wicked person suffers personal tragedies (i.e., they lose a loved one or contract a serious disease). We should rather defer to Christ’s teaching that we love even our enemies, and we cannot legitimately assess their circumstances as God’s judgment of wickedness.
When we or our loved ones suffer, we also question the purpose and cause of the suffering. We like to believe that some sort of logic undergirds the events of our lives, a logic that we can somehow work out. I wanted Kelly to talk about how she has experienced and coped with this inclination.
Kelly’s Story38
JHW: AS MULTIPLE DIAGNOSES revealed increasingly gloomy prospects for recovery, did you try to work out why this was happening to you and what God was doing?
Kelly: To be honest, that is a hard question. I feel there have been different points in the past ten years where I would start overanalyzing the outcome of these failed surgeries and began drawing conclusions that it was not God’s will that I might be healed and that I should stop trying. These types of thoughts caused a lot of confusion because I began wondering if I should proceed and try the next medical “miracle” if God did not want it to happen, because he would ensure it wouldn’t. I told my mother that I didn’t think it was wise for me to continue to fight against God’s will, since obviously he wants me in this physical state; but that was a hard thing for a mother to accept as she watched her daughter in so much pain.
More recently I am in a place where I don’t see each failed surgery as a sign from God that I am not supposed to be healed, but as I have mentioned, this process is not only about physical healing but emotional healing as well. My physical, emotional, and spiritual state has changed over time, and I have also matured a lot over the course of this process, and that has greatly impacted my perspective at different points in my life. My view on suffering and God’s will for my life when I was twelve does differ from my view at age eighteen or in my early twenties. As I continue to grow in my maturity as a Christian and as a woman, my thoughts on these difficult topics continue to evolve, but that does not mean that I will not have days where I feel weak and fall back into drawing big conclusions that are connected to my experiences.
JHW: Did people prompt you to identify reasons for your suffering?
Kelly: At times, I think the answer would be yes. Sometimes I felt that God wanted to use my testimony in some amazing way to bring him glory, so that was why he would not allow any medical treatment to work. At times I felt encouraged by that and other times angry. In the beginning of 2009, when my left arm began to paralyze itself and no doctor could detect why, I began thinking that God was simply adding something extra to my testimony to make it more exciting, so that I would encourage others and through that give him the glory, but at my expense. I had an ongoing dialogue with God. “Now you are going to take away my other arm too? And with no medical explanation? Well, you say you only give us what we can handle, and I can’t handle having no arms! You’ve finally reached the limit of what I can take.”
Then after things continued to get worse, I’d find myself thinking, “God, isn’t this enough? You have used my testimony; do you have to keep adding to it?” I think overall, even though this is inaccurate, your mind tells you how encouraging it is to know the reasons behind your suffering so that you don’t feel as if you are just simply unlucky and got dealt a bad hand of cards. When you are in that time of suffering, no matter what the circumstance, you feel you need to believe there is a purpose and reason behind the pain you are going through.
JHW: How successful were you at contriving rationalizations?
Kelly: Very. But as I said, my thoughts and perspective came in seasons. Oftentimes when I was in the heat of the storm, I would find myself creating reasons and false rationalizations for why God was allowing these things to happen. I did not always like the reason I came up with, but I felt comforted that there was at least a reason behind it.
JHW: How did you get past the rationalization stage? What new ways of thinking about your own experiences helped you avoid that trap?
Kelly: Over the course of my life, I have had numerous trial periods, and the healing process varied for each one: in the way that I handled it and the length of time that I was in this stage of rationalizing my pain. Even though my age at the time of the trial and my maturity in my faith greatly impacted what the healing process looked like, I continued to learn that my pride and my lack of trust would cause me to not fully depend on God. I didn’t expect him to be there. With a slightly bitter tone, I would puff up my chest and say, “Well then, I’ll just make it on my own.” But, of course, over time my own strength would grow weary and faint until I came to a completely broken state, where I couldn’t walk alone any longer. I would cry out to God in despair, not fully trusting that he was listening: “Jesus, I need you! I can’t do this alone. Carry me through.” Christ would do just that.
I saw a change in my heart and mind. My circumstances didn’t always change; in fact they usually never did, but Christ doesn’t promise to remove the thorn, he promises to give us the strength to endure. I don’t have the clear answer for how to avoid the painful stage of searching for some rhyme or reason for your suffering, but I learned a good place to start was in complete humility at Christ’s throne. The sooner I humbled myself before him and the sooner I realized I am not strong enough to handle it, the sooner my perspective of my experience grew.
Besides seeking to establish fault (reasons), we also tend to seek help (remedies/solutions). Depending on the nature of the crisis, these could be medical, legal, political, or spiritual. In an effort to resolve the crisis, we look for experts who can help. As Kelly discovered, some potential resolutions made things worse, and others turned out to be ineffective. When faced with these obstructions, we sometimes don’t know how to pray; other times we despair.
Job sought recourse in making a legal appeal to God and looked for a specialist to help—someone who could call God to account (16:19–21). Job didn’t know that his crisis was instigated by the Challenger calling God to accountability. In this case, the solution he envisioned was not a solution at all. It is not unusual that we envision the wrong or inadequate solutions because we misunderstand the problem. When this is so, our prayers for these imagined solutions are misguided. We might pray to be physically cured when we actually need emotional or psychological healing. Sometimes our thinking might need to change more than our circumstances. In such a case we ought to ask God to change our thinking rather than our circumstances. Even if a crisis is never resolved, our attitude toward the crisis can improve, thus changing our perspective and ability to cope. At this point we must hear from Kelly again.
