The Book

Translation

of
and

Job

Commentary

Robert D. Sacks
St. John's

College, Santa Fe

INTRODUCTION

We
selves

of the

Western tradition have the

quite

blessing
life

and the curse of

finding

our

heir to two

different

ways of

and

hence to two

quite

different

Although they sit uneasily together, the struggle between them has formed much of the life behind the growth of both our daily language and
ways of thought. of our est

highest

contemplations.

They

are, then, the foundation

of

both

our

deep
strive

insights

and our

deepest

prejudices.

As
and

such

they have

given

rise to that

particular

horizon

within which we

live,

beyond

which we

constantly

to peer. The problem to which I refer

is

often spoken of as

the problem of

Science
perhaps
or

versus

Religion,

or of

Reason

versus

Faith. More

less prejudicially, we may call it the Greek Philosophy and the Hebrew Bible.

question of

Athens

fundamentally, and and Jerusalem,

roots of our civili

Any

attempt to understand the relation

between these two

complicated

zation as

they

were

before they
caught

met

is

doubly

by
in

virtue of the ways

fact be

that rarely can

they be

addressing

the same question

that

can

compared with tme

clarity

of thought.

Such

considerations as these
of

the books

Bible, it

seemed to me to
philosophy.

eventually led me to the Book of Job since, of be most in contact with those problems

which gave

rise to Greek
of the

The language
agree.

text is strange and

picked

difficult,

and

translators often dis

In the notes, I have

what seem

to me the three most reliable

translations that I have read, and wherever I have felt it necessary to differ

greatly from my predecessors, I have tried to give the arguments in favor of each translation, insofar as I was able to reconstruct them, in order that the
reader might

have

some

basis for

forming

his

own

conclusions, and at times I

have

made reference to certain other translations made most use of are:

to

bring

out points of

interest.

The translations I have dard Version (RSV),

(JPS).'

and

Moshe

King James (KJ), Revised Stan Greenberg's, issued by The Jewish Publication
contain.

Society

I have

also

tried to make the notes intelligible even to those

readers who cannot

follow the Hebrew they

The balance

of this translation and

commentary

will appear

in Interpretation.

interpretation, Winter

1997, Vol. 24, No. 2

136
I

Interpretation
should also

like to

thank

both Mr. Hillail Fradkin

of

of

The

tion and Mr.

and more

Antony

Sullavan
on

The Earhart Foundation

Bradley Founda for having put beans

volume.

than

Thanks
was

as well

was scratching out this my table while I who put up with me Vermont to Eve Adler and those in

beans

while

eating those beans.

Note The Book of Job, trans. Moshe Greenberg (Phila delphia: The Jewish Publication Society of America, 1980); The Book of Job, Robert trans. Stephen Mitchell (San Francisco: North Point Press, 1987); 1. The
references are:

Gordis, The Book of Job: Commentary, New Translation, and Special Study (New York: Jewish Theological Seminary of America, 1978); and Saadia on Job, trans. L. E. Goodman (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1988).

CHAPTER ONE
Job.2

1 A
simple3

man'

there was from the land of Uz and his name was

straightforward

He

was a

and

man

('ish),

GOD-FEARING4

man

who

turned

away from
dred

evil.

2 He had

seven sons and

three

daughters.5

3 He

owned seven

thousand sheep, three thousand camels, ten thousand

she asses and was

head

of cattle,

five hun

the head of a very large estate. He was the

sons used

richest man

( 'ish)
with word

in the East. 4 His

them.6

to

make

feasts in their homes, had

each one on a

different day,

and send word to

when

their three sisters to come and eat and drink

of

5 Now

the

days

feasting

gone

full

circle,7

Job

sent

to them to sanctify themselves. He himself would get

make

morning to
said all

burnt

offerings

for

each of

his children; for

to

up early in the Job

"Perhaps,"

"my
his

children
days.9

have sinned,

and

cursed8

GOD in their GOD along

came with

hearts."

Thus did Job

themselves10

of

6 One

day
the

the

Sons

of

present

before THE 7
the
"Well,"

LORD,"

and

Satan12

came

them.
been?"
"Oh,"

said THE LORD to the Satan "where

have

you went
you

said

Satan to THE LORD,

a
walk."13
man14

"wandering

around

Earth, just

down

there to go
notice

for my

8 Then THE LORD

no one

said

to the Satan "Did

on

happen to

Job. There is

like him

Earth. He is

a simple and straightfor

evil."

ward man

('ish),

GOD-FEARING
answered

man and one who turns and said:

you

9 Then the Satan

THE LORD

away from "What, do you think that

Job FEARS GOD for

been protecting him and his house, and everything that he has. You have blessed all his labors, and every thing he owns is spreading out all over the land. 11 But just reach out your
nothing?

10 Haven't

hand to take it away 12 "Well all just don't hurt LORD.

and

he

will curse you

to your

face for

sure."

right,"

said

THE LORD, "all that he has is in

went

your

him."

Then the Satan

out

from the

presence

hands now; of THE

The Book of Job

13 One

137
wine

day,
of

when

his

sons and

his daughters

were

eating

and

drinking
and

in the house
oxen were

their oldest

brother, 14

a messenger came

to Job

said; "The

plowing and the asses were grazing alongside them, 15 when the Sabeans attacked, taking them all and putting the boys to the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell 16 While he was still talking, another one came in
thee."

and and
still

said, "The fire

of

devoured them; talking,

poured

and

GOD fell from heaven. It burnt the sheep and shepherds I alone have escaped to tell 17 While he was
thee."

yet another one came

in

and said:

"The Chaldean

sent out three

companies,

down

on

the camels, carried them off and put the boys to

escaped to tell
thee."

the sword; and I alone

another one came

have

18 While he
daughters

was yet were

talking,
and
wind"

in

and

said; "Your
of

sons and your

eating

drinking
came

wine

in the house

their oldest

brother, 19
and

when a of

mighty

in from the
on the

wilderness and struck

people.

the four corners

the house. It
escaped

fell

down
thee."

young
rose

They

are

dead,

alone

have

to tell

20 Then Job
I

ground and worshiped. and naked shall

up and tore his cloak, shaved his head, and fell to the 21 He said; "Naked I came out of my mother's belly THE LORD gives, and THE LORD takes; return
there.'6

blessed be

the name of THE

LORD."

22 But throughout

all

that Job never

sinned or even charged

GOD

with

folly.

Comments
that the whole story begins with the word A
"man."

We

must remember

man.

In

fact,

there are

four

words used throughout

the text which might all roughly be gebher, speaks of man in his might,
"hero."

translated

by

the English word

One,
as

and perhaps should so

have been translated

another word,
"hero,"

I have
to

refrained

from

doing
is
in

only because there is

closely

related

it,

gibbor, which

more might

properly translated as

though our word

is

well on

the way. This

appears

be especially tme here, since the form gibbor never actually (gebher). the Book of Job I have used the form
"man"

Another

word

speaks of man

in

is enosh of which I will have more to say in all his frailty. I have translated it as
"mortal."

later

note.

It

The third word, 'adam, tends to be sense, and at times I have translated it
mally, however, I have
used

used

by

our author or as

in

a more generic
man."

"mankind,"

as

"some

Nor

the

form

"man"

('adam).
comes

Our

word

'ish is

of unknown origin.

Some think that it

"weak."

from

a root

for
is

meaning "to be strong"; others take it to mean The Book of Job is about a man who
"man."

It is the

common word

can raise to

the state of the

and

gibbor, a
an

hero,

and at

times be no more than an enosh, but

finally

fully, he
all

'ish,

a man.
once was a man

2. There
sounds

from
of

the

land of Uz,
wonderful

and

his

name was

Job. It

like the

beginning

some

fairy

tale, full

of noble

and

138

Interpretation
of the

wealthy men from the mysterious Land word for can also mean
"east"

East. In the Hebrew language the

"ancient,"

and conjures

up the dream

of a child's

notion of wisdom and valor.

Chapters 1, 2, and 42 differs markedly from that found in the central part of the book. Reading it is like turning from Dick and Jane to Shakespeare, and I have tried to reflect that difference in the translation. Most
The language
of

scholars

believe that it little

was written

by

another

hand,

and perhaps

it was; but it On the

other

is

not clear

to what extent one can have such historical knowledge.

more can

hand,
of

be

said of

its

literary

effect.

The

childlike nature of

the text, both with regard to

of never-never

its diction

and to

the use

feeling, especially reality felt in the rest of the text. The banter between God and Satan only adds to this feeling. It is almost the classic comic situation in which bad things happen to good people and in the end everybody lives more than
repetition,
gives a

it

kind

when contrasted

with the stark

happily

ever after. was an old

Whether it
or whether a

folk tale

which the author used to

introduce his work, last

chapter as the course of

later thinker felt

a need

for

some

kind

of comic relief after such

trials;

or even whether

it

was the author we shall

himself

who saw the never

true culmination,

is something
shall

probably
of

know. In the

these notes,
comic

however, I
is
it

try

to show that Job's

final

acceptance of

the

is

part of the most serious

word tarn

intent

the book.
of

3. The

central

to our understanding

the Book of Job. For an

account of the role

plays see the note to

31:40.

4. The

word yirah, which can

we

imply
as

respect

for the divine,

we

have trans

lated

as

FEAR. Pahad

have left

"fear."

5. Seven

sons and three

daughters: Whether it is because

are odd and somehow

of some perfection

felt in them,
but the

or

because they

unbalanced, I do not

know,
word

numbers seven and three next

have

always

had

a magic
parties.

ring

to them.

6. The
used

thing

we see

is

a round of word

family

Although the

for

"feasting"

comes

from the

"to

drink,"

and

implies that

wine was

served, the

fact that

the sisters were

invited We

would seem

to

imply

that

they

were

wholesome and goodnatured affairs.

all take

it

as part of the charm of the

story that the sisters are invited and

never

barely

take any notice of the

granted

host the

parties

themselves.
not

We take it for
of us to

that

fact that they they have no fact

we

independent
would

wealth.

It is

wrong

do

so at this
note

point, and in

lose the

spirit of

the

day if

we

did. See the

these

to

42:15, however.

7. The Hebrew

makes

it

clear that while

days

were ample and

full,
no

they
8.

marked a special time of the year.

From every
of

indication, they

were

in

sense religious

holidays, but simply full

"blessed,"

human goodnaturedness.

Literally

but it is

used euphemistically.

9. Job trusts his children, but only partly trusts goodnaturedness. He seems
to have full trust in their actions, but supposes that no one the thoughts that can

is in full control

of

flit into

and out of a

human

mind.

The Book of Job

10. Mitchell's "came to
encounter.
testify"

139
the
still

fails

to capture the

friendly

nature of

While the
mind of

verb

does

imply

a certain

amount of

formality, it
have

keeps

us

in

the party mood of verses 4 and 5.

a

11. Here follows

translate them,
and

list

of the names of

God,

the words we

used

to

the places

they

occur:

YAHOVAH
elohim el
shaddai

THE LORD

GOD God
The

1:6-2:7, 38:1-42:11 1:6-2:10, 5:8, 28:23, 34:9, 38:7

3:3-40:1
5:17-40:2

Almighty

adonai

The Lord

28:28 discussion to the first two

For the moment, "THE

LORD"

we shall restrict our

chapters.

curred

is, in the main, the one in whose presence the meeting oc (1:6, 2:1, 2:7) or the one speaking or directly spoken to (1:7, 1:8, 1:9, 1:12, 2:2, 2:3, 2:4, 2:6). There is, however, one important exception to this rule:
1:22 THE LORD gives, LORD.
"GOD,"

and

THE LORD takes; blessed be the

name of

THE

The

word

on of

the other

hand,

except

insofar

as

it is

used
of

in the

expression

"Sons
He

GOD"

consistently

refers

to man's awareness

God.

1:1

was a simple and straightforward man, a

GOD-fearing
happen to

man who

turned

2:3

away from evil. Then THE LORD said to the Satan: "Did
no one

you

notice

my

man

Job. There is
man,
a

like him

on

Earth. He is
turns

a simple and straightforward

GOD-fearing

man and one who

away from

evil."

1:5

He himself
each of

would get

his children; for

their

"Perhaps,"

up early in the morning to make burnt offerings for Job said, "my children have sinned, and
came

cursed

GOD in

hearts."

1:6

One

day day
and

the

Sons Satan Sons

of

GOD

to

present

themselves

before THE

LORD,
2:1

and the

came

One

the the

of

along with GOD came to

with

them.
present

themselves before THE

LORD,
1:9
1:22

Satan

came

Then the Satan

answered

along THE LORD

them.
and said:

"What, do

you

think that

Job FEARS GOD for But 2:9

2:10

nothing?

throughout all that

die!"

Job

never sinned or even charged

GOD

with

folly.

"Curse GOD
"If

and

we accept the good

from GOD,

evil?"

must we not also accept

the

12. The know

which

"satan"

word

has been

translated

in

so

many
are so

ways that

it's hard to in
mind

where to

begin.

Clearly
or

the author
with.

has

some

traditional usage

he is
a

either

using

toying

But there

many

of them.

We'd

best have

look.

140

Interpretation
comes

The term first

Num. 22:21

up in the story
rose

of

Balaam:

So Balaam

in

the morning, and

saddled

his ass,

and went

with the princes of

Moab. But God's

anger was

kindled because he

went; and the

angel of

the LORD took

was

his

stand

in

ADVERSARY. Now he
were with

riding

on the

ass,

and

the way as his his two servants

him.
angel of the

Num. 22:32

And the
your ass

LORD

said

to

him, "Why have

come

you struck

these three times?

Behold, I have
your

forth to
before
me;"

WITHSTAND you, because

way is

perverse

It

would

be best if the

reader could reread

"Satan."

Numbers 21-24, 31. It is

satan"

not clear

that the angel

is

being

called

Rather, "being
be

seems

to be an

not

activity of the be easy to

moment that give a

any

angel might

required to perform.

It

would
a

full

articulation of

that action, because Balaam

on

complicated character.

(See R. Sacks, A
pp.

[Lewiston, NY: Mellen, 1990], Here, the angel's job seems

act.

Commentary 200ff.)
prevent

the

very Book of Genesis,

is

to

be to is

Balaam from

doing

a wrongful

In the Book
seems to
out

of

Samuel,

the term

used

for

a man whose original

intention
turn

be directed toward

another's

good, but

whose actions nevertheless

to be otherwise.

ISam. 29:4

But the

commanders of the

Philistines

were

the commanders of the Philistines said to

that

him, "Send
the battle

he may

return

to the place to
with us

which you

him; and back, have assigned him; he

angry
with

the

man

shall not go

down

to

battle, lest in
could

he become here?

an

ADVERSARY to his lord? Would it

us.

For how

this

fellow

reconcile

himself to

not

be

with

the

heads

of the men not

2Sam. 19:21

Zeruiah answered, "Shall death for this, because he cursed the LORD'S
the son of

Abishai

Shimei be

put

to

anointed?"

But David

said, "What have I to

should

do

with

you, you sons of

Zeruiah,

that you

adversary to me? Shall any one be put to death in Israel this day? For do I not know that I am this day king
as an
Israel?"

this

day

be

over

In the Book

of

Kings,

who, unbeknownst to

is used for the leaders of the themselves, become God's way of chastening His
But
now the

the term

"Satan"

nations
people:

1 Kings

5:4

LORD my God has

given me rest on

side; there is neither adversary

nor misfortune.

every You know that

of the

David my father could not build a house for the name LORD his God because of the warfare with which his
surrounded

enemies

him,

until the

LORD

put

them under the soles of

feet.

his

The Book of Job

IKings 11:13-25 "However I for the
raised
will not tear

-141

give one tribe to your son, sake of

away for the

all the

kingdom; but I

will

sake of

Jerusalem

which

I have

chosen."

David my servant and And the LORD

up

an

was of the royal

adversary against Solomon, Hadad the Edomite; he house in Edom. but Hadad fled to Egypt.
.

And Hadad found

gave

great

favor in the

sight of own

Pharaoh,

so that

he

him in

marriage the sister of

his

wife, the sister of

Tahpenes the

queen.

And

the sister of

Tahpenes bore him

Genubath his son, whom Tahpenes weaned in Pharaoh's house; and Genubath was in Pharaoh's house among the sons of
Pharaoh. But
his fathers
when

Hadad heard in Egypt that David Joab the

commander of the me

slept with was

and that

Hadad
own

said to

Pharaoh, "Let
But Pharaoh

country."

said

dead, army depart, that I may go to my to him, "What have you lacked
go

with me that you are now

country?

And he

said

adversary to

his

master

God also raised up as an Rezon the son of him, Eliada, who had fled from Hadadezer king of Zobah. And he gathered men became leader
and of a
went

seeking to to him, "Only let me

to your own

go."

about

him

and

marauding
to

slaughter

by David;
him days

they

band, after the Damascus, and dwelt

was an

there, Israel
and

and made all the

king

in Damascus. He

he

abhorred

Solomon, doing Israel, and reigned over Syria.

of

mischief as

adversary Hadad did;

of

Strangely
mally

enough, it is only in the Book

of

Chronicles,

the

book that

nor

goes out of

its way

to avoid

anything that tends to appear close to the

mythic, such as the giants, that we see the Satan we know:

IChron. 21:1

Satan

stood

up

against

Israel,

and

incited David to

number

Israel.

Throughout the Book

of

Psalms,

the Satan

is

the

hated hater

who accuses:

Ps.

38:19

Those
those

who are

my foes

without cause are mighty, and

who

hate

me wrongfully.

Those

who render me evil

many are for good

are

my

adversaries

because I follow

after good.

Ps.

71:13

Ps. 109:4

May my accusers be put to shame and consumed; with scorn and disgrace may they be covered who seek my hurt. In return for my love they accuse me, even as I make prayer for
them.

So they

reward me evil

for good,

and

Appoint

a wicked man against

him; let
himself
oil

an accuser

hatred for my love. bring him to trial.

prayer

When he is tried, let him

counted as sin! soak

come

forth guilty; let his

with

be

He

clothed

into his

body
he

like water, like

wraps round

his coat, may it cursing into his bones! May it be like a

as a

garment which girds

him, like

belt

with which accusers

. . .

he

daily
the

himself!

May

this

be the

reward of

LORD,

of those who speak evil against

my my life!

from

But thou, O

142

Interpretation
GOD my Lord, deal on my behalf for thy name's sake; because thy steadfast love is good, deliver me! May my accusers be clothed shame as in a with dishonor; may they be wrapped in their own
mantle!

In Zecharaia there is the Satan

who rebukes

because he

cannot cleanse.

Zech. 3:1

Then he
of the

showed me

LORD,

and

the LORD said

who

Joshua the high priest standing before the angel Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. And to Satan, "The LORD rebuke you, O Satan! The LORD Jerusalem
was rebuke you!

has

chosen

Is

not

this a

brand

plucked

from

fire?"

the
garments.

Now Joshua
And the

standing before the angel,

to those who were
him."

clothed with

filthy

angel said

"Remove the have taken

filthy garments from your iniquity away from

And to I

standing before him, him he said, "Behold, I

you, and

will clothe you with rich

apparel."

Our Satan is

all of

convinced that man coat of

decency
runs

these, and he is none of them. As we shall see, he is is radically incapable of being just. Deep underneath man's lies a thick skin of self-interest. The rest is mere show. For
man are not well

him, God's high hopes for

skin which were ever show

founded. Through the

show

imagery

of

throughout the

book, Satan hopes to

the world

God that if

man

to

face the
a

unmediated nature of and vicious animal. we see a

around

him, he

would

himself

bitter

We leave Satan because

richer

way, but he never arouses

our

hatred.
13. He
uses the reflexive

form

of the

verb,

which

ing
of

about

for its

own sake without

God that He is

"going

for

walk"

any direct external in the garden, there is

goal."

normally means "a walk When the text says

a

strong implication

that He has not come there

intentionally
God
says

for the
to

purpose of

checking up
me and

on

Adam. In the
He

same way, when

Abram, "Walk before

way
of

be

perfect,"

wants or

to look at Abram's general

accomplishment.
which

being

rather

than at any

particular

goal
...

Even

when

through.

the

land

you,"

shall give

He invites him to "Walk He means to enjoy it quietly

without a sense of

immediate

possession.
a certain

Here too, the

14.
"slave"

Adversary is claiming
"servant" "breath,"

innocence.
"spirit."

or word can mean perhaps almost

"wind,"

15. The

or

16. Job's

thoughtless

blurring
be

of

the

distinction between his

first
and naive glimpse was

own mother and

the great mother earth may

world of man

seen as a
which

into it

a world

larger than the its

into

he
a

born. Here
city
wall.

as

say, the thought is almost thoughtless. We see it as only

grow until

seed, yet we shall see

roots are

sturdy

enough to crack the strongest

The Book of Job

CHAPTER TWO

143

1 One
and

day

the

Sons

of

GOD

came

to

present

themselves before THE

LORD,

the

Satan

came

"Well,"

said
said the

along with them. THE LORD to the Satan "where have Satan to THE LORD, for a
walk."

been?"

you

"Oh,"

"wandering

around

Earth, just

went

down there to There is

go

3 Then THE LORD

no one

said on

to the Satan: "Did you happen to notice my man Job.

like him have

Earth. He is

a simple and straightforward man

evil.

( 'ish)

GOD-fearing
simplicity,

man and one who

turns away from

me

He is

still

holding

tight to

his

and you

beguiled1

into

destroying

him for

nothing.
under2

4 Then the Satan

answered

THE LORD

and said:

"Well, 'Skin

skin!'

Everything
and get to

a man

his bones
all

('ish) has he will give for his life. 5 But just reach out your hand and his flesh, and he will curse you to your face for
sure."

6 "Well
him."

right,"

said

THE LORD, "he is in

your

hands now; just don't kill

and struck and

7 Then the Satan

with

went out sole of

from the
he

presence of

THE LORD

Job
a

boils from the

his foot to the

as sat

crown of

his

head,3

he took
die!"

potsherd and scratched

himself

in the ashes, 9

and

his
If

wife said

to

him, "You
good

are still

holding

tight to your simplicity.

Curse GOD
woman.

and
we accept

10 But he

said to

her, "You

talk like a worthless

the

from GOD, must we not also accept the But throughout all that Job never sinned in 11 Now
when

evil?"

speech.

Job's three friends had heard

of all the evils that

had

come upon

him, they Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamatite. They

came each

from his

own place

Eliphaz the him

Temanite,4

Bildad the

conferred with one another and planned compassion.

to come together to console

raised5

him

and to show could

12 But

when

they

their eyes

from
Then

afar

they

hardly

recognize

voices and cried. ward.

each tore

his

robe and

They lifted up their threw dust over his head heaven

him
was

him.

13 Seven days

and seven nights

saw

they

sat with

on the ground and no one

great.6

spoke a word

because they

that

his suffering

very

Comments

1. The
root

root

Satan

sounds

like, but is

not

etymologically
from"

connected to the

Saltan.
word means
lattice."

2. Be'ad The Hebrew

phrase

"away

or

"out

through,"

as

in the

"to look

out through a

Judg. 5:28

Out

of the window she peered, the mother of

Sisera

gazed through

the lattice:

"Why is his
of

chariot so

long

in

coming?

Why tany

the

hoofbeats

his

chariots?"

144
It

Interpretation
"beyond,"
"under,"

can also mean one seems to

and

hence "in

place

or

"on behalf

No

know
on

what the

Hebrew

expression means.

Most have trans

current

lated "Skin for

traders

skin,"

the

assumption

that it was a saying

among

in furs

and

hides,

although

it is

not clear what

may have been

meant

by

the expression or how

of

it may have applied to this situation. I have taken the Satan to mean that while Job may have the superficial look a God-fearing man, once that surface has been scratched one will find an layer behind it is sorely
well,
one

other protective

based

on self-interest only. of skin gains throughout

author was

In light

of the

importance that the

one

imagery

the main

body
of at

of the

book,

tempted to

believe that its

the author

least this know.

phrase as

but,

of course, that

is

not

the

kind

of

thing

that

one can

3. It is
and

interesting
but

to note that Satan

did

not

his

flesh,"

attacked

Job's skin, the

in fact try to "get to his bones surface of his being. Job had said
I
there."

"Naked I

came out of

my

mother's

belly

and naked

shall return

The

Adversary
an

implied in

verse

5 that Job

was not as naked as

he

pretended

but had

inner thicker
4. In English,

coat of self-protection and

"Yemen."

is

now out

to prove

it.

5. This follows:

word will as one

be translated
can

"bear"

as

except as otherwise noted. of

6. So far

tell, the

genealogies

characters

seem

to be as

TERACH
I

I
.Abraham. .Katura

Sarah.

Haran

Shua
Nahor-

Lot

Milkah
Buz

Iskah

Bethual
_L

Uz

Isaak-

1
-Rebekah

Laban
Leah

Esau

Jakob-

Rachel

Eliphaz

Benjamin Na'aman

Taman

Eliphaz

Bildad

Zophar

Job

The Book of Job

As
the
we can

145

see, the Book

of

Job

presents

itself

as

being tangentially
of

aware of

book that tells the tale

the characters

of the genesis of the

all

Son

Israel. It

also presents
related

most of people.

involved,
book
it

but one,

as

being tangentially

to that

This

aspect of the although

will not change even when we meet the next

character,

Elihu,
as

will complicate

the matter somewhat. This

as

book,

then, insofar Job is

it

speaks of a

much wider world a

human world, has than the Torah.

of the

its

principal subject matter a

descendent
a

two nonchosen brothers of

of

Abraham, Nahor
the

and

Haran. Bildad is
attention of

descendent

Abraham

and the wife

he had taken

after our

had been drawn away from him and to Isaak. Eliphaz is from another nonchosen brother. Esau, All these men, however, come from Terach. Of him we read:
Gen. 11:31 but
Terach took Abram his
when son and
...

line

to go

into the land

of

Canaan;

they

came

to

Haran, they
was

settled there.

Terach,
grounds,

the

common

grandfather,

the

man

who,

on

purely human

saw or

felt in

need of

leaving

his father's house

and of

land

of

Canaan, but, because

of those

grounds, did

not go all the way.

going to the Three of

the men, then, seem to

be heirs to

such a tradition. either a son or perhaps a grandson

The last to join the discussion, Zophar, is

of

Benjamin.

CHAPTER THREE

1 Then, Job
3

opened of

his

spurned'

mouth and
lost2

his day. 2 Job 4

answered and said night

"May

the

day

my birth be

in

oblivion and with

conceived4.'

it that

in
be

which

it
of

was said

'A MAN

darkness.
upon cloud

May

(GEBHERf has been God from on high not

darkness5

May

that

day

day

seek

it

out nor
Death6

any brightness
redeem7

radiate

it; 5 but let

dwell
above

it.

consume that night

into the

number of

it, and may a it. 6 Let the murk day terrify May that it not be counted among the days of the year or enter its months. 7 Thus shall that night become hard and sterile
and

the Shadow of
warms8

that which

the

with no sound of

joy in it. 8
open

Those

who

despise the sea9,

curse"

and those who are

it. 9 Let its morning stars lay darken. Let it hope for the light, but let there be none. May it not see the eyelid of dawn open, 10 for it closed not the doors of my mother's belly but hid my determined to
the
will

Leviathan10

eyes

from

toil.12

Why did I not come out of the womb and die, exit the belly and 12 Why were there knees to receive me, and what were those breasts to
I I
should could

11

perish?13

me that

have

sucked?'4

13 Else

would

I have been

at ease and

had my

quiet.

14

had my rest with kings and counselors of the earth, who for themselves, 15 or with princes who had silver and yet filled their houses with gold. 16 Why was I not like a stillborn hidden away or as a have
slept and
rebuild ruins

146

Interpretation
into the light? 17 There the guilty cast off their rage and at ease for power is spent. 18 There prisoners are wholly
voice.

scion that never came

there rest those whose

they do
20
bitter for it

not even

hear the driver's

of

19 Small

all15

and

great,

are

there,

and

the slave

is free
soul?16

his lord.
give

Why
of

does He for

light to those

whom

toil

has consumed,

or

life to the

21 to

those who wait

for death 22

when there

is

none? or who reaches

dig

more than

subterranean treasure?

whose

delight

exaltation,

because they have found the grave? 23 or to a man (gebher) whose way has been lost and whom God has hedged about? 24 Sighs do as my bread and my roaring pours out as water. 25 I feared a fear and it came to pass
and who rejoice and what

I dreaded has

me.17

come upon

26 I

was not at

ease, I was

not

quiet, I

had

no rest,

but

came."

rage

Comments 1. The Hebrew "to

word

literally

means

make

light

of,"

and

does

not neces

sarily imply that the object is animate. 2. Throughout we have distinguished between:
ne'ebhad math

to be

lost

to die to perish

gawa'

"To be
is"

lost"

often

has the double

significance of

thing

(my

hat is lost, it is
of

not where

it

should

(1) "not being where every be) or (2) of "being where

thing"

nothing is, and hence (I am lost, I am in a

can

being

out of contact with

strange place where

every other person I should not be). This side

or of

things

best be

seen

by

remembering that our word ne'ebhad

is

related to the word

Abaddon,

the place of oblivion. This

ambiguity is

often critical

for

understand

on the other hand, often comes close to any given passage. "To be." meaning "to vanish, to cease to 3. Others say or may be a bit too strong, but I was tempted in that direction in order to bring out the great feeling of joy which

ing

perish,"

"male"

"man-child."

"Hero"

the word

implies

must

have been felt that have better

hero lies in his

day by

all the members

of

Job's
of the

family. Such
verse.

a translation would

served to

bring

out the

irony

The very

being

of a

being

remembered, but for

Job,

this
me all

everything in it is to be forgotten. Mitchell's "night that forced from the loses all the poignant contrast between the great felt

day

and

womb,"

joy

by

on that

day

and the secret

horrors it

contained.

This

sentence will echo and re-echo

as we shall

see, is

a constant

can obscure a

darker

center

throughout the whole. The Book of Job, play between the way in which a lovely surface and the way in which our view of the deeper intent
their simple surface.

of things can obscure our view of

4. Sa'adiah, in his translation into

Arabic,

with some real

justification
can

trans

lates "bom is

and even cites some parallel

texts.

While there

be little

The Book of Job

147

doubt that Job is indeed thinking of the day of his birth, it may be important to retain the fact that he speaks of it in terms of its more hidden causes. 5. Seven times
"darkness"

during

the course of these

first ten
like

verses we read the words

"oblivion"

"night."

and others all

There
as

are

also

words

and a

host

of

saying the same,

if that have
own

day

had

contained a

thing

which no

eye,

human

or

divine,

should

ever

seen.

Job's first

reaction

is
up

to let
and

it be
gone

abandoned

in hopes that it, his

a compound

beginnings,

would shrivel

be

from

sight.

6. Salmaweth is
"death."

word, coming from the two

grammar case

"shadow"

roots

sal,

and moth,

Unlike English, Hebrew

except

does

not allow

for

the

possibility of abounds. This

a place.
speak of

compound nouns
would argue

in the

of proper nouns

where

it

for the

notion that salmaweth

is the

proper name of

On the "an

other

hand, it is
word

possible that the name reader can get a

Einstein."

Perhaps the

became generic, as we better feeling for the prob

of

lem

by

seeing how the

is

used outside the

Book

Job.

Ps.

23:4

Even though I

walk

through the valley of the

Shadow

of

Death,

I fear

no evil;

for

thou art with me;

thy

rod and

thy

staff,

they

comfort me.

Ps.

44:18

Our heart has

not

turned

back,

nor

have

our steps

departed from
of

thy
Ps. 107:10

way, that thou shouldst have broken us in the place

jackals,
in

and covered us with the

Shadow
and

of

Death.
of

Some

sat

in darkness

in the Shadow

Death,

prisoners

affliction and

in irons, for they had

with

rebelled against

the

words of were

God,

and spurned

the counsel of the

Most High. Their hearts

bowed down

Then they cried them from their distress; he brought Shadow

the
of

hard labor; they fell down, with none to help. to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered
them out of
asunder.

darkness
Let

and

the

Death,

and

broke their bonds

them thank

LORD for his

steadfast

love, for his

wonderful works

to the

sons of men!

Isa.

9:1

But there

will

be

no gloom

for her that

was

in
of

anguish.

In the
and

former time he brought into land way The

who
of

contempt the

land

Zebulun

the

Naphtali, but in

the latter time

he

will make glorious

the

of the sea, the

land beyond the Jordan, Galilee in darkness have

Shadow
of

of the nations.

people who walked

seen a great on them

light;

those

dwelt in

land

of the

Death,

has light

shined.

Jer.

2:6

They
from
the

did

not say, of

"Where is the LORD

who

who

brought

us

land

Egypt,
a

led

us

in the wilderness, in
and
dwells?"

up land

of

deserts

and

pits, in

land

of

drought

the Shadow of Death

in

land that Jer. 13:16

none passes

through,

where no man

Give glory to the LORD your God before he brings darkness, before your feet stumble on the twilight mountains, and while you look for light he turns it into
gloom and makes

it

the

Shadow

of

148

Interpretation
Death. But if
your
you will not

listen, my

soul will and run

weep in down

secret

for

pride; my
the

because
Amos

weep bitterly Lord's flock has been taken

eyes will

with

tears,

captive.

5:8 for

He

who made the

Pleiades

and

Orion,
the

and turns

the Shadow of
who calls

Death into

the morning, and

darkens

day

into night,
upon

the waters of the sea, and pours them out

the surface of

the earth, the LORD

is his

name.

as

At any rate, if it is a place, it does we know it from verses like:

Ps. 6:5 For in death there is
thee
praise?

not seem

to be identical with Death

itself

no remembrance of

thee; in Sheol

who can give

Rather, it
man

seems to and

be

a place

here

on earth

full

of

desolation

and

fear

where no

dwells

death is

ever near.

Although Job

at one time will speak of

it

as a

land to

which

he is going

and

from

which

he

will

"not

return,"

Job 10:21

Well, I
Shadow
of

will

Death

be going soon, going to a land of darkness and the and I will not return; to a land that glows in murk,
and without order

the Shadow of
murk.

Death

land

whose radiation

is

At

other

times he thinks of
out

it

as a place which contains the

hidden things that

can

be brought

into the light.

Job 12:22

He

unveils

deep

things

from
the

out of the

darkness; He leads

the

Shadow

of

Death

out

into

light.
even to this rock of murk

Job 28:3

He
and

[man]

explores

the

Shadow

of

everything to its limit, Death.

"claim,"

7.

yig'alehu:

the Revised Standard

has

but

Although there is
variant normal

another word ga'al, which quite

King James has frequently appears

or

"stain."

in the
the

form ga'al,

and which

meaning of the word Egypt. A man has a duty to

The Torah
was the

normally ga'al is

means

"to

defile,"

"to

pollute,"

"redeem."

God
who

"redeemed"

Israel from
captive.

"redeem"

his kinsman

has been taken

of the

seems to presuppose that prior to the

of a man
would

giving

Law

at

Sinai it

duty

to

"redeem"

the blood of a murdered kinsman.

Such

an

interpretation

imply

that in Job's mind there

is

still a place

for "the

day"

itself, but it is
Gersonides
cumstance
within

a place suggests come

far from any human habitation. that both meanings are intended and that in fact in this

cir

they

to the same thing.

us.

By finding They

a place

for the discarded "let

day
of a

itself, darkness defiles it for

it"

At any rate, the

are the

words

salmaweth

and

darkness

redeem

are

very

curious.

first beginnings

The Book of Job

thought which will
grow and

149
book.

transform

itself

throughout the whole of the

They imply
have been,

that even at this

the gloom and

early stage, Job dreams of a place, perhaps only in the darkness, where there is room for the day which should not

it can be itself; but for now, it is merely a passing is quickly dropped. 8. It would be hard to find many works of which the Italian expression traduttore tratore is more tme than the Book of Job. It is obscure both in word
a place where

thought and

and

in

grammatical

form.

Many

words

appear

once

and

never again

in the

whole of the

literature.
kimmerire

The

word
unlikely.

could come

from the
root

"bitter,"

root mrr or

but

that

is

blacken"

grammatically or "to
an eclipse.

The

warm."

likely Usually it is taken

more
men

is kmr
it

which can mean either

"to

in the former sense, like

would seem more

a cloud or

many Job is thinking of those creatures that fear the and dead tree stumps. 9. Or
"day,"

But

since

fear

these things

likely

that

sunlight and crawl under rocks

but the

connection with the

which will

Leviathan

"sea"

makes

more

likely.

10. The
mentioned

Leviathan,
in three

be

more

fully

described in Chapter 40, is

other passages

in the Bible:

Isa.
Ps.

27:1
74:14

And

on that

day

the

Lord

shall punish

the Leviathan.
gave

You

crushed the

head

of

the Leviathan and

it

as

food to

the

people of

the

island.
the great and wide sea, wherein are creeping things
small and great

Ps.

104:25

So is this

innumerable, both
there goes the

beasts. There have

made

go the ships; and

Leviathan

whom you

to play with.

As

we can

see, there is a certain ambivalence within the biblical tradition

at

toward the
who

Leviathan,

least if

we are

to assume that

God is

not the

bad

child

breaks his toys, feelings

and so at this point

it is

not yet clear whether we are to or whether we might not

admire those who would

"lay

open the
sort.