JHW: Have your prayers changed over the years? If so, how?
Kelly: My prayers have changed over the years along with my thoughts on my own experiences. Over time, I realized that I had stopped praying for my arm, my pain—healing of any sort. I found myself conflicted between accepting something that may be a reality for the rest of my life (like Paul, who did not have his thorn removed) and knowing that we are called to pray the cries of our hearts and believe in the power of prayer. So how do I pray for healing or for being released from the pain that I endure daily, when my experiences have shown that this will not change? Should I keep praying for the same thing, or has God given me the answer “no”?
Many times during a season of trial, I would pull back from God and not pray because I was hurt and felt that God had abandoned me, but during this last season of extreme trials my prayer life did change dramatically. I began meeting with professors, mentors, and pastors to confront God. I was angry and burned out. I thought I had already experienced the most painful period of my life and felt so much despair to be in a place so much worse. So, like I said, my tendency was to pull away—and initially I did; but then I felt the emptiness and could not carry on without his strength … I had met my limit. So I turned to God and said, “God, I am afraid to ask these questions about suffering in my life, because I am afraid of what the answer will be. I am afraid to pray, in fear that you won’t answer or that the answer will always be ‘no.’ I am afraid to confront how my experiences have formed a distorted view of you.”
After that I realized how my prayer life had been so radically impacted, and I sought out professors, like you, and mentors to speak into my life. Slowly my prayers began to shift from praying for healing for my body to healing in my heart, and instead of praying for the thorn to be removed, I started praying for the strength to endure and the wisdom to have the right perspective. He has responded to those prayers and answered “yes.”
JHW: Could you share with us any “Aha!” moments you have experienced concerning the way you think about your circumstances?
Kelly: Well, I think when I started changing how I prayed, that slowly began to change how I thought about my circumstances. I realized that I needed to confront the emotional pain behind this physical disability. I have been learning over the course of this past year how our emotions are connected to what we believe. For example, if we believe that a robber is in the house, that will instill fear; or if we believe the robber is gone, that instills peace. So I began thinking about my experiences and how I formed lies about myself and about God, which have allowed me to carry deep emotional pains. I realized that I believed the lie that God did not love me and that he would hurt me for the benefit of others. So every time I had something else go wrong with my health, I would hear that lie in my head … that God did not love me. When I brought that lie to light and was willing to hear what Christ had to say about that, emotional healing was taking place. So that was an “Aha!” moment for me since I realized how my experiences with my health had been influencing my beliefs about God. I’m still in a process of growing, pruning, and healing, but confronting how our trials change our view of God can be an incredible step to take in the process of healing.
In conclusion, from the analysis of 17:9 in Original Meaning I observed: “Truly righteous people are concerned about their integrity, not the rewards they receive.” We have partly treated this in the Contemporary Significance section of the first series of speeches (p. 199). Here we will move to the next step in this line of argument: Aren’t there always benefits? Even if the benefits are not material, we can think of emotional, psychological, and spiritual benefits. Being in relationship with God can be considered a benefit; joy in worship can be a benefit; fellowship with God’s people can be a benefit; even a sense of contentment or confidence that we have done what is right and pleasing to God can be a benefit. How are we supposed to think about righteousness in relationship to these sorts of benefits?
The question cannot be whether or not there are benefits, but to what extent we are motivated by benefits (the Great Symbiosis—I will do for God and he will do for me). Put another way, might there come a point when we feel the benefits are just not worth it and we set our faith aside saying in effect, “This is not for me—count me out?” To what extent do we think about the cost/benefit ratio? Do we base our participation on foreseen benefits? These questions help us to think about the import of Job for our own lives. The book is not suggesting that there are not/should not be benefits to our faith, but it asks us to evaluate our priorities and motivations.
Christianity cannot just be a way of cashing in or making a profit. If our faith is only a means by which we gain heaven, avoid hell, win material prosperity, or avoid illness, we are in it for all the wrong reasons.
What does the alternative look like? The alternative is the “for better, for worse” commitment. Righteousness matters because God matters. God matters because he is worthy. What we get or don’t get is beside the point. Our integrity is measured by our consistency in following these principles. There can be no “what’s in it for me?” element. As the book of Ecclesiastes teaches, when life is going well and benefits abound, thank God for his good gifts (Eccl. 5:19). When frustration, pain, suffering, and disappointment fill day after day, recognize that such adversity also comes from the hand of God and can shape you like nothing else will (7:19). God offers no guarantees concerning our experiences.
This perspective is consistently supported by the New Testament. Jesus warns us to count the cost of discipleship; Hebrews instructs us to persevere through hardship; Peter and Paul teach us to endure hardship for the sake of Christ and to partake in his suffering. From each of these texts we learn that Christianity is the way of hardship (the narrow path), not of ease.39 Our goal is stated in Philippians 3:8, “I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ.” There can be no doubt that “gaining Christ” should be considered a benefit, but it is a far different sort of benefit than that envisioned in the Retribution Principle.