Leviathan"

develop
The
bears,"

of quite a

different

question

is: Are the frightful things in nature, "the lions

one

and

tigers,

and

to

be destroyed

day by

the

hand

of

God

so that on that

day

the

world might

their own
man can

truly become a world for apart from all human need,

open and under which suggest that the

man? or

do they have a certain beauty of frightful beauty, and yet one to which
man?

be

he first leams to be
of

would

like to

Book

Job is
1

an account of a man's attempt

to face this ambivalence

in

order

to discover
verse

under which welkin

.

justice lies.

11

Not the

same word as

found in The

12. Mitchell's "from this Job

sorrow,"

loses

the all-pervasive character of toil as

sees the world at this point.

world

is full
he

of

blind Promethean hope

which

has been

stripped

away for Job,

and now

must

lead

life

which never

should

have been.

150

Interpretation
a certain

13. In
we see

way, the changes, or we

might even are

take place in Job throughout the book

that say the education, musings own reflected in his

set of musings

and those of others on the womb and the

belly. The first

is:

Job

1:21

"Naked I
there.
of

came out of

my
and

mother's

belly

and naked

shall return

THE LORD gives,

LORD."

THE LORD takes; blessed be the dawn open, for it

eyes

name

THE

Job

3:9
of

May
my

it

not see

the eyelid of

closed not

the gates
not come

mother's

belly

but hid my

from toil.

Why

did I

out of the womb and

die,

exit the

belly
the

and perish?

Job 10:18

Why
though

did You

bring

me out of

womb?

without ever an eye

to see me. I would

be

as though

Had I only perished I had not been,

as

I had been led from the

belly

to the grave.

The womb,
ness were
one

a quiet

place, seems almost contiguous

with

death,

as

if nothing

the norm. To the comic

Job, life is
not to

gift,

almost a

flight

of

fancy,

yet

to be lived

dutifully

and then

left. To the troubled Job,

nothingness

is

comfortable nothingness.
aberration

To be is

be,

and not to

be is to be. Life is

an

in time full

of meaningless

distinctions.

Job 3:19

Small

and

great,

all are

there,

and the slave

is free

of

his lord.

Insofar
more

as

it

was the source of

his

own generative

power, it meant nothing

to him than the source of hatred and contention:

Job 19:17 I Job 24:20

My
am

breath is

repulsive to

my wife,

and to the sons of

my

own

belly

loathsome.
womb will

The

forget him

and the worms will

find him

sweet.

The others, too,

except

for Bildad,

saw

nothing there but empty

rage.

Eliphaz
Job 15:1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite
even answer such
wind?

answered and said:

Should

a wise man
with

blustery

thoughts and

fill his

own

belly

the

east

Job 15:35 Job 20:20

Their

belly brews

deceit.
Zophar

Since he knew
escape; there
will

no peace

be

no survivor to

from his belly, nothing dear to him shall enjoy it and thus nothing of his
will send out

merit shall endure.

Job 20:23

As he is
upon

about to

fill his belly, God

upon

His

burning

anger

him

and rain

down

him

even

to his very

bowels.

Elihu Job 32:18 I

am

full

of

words, and the

wind

in my

belly

presses upon me.

The Book of Job

In Job's
way.

-151

recollections and musings on the

past,

however,

things

were not

that

The

womb was the

beginning
He

of all that was warm and near:

Job 31:15 Job 31:18

Did Did He

not

who made me
us

in my

mother's

belly

make

him

as well?

not

form

in the

same womb?

From my

mother's

belly

was their mother's guide.

By

the end of the

book,

the womb or

belly has

become for Job

and perhaps

for the reader, that mighty, turbulent, and often ferocious source there has emerged a world full of life and living creatures, a
stranger, and more violent, but
at

out of which
world

larger,
man

times

curiously

more

tender, than any

had

ever seen.

But

at all times

it is

breathtakingly beautiful,

and we stand

in

awe of

that which does not know us.

Job 38:29 Job 40:15

From heaven?

what

belly

does ice emerge,

and who gave

birth

to the

frost

of

But look now, here is Behemoth

eats

whom at

made

fodder just like the cattle, but look

the strength

along with you. He in his loins. His

might

is in

the muscles of

his belly.

14. Mitchell's

fails

to capture

knees to hold me, breasts to keep me the fact that Job is blaming himself for his own participation in

"why

alive?"

were

there

the great lie of

false hope. His first his

mother's

act was to

cling to life

by

allowing himself
"all"

to be attracted to

breast.
warned about the use of the word

15. In

general the reader

more

is

in this

translation. Hebrew is

likely

to use "men are

X"

where

English

would use

"all

X."

men are

In these

cases we

have

often

decided to

go with the normal

English

usage.
a certain

16. Man has

unjust.

light,
can

an

innate

sense

of what

is just

and

what

is

For Job,
and yet events.

no

man

ignore that light

be better

as

long

as

he finds it God

within as seen

himself,
in

it is in

constant opposition to the manifest will of off without that

daily

Would

we not

light? The

world makes

too

much sense

to make no sense, and yet

it

makes no sense.

If Job had

no

reason, the world would no longer look unreasonable, and he could sleep more
soundly.

17. Here Job

seems to admit that

the

beguiling
him, he
as

character of the

day

of

his
and all

birth

was not total and absolute.

made

Even

when things were

going

well

for him

the surface of the world

sense

to

was

uneasy.

Perhaps it

looked too Hollywoodan to him. Good things happened to bad things happened to bad
ease.
people so

good
yet

people, and
was not at

far

he

could

tell,

he

Seeing
God

no reason

for perfection, he
to blows.

was

distrustful. He
could not

seemed to

have

known that if there

he
and

were no reason

behind it, it

last,

and that one

day

would come

152

Interpretation
come

These thoughts had

to Job not in the form of thought, but in the

sees

form

it, from the of unarticulated fear. Job's present discontent arises, as he sudden realization that the surface of the world as it lay before him has fallen
out of

harmony

with

the wisdom of the ages. But how

sudden was

that realiza to the

tion? Job had always

felt, felt in

the

form

of

fear,
it

that

his

commitment

importance

of the simple world of appearance as

lay

before
world

man would one

day

come

into

conflict with

formed

by

the wisdom of

his understanding of that the fathers handed down from

as

it had been

the ages.

CHAPTER FOUR

1 Then Eliphaz
be
more

the Temanite answered and said,

2 "How
words?

can one speak and

than

wearisome?'

But

who can refrain

from

3 It

was you who

always words

disciplined2

and strengthened so

to pick up those that were

many frail hands, 4 you who had the stumbling and bolster the knees that were
you,
and

about to

bend. 5 But

now

it has

come upon

it is indeed

wearisome.

It

has found
surety,

you out and you are stunned.

6 But may

not that

FEAR itself be

your who

and your

hope,

the simplicity of your

ways?3

7 Think back now, been

annihilated?

being
far
as

innocent
I
can

was ever

lost? Where have the

upright

8 So

see,4

those who plow evil and sow tribulation reap them.

and

9 One

breath5

from God,
old

they

are

lost;

a puff of

his

nostrils6

and they're

finished.

10 An
spirited

lion may roar and the savage lion give voice, but the teeth of that lion will be broken. 11 The lioness is lost for lack of prey, and the be
scattered.7

young
a

ones will

12 A

word stole upon me

but my

ear caught

only

trace, 13

as one gropes

in

a night vision when

deep

14 Fear wisp

came upon me and a

of a

breath fluttered

could not recognize

trembling, making all fixing each hair upon my flesh. 16 It halted. I its form, just a shape there before my eyes, and then there
over me a voice saying: more pure

sleep falls upon mortals. my bones to quake. 15 A

was silence.

Then I heard

17 Shall

a mortal

be

more

just

than

his God?

or a man

(gebher)

than his
and of

maker?8

18 If He

put no trust

in His

servants9

to His angels lays charge of

whose

folly,

19
He

what of those who will crush

dwell in
a moth.

house

clay,

foundation is but dust?

evening. out

them like

20

Forever they
under
them10

are

lost

and no note

beaten from morning till is taken. 21 Their tent rope is pulled

They

are

from

and

they die

without

reason."

Comments
1. It is

of utmost

importance to

note

the genuine good will with

which

Eliphaz begins
was that made

to speak.

loving

Only in that way can we catch friends turn against Job so brutally.

a glimpse of what

it

The Book of Job

2. See
note

-153

to

33:15.
pull

3. Eliphaz first tries to has taken be

almost
"FEAR"

Job into

being

his

old

self.

From his way

simplicity.

of

understanding, Job's questioning indicates that he has forgotten his

He

(yirah), for

"fear"

(pachad). For him the two

actions seem to

identical. FEAR
words mean

of one who

is

no

longer trusted turns into fear. in Hebrew, but they by Gordis. He may be

4. The
normally

"ca'asher

ra'iti"

are and so

common enough

"when I

saw,"

they

are taken

right,

and

if so, the

rest of

my

majority of translators are iom. The words may imply that Eliphaz is
the world may

may be ignored. If, on the other hand, the right, Eliphaz is not simply using a thoughtless id
remark not

totally
tarn,

unaware of
"simple."

the fact that

look different to
"nose."

a man who
"wind,"

is
or

not

5. The 6.
such.

"breath,"

word can mean

"spirit."

Literally

Usually

used to

"anger,"

signify

and often translated as

7. At this

point we can

begin to

see

For Job's friends

of

and

for Job for

as well the

Eliphaz pulling away from his friend. only proper home for man is the home

man, the home of man as it has been defined

proper concern man

by

the wisdom of the fathers.

The only
we must world.

is his fellow

man.

Not to be

at

home

within

that world is to be an outcast and a man of sin. Throughout all of what

follows

constantly remind ourselves that our daily lives depend upon such a Only in that way can we begin to understand why good men might turn brutal when that world is suddenly found to be under attack. But for Job that
world

has begun to

crack.

Job

deeply

believes in

just God

and yet

he has

seen

the just in meaningless pain. The wise men have assured

out

him

that all will work

for the best, but it does

as we

not.
calm

This moment,

see, is not one of

doubt

and

curiosity, but

of

belief,

confusion, and

indignation,
when

a rage more

like the

anger modem optome

trists tell us that men feel turns the world upside

they have been fitted

with a pair of glasses

that

down, leaving

the world of perception at odds with their

understanding

of the world

there are no glasses.

they have always known to call home; but this time Throughout the book, we shall see Job trying to find a
worlds, the
wisdom of

home, first in
world

one of these

the

fathers,

then

in the other,
But
each

the world of the surface where the

innocent die in

pain and suffering.

keeps

blasting

into the other,

inverting

it

and

pulling it

out of

focus.

When

speech cannot come together with the

world, it gives way to anger, rage,

and madness.

8. Eliphaz has
even make sense?

posed the central question of the

book. But does the from the

question

Is there any

standard

for justice
just

apart

will of

God in is its

the light of which His actions can be inquired into? Even if there
relation to what we not to

is,

what

humans feel

as

being

be the same, what, then, is is

ready for it.

the status of

If they should prove those human feelings? Job knows

and unjust? one

that all this is a

terms? He

question which must

be faced

day, but how

and

in

what

not yet

154
9.

Interpretation
"slaves."

or verse

10. In

18 Eliphaz begins to face the

question

he has

implicitly

raised.

life. is totally indifferent, if not essentially hostile to human cannot human the Human concerns for justice which remain within the plane of be of divine concern. It is all no more than a tent which by its outer surface In itself the
world

looks

much

like

solid

structure, but

which

at

the mere pull of a pin can

crumple out

flat.
this phrase refers to the thoughtless way

11. It is

unclear whether

in

which
why.

the tent rope

is pulled,

or

to the fact that

they died

without

understanding

CHAPTER FIVE

1
you

"Cry
turn

out!

Is there

anyone

to answer you? To which of the

can

holy

ones will
dunce.2

now?1

2 For indignation fool take

kill

fool

and

jealousy

murder a

3 I have
shrank

seen the

root and
were

back from help.

They

into his hut. 4 His sons suddenly beaten at the gate; and to save them there
entered3

was none.
under

5 All he has harvested the

hungry

shall

devour

even

taking

out

from

the thorns: and the

thirsty
nor

not come out of the man

dust

panting does tribulation sprout from the

shall go

after their

wealth.4

6 Evil does
7 but
a

ground:

('adam) is born
9

to tribulation sure as sparks

fly

upwards. and put

8 Nonetheless I
that5

would make

my

appeal to

GOD

my

matter

before
no

who accomplishes

deeds

great

beyond

inquiry,
of

marvels which

have

number.

10 He
fields,6

who gives out rain over the

face

the earth and sends water to the

into the

11 He

can raise the shattered the

despondent devices
of

on

high giving sanctuary

crafty
and their own

mournful.

12 He has

the

hands

cannot save

them. 13 He traps the wise in their own craftiness as the advice of

those contorted ones

grope

dashes headlong. 14
sun as

They

encounter

darkness

by day

and

in the noonday
will

if it

were night.

the cutting edge of the sword, and the poor

15 But the needy He saves from from the hand of the mighty. 16 The

downtrodden 17 Indeed,

have hope, is the

and the mouth of

injustice

will

be

stopped.
contempt

happy
of the

mortal whom

God

disciplines,

that has no

but He binds up, He wounds, but His hands heal. 19 From six troubles He will deliver you, even in seven no evil will touch you. 20 In famine He will redeem you from death, and in war from the power of the sword. 21 When tongues you will be
causes pain,

for

the

bonds

Almighty; 18 for He

scourge,

secure and shall

have

no

FEAR

of violence when no

it comes; 22 but

at violence

and starvation you will you will

laugh. Have
be

FEAR

of the

beasts
in

of

the earth,
of the

23 for

have

covenant7

with the rocks

in the

field,

and the

beasts8

fields

bring

you peace.
flock9

24 You

will

certain of

harmony

your

tent. You shall

tend to your
seed will

and

nothing

be

great and your

shall come to your grave

25 You shall know that your offspring will be as the grass of the earth. 26 You in full vigor like a whole shock of wheat
will go

amiss.10

standing

tall

The Book of Job

in the time
you shall of

155
and

its harvest. 27 We have

yourself."

searched

it out,

and thus

it is. Listen

know for

Comments
1. It is

unclear

implication between 2.

seems

but the exactly what Eliphaz means by "the holy to be that nothing within the world as Job knows it can be
ones,"

holy. Within the limited

man and

world open

to human comprehension there is nothing

unfriendly
a

nature.

Job's

questions will go unanswered and

his

cries unheard.

Normally

there is

distinction

made

considered

morally guilty, and the peteh is irrelevant. Well intentioned or not, the frustration which must arise out of daily defeat in the unfriendly world that lacks the holy must lead to destructive

between the 'awil (fool) who is (dupe), but for Eliphaz the difference

if

not self-destructive anger.

3.

Literally

"pierced."

4. The text is very obscure. 5. "He will crush them like

appeal to phaz and

moth."

[4:19]/ "Nonetheless I
. .

God

and put

my

matter

before that God his like

my [5:8]. While both Eli

would make

Job

accept these two

statements, for the one

other

they live

in the

same

world, but for the

they rip

world

together snugly in two. To Eliphaz there

is

always time

for trust,

and so

for him

all things make

a moth

sense, but for

Job,

to

make an appeal

to one who can crush them

6. Nature is
standing.

not nature as

it

presents

itself

within

leads only to madness. the plane of human under

It is the

same

God

who

"gives be

out rain over the

face

of the earth and

sends water

into the

fields"

that "can raise the despondent on high giving sanc

can seen

mournful."

tuary
1
.

to the
upon as

But this

looked

simply

a part of given nature,

only by those for whom but as a marvel.

covenant with

rain

is

not

Berith,
fearful

the word used

world

for Abraham's

God;

peace

in this

is only achieved by a divine covenant with the rocks and the beasts. Threatening boulders are not held back in their places by any innate
most

forces
lished
But

to

be found
Job's

within the rock

itself, but by

divine
to

covenant

freely

estab

by

the God who answers those

who come

him.
way things ap
called the sur

all of

arguments presuppose the relevance of the

pear to naked man.

They imply taking

goes

face

of

things; that fire

seem

seriously up, that dogs bark,

presuppose

what we and

have
that

innocent
then

men

sometimes

to suffer.

If

arguments

intelligibility,

Job's

arguments presuppose the relevance of the other words,

or

they

presuppose either

way things are in themselves. In something like natures in the ancient sense,
way Eliphaz could It is clear, however, that he knows that
whatever vague

laws

of nature

in the

modem sense.
what extent or

It is hard to know to have been

in

aware of such an alternative.

156

Interpretation
beasts obey
a
covenant

the notion that the rocks and

words.

cuts

deeply

into

Job

8.

living

things
wife."

9. Greenberg: "When
10.
"sin."

you visit your

Literally

CHAPTER SIX

1 Then Job

answered and

said, 2 "Would that my indignation could

truly be
raise

weighed, my calamities all laid out together on a scale!

even

3 then

would

it

up

the sands of the

are

seas.1

And thus I

speak without

care, 4 for the arrows of

the

Almighty
bellow
at

in

me and

are arrayed against me. ox

The terrors of God my spirit drinks in their 5 Will the wild ass bray when there is grass? Does the
venom.2

his fodder? 6 Can egg

see white

what

is tasteless be
taste.3

eaten without salt or

does

the slime of an

have any

My

soul refuses to touch them.

They

are

like

a contagion

in my

daily

bread.4

it that my request hopes? 9 Would that God were pleased to

will

8 Who

to

comes
crush

to

light;

that

God

grant

my

me, loose his hand

and cut me

off!

10 That
One.5

would

come

to me as compassion.

writhing though He spare me not;

for

never

Let me spring up in my have I disavowed the words of the

Holy

11 What

strength

my end that I should Do I have flesh of bronze? 13 No, I have

sourcefulness

have I, that I should wait in expectations? What is prolong my life? 12 Is my strength the strength of a rock?
no

support within me and all re

has been driven

out.6

14 To those in despair, the kindness of friends is due but the FEAR of the Almighty has forsaken them all. 15 My brothers have betrayed me like a wadi,
a
black.8

running brook that has gone They hide themselves in

vanish

dry.7

16

snow.

17

they

from their

place.

18 Their

the vastness and are lost.

19 The

They crystal over with ice and invert to They thaw and disappear. In the heat beds twist and turn. They flow out into
Tema look to them; the band from
trusted.9

caravans of

Sheba hopes for them, 20 but find themselves lost because they
arrived and were
confounded.10

They

21 So

now you are as ever

nothing

and at sight of

terror,

you

have taken

FRIGHT."

22 But did I hands

say to you 'Give me'; 'Offer the bribe for me out wealth'; 23 'Deliver me from the hand of the foe"2 or 'Redeem me
of the most

of your

from

the

terrifying'?

24 Teach

me and

will

hold my

peace.

Only

show me where

I have

erred

l3

25 How forceful honest

you!

words

are, but what proofs are

a proof

26 Are

you

busy devising

in

words while

despairing

man

to be no more than the

an orphan or sell out a

27 Would you cast down friend? 28 Come, face me; I'll not lie to you

wind?'4

they that come from taking the testimony of a

even

The Book of Job

29 Stop, I
not

157
stand

beg
is

you!

Let there be

no
no

injustice. Give in! For injustice

on

yet

my

smacks of what

right.15

30 There is
of

my tongue,

and yet

does

my

palate

know the taste

ruination."

Comments
1. Job has

almost no answer

for Eliphaz. As

we

began to in

see

in the

note to

5:8,

the parts can be stated and agreed upon. But their relationships to one

another, whether
or even what

they lie
of not

together

in peace,

or contend

anguish and

in anger,

kinds

things can or cannot lie

Job

and

Eliphaz may
word

be

able to share.

together, those are things which Job's anguish, then, cannot be laid
and will

out on a common scale.

2. The

for

"venom"

"fury,"

also means

play

an

important

role

in

the story. Job presents

himself

as

drinking

in the

venom-fury.

His thoughts

and

feelings

are complicated and even

give a

contraditory, but they

are still

intelligible.

pretty good idea of how Job thinks about what we today, after the to be of philosophy, would call the coming relationship of cause and effect. It is not so far from the thought lying behind the Latin causa,
or the
sponsible"

3. Verses 5 through 9

Greek aitia, both or "to be

of which

originally
of

meant

guilty,"

and one can see

in

verse

something like "to be 6 the immediacy of

re

the

concept

for Job. Through the in the

immediacy

the example of taste, one can see

the power that exists

pull

concept of cause and

effect, taken in that sense, to

com and

Job back into the

of

surface

plane, the world of growing

barking

dogs,

temporary joys and undeserved pain. At this point in his understanding, coming to terms
experience

with

the world around

him is to

it

as

it

shows

itself to him,

as

deeply

as

he can,

and so

he

drinks in

the

fury.

Even if the others, Eliphaz and the rest, cannot see the world as Job sees it, they should be able to tell by looking at Job himself that something in the world
around

him has

gone

awry, but

of course

they

cannot.

But

perhaps the surface

is

right in pointing to a only deeper wisdom underlying it. Even then, thought Job, the surface should indi cate the way just as wisdom should give solidity to the surface. But here all
after all

the surface, and perhaps the others are

seems to

be

at odds. closest that

4. This is the

Job

can come to
not

telling

the others what

his

world

is
be

like,

this world whose parts

do

fit together. It is like food that

total. But

cannot

eaten.

The

rejection

is immediate

and

for Job it is

not

just

a single

dish; it is
filled
5 All

the mainstay of his life. For him there is no other world which is not

with the contagion of

we can gather

disparity.
remark

from this

is

that whatever
origins

it

was that native

Job

saw

that cleaved

his

world

in two, it did

not

have its

in any

antipathy

toward the holy.

158

Interpretation
can envisage a

6. Here Job, in his imagination,

to maintain itself in the
point
midst

being

with

the

inner strength

knows that at this of a crumbling world, but Job

he is

no such man.
metaphor

7. At first the
soever.

seems to

be dead

and to

have

no

meaning

what

What

could

it

mean

for

a man

to be like

a wadi? and yet, once a

very
and

simple and straightforward

dry,"

definition

of a wadi,

"a running brook that has gone

has been

articulated

in speech, the

metaphor

begins to sing
not

with

life,

the

reader

is left

with a slight

feeling

of shame

for

having

understood what

Job

was saying.

Then,

one after

another, the many

disparate

ways

in

which

the

metaphor

holds begin to flow

pour out.

8. Things known
which should

and trusted are not what

with

they

ease,

can

turn hard and

can

are. Soft and skipping waters, immobile. The surface of the

ice,

which should all

be

crystal

clear,

Egypt's night,

depending
a

upon

suddenly turn black, dark as the sea or as how it is stmck by the light; it is called
poor

Newton's

rings.

9. Mitchell has done

simile.

particularly
we

job

of

When, in
with

verse

19, he

replaces

"the

caravans of

catching the Tema

wonders of and the

this
of

band

Sheba,"

"pilgrims,"

lose the fact that these

were men who

knew the

desert well, its every rock and dune. If we, the readers, cannot feel their trust, we cannot feel their horror when they suddenly feel lost in a familiar land.

The
was

reader must remember that a

Eliphaz,

to whom this speech

himself

Temanite. Job is trying to

the almost

give

Eliphaz

some

is addressed, insight into his

thoughts and

feelings. He has

self-contradictory
the word

task of making con

fusion intelligible for him.

10. The
moment we

hear Job

pronounce

"trusted,"

we cannot

help
a

remembering that he, too, once had a whole world he thought he could trust, world he thought he knew as well as the men of Sheba knew the desert.

11.

By translating

"At the

sight of

misfortune,
words

you

take

fright,"

Greenberg
fear"

was able to catch the

most wonderful way.

play

on the

Hebrew

for "to

see,"

and

"to

in

The word itself has two quite meaning is "to be different meanings, both of which must always be kept in mind. On the one hand, it is an inner feeling of being cramped, or of within a and
12.
sar:

The

root

narrow."

Is it That Old Foe pressing Job down from above? Or is it Job straining to break out of a narrow and fixed confinement?
waverings
soul.

constricting horizon. On the other hand, it can mean guity in so many ways catches the ambivalence and

living

narrow

an outward

foe. This in Job's

ambi

Job, then, is also asking the from the hand of

13. The
sion, how
ever

question:
"

"But did I

ever

narrowness?'

say to

you

'Deliver

me

word used

implies

14. Job is

beginning
can

to see the

wrong done inadvertently double power of words.

Words

without vi
without

they

distort

a world of pain so.

into

a vision of

knowing
met

that

they have done

loveliness
the

It is

all so

Panerge

strangely like

Pantagruel.

first

time

The Book of Job

15. Job
seems to

159

know that

no matter

how

much a man

may

protest against

him,
is

there is in each of us the slight but uncomfortable

feeling

that perhaps

Job

right after all.

CHAPTER SEVEN

1 "Does

not a mortal

have
of a

a term of

duty

to serve here on earth and are not

his days like the days

shadows, and like a

hired

servant?

2 Like
wages.

slave

he

yearns

for the
allotted

hireling
Nights

he hopes for his

of toil

3 So have I been

months of emptiness.

say 'When

shall

arise?'

and night

have they apportioned me. 4 I lie down and drags on and I am sated with tossing till
earth.2

twilight.'

morning 5 My flesh is hard

and

clothed ooze.

in

maggots and clumps of

My

skin

has become

begins to

6 The days in
an

fly by

me swifter than

the weaver's shuttle,

empty hope. 7 Remember that life is but a wind and that never will the sight of happiness return to my eyes. 8 The eye that sees me takes no note of me; your eye is upon me, and I am 9 As a
and reach their culmination
not.3

cloud that reaches to arises no more. nize

its fullness

and

10 He

will not return

is gone, so he who descends into The Pit home again, and no one there will recog
will speak out of

him any 11 No, I cannot

spirit.

longer."

restrain

speech, but

the

narrowness5

con

stricting my

will complain

in the bitterness
me?6

or some monster

that You set watch over

of my soul. 12 Am I the sea 13 When I said that my bed will

show me compassion and

with

my

couch

dreams

and terrified me with

bear my complaint, 14 You frightened me visions 15 and I preferred strangulation and

contempt.7

death to my own substance. 16 I have be, for my days are but the mist of a breath. 17 What is
set thine
a mortal that thou shouldst

will not

live forever; Let

me

magnify him? And that thou

shouldst

heart
and

upon

him?

18 Yes,
will you

inspect him every morning and test him every minute. 19 When let me be? You'll not even let me alone to swallow my own spit. 20 I have sinned,
what

Supposing
burden
my but I

Man ('adam)T

Why

have

you set me on course against you so

have I done to you, Oh Thou Great Watcher Of that I become a

can you not pardon

even to myself?

21

Why
I

perversions?10

For

now

shall

lie down in the

dust."

my transgressions or bear You will seek for me,

am

not."12

Comments
1. There is
verses.

a strange and eerie almost

never mentioned

Kafka-like
and

feeling

to the

next set of

God is

in them,

nite third person plural or

in

the passive

everything is stated in the indefi voice. Job presents man as feeling a

160

Interpretation
and meaningless

horrible
and

but

absolute and almost sacred

duty

to

some nameless

totally

unknown power.

This
alone

try

to

is something to which, and to which Job feels these things, too. Some may a man must devote his entire life, home with it, but for name it or endow it with intent and love and are at
sense of

duty,

this sense that there

Job it has We

no

name;

it has
want

no

intent.

moderns

moderns would

may begin to look for the

to call this

feeling by
causes of

the name of compulsion.

We

these

feelings

within man

him
man

that there self, but on all counts, the book suggests that Job has yet to see.

is something beyond

2. dust 3. The Hebrew has

able

to achieve

singularly chilling effect in English. The original simply

a

which reads

I have

not quite

been

'enechah bi

we'eneni.

Partly it lies in [actually "in"]

the simplicity of the

me).

The

main

force

language: ,enechah (your eyes) bi (are upon of the twist, however, is felt in the final
"and,"

word, we'eneni. While it three parts. The

what

is clearly felt as one simple word, it is composed of first part, we, when it first hits the ear, simply means but follows it can suddenly and retroactively twist it into a or a "none
"but,"

theless"

or even place an

"in

spite of

fact that

in front

of the

first

word.

Thoughts that
(For
a

are set

up to go together are suddenly seen not to go together.

of the

further discussion
second

problem, see the note to

"nought," "nothing,"

8:2.)
"nonbeing."

The

part, ain, means

"my."

or

or

The third part, ni, is a suffix formed from the first The literal meaning and, as a suffix, it means then,
"I
would

person singular

pronoun,

of the word as a whole,

Actually
as
stands

be "and my nonbeing the word is not all that

giving
you

(is)."

uncommon.

It

often occurs

in

such phrases

straw"

but when it it suddenly dissolves the world into nothing. 4. A man caught between two worlds is a man who will wander into many worlds, or into none, looking for a home. Time, the liar, if time were not and he
am not am not your

and

"for I

in

midst,"

bare

and alone

were

not, then the turmoil

not

would not

be. If Job

could

only

convince

himself that

he did

exist, that he

was a

thing

of

the surface, was

. .

only
(see

a superficial

being,
itself

then he could return to

Eliphaz
of

and the rest

and the rest note to

5. But then the

persuades

feeling

being

cramped and crushed

an

him

again that

he is. This is

6:23)

his last considerations, he knows that to take his own existence seriously will to the surface. That superficial world which he had rejected for the sake of human companionship must be reconsidered 6. For Job the central idea to human society, that man
require a return

important turning

point

for Job From

is ever under the care

and watchful eye of spirit.

his maker, is crippling

and

ultimately fatal
and

to the human

7. This

feeling
in

of contempt which

he has for himself

which

understood

contrast to

the

"compassion"

for his life is

of

to

be
13

he had spoken

in

ve

The Book of Job

These two passions,
contempt and

161
as

compassion,
role till

which

are presented

here

polar opposites will continue to

opposition will

play that

Job's final
of

speech where their

lead Job to

a new and strange

kind

harmony. for
and

Bed

and

the pleasure of self-contained

which

Job,

three-dimensional world

sleep is all his

should carve out a world own and which reflects

supports

the surface world that Job has seen about

and

him, but it does

kind
world

not.

The
need

feeling of being watched of being watched has so

sense of

therefore of

being

some

of monster

in

completely overwhelmed Job's inner in his dreams he is tortured by an amorphous sense of guilt that

that even

arises out of the

being

watched.

Job's

need

to

contact

the outside world of

author of

his three

friends is

so great that

its watching God has become the

to

his dreams.

8. Verse 17 is
Job's ironic
see

meant

commentary.

ring For Job,

as a

psalm,

while what

follows in the text is

one need
which

ever

its horrors, but that done before so far

What is

was a

thing

only think the tradition through to no thoughtful and caring man had

as

he knew.
that you are always

Ps. 8:4

man

that you are always

checking up

on

watching him, him?

and the son of man

9. Again, Job seems to have in mind must have been on everybody's lips, such
Ps. 121:3 He
will not

variety

of psalmlike verses

which

as:

let

your

foot be moved, he keeps Israel

the

who

keeps

you will not

slumber.

Behold, he
your

who

will neither slumber nor sleep. your shade on your

The LORD is

keeper;

LORD is from
all

right hand. life. The

The LORD LORD forth

will

will

keep

you

evil;

he

will

keep

your

keep

your

going

out and your

coming in from this time

and

for

evermore.

But for Job they take on the cast 10. See the note to Job 11:6.

of

ironic horror. discourse

relationship between privacy and human dignity. To be constantly watched, and hence never to be one's self for one's self alone is, for Job, to be less than human. Even the

11. Verses 1 1 through 21

seem to

be Job's

great

on the

complaining is itself a subhuman act, and Job must exhort himself to actually do it. To be watched as a thing out of its place is already to be out of
act of

place,

or

like

thing
sea.

that cannot know

its

own place

but

must

be

watched and

kept in, like the

And
so

Job turns to his bed.

Sleep

is the

one place

that

he had

expected of a

to be
and

his place, but

terrible
night

even there the outside can enter

inside in the form

and

dreams

visions, making his

place not

his place,

for Job,

thing

with

out a place

is

a contemptible thing. one conscious act

can perform

Perhaps the
man

that, because

of

thinks he

in

total privacy,

is the

its totally internal nature, a act of swallowing his own

162
spit

Interpretation

Job feels that if

hence

God the traditional understanding of

permeated

is

true

even

this

has

been denied him.

untrusted, and

Being
his

by

God both in

mind and in

body, he teels

untrustworthy.

When Job
must

utters

psalmlike

how those words which quotation, we can see

have

meant so much

to him in the past have suddenly

become full

of an

ironical terror.

If there is anything to this understanding

"contempt,"

of the

passage,
of

then, in
13

contrast to
must mean

"compassion"

the

word room

the
or

spoken

in

verse

another."

"leaving

for

"recognizing

the place of
and

This is

of some

"contempt"

"compassion"

importance

since

the two words

role

will will never come

play

an

increasingly
again until

critical

in the text,

although

they

together

Job's final

speech.

Much

of the remainder of the

book

will

be devoted to
another.

an attempt

to

under

stand what

it

means

to have

compassion

for

The fundamental

problem

is to learn to

recognize

the full existence of the other as other, and

its

relation

to

the recognition of self as self.

12. Although the

to 7:8.

problem

is

nowhere near as

striking

as

it was,

still see note

CHAPTER EIGHT

1 Then Bildad
judgement?2

the Shuhite answered and said,

with1

2 "How

long

will you con per

tinue to recite these things

vert
against

words of such

Will the He
not

Almighty

pervert

mighty right? 4 If

wind?

3 Will God
have

your sons

sinned

Him
seek

will

drive them into the hands

of their transgression? and

5 But

if

you

God

out

and

implore The Almighty, 6

rouse

if

you

are pure and

make your

upright, surely then

righteous

Himself up for you. He will hut to flourish. 7 And though your beginnings be small,
will
indeed.3

He

your

legacy
their

will grow great

Only
days

ask

of

the first generations. Seat yourself out;

firmly

upon

what

fathers had
our

are

and speak pyrus

grow5

yesterday and know nothing, 10 Will they not teach you passing to you as the words come tumbling out of their heart? 11 Can pa where there is no marsh? or can reed flourish without water? 12
searched
we are

9 for

only

of a

but

a shadow

over the

land.4

While

yet

in their

tender

days, they

Such is the
vanish.6

course

for

all

The

profane man

before any grass, still unpicked. 13 forget God, and for him all hope will is lost 14 for he who feels a loathing for his own
wither

those who

sense of

trust will come to rely upon a spider

will

web.7

15 He it

lean

upon

his house but it

will not

hold; he

will

hold fast to it but

will not stand.

16 It may
with roots

sit

fresh

under the sun and shoots

twining

round a

knoll

and

may spring up in his garden, 17 clinging to the house of stone. 18 Yet his

The Book of Job

own

163
19 20

habitat
are the

will

devour him
of

and

deny

Such

delights

his

ways;9

him saying T have never seen and out of the dust another will for
a simple
man12

you!'*

spring.10

But surely God will neither have the hand of the evildoer. 21 He will fill
with shouts of

contempt"

nor strengthen and your

and

your mouth with you will

laughter,

lips
the

joy. 22 Those
will

who

hate

be

clothed

in shame,

vanish."

tent of the

guilty

Comments
1. The Hebrew
we.

which

I translated

by

the word

This

particle

is

a general connective and of the problem

is simply the is usually translated as

mean you were

"with"

particle

"and."

To

have only
you

some
note

understanding
call"

facing

the translator, the reader need

that the word

"and"

in the

sentence

"You

in town It

and
can

didn't

is

by
. .

no

means

your simple

bread-and-butter

"and."

"but,"

"when"

mean

or

or a thousand

others,

including,

more

poignantly, "in

spite of the

fact that.
of

In the Book
ments reader

Job the

problem

can so

easily turn

into

is particularly acute. Well-connected argu bunch of sentences all lying in a heap. The
we

is

hereby

warned that

I have translated have

read:

in

a thousand

different

ways.

Otherwise the

sentence would

"How

long

will you continue

to recite

wind?"

these things and your words are such a mighty

2. MiSfpat: I
law"

was not able

to find a single English word to use as a consistent

"judgement,"

translation of this word.

eral
and

It

can mean

both in the
made

sense of a

"gen It

in the

sense of a

"specific judgement
"case"

judge."

by

a given

"trial"

can also mean a other.

wise

or the argument or

prepared on one side or

the

Others,

with some

justification, have
"judgement"

translated
"case."

it

"Right."

Unless

other

noted, I shall

use either

or

3. Bildad
great

will start

his

argument proper

only in

verse

8,

and

it

will

have

deal to do

with the relation of

fathers to

sons

and of sons

to fathers.
that
sin

Before

beginning

his argument, however, he

as

wanted

to

make

it

clear

he is

thought that as

far

any

actual punishment

for any

actual

individual

concerned,

each man must suffer argument seems

for his

own.

4. Bildad's
mind outside

to be that wisdom

is

not available

to the human

the context of a human and

span of a
single

hence

a political tradition
short

reaching

back

to the

fathers. The
the insight

lifetime is too

to gather the

experience or

which would an

be

needed even

to begin an approach to
of

way The

of

life dedicated to life

autonomous

even such a

that someone
wisdom

like Socrates
the

might one

inquiry into the surface day lead.

over

things,

combined

planted our roots

by living

many ages, have slowly through life, is to be trusted beyond the inquiries of
of

fathers who,

a single man who must

have held himself back from life in

order

to question

it,

attempt may have no matter how thoughtful that

been.

164

Interpretation
roots can

Although these

become

obscured

or

lost
to

through

adversity

and

doubt, any
can

search

to discover wisdom must be a

confines of a

search

rediscover

it. Wisdom
home.

only be found within the 5. "show its majestic

6. Bildad
even seems to

long-established,

well-nurtured

pride."

have

compassion and a

kind

of

love for the tender

reed who goes

it alone, the

man who

does

not seat

himself

firmly

in the

ways

of

fathers

or nourish

himself in the
much as

waters of

tradition, but tries to

search out

he may love such a reed, he sees it as a thing that cannot last. Other plants may be out there that can stand without the marsh, but not man, the tender reed. Such men have forgotten God, and are lost.
wisdom

for himself. But

7. Others translate: "Whose

gossam

confidence

is

thread of

(Green

berg). Or "Whose

confidence

breaks in

sunder"

(RSV). The heart

of the prob

lem is the
such roots. which

word

yaqut,

from

the root qut. The

difficulty
"to

is

that there are two

or

One is

an assumed variant

form

break"

of qtt,

"to

snap,"

appears nowhere else

suggestion.

in the Bible. This is

root qum

by

no

means,

however,

foolish

After all, the

is clearly

related to the root qmm,

and such
which

interchanges

often occur.

On the

other

hand,

there
a

is

another root qut

is

a rather common variant

form

of qus,

"to feel

loathing."

It

can

be

found in

this

form in Job 10:1

as well as three times

in the Book

of

Psalms,

and

four times in Ezra.

If this reading is correct, Bildad may have in mind something like the rather way in which that arch-Machiavellian, Joab, fawns upon God's his life.
reed a

sycophantic

altar at the end of

8. Even
home
pose

lonely

like Job

needs a context within which

to

inquire

with a and are

grassy knoll. The language and in good part derived from the
and one on which

content of path

presup he has disowned. It was a

which can no

his

questions

comfortable

home,

he

still must

lean but

longer

bear his

weight.

his home to
no place

Ultimately, his rejection of the wisdom of his home will cause reject him, and for Bildad, a man without a home is a man who has
with an

to stand.

9. Intended
10. Bildad

irony

somewhere

between pity

and sarcasm.

seems to

know that Job's problem is

an eternal problem and that

there will always be men like Job.

11. It is important to
turn out to be so critical
to

note that

Bildad

uses the word

of

"contempt,"

which will as a whole.

for

our

understanding

the

book

Cf.

note

42:6.
12. Bildad's
alternative

to the man of

inquiry

is the

simple man, as

he

under

stands except

it. That

was the word used and the

for Job

so often

in the first
as a

chapters.

In fact,

for Zophar, Satan,

one

Voice in the

Tempest,

all the characters

in the

drama in

way

or another

think of

simplicity

high if

not

the highest

human virtue, though they do not all agree on what the simple is. For Bildad this is to be understood in contradistinction to the man of inquiry. As far as the others are concerned, see the note to 31:40.

The Book of Job

CHAPTER NINE

165

1 Then Job

answered and said,

2 "Yes,

all that

know, but

then

what can

make a mortal's with

justice

apparent to

God? 3 Even if
one

one wanted

to go to trial
of

Him, He

would not

answer, no not

in

thousand.'

4 Wise

heart

mighty in power,
who can
anger,2

who can stand

fast
and

against

Him

and remain unbroken?

5 He

transport the mountains

can cause the earth

6 Who

they feel it not; or overturn them in His 7 to reel from its place till its pillars
quake!3

He
and

who says a word

to the sun, and it does not rise; Who seals up the stars,
spreads out the

Who

by

Himself

heavens
the

and tramples on the and the no

tier of the
of

sea; 9 Who made Arcturus and

Orion,
great

Pleiades,

Chambers

the

South; 10 Who
wonders without

accomplishes
number.4

things, there is
see

finding

them out

11 He

passes

by

me

but I

cannot

Him. He

moves

on, but I do not

comprehend

Him. 12 He

snatches

up
of

and who can

him, 'What is it
Under His

you are about to

do?'

13 But God
Rahab bend

will not
low.5

stop Him. Who can say to turn back His anger.

rule even

the ministers

14 I

would answer

even though seems to me

am

him, choosing my words against Him with care, 15 but in the right still I cannot do it. Yet I must plead for what
to summon

just.6

16 Even if I do
not
believe7

were

Him

and

He

were

to answer me, even then I

one

that he would pay me any mind,

17 for He is the 18 He
will not

that can
me catch

crush me

for

hair

or multiplies

my

wounds gratis.

let

my breath, but

sates me with of

bitterness. 19 If trial be

by

strength, He is the

mighty one, and if by court just my own mouth would

perverse.
life.8

law,
no

who will plead

my

case?

20 Though I
will show

am

condemn me.

am simple

but He

me

21 I

am simple

but I

longer

care and

have only

contempt

for my

22 It's all one. Therefore I say that simple or guilty He destroys all. 23 When the whip suddenly brings death, He mocks as the innocent despair. 24 The earth has been placed into the hands of the guilty. He has covered the eyes
of

its judges. If it be 25

not

He,

then where

is that

one?9

good. upon

My days are 26 They pass

its
prey.

swifter

than a post.

They

through with the reed

should

flight for they have seen no boats; they swoop down like an eagle
take
me

27 Even if I

say 'Let
look,'

my
all

long

visage, and put on a

since

cheerful

forget my complaint, abandon 28 I would still feel the dread of

my grief, found guilty.

I know that
then toil

you will never

find

me pure. were

29 I

will still

be

Why

waters and cleanse

even

my 32 He is

cloths

for an airy nothing? with lye, 31 You hands my would hold me in

30 If I
would

to wash

in snowy
muck till

dip

me

in the

abomination.10

not a man

( 'ish)

as

I am, that I

can answer

Him,

that we can come

together under judgement.

33 There is

no arbitrator
rod

between

us who can

lay

his
me

hand

on us

both! 34 But let Him turn his

away from

me and not

frighten

166
with

Interpretation
His terror, 35 then I
these
would speak out without

FEAR

of

Him; for in

myself

am none of

things."

Comments
1. Job
right.

now

thinks that there may be a critical sense

in

which

Bildad may be

The distinction between

the thoughtful and the thoughtless

may

not

be
the

visible

from the highest

point of view.

He begins to fear that

at

that

level

surface of things

leaves him fusion

will

confused and perhaps a

may completely disappear. On the one hand, this conclusion bit frightened. On the other hand, this con
peer

ness of

his

own native

ultimately force Job to borders.

sake of

into

a world well

beyond the
do his

narrow

2. For the
we

consistency,

and

to allow the reader to

own

reading,

have kept to the

at times:

following

convention, although it did

seem somewhat arbi

trary

'aph
"anger"

ka'as
"indignation"
"RAGE."

hamah
"fury"

gur
"terror"

hath
"dread"

3.
in the

4. From these
word

verses one can get a wonderful sense of the

duality

contained

In them Job is constantly pulled from terror to awe and back to terror. He is both drawn and repelled by a world that is too large to contain him. It is awesome, but he
surface can

"fear."

find

no place

in it for himself

or

his

simple

understanding 5. In verse 1 Job

of

human justice. he had

recognized also

showed that

Bildad's

good will

and

realizes the truth of what

addressed more

he had said, but he

knew that he had

in

not yet

himself to the

question raised

by Eliphaz
than

4:17,

"Shall

a man

be

just than his God?

moment at

or a mortal more pure

his

maker?"

For the
without

least he is

content to raise the question

in its enormity
above the cares

trying

to answer it. God seems to

even

live in

a world so

far

of mortal

justice that

to raise the question now seems meaningless. The

motions in that world are so large that to him it seems unavoidable that the little things will be crushed and those who are small enough to see the things that fall through the cracks are too small to be heard.

6. Job
in them

must not

only be

come to

terms with two

as

well, and what each world commands the other

cannot

Actions Job

performed

in

a world.

conflicting worlds, he must act has forbidden. They are forever performed in THE
Either way

world, and their consequences reverberate throughout all worlds.

cannot

do

what

he knows he

must

do.
problem of the

In these
caught unjust.

verses

Job

presents the

fundamental

divided duty. God is God, and Justice demands articulation, yet the

book Job is
cannot seem

by

yet what seems

act of

just

articulation points
of

the speaker who

feels

back

to

perverse when

he considers the enormity

the distinc-

The Book of Job

tion

167
he

between himself

and

his

notion of

again

becomes

aware of

his

own

God, and he falls silent. But innocence, and justice again begins

then

to raise
and

her demands. This constant,

confusion.

unresolvable cycle

leads him into bitterness

7. Or "I

trust."

cannot
need

8. Job's sociality, his

that when

for human

companions and

fellowship

is

so great
open to

they

condemn and reject

him, he

takes the only course

left

him. He
When

rejoins

society
out of

by joining

them in

his

own self-condemnation.

facing

the world around him and the conditions it

has

placed upon

his

being, Job feels

of no crime or

place, contorted,
of no

and

perverse,

and

yet, since he knows

even

guilt, he knows

guilty Divine 9. The

of the sin of

having

seen

his

own

way innocence.

of expiation.

He

begins to feel
the

wisdom and

everyday justice;
course,

each seems

to mock and jeer

at

other until the whole turns meaningless.

question

is,

of

intended to be

rhetorical.

For Job there

can

be

no second

God

who

is Lord

over

the surface, no one else who could

be

guilty.

If the tart is gone, some knave must have stolen it. 10. Even at this point Job could put a false face

over

the surface and go on

back to his friends; let it all rest in oblivion as he had once thought to do. Sometimes that old trick really works. Smile at the day, and the day smiles right back at you; but not this time. That ugly surface world and the feelings of dread
and guilt which come

from
be

having
unseen.

seen

it

will not go away.

Once the

surface

has been seen, it

11
.

cannot

This

seems to

be

somewhere near the out of and

heart

of things as

they have been

ever since the world

began to fall
ever

the only world that

he

knew,

focus. Job knows that he is guilty in yet he knows that he is not guilty.
a comfortable world with

Job had best.

grown

up

with

his friends in

its do's

and

its don'ts. It

all made so much

sense, and in the main, things turned out for the world, a
world which

By

all the standards of that a

he knows

and

lives by,
an

he, Job, is

guilty man;

and yet when

he

honestly

tries to

look into himself to

find something innocent man.

Words like be found only

that would make sense out of what

has happened, he finds

meaning.

"inside"

"outside"

and

begin to lose their

Is his inno Or is it to

cence out there on a surface that

within

deeper

wisdom cannot comprehend?

himself?

CHAPTER TEN

My

spirits

feel

loathing
of

towards life. I will unleash my complaint and

speak me

in the bitterness

my

soul.

2 To God I
contempt2

say:

'Do

not condemn

me, but let to You

know the

cause of this struggle against

me.1

3 Does it

seem good

that You oppress, that You have

for the toil

of your own

hand, but

168

Interpretation
the counsel of the guilty 4 Have You
eyes of

radiate upon

flesh? Can You

man?3

see

as mortals see?
years pass

5 Can time

mean

to You

what time means

to

Do Your
track

by

as our years,

that You

probe

back into my

perversions and

down my
none

sin?4

7 Somewhere in Your

mind

am

not

guilty,

and yet

there

is

to save me

from Your hand.

over me

8 Your hands toiled

devour
me.

and

made

me

and

yet

from
You

all

about

they

9 Remember that You

made me as

clay

and that

will return me

to dust. 10 You poured me out like

skin and

milk and thickened me

like

cheese.

11 With 12

flesh You
with

clothed me and me
were

knit
of

me together with

bones

and sinews.

Your dealings
watched over

full

life

and

my spirit. 13 But You treasured I know what You have in mind; 14 if I sin You'll be watching and You'll not clear me from my perversion. 15 Well, if I have been guilty the grief is mine,

Your guardianship loving heart.5 all these things up in Your

care.

but
of

even when

am

innocent I have been

me and

so sated with reproach that no

feebleness.6

feeling

honor is left in 17

majestic pride of a your wonders?

only my lion in hunting me? Must You

see

16 You

must

feel the

you always use me to manifest

witnesses against me feeding Continually bring after are upon me. Your indignation Army army 18 Why did You bring me out of the womb? Had I only perished without
new

against me.

ever an eye

to see me, 19 I

would

be

as though

I had

not

been,

as though

I had

been led from the

me a of

belly

to the grave.

20 So little time

remains.

Forbear! Leave

bit that I may be cheerful. 21 Well, I will be going soon, going to a land darkness and the Shadow of Death and I will not return; 22 to a land that in murk, the Shadow
of

glows

Death

and without order

A land

whose radia

tion

is

murk.'"

Comments

him, choosing my has begun, although he knows that there will be no court and no judge. Despite the bitterness and confusion in his soul, he begins his brief like an ordinary brief, asking for the
would answer
words against

1. Back in Chapter 4, Job had Him

with

said:

"I

care,"

and now

the process

grounds of

God's complaint, but

by

verse

4 he

sees more

deeply

why there
said

can

be

no court.

2. Job intends this

speech:

statement as an answer to what

Bildad had

in the last

8:20

strengthen

But surely God will neither have contempt for a simple man nor the hand of the evildoer. He will fill your mouth with

laughter,

and your

lips

with shouts of

joy.

On the

relation

between

contempt and

laughter

see also the note to

30:1.

The Book of Job

3. Literally, "Are Your days like the days
years of a man of a mortal or your years

169

like the

(gebher)T be saying both

that

Job

seems to of

if God

can

feel

neither the

dragging
human

nor the

rushing Hope and fear

cannot

time, He
are

can understand neither punishment nor meaningless apart

suffering.

from

the

human

sense of time.

If God

feel them He

cannot understand

His

own

judgements.

4. Job is saying that if, as Psalms say, a thousand years in His sight are as but yesterday when they are past, He cannot understand the sins of Job's youth
as

being

just that, the

sins of

his youth,

an act of a

long

ago

dead

past.

5. That's
make each

what made

it

all so

hard for Job to

understand.

God had

seemed to

thing in nature, including Job himself, with such perfection, love, and care. For the most part everything seemed to him to be so full of love and life, and yet in this case everything had gone so wrong. It was all so crazy and
mixed up.

6. This is, perhaps, Job's deepest insight into the

and thoughts.

nature of

his

own

feelings in

Job knows that like

all men

he has surely
present

made some mistakes always

his life,
one

and perhaps more than most

men, he knows that he has

situation

been the
and

to suffer on account of them. But the

such reasonable

is different

beyond

bounds.
to

Job feels that he is

world of order

beginning

lose his
as

struggle with

the outside world, the

Eliphaz

and the rest of

them,

well as with the world of pain.

In

to come to terms with the noise of all of these accusations, that outer world, his only source of human relationship, he

and remain

part of

finds himself

beginning
guilty.
which

to believe in his own guilt even though he knows that he is not

with this contradiction

He lives

only

by taking

his

mind

away from that

is best in him

and

seeing only his

own

frailties.

The Book
Translation

of
and

Job

Commentary

Robert D. Sacks
St. John's College, Santa Fe

CHAPTER ELEVEN

1 Then Zophar the Naamathite

words never right?

answered and
man with

said, 2 "Will this

lip1

multitude of

be

answered?

Must the

the quick

always

be in the

3 Do

you think that this

lence? Do

you

'My

tenets are

claptrap really believe you can mock spotless. I am pure in Thy

and
sided,2

of yours should without

bring

all men to si

would open

His lips

discernment is many your for

perversions3

rebuked? 4 You say 5 Oh, if only God Himself speak to you, 6 tell you the secrets of wisdom: for and you must know that God will bear some of

being

sight.'

you. of

7 The deepest things

utmost

God,

can you

find them

out?

Would

you

discover the do? is its

things of The Almighty?

8 It is higher than heaven

what can you

deeper than the Pit

sure and

what can you

sea.4

know? 9 Longer than the

should pass

earth

mea

broader than the

10 If He

by

and

separate5

or close see

up,

who can

turn him back?

11 He knows the
man will

worthless man.

Can he
when

wickedness and not ponder

it? 12 Hollow
('adam).

become thoughtful

the

wild ass gives

birth to is

a man
your

13 But, if
and

you

direct

heart

firmly
your

and spread out your

hands to Him 14
and

if,

when

there
your will

wickedness

in

hand,
bear

you remove

it,

let

no

injus

tice dwell in
think of

blemish. You

tent, 15 be firm

then shall you

and

your countenance will

high

above all

have

no

FEAR. 16 You be

forget

all toil and

it only

as water that

has flown by. 17 Life

will

will arise out of

the noonday

sun and soar as

the morning. 18 You

and

secure
will

because there

will

be hope.

You

will

burrow in
afraid.6

lie

at ease.

19 You

be in

repose and none shall

make you

Many

will seek your

favor. 20 But the hope is to

eyes of

the guilty

will

fail. For them,

all escape

is lost,

and their one

exhale the

spirit."

The first ten

chapters of the translation and will appear

Interpretation. The balance

commentary in future issues.

appeared

in Volume 24, Number 2

of

interpretation,

Spring 1997,

Vol. 24, No. 3

252

Interpretation

Comments 1. Literally, "a man of and clearly intended to be derogatory. 2. The force, and hence the deceptive force, of human speech is its ability to
speak of a
lips,"

part,

even a random

part, as if it

were an

intelligible

whole.

Job's
to

arguments presuppose that there

is

a surface and that

it is sufficiently

open

human

comprehension to serve as an adequate

such

foundation for human fails to

existence.

But there may be many

vital part of the whole.

surfaces,

not one of which

obscure some seem

The things

within our

ken,

while

they

to hold

together in a

beguiling

sort of

way, may be

required

to be so

modified

by

what

is beyond it, as to render all human judgment inadequate to the point of meaninglessness. The spotless, when seen within a larger context may no longer
seem to

be

so.
"iniquity,"

3. This word, which has traditionally been translated tends to be used in a rather specific way in the Torah, and it is not impossible that Zophar

has in

mind a and

distinction
"sin."

which the

Torah

makes

between 'awon
while

or

"perver from

sion,"

het

or

Het

means

"to

mark,"

miss the
"pervert."

'awon

comes

a root

meaning "to
"path,"

twist,"

"to

distort"

or or

done to
all

a growth.

or to

"the

right,"

to a

It is something that can be mind, and hence implies an effect on

future

One

refers to an

act, the other to a way of being.

Consider:

Deu. 5:9

visiting the perversion,

of the

fathers
fourth

upon

the children and the

children's children, to the third and

generation.

Contrast this
Deu. 24:16

verse with

Fathers

shall not

be

put

to death for their children nor shall

each man shall

children not

be

put to

death for their fathers, but

die

for his

own sin.

From
the

Deuteronomy
of

24:16 it is

clear that no one can

be held

responsible

for
a

"sins"

his

or

her

own particular

parent, but

"perversion"

with

it is

different

matter.
a general which

In the Torah there is

those acts of the
whole of the nation:

tendency
a

to use the word

and

'awon

to refer to

fathers

have

lasting

devastating

effect on the

for example, black slavery in early America. Or, to put it in other words, even an immigrant who has newly become a citizen of this country, although he, like all others, is innocent of any crime his father may have committed, has, by virtue of becoming part of us, inherited a debt to the Native American peoples, a debt which we shall never be able to pay in full. There is also another aspect to the question. The more one thinks about the
problem of

perversion, the more complicated and almost

insoluble it becomes.

The Book of Job

The
sons

253

have

committed a great crime;

They

have been twisted

I

by

but in their tradition, it was no crime. their tradition, and the suffering falls on the whole of
alike.

the community, guilty and

end the cycle?

innocent

How then to
Bible is

apportion

blame? How to

sometimes think that the

being terribly
or

optimistic when

it implies that One

term

an answer can

be found in only three

four

generations. meant when

might want

to rethink what the ancients

house"

may have

they
the

spoke of

"a

curse on a
syndromes"

by

considering in
a

what the moderns mean

by

"family
should

with regard to alcoholism or child abuse.

It

be

noted that when seen

Deuteronomy
enough

clearly longer than bad ones; but it

contends that good also

fuller context, the quotation from traditions, if well founded, tend to last
world
were

implies that if the

not

sticky

to hold on to the bad ones for a

little while, the

good ones would never

have

a chance either. second aspect of the

This

problem,

however, is
innocent

not part of

the story to be

told in this note. Here we shall be speaking of the debt which, from the point of
view of

the

Torah,

we all

owe, guilty

or

of

any

sin or crime.

Although
evidence

we must still

leave

open

the

question of whether

there

is

sufficient

to claim that the author of the Book of Job was aware of that tradition,

the tenor of Zophar's argument is so close to the thoughts contained in the tradition that I thought it not amiss to include this note. The

feeling
a

that Zophar

is

portrayed as

being

aware of the tradition

is

enhanced

by

the fact that he

is the

only

one

in

the

dialogue to
see, is so

use the enigmatic phrase

critical

"to bear

perversion,"

which,

as we shall

for

the Torah.
"bear."

The "bear
off a

reader cannot

but

notice the

ambiguity in the

word

man can

perversion"

on

those shoulders, that

on

his shoulders, or another can "bear/lift that is, he may forgive him; but then he may have to "bear for
ourselves at a complete

perversio

perversion"

the

his

own shoulders.

Let

us

begin

by looking
the

list

of the passages

in

the Torah in

which

word occurs:

Gen.

4:13

My
The
...

perversion

is too

great

for

me to

bear.

Gen. 15:16 Gen. 19:15

the

perversion of the

Amorites is

not yet complete.

lest

you

[Lot] be

consumed on account of

the perversion of

Gen. 44:16

city [Sodom]. God has found be

slaves to

out the perversion of your servant. we and the one

Therefore

we

will

chalice was

my lord, both found.

your

in

whose

hand the

Exo. 20:5
the

I the Lord

God

am a

jealous God, visiting the

hate
me and

perversion of

fathers

upon the sons and

the son's son, to the third and the

fourth

[generation]
a

of those that

kindness to my Exo. 28:38 Exo. 28:43

thousand

[generations]

of those that

showing loving love me and

keep

commandments.

and
.

he [Aaron] shall bear the perversion of the lest they bear the perversion and die.

holy

things

254

Interpretation
The Lord
passed

Exo. 34:6

before him, truth,

and

proclaimed, "The
slow

Lord,

the

Lord, is
in

a merciful and gracious

God,

to anger, and abounding

loving kindness bearing perversion

means clear

and

keeping

steadfast

love for thousands,

who will

and transgression and

sin, but

by

no upon

[the guilty], visiting the

perversion of

the

fathers

the son and the son's son, to the third and the

fourth

[generation]."

Exo. 34:9

If I have found favor

pardon our perversion and our sins

[Moses]. Lev.
5:1 If
anyone sins

in that he hears he

a call to come

testify,
knew

and

he

was

a witness

because he had

either seen the affair or

about

it but

does Lev.
5:17

not speak up,

anyone sins

shall

bear his

perversion.

in that he does any one of all the things which the Lord commanded him not to do and is unaware, he is guilty and he shall bear his perversion. But he may bring a ram to the priest If
....

Lev.

7:18

If any it be

of the

flesh

of

the sacrifice of his peace offering is eaten

on the third

credited to

day, he who offers it shall not be accepted, neither shall him; it shall be an abomination, and he who eats of
perversion. you not eat the sin of the

it
Lev. 10:17

shall

bear his did

Why

[offering] in
it
was given

the

holy

place

because

it is the holiest
the Lord?

holy

and

to

you

to bear the

perversion of the congregation to make atonement

for them before live

Lev. 16:21

And Aaron

shall place

his two hands

on the

head

of

the

goat

and confess over

and their sins

him

all the perversions of the children of

Israel

....

Lev. 17:16

If he [one

who eats what

dies
and

of

itself

or

is torn

by beasts]
shall

does

not wash them perversion.

[his clothes]

bathe his flesh, he

I
punished

bear his

Lev. 18:25
Lev. 19:8

The land became defiled Anyone bear his

who eats

and so

its

perversions.
shall

it [a

sacrifice

left till the third day] he

profaned the

perversion

because he has

holy
his

things of the

Lord,
Lev. 20:17 Lev. 20:19 A

and that soul shall man who

be

cut off
. . .

from his

people.

takes his sister

has

uncovered

sister's

nakedness; he shall bear his perversion.

You
of your

shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother's sister or

father's sister, for that is to

perversion.
a man eat of the

make naked one's near

kin; they

shall

bear their

Lev. 22: 14
the

And if

holy thing

unwittingly, then he shall put

fifth

part thereof unto

it,

and shall give

it

unto the priest with

the

holy
...

thing.

Lev. 25:15 Lev. 22:16 Lev. 26:38-42

and

Israel,
Or
their

which

they shall not profane the holy they offer unto the LORD;

things of the children of

suffer then to

holy

things:

You
shall

will

bear the iniquity of trespass, when they eat for I the LORD do sanctify them. be lost among the nations and the land of your enemies

devour

[eat]

you.

account of their perversion

Whoever among you is left will rot away in the land of their enemies. Yea, on

on

The Book of Job

account of the perversion of their

255

fathers they

shall rot

along
Num.

with them.
....

But if they
said to
.

confess their perversion

...

away I will

remember

5:10ff.

And the Lord

Moses.
. .

Say

to the people of

Israel, if any
his
wife

man's wife goes astray, priest and

then shall the man

bring

to the

her, bring barley meal: he shall pour no oil upon it, for it is a cereal offering of jealousy a cereal offering of remembrance, bringing perversion to
the offering required of
a tenth of an ephah of

remembrance.

Num.

5:29

This is the law in

case of
goes

jealousy,
astray

when a wife, though under

her husband's authority,

spirit of

and

jealousy
shall set

comes upon a man and

defiles herself, or when the he is jealous of his wife;

be free from
perversion

then

he

the woman before the Lord and the priest shall

all this

execute upon

her

law. The

man shall

but the Num. 14:18

woman shall

bear her

perversion.

And now I pray thee let the power of the Lord be great as thou hast promised, saying; "The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and

faithfulness, keeping

steadfast

love for thousands,

who will

bearing

perversion

and transgression and sin,

but

by

no means clear the

and

guilty, visiting the perversion of the fathers upon the children

the children's children, to the third and the

fourth

generation."

Num. 14:19
Num. 14:34

Pardon the

perversion of this people

...

I have

pardoned

According to land, forty days,

perversion.

the number of

days in

which you spied out

the

for every

day

year, you shall bear your

Num. 15:31

If
upon

a soul raises

his hand [and murders]

...

his

perversion

is

him.
said to

Num. 18:1

And the Lord

of your

Aaron,

you, and your sons, and the house

father

with

you, bear the perversion of the

holy

place,

and

you, and your sons with you,

bear the

perversion of your priesthood.

Num. 18:21ff.

To the Levites I have

inheritance,

given every tithe in Israel for an But the Levites shall do the service in the tent shall

of

meeting, and

they

bear their

perversion and

it

shall

be

a people

Deu.

5:9

throughout your generations; and among the Israel they shall have no inheritance. For I the Lord your God am a jealous God visiting the perversion of the father upon the children and the children's
perpetual statute

of

children

....

Deu. 19:15

single witness shall not raise

up

against

any

man

for any

perversion or

any

sin

...

The first time the

original

word

is

used

perversion, was Cain's act

of

in the Bible, fratricide.

or one might even

say the

Gen. 4:13

My

perversion

is too

great

for

me

to bear.

256

Interpretation
perversion was committed

The fact that the first city is indicative

communal matter.

by

the founder of the first

of

the notion that perversion, as distinguished from sin, is a

Now it

must

be

remembered

that our

fathers Abraham, Isaac,

and

Jacob

were all shepherds, living in tents, and even Lot when he flees the hills for the city thinks it is right to excuse himself by saying, "Yonder city is near enough

to

flee to,

prepared

Even he knows that God has not yet it is only a little the way for the city, and that it is no place for a good man, but he is
one."

and

overcome

by

fear.
and

For the Bible, the two, fratricide

this wise.
wall

the

founding
put

of

the city, fall together in

a

Cain, first

farmer,
cut

then a

founder,

to distinguish "the
required that creation.

mine"

from "the

thine."

fence and then a city up This act of radical self-estab his ties to the
roams

lishment
of

he

himself

off and obliterate all of

rest

God's

The

shepherd's

life,

on the other

hand, freely
as all

through

out

the whole without

no

laying

claim

to any particular part of the whole. It

a

is

at

home, but it has

farmers must, is building fence, an essentially political act. By setting up a part and making it into a whole, it denies the availability of the given whole, either for oneself, or another. Cain wishes to establish his own world in the fullest sense possible.
home. Cain's
act of

As
the

further
as

consequence of the problem of

development,
since

the Bible presents

arts, too,

having

their origin

in Cain's perversion,

they

are seen as a

product of

the city.

Gen. 4:20-22

Adah bore Jabal; he

and

was

the

father

of

those who dwell in tents

was the

have

cattle.

His brother's lyre instruments Naamah.

name was

Jubal; he

father

of

all those who

play the

and pipe. of

the

forger

of all was

Zillah bore Tubal-cain; he bronze and iron. The sister of

was

Tubal-cain

Of course, many
years

one

day

there will

be the

holy

city

of

Jerusalem, but it
of

will

take

and

many books to

work out

the legitimization

the city. Al

recounting of that story would lead us too far out of our path, we shall in time be forced to reconsider the arts and how the perverse becomes transformed into the holy. (For a more extended account of this subject, see my
though the

commentary on Genesis.) Cain's act, because it is

at

the center

of

the illegitimate origins of communal

society, then becomes the nexus of

what

the Bible means

by

perversion.
with one

Since
that

the only way of populating such a self-made world is via

most

incest

is

like oneself,

lying
A

with a sister

is

also

called, has

not a

sin, but

a perversion.

Lev. 20:17

man who takes

his

sister

uncovered

his

sister's

nakedness; he shall bear his perversion.

The
of the

connection

between

perversion and sisters

is

underlined

by

the

fact that

ten other illicit unions mentioned in the passage in

Leviticus:

The Book of Job

Neighbor's
Father's
A
wife

257

20:10 20:11 20:12 20:13

20:14

wife

Daughter-in-law
male

Wife A

and

her

mother

A beast
woman

20:15

having
sister

her

sickness

20:18 20:19 20:20

20:21

Mother's
Uncle's

wife

Brother's

wife

the only other to

be specifically
You

called a perversion also concerns a sister.

Lev. 20:19

shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother's sister or of make naked one's near

your

father's sister, for that is to

perversion.

kin; they

shall

bear their

Except for Genesis 15:16,

which we will

have

occasion

to reflect

upon

later
and

in this note, his brothers.

the next time the word shows

up is in

connection with

Joseph

When Joseph feigned the

and was about to take

discovery

of the stolen chalice said:

in Benjamin's

bag

him prisoner, Judah

Gen. 44:16

God has found

will

out the perversion of your servant.

Therefore

we

be

slaves to

chalice was

my lord, found.

both

we and the one

in

whose

hand the

Clearly
years

enough,

when

Judah

spoke of the

perversion, he

was not

thinking

of

the stolen chalice, but of the

fratricide

which

had

almost

taken place so many

before.
And the 'Let
us go

Gen. 37:17

man

said,

"They
saw

have

gone

away, for I heard them say,

to

Dothan.'"

So Joseph him

went after

his brothers,

and

found

them at them

Dothan.

They

afar off, and

before he

came near to

they

conspired against

him to kill him.

us

They

said

to one another,

"Here

comes this

dreamer. Come now, let

shall

kill him

and throw

him

into

one of the

pits; then we

him,

and we shall see what will

say become

that a wild
of

beast has devoured

his

dreams."

Again, the text in 44:16 indicates a relation between fratricide and perversion. Yet, in Judah's words, we can also begin to see some way out. The brothers, not taking well to Joseph's rather imperious character, decided
to kill him. But Reuben was of a more affable character, and,
thought

being

the eldest,
of a bum-

it his

duty

to save Joseph's life. But Reuben

was

something

258

Interpretation
plan was

bier. His ful. He

to

have the brothers

the

put

Joseph in

pit,

thinking

to come

back later

and return

boy

to his

father. Judah, however,

only
a

was more thought

realized that the problem would

arise again, and that the

only

solution was to get the was to persuade the

boy

out of the country. sell

The only way that

was possible

brothers to

Joseph to

In

order

to explain to Jacob what had

passing Ishmaelite caravan. happened, the brothers took Joseph's

animal, brought it home to

splendid and

coat, dipped it in the blood of a

recognize"

wild

Jacob,

said, "Please to

this coat. Jacob looked at the coat and said,

Joseph."

"Indeed,
much

We are only left to wonder how Jacob understood, and what kind of a wild animal he was thinking of. Judah thought the boy was probably safe, but after what had happened, he
a wild animal

has

eaten

could no

longer

share a

life

with

the

others and went off with a

friend, Hirah

the Adullamite.

sons of

Now, Judah had a daughter-in-law named Tamar, whose Judah, had died. Tamar felt it her duty to raise a
She
her
then threw off

two
seed

husbands, both
in memory
of widow's weeds

those sons, but Judah had denied her.

her

and,
and

dressing
Hirah

as a whore and

standing

at the

city gate,

she waited until

Judah

came along.

Judah

slept with

and promised

to send her a kid as

payment.

In pledge,

Judah

city Some time later, Judah heard that his daughter-in-law was about to have a child by harlotry and demanded that she be publicly burnt. But when Tamar
appeared, she
to
recognize"

returned with

demanded his signet, his cord, the kid, no whore was to be found
she

and

his

staff.

But

when

at the

gate.

produced

the signet and the cord and the staff, and said, "Please

these objects.
recognize"

Those words, "Please to he had heard them once before. Time suddenly became jumbled for Judah. Was it now, or was it then? Who was
speaking?

Jacob? What
was

Was Tamar speaking to him, or was it himself speaking to h;s father was it that he was to "recognize"? Was it the coat, or the staff, or
else?

He had learned from her something about responsibility and was ready to return to his brothers. For Judah, that return meant that per version, unlike sin or guilt, was a thing to be shared among brothers, guilty and

it something

innocent
This

alike.

sense of shared emerges

responsibility,

and

its

relation

to the concept

of perver

sion, only
aspects of

slowly from the text. Perhaps the problem can be seen in the following
If
anyone sins

one of verse:

the more tangible

Lev. 5:1

in that he hears

a call to come

testify,

and

he

was a

witness

because he had

either seen the affair or

knew

about

it but does

not speak

up, he shall bear his perversion.

ing,

This is, perhaps, not the deepest sense of togetherness that Judah was feel yet even here we can see how an otherwise innocent man might find him
because
of where and when and with whom acted at the time.

self responsible
regardless of

he happened to be,

how he had

The Book of Job

There is

259
in

one other aspect of perversion that comes out of the same chapter

Leviticus.
Lev. 5:17
If Lord
shall

in that he does any one of all the things which the him not to do and is unaware, he is guilty and he bear his perversion. But he may bring a ram to the priest
anyone sins

commanded

....

and another

like it.
And if

Lev. 22:14-16

a man eat of a

holy thing

unknowingly

and so cause

them to bear the perversion and guilt

by

eating

their

holy

things.

Here,
In
order
assume

perversion seems to

be

intimately
in

connected with

lack

of awareness.

to

make sense of

the passage, I
with a case

believe that the

which

reader

is

meant to

that the text

is

dealing

the actor was in no position

to be aware of his crime, and that his

lack

of awareness was not

due to any

insensitivity
Since he

on

his

part.

only knows about it from the were, outside, he cannot feel any guilt or by hearsay and, repentance in the normal sense of the word. He can, of course, feel a deep sense
was unaware of the sin at the time of the act and as

it

of sorrow

because

of the

result, and

a need

to undo any wrong, but that is not

the same. He nevertheless still

feels

a strange

kind

of

guilt,

however, because
same

he

now

knows that he has benefitted from for

repentance

an unjust act.

At the

time,

since
no

there is no need
single act

in the

normal sense of the

word, there is

he

can perform

to rid himself of a sense of guilt. This seems to be

one of the roots of what the

Bible

perceives as
. . .

the human need for ritual sacri

fice: "But he may bring a ram to the priest At the very least, this law must remind one

of the

fact that the been the

son

be
as

aware of the perversion of the

father,

which

he

nonetheless must

may not bear insofar

it has helped to determine the

has
sustained

shape of

his life

and

source of much

of what

him

since the

day

of

his birth.

To face
and

more

fully
to the

the question of the relationship between ritual sacrifice the passages that

perversion, let
proem

us reconsider

lead to this discussion.

man, God
says:

In the

laws

of actions

between

man and

Exo. 20:5

You

shall not

bow down to them

or serve

them; for I the Lord

your

God

am a

jealous God visiting the

me and

perversion of the

fathers

upon of

the sons and the son's son, to the third and the fourth
those that

[generation]

hate

doing loving
love

kindness to

a thousand
commandments.

[generations]

of those that

me and

keep

my

But,
greater

after

the affair of the golden calf, when

of this

Moses felt that he

needed a gave

understanding

God in

order

to continue as

leader,

God

him

a somewhat revised version:

260

Interpretation
The Lord is
passed

Exo. 34:6

before him,

and proclaimed,

"The Lord, the Lord,

abounding in

a merciful and gracious and

God,

slow to anger, and

loving

kindness

truth,

keeping

steadfast

love for thousands,

who will

bearing

perversion and transgression and

sin, but

by

no means clear

[the guilty], visiting the

son's

perversion of the

fathers

upon

the son and the

made

son, to the third

and the

fourth

[generation]."

And Moses

haste to bow his head toward the earth,

and worshiped.

And he said,

"If

now

I have found favor in thy sight, O Lord, let the Lord, I pray
inheritance."

thee, go in the midst of us, although it is a stiff-necked people; and And bear our perversion and our sin, and take us for thy he said, "Behold, I make a covenant. Before all your people I will do
"

marvels

What
gracious

we

have is
slow

ambiguous.

We have learned that God is "a

merciful and

God,

to anger, and abounding

in

loving
asked

kindness

and

truth,

keep
sin."

ing
But

steadfast on

love for thousands,

bearing

perversion and transgression and

the other

hand,

when

Moses actually
and of

God to "bear but

our perver

sion,"

God

"covenant,"

"marvels,"

spoke of a
perversion."

said not a word about

"bearing
sent to

our

Some time later, spy

out the

very

similar affair occurred.

After the

men that

Moses had

land

returned and told their

tales, fear

struck the people and

they
It

revolted.

should

be

noted

in passing that this

particular act of rebellion was also

called a perversion:

Num. 14:34

According to the number of days forty days, for every day a year, you

in

which you spied out the

land,

shall

bear

your perversion.

The story of how this early act of perversion led to the necessity of conquer ing lands not originally intended to be part of the new nation, and the role these
extraterritorial

lands

played

hundreds

of years

later in the total destruction

of

the country at the

Babylonians has already been told in my Genesis commentary. I mention the affair only because it is such a striking example of one sense of what it means to bear a perversion. This one was bome for twelve hundred years till one day it was visited upon the children
of the and the
of

hands

Assyrians

the children. But we must return to our subject and consider the second
and

discussion between God It took After Moses

Moses.
was about to abandon of

place at the time as the

God

His

people and start over

again with

father

"a

nation greater and mightier

of such a

than

they."

having

argued the

impracticality

plan, Moses repeated God's

with

promise

back to Him in

a conversation much

like the first, but

very differ

ent results:

Num. 14:17

And now, I pray thee, let the power of the Lord be great as thou hast promised, saying, "The Lord is slow to anger, and abounding in

The Book of Job

261

loving kindness, bearing perversion and transgression, but who will by no means clear [the guilty], visiting the perversion of the fathers
upon the son and the son's

son, to the third and the fourth people, I pray thee,

and
now."

[generation]. Bear the

perversion of this

according to the greatness of thy loving kindness, thou hast born this people, from Egypt even until
Lord said,
'

according as Then the

"

"I have borne, according to

word'

your

"I have borne, according to your Things have changed, and what could not have happened then, now can happen. As we shall see, that change
word."

centers on the

life,

and

ultimately the

Before

we consider those

death, of brother, Aaron. in the Bible one there is things, however,

same elements as

Moses'

other

account which

brings together the

the undetected,
or

ousy, perversion,

consumed at the risk of pain

the story of Aaron: jeal offering which must be death, and, last of all, forgiveness and the
a

priest,

and

an

possibility Since the story lives

Num. 5:11-31

of

returning to the

fullness

of normal

life.
might

on a more

human level, it
Moses.

be best to begin there:

And the lord

man's wife goes

said to

Say

to the people of

astray, and acts unfaithfully against

Israel, if any him, if a man

and

lie

with

husband,
there
and

her carnally, and it is hidden from the eyes of her and she is undetected though she has defiled herself

is

no witness against spirit of

her,

since she was not taken

in the act;
of

if the

jealousy

comes upon

him,

and

he is jealous

his

wife who

upon

has defiled herself; or if the spirit of jealousy comes him, and he is jealous of his wife though she had not defiled
then shall the man
required of

herself;
the

bring

his

wife to the priest and

bring

offering

shall pour no oil upon cereal

her, a tenth of an ephah of barley meal: he it, for it is a cereal offering of jealousy, a

offering

of

remembrance,

bringing

perversion to

remembrance.

The

priest shall shall

the priest take

take the

bring her near and set her before the Lord, and holy water in an earthenware vessel, and
that

some of

the

dust

is

on the

floor head

of

the tabernacle and put

it in

the water.

And the hair

priest shall set the woman

before the Lord

in her hands

and unbind the

of the woman's

and place

offering jealousy. And in his

the

cereal

of remembrance which

is

a cereal

offering

of

hand,

the priest shall

have the

water of

bitterness that brings the

an oath

curse.

Then the
with

priest shall make

her take
not

saying "If

no man

has lain

you,

and

if

you

have

turned aside to uncleanliness,

while you were under your water of

husband's authority, be free from this brings the

curse.

bitterness

that

But if

you

have

gone

under your

husband's authority,

and

astray though you were if you have defiled yourself

with

and some man other than your

husband, has lain

you, [then

the

priest shall make

the

woman

take the oath of the curse and

say

262

Interpretation
to the woman]

"the Lord

make you an execration and an oath

among
your your

your people when the

Lord

makes your thigh

body

swell; may the

Amen."

water

that

brings

the curse pass

fall away into

and

bowels

and make your thigh

fall

away."

And the

woman shall

say "Amen,
Then the
them off
woman

priest shall write

these curses
and

in he

book

and wash

into the

waters of
water

bitterness;
into her

shall make

the

drink the

that brings the curse and the water that

and cause of

brings the

curse shall enter

her bitter

pain.

And

the priest shall take the cereal

woman's and

offering

jealousy

out of the

bring

cereal

and shall wave the cereal offering before the Lord it to the altar; and the priest shall take a handful of the offering, as its memorial portion, and burn it upon the altar,

hand

and afterward shall make

the

woman

drink

the water.

And

when

he

has

made

acted

her drink the water, then, if she has defiled herself and unfaithfully against her husband, the water that brings the her
and cause

curse shall enter

and

bitter pain,

and

her

body
not

shall swell
an

her thigh

shall

fall away,

and the woman shall

become

among the people. But if the woman has herself and is clean, then she shall be free and shall
execration children.

defiled

conceive

This is the law in

case of goes

jealousy,
astray

when a wife, though under

her husband's authority,

the spirit of

and

jealousy

comes upon a man and

defiles herself, or when he is jealous of his

and the priest

wife; then he

shall set

the
all

woman

before the Lord

man shall

shall execute upon perversion

her

this

law. The bear her

be free from

but the

woman shall

perversion.

Here

we

have the

case of a man who suspects

his

wife and

is jealous

on

little

or perhaps no grounds at all. monster

But,

as we

know from Othello, the

court, there
a can

green-eyed

is hard to

shake.

In

a case of
proven.

law

at

be

a presumption of

innocence,

and guilt must

be

Within

family, however, for

the sake of

domestic peace, innocence must be proven. The Bible does not wish to defend that fact, but merely to deal with it. Guilt is often a very difficult thing to
establish, but it error, or of a bad

is usually impossible to establish innocence. If the husband is in disposition, it would be easy to say, "That's his
ceremony allow the wife to pass through her trials without is intended to be a way through which the husband can

problem."

Unfortunately, however, it has become

austere trappings of grave come

the wife's problem too. The measured and

danger. The

ritual

to terms with his

jealousy,

so that peace can return to

family

life.
of

I believe that this law is intended to

the

give the reader some

understanding
a critical part

biblical

contention that a

formal

ritualistic act must

play

in

our attempt

to deal with perversion.

retell

Now is the time to

the story of the

of quotations

life from

and
our

the death

of

Aaron the God

Priest,
At

and

only

an odd

handful

list

will remain.

one point

in the

middle of their

first conversation, Moses had

said to

The Book of Job

Exo. 4:10

263

"Oh, my Lord, I
thou

am not a man of

speech, either heretofore or since

slow of speech and of

hast

spoken to

thy

servant; but I am

tongue."

We

cannot understand that at

him,

the more eloquent

and whatever

he

seems.

first. On the contrary, the more we get to know But God does seem to have understood some
Him very
angry.

thing,

it was, it

made

Exo. 4:11

Then the Lord

makes

said or

him dumb,

to him, "Who has made man's mouth? Who deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord?

Now therefore go,

you shall

and

will

be

with your mouth and teach you what

speak."

But Moses
Exo. 4:13

again

protests,
send, I pray, some other
against
person."

"Oh, my Lord,
the

Then the

anger of

LORD

was

kindled

Moses

and

he said, "Is there

well; and

not

your

brother,

the

Levite? I know that he

can speak

Aaron, behold, he

is coming
heart."

out to meet

you, and when he sees you he will be glad in his

of Aaron, and we might be a bit surprised to This anger "Aaron, your brother, the might lead us back to remember the first pair of brothers, and might even momentarily cause us to remember how their own father, Levi, once treated his newly adopted brothers, the men of Shechem; but these ominous feelings soon we

This is the first time

hear

hear him introduced in

Levite."

anger as

pass,

and when pair

the two
well.

first meet, the

even

occasion

is

quite

joyous.

The

did

The

slaves were

freed,

and

What they did

pieces

was

right,

marvelous, but after

slavery is a terrible thing. it was over there were many

still to

be

picked up. suffered all

minded of the

harm in

Even before they escaped Egypt, they were re by the innocent among the guilty on the other side.
commanded not to

Such is the fall from

norm

countries, but Israel had been

let it

memory.

Exo. 13:15

For
all the

when Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the Lord slew first-born in the land of Egypt, both the first-born of man and

the first-born of cattle. Therefore I sacrifice to the Lord all the males
that

first

open

the womb; but all the first-born of my sons I redeem.

After the escape, they came to a water hole at Marah, but the water was bitter and the people complained. God didn't make much of a fuss though. He

just He
see

showed

Moses
and

tree,

and

Moses

seemed

to know
was

threw

it in

the water turned sweet.

God

instinctively what to do. hoping the people would

springs

the bend

how foolish they had been when they came to twelve at Elim. There had been no need for the miracle.

just

around

264

Interpretation
was the affair of the manna and after people showed

Then there
water.

that more

complaints about

On that day, the

that

they

were

incapable

of

trusting
said

to to

the given course of things, but would need miracles, and so the Lord

Moses,
Exo. 17:5f.

Pass

on

before in

the people,
your

taking

with you some of the elders of

Israel;

and take

hand the

rod with which you struck the

you

and go.

Behold, I
may drink.

will stand

before

there on the

rock at

Nile, Horeb;
that the

and you shall strike the people

rock, and water shall come out of

it,

"Strike": After

second a
war

person,
with

father-in-law, appeared. By an argument quite similar to the one found in Aristotle's Politics, he convinced Moses that the rule of law is best. On the one hand, no law can be so fashioned
as

imperative, singular; Amaleq, Jethro,

"Strike."

We

must remember that.

Moses'

to be able to deal adequately with each of the infinite number of convoluted

cases which can arise

in the

course of one

human

affairs as well as

the wise man

can,

so

long

as

he may face them

by

one.

But

wise men are not always

great

available, and when

person.

they

are, the

work soon

becomes too So Moses

was the

for any

one

ascended

Laws, then, Mount Sinai,

are needed

to guide others.

made

preparations,

and received the a

Law. This

law that Jethro had Ten Com

a

spoken of.

Although it has

proem,

what we sometimes call the

mandments, the bulk of the law proper, Exodus

21-23, is essentially

law

governing the actions of men When Moses

returned

in their

relations with other men.

he told the

words that

only after they had agreed to follow them, did he Book of the Covenant.
Exo. 24:7
of

he had heard to the people, and write them all down in the

Then he took the Book

the people; and
and we will

of the

Covenant,

and read

it in the

hearing

they said, "All that the LORD has

obedient."

spoken we will

do,
Thus it
seems to

be

have been important to Moses that these laws be be

committed to

accepted

before they ceremony

could

once

they had been

Moses
"All the

written

writing and then down.

read again aloud

in

a great

Exo. 24:3ff.

came and told the people all the words of the

Lord

and all

the ordinances; and all the people answered with one voice, and said,
words which the

Lord has

do."

spoken we will rose

And Moses

wrote all the words of the and

Lord. And he
of the

early in the morning,

sent

built

an altar at the

foot

mountain, and twelve pillars,

according
among blood

to the twelve tribes of

Israel. And he

young lads from

of the

the people of

Israel,

who offered

burnt

offerings and sacrificed

peace offerings of oxen to the and put

Lord. And Moses took half

it in the basin,

and

half

of the

blood he threw

against

The Book of Job

the altar.

265

Then he took the book

the people; and
and we will

of the

covenant,

and read

it in the

hearing
we will

of

do,

they said, "All that the Lord has spoken be And Moses took the blood and
obedient."

threw it upon the people, and said, "Behold the blood of the covenant
which the
words."

Lord has

made with you

in

accordance with all these

But

Moses'

sacrifice and

led to

a strange event

concerning two

of

Aaron's sons,

Nadab

Abihu.

Exo. 24:9ff.

Then Moses
elders of

and went

Aaron, Nadab,
up,
and

and

Abihu,
God

and of

seventy

of the

Israel

they

saw the

Israel;

and there

was under

his feet

as

it

were a pavement of sapphire

stone, like the

on the chief

very heaven for

clearness.

And he did

not

lay

his hand

men of the people of

Israel;

they beheld

God,

and ate and

drank.

Moses'

ceremony,
awry.

which

had

nowhere

been commanded, had

somehow gone

Some

readers

may

sense

it in

verse

10,

others not until the end of verse

us

11, but

most of us

feel nothing

until

it hits

in the

middle of

the Book of
called

Numbers. God, however, saw the Moses back up to the mountain to Tablets
of

problem

at

once, and

immediately
laws

give

him

a second set of

called the

Stone.
saw most

What God

clearly in the

actions of

Nadab

and

Abihu,

and which

Moses failed to see,

point of

was a certain wildness

in the human

soul which no

law

governing the action between

view, this wildness
soul.

man and man could abolish.

From the biblical

and the

is

a strange melange of the

highest

lowest

there

is in the human
The idea We

It is the human

need to sacrifice.

First,

we remember that neither

was of

Cain,

nor

Abel,
It is

nor a

Noah

was asked

to give

a sacrifice.

human

origin.

wild

nest of

interwoven

contradictions.

wish

to become the whole

whole

to submerge ourselves into the

by

symbolically

by destroying the other; we wish destroying ourselves in

God, and we bribe Him. Abihu, He quickly turned
to

the form of the other. We give ourselves unto

When God

saw

that wildness in Nadab and

Moses:

Exo. 24:12

The Lord
wait

said to

Moses, "Come up

to me on the mountain, and

there;

and

will give you

the TABLETS OF

STONE,
for their

with

the

law

and the commandment, which

I have

instruction."

written

The

next seven chapters give an account of the plan

for the

building
too

of

the
and

tabernacle and the

installation

of

its

priests.

It

meets the needs of

Nadab

Abihu, but it is full

acacia

of number and order.

The

passage

is

much

long

for

us

to give a complete description of the gold and the silver, the scarlet and the wood, or even the lampstand and the turban and the ephod,

but the

266

Interpretation
head
should

reader's

be full

of all

these splendors

when

he

thinks about the

things that we must

now

discuss.
a wonderful presentation of all the

Chapter Twenty-Eight is deur

proper

pomp

and gran

to the office of the High Priest.

Exo. 28:1 Iff.

"As

jeweler

engraves

signets,

so shall you engrave the two

stones with the names of the sons of

Israel;

you shall enclose

them

in

settings of gold

filigree

....

And

you shall set

in it four

rows of

stones.

row of

sardius, topaz, and carbuncle

shall

be the first row;

. . .

and the second row an

emerald,

sapphire, and a diamond

And

you shall make the robe of the ephod all of an

blue. It

shall

have

in it its

opening for the head,

with a woven

binding

around the

opening, like the opening in a garment, that it may not be torn. On

skirts you shall make pomegranates of

blue

and purple and

scarlet golden

stuff, around its skirts, with bells of gold between them, a

bell

and a

pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate,

....

round about on the skirts of the robe

coat

And

you shall weave the

in

checker work of

fine linen,

and you shall make a turban of

. .

fine
.

linen,
In the

and you shall make a girdle embroidered with needlework

middle of all this

pageantry,

however,

we

are

told of Aaron's more

serious purpose.

Exo. 28:35ff.

"And it
shall

shall

be

upon

Aaron

when

he ministers,
place

and

its

sound

be heard he

when

he

goes

into

the

holy

before the Lord,

of a

and when pure

comes

out, lest he die. And you shall make a plate of

gold, and

engrave on

it, like

the

engraving
shall

signet,

'Holy

to

the

Lord.'

And

you shall

fasten it

on the turban

by

lace

of

blue; it

shall

be

on the and

front

of the turban. shall

It

be

upon

Aaron's

forehead,

Aaron

BEAR THE PERVERSION OF THE

Israel hallow
that
as their

HOLY THINGS

which the people of

holy

gifts; it shall always be upon his

accepted

forehead,

they may be

before the

Lord."

We

read

it, but

we

do

not yet understand.

The

rest of

the chapter seems to go well,

but

again the end gives us pause

Exo. 28:41

"And

you shall put them upon

Aaron

your

brother,

and upon

his

sons with

him,

and shall anoint them and ordain them and consecrate

them, that they may serve me as priests. And you shall make for them linen breeches to cover their naked flesh; from the loins to the thighs

they
altar

shall

reach; and
go

they

shall

be

upon

Aaron,

and upon

his sons,

when

they

into the tent be

of

meeting,

to minister in the
shall

holy

place;

they come near the lest they BEAR PERVERSION

for him
and

or when

AND DIE. This

a perpetual statute

for his

descendants

him."

after

The Book of Job

Chapter Twenty-Nine deals
ter
with

267

the installation of
all

Aaron,
if

and

the next chap

describes the
for
a

perfume

that makes

things smell sweet. Then comes the

we put that

appointment of
off

Bezalel, but it
came

will make

things clearer

discussion

bit.
down from the mountain, God
gave

When Moses
of this

him

a written
of

form

law,

which

is

again

specifically

referred

to

as

the

Tablets
God.

Stone.

Exo. 31:18

Tablets

of

Stone,

written with the

finger

of

Meanwhile,
and said

the people,

despairing

Moses'

of

return,
of

asked

Aaron to

make a

them a god. Aaron collected all their

rings

gold, fashioned

them

into

calf,

Exo. 32:4ff.

"These land
of

are your

gods, O

Israel,
saw

who

brought

you

up

out of the

Egypt!"

When Aaron

this, he built
"Tomorrow

an altar shall

Aaron
Lord."

made proclamation and said,

before it; and be a feast to the

to start anew. He said to

nation."

God, showing Himself angry to Moses, threatened to consume them all, and Moses, as He had once said to Abram, "I will make
Moses'

you a great made a promise

answer was a

slow,

reasonable

defense. God had

to the

fathers,

and

if He

were

to break that promise, no nation

in the

world could ever

trust Him again.

Exo. 32:9

And the LORD it is

a stiff-necked

said

to

Moses, "I have

now therefore

seen this me

people, and

behold,

people;

may burn hot

make a great

against them and

nation."

my I may consume them; but of you I will But Moses besought the LORD his God, and
wrath

let

alone, that

wrath

said, "O

LORD, why does thy

forth

burn hot
of

against

thy

people, whom

thou hast brought

with a

out of the

land

Egypt

with great power and

mighty hand? Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou didst swear by thine own self, and didst say to them, T will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven, and all
this

land that I have inherit it for do to his

promised
"

will give to your

descendants,

and

they
he

ever.'

shall

And the LORD

repented of the evil which

thought to

people.

But Moses

perhaps
about?

it

was all

just

test,

and

if it

was a

test,

what was

God testing

Abraham,
let Moses

as

God had, in fact, offered Moses the chance to supplant his father Oedipus had once done to his father. If the point of the test was to

see for himself that he was capable of rejecting the chance of sup father in order to save his people, he had done well. his planting But if it was a test of his sobriety and understanding, he had passed in

speech, only to

fail in

action.

When he faced the

actual situation of the

moment,

everything had

changed:

268

Interpretation
And
as soon as
Moses'

Exo. 32:19

he

came near the

dancing,
hands

anger

and

broke

them

camp and saw the calf and the burned hot, and he threw the tablets out of his at the foot of the mountain.

Let

us

look

broke the tablet Stone

which

Moses actually did in verse 32:19. He but the tablet. This is, presumably, the Tablet of book, God had promised to give Moses in Exodus 24:12 and which He
more

closely

at what

not the

had actually given him in Exodus 31:18 Exodus 32:15. This

means came

and which were still

in his hand in

day

he

that according to the Book of Exodus the tablet Moses broke the down from the mountain did not contain what we today, and for

many days gone past, have called the Ten Commandments, Exodus 20:2-17. Rather, it was the laws of the tabernacle, Exodus 25:1-31:18. Moses had
seen

through God's trick. The tabernacle was nothing more than

substitution

a glorified and none of

placating

for the
on

golden

calf, and he
was a

would

have

it. Even

the altar still

had homs

it. But Aaron

different

sort of

a man.

In his

own

bumbling
and

way, he had

seen

that room had to be made for the

irrational in his
out of

side of

the human soul, perhaps a side

he had already

seen come out

own sons

Nadab
of

Abihu; "This is
What he did
the

the

God, O Israel,
is that
of art.

that

brought

us

the Land

Egypt."

not see

wildness could

only be

tamed

by

the

precision of number and

intricacy

Moses'

irrational

reaction

to the irrational meant that while he was the best take onto himself the more dangerous position

of of

lawgivers, only Aaron

High Priest. In the discussion
of

could

Cain,
and

we

saw

that the

rise

of the arts was the

final

outgrowth of

his

act of perversion.

Later,
saw

poor,

simple

quired a

taste

for the arts,

he, too,
Ham

ended

up

as a

Noah accidentally ac farmer, a drunken farmer.

That
was

This led to that

so

night on which

his

antediluvian origins, and the sight

fascinated him that he

one of

could never come to trust the new covenant.

a

why

his

sons

built

tower,

and what explains the

line

Gen. 15:16

The

perversion of the

Amorites is
perverse

not yet complete.

But
the

all

that was

different

now.

The

had to become transformed into

order and

holy

so that wildness could

be

contained

by

by

number.

In

order

to meet the problem, Bezalel was appointed, and

God

gave the arts.

Exo. 31:3-4

"And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship, to devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze.
. .

Now
within

we can

begin to

understand

the walls of the

saw

Holy

why the danger Tabernacle.

put out of the way.

of

death

always

lurks
a

Moses

that the new was so close to the old that

it

would not

have

chance unless the old was

firmly

The Book of Job

Exo. 32:25ff. And
when

269

Moses

saw that the people

had broken loose (for

Aaron had let them break loose, to their shame among their enemies), then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, "Who is
on the

Lord's

side?

Come to

me."

And

all the sons of

Levi his side,

gathered themselves together to says the and go

him. And he
man

said to

them, 'Thus

Lord God

of

Israel, 'Put every

and

his

sword on

to and fro from gate to

gate throughout the man

camp, and slay

and

every man his brother, man his

every

his companion,

every

neighbor.'"

In this way, the

zeal purified.

sons of

Levi became the Levites,

not

and we remember

Hamor,

Moses knew that he did

Exo. 33:16
"For how
and
and

fully

understand these changes and

said,

shall

thy thy

people?

Is it

it be known that I have found favor in thy sight, I not in thy going with us, so that we are distinct, I
all the other people that are upon the said to you

people, from

face

of the

earth?"

And the Lord

will

Moses, "This very thing

show me

that you have

and

spoken
you

do; for

have found favor in my sight,

I know

by

name."

Moses said, "I pray thee,

glory."

thy
was

Moses had
slow

a good

bit to learn that day. He learned that God

merciful,
was

to anger, and many other

things, but the first thing he had

to

learn

to

accept the

Tablets

of

Stone.
said to

Exo. 34:1-7

Lord

Moses, "Cut

two tablets of stone

will write upon the tablets the words that were on the which you

like the first; and I first tablets,

morning to
of

broke. Be ready in the morning, and come up in the Mount Sinai, and present yourself there to me on the top the mountain. No man shall come up with you, and let no man be
mountain; let no flocks or herds feed before
cut two tablets of stone
mountain."

seen throughout all the

that

So Moses

like the first;

and

early in the morning and went up on Mount Sinai, as the Lord had commanded him, and took in his hand two tablets of stone. he
rose

And the Lord descended in the

proclaimed the name of the

cloud and stood with passed

him there,

and

Lord. The Lord

before him,

and

proclaimed, "The

Lord,

the

Lord, is

a merciful and gracious

God,

slow to anger, and steadfast

abounding in

love for thousands,

loving kindness and truth, keeping bearing perversion and transgression and
[the guilty], visiting the
the son and the son's son, to the third

sin, but

who will

by

no means clear
upon

perversion of the and the

fathers

fourth

[generation]."

In the

remainder of

the

book, Moses demonstrates in

High Priest.

act that

he has

accepted
maker of

the Tablets of Stone

the

by instituting

them word for word, and

Aaron,

Golden

Calf,

emerges as

270
We
lies

Interpretation
cannot spend as much time on

the Book

of

Leviticus, but Chapter Ten

directly

in

our path.

Lev. 10:1-4

Now Nadab
and put

and

Abihu,

the sons of
on

fire in it,

and

laid incense

Aaron, each took his censer, it, and offered unholy fire
And fire
and

before the Lord, such as he had not forth from the presence of the Lord died before the Lord. Then Moses
Lord has said, T
me, and
will show myself

commanded them. and

came

devoured them,

they

said to

Aaron, "This is

what the

holy
be

among

those who are near

before

all the people

honored.'"

will

And Aaron held

his

peace.

Now
made was

we can all see what

God had The

seen all

too clearly back when the "pavement of

Moses
drink."

the

sapphire"

uncommanded sacrifice.

vision of

too wild, and it was not the that act which caused

It

was

right time to "behold God, and eat and God to call Moses back up to the mountain to

give

him the Tablets

of Stone. Moses had performed a sacrifice with "the young lads from among the children of at a time when there were no proper priests, and now Aaron's sons are dead; but a promise is a promise, "And Aaron held
Israel"

his

peace."

The

rest of

the chapter reads as

follows:
Mishael
and

Lev. 10:4-20

And Moses
uncle of

called

Elzaphan,

the sons of Uzziel the

them, "Draw near, carry your brethren from before the sanctuary out of the So they drew near, and carried them in their coats out of the camp, as Moses had said. And

Aaron,

and said to

camp."

Moses

said to

Aaron

and to

Eleazar

and

Ithamar, his
do

sons, "Do not clothes,

let the hair lest

you

of your

heads

hang loose,

and

not rend your

your

die, and lest wrath come upon all the congregation; but brethren, the whole house of Israel, may bewail the burning
the

which

Lord has kindled. And do lest

you

not go out

from the door

of

the

anointing And they did according to the word of Moses. And the Lord spoke to Aaron, saying, "Drink no wine nor strong drink, you nor your sons with you, when you go into the tent of meeting, lest you die; it shall be a statute for ever throughout your
you."

tent of meeting,
upon

die; for

the

oil of the

Lord is

generations.

You

are to

distinguish between the

unclean and the
all the statutes which

holy

and

the

common, and

between the
Israel

clean;

and you are to

teach the people of to them

the Lord has spoken

by Moses.
said

And Moses
who were

to Aaron and to Eleazar and

Ithamar, his

sons

left, "Take

offerings

by

the cereal offering that remains of the fire to the Lord, and eat it unleavened beside the

altar,

for it is
your

most

sons'

holy; eat it in a holy place, because it is your due and due, from the offerings by fire to the Lord; for so I am
But the breast that is
waved and the thigh that

commanded.

is

The Book of Job

offered you shall eat

271
your

daughters

with you;

in any clean place, you and your sons and for they are given as your due and your
offered and the

sons'

due, from
shall

the sacrifices of the peace offerings of the people of

Israel. The thigh that is

breast that is

waved

they
with

bring

with the offerings

by

fire

of the

fat,

to wave for a wave

sons'

offering before the Lord, and it shall be yours, you, as a due for ever; as the Lord has
Now Moses
and

and your

commanded."

diligently

inquired

about was

the goat of the sin offering,

with

behold, it

was

burned! And he

angry

Eleazar

and you

Ithamar,
thing
the

the sons of Aaron who were

left,

saying,

"Why

have

not eaten the sin

most

holy

offering in the place of the sanctuary, since it is a and has been given to you that you may bear the
was not

perversion of

the congregation, to make atonement for them before

Lord? Behold, its blood

brought into the inner

part of

the sanctuary.
as

commanded."

You certainly ought to have eaten it in the sanctuary, And Aaron said to Moses, "Behold, today they offering
and their

have

offered their sin

and yet such

burnt offering before the

sight of

Lord;
the

things as these have befallen me! If I had eaten

the sin

Lord?"

offering today, would it have been acceptable in the And when Moses heard that, he was content.

Moses disassociated Aaron mourning

world around

and

his

living

sons

from the dead

He

and

from the
he
to

them and inquired of their well-being.

was

Only

then did

diligently
Eleazar Moses

inquire

about the goat of the sin offering.

angry
and

and spoke

and

Ithamar, but Aaron knew

that fear might

that the question

taken

was addressed

to him.

was worried

have

hold

of

Aaron,

that he might
of

be unwilling to "eat the sin people. Aaron calmly said that because

offering"

and so of what

to "bear the

perversion"

the

had happened it

was not a good

content."

day

to

eat

the sin offering, and this time it was Moses who "was
sacrifice as

Thus,

to treat any

if it

were profane

is

a perversion.

Lev. 7:18

If any
the third

of

the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offering is eaten on

credited to

day, he who offers it shall not be accepted, neither shall it be him; it shall be an abomination, and he who eats of it shall

bear his

perversion.

There is

one more tale

from the Book

of

Leviticus to be told. Chapter Six

teen,

six

full

chapters after

the one we have been

discussing

begins:

Lev. 16:1

The Lord
when

spoke to
near

Moses,

after the

death

of the two sons of

Aaron,

they drew

before the Lord

and

died.

This is

one of the ways

the author

has

of

indicating

relationship between

two apparently

unrelated accounts.

272

Interpretation
account

This

begins

by

hood,
is to

of

his

need of the

warning Aaron of the dangers of the priest linen breeches and the girdle, and of the turban. Aaron
again

sacrifice a

bull for himself.

"Then he
shall take the two

Lev. 16:7
the

goats, and set them before the Lord at

door

of the tent of

meeting; and Aaron shall cast lots upon the two

goats, one lot for the Lord and the other lot for Azazel. And Aaron
shall present sin

the goat on which the lot fell for the

Lord,

and offer

it

as a

offering; but the goat on which the lot fell for Azazel shall be

presented alive

before the Lord to

make atonement over

Azazel."

it,

that it may

be

sent

away into the

wilderness to

After

much

preparation,

we read

Lev. 16:20ff.

he has made an end of atoning for the holy place and meeting and the altar, he shall present the live goat; and Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and
when

"And

the tent of

confess over

him

all the perversions of the people of

Israel,

and all

their

transgressions,
of the

all their sins; and

he

shall put them upon the

head

goat, and send him away into the wilderness

by

the

hand

of a man who

is in

readiness.

The

goat shall

bear

all their

perversions upon

him to

a cut-off

land;

and

he

shall

let the

goat go

in

wilderness.'

the

Which The

goat goes out alone

into the

cut-off world

is just

a matter of chance. concern of

central

teaching

of the

ing

the problem of perversion

Torah concerning the Levites and hence is presented near the beginning of Book

Num

bers:
3:12-13
I

Behold, i have
The Levites
slew all

taken the Levites from among the people of Israel. be mine, for all the first-born are mine; on the day that the first-born of the land of Egypt, I consecrated for my own
shall
of men and of

all the

first-born in Israel, both

beasts, they

shall

be

mine.

am

the Lord.

We have already
Exo. 13:1 If.

seen a similar passage

in Exodus:
"What does this

And

when

in time to

come your son asks you,

mean?"

say to him, "By strength of hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, from the house of bondage. For when Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the Lord slew all the first-born in the
you shall

land

of

Egypt, both

the

first-born
Lord
of

of man and the

first-born
first

of cattle.

Therefore I

sacrifice to the

all the males that

open the

womb; but all the

first-born

my

sons

redeem."

But

now

the

Levites have been

substituted

for Israel,

and soon

it

will

Aaron.

be only

The Book of Job

Let
slowly.
us

273
quite

try

to understand the
of

passage

from Numbers

by

going through it

First

all, the word I have translated

common parlance

"first-bom"

literally
the

means

"the

chosen,"

but in

the word does

imply

first-bom. "The

simply means the first fruits, not necessarily the best fruits. But among men, there is always a struggle between the two meanings. In what sense can Levi be understood to be the first-bom? In fact, Reuben
chosen of the
was

field"

the

first-bom,

the chosen one.

Gen. 29:32

And Leah

conceived and

bore

son, and she called his name

Reuben.

Reuben had just been

first-bom."

called

"the

chosen one":

"the

people of

Reuben, Is

rael's

And

even well after

the present passage, Reuben will continue

to

be

called

"the

chosen one":

Num. 26:5

Reuben,

the

first-bom

of
of

family

of

the

Hanochites;

Israel; Pallu,

the sons of Reuben: of the

family

of the

Hanoch, Palluites;
the

the

Reuben himself was, one might say, a jolly bumbler. He found the mandrake I suppose while playing in the fields
mother

was

boy

that

and gave

it to his

(Genesis 30:4). But

when

Rachel died,

and

his father

he

slept with

Rachel's handmaid Bilhah. I did

suppose

town, he thought that his father's

was out of

connection as

to Bilhah had been severed and Bilhah

and

was

his inheritance. He was,

I say, incompetent

not understand such things.

Of the sons, he

was

the first to
a

try

to rescue Joseph. He planned to have the to return later and take the

brothers throw him in

Gen. 37:19-22

pit,

intending

boy

home.

And they

said one to another, and

Come
pit,

now

therefore,

let

us

Behold, slay him,

this

dreamer

cometh. some

and cast

him into

and we will

say, Some

evil of

beast hath devoured him:

said, Let

and we

shall see what will and

become

his dreams. And Reuben heard it,

he delivered him

out of their

hands;
and

and
no

us not cast

kill

him. And Reuben into this

that
pit that

said unto

them, Shed

blood, but
no

him

is in the wilderness,
out of their

lay
to

hand

upon

him;

he

might

rid him

hands,

deliver him to his

father

again.

However,
worked.

as

his

much wiser

brother Judah saw, the

plan would not

have

The boys
plan of

were

too angry, and

they

would

have found

another occasion.

Judah's

getting the

boy

out of the

Reuben later
was

returned

to the pit and saw

clothes.

country was much wiser. When that it was empty, he thought the boy
never

dead

and rent

his

Apparently, he

knew

of

Judah's

alternative

plan.

When the brothers

remember what

were standing before Joseph in fear, he had happened to Joseph and to feel the guilt.

was

the

first to

274

Interpretation
And Reuben
the
answered

Gen. 42:22

lad? But

you would not

them, "Did I not tell you not to sin against listen. So now there comes a reckoning

for his

blood."

When he

returned

to

Canaan,

and the sons were

with

trying

to persuade

Jacob to

let them take the young

who

boy

Benjamin

them back to

Egypt, it

was

Reuben

said,

Gen. 42:37

Slay

my two

sons

if I do

not

bring

him back to

you.

Of course, that would be the very last thing that Jacob would have wanted. But, as we said before, Reuben was a decent fellow, but quite a bumbler, and Isaac, so far as I know, was the only man chosen because he was a bumbler. That leaves Simon. Now Simon
were and

Levi

were always

treated as a pair.

They

the two who attacked the men of Shechem after the affair with Dinah. It's

a rather

troubling

account.

After

a manner of

speaking, the

men of

Shechem

had become their brothers. When Hamor first described the

the situation seemed ideal.
union of the

two

houses to his

own people

Gen. 34:20ff.

So Hamor
let

and

his

son

Shechem

came

to the gate of their city

and spoke to the men of their with us;

city, saying, "These men are

and trade

friendly

them

dwell in the land for them; let

dwell be
with

land is large

enough

us

in it, for behold, the take their daughters in

marriage, and
will

let

us give them our

daughters.

Only
are

on this condition

the men agree to

male

us, to

become

one people: that

circumcised."

every

among

us

circumcised as

they

Yet,

when

he

added

the words

Gen. 34:23

"Will

not their

cattle, their property and all their beasts be

ours?

Only
Hamor
made

let

us agree with

them,

and

they

will

dwell

us."

with

it

clear

that any such union would

establishment of

the

just

and

holy

nation which

have effectively prevented the God had planned. Were the

or were

brothers then

defending

a sister and a great say.

promise,

they just

a pair of

fratricides? It's hard to

Jacob's

prognostication

is

somewhat strange.

Gen. 49:5ff.

Simon
swords.

and

Levi

are

brothers;

weapons of violence are their

into their council; O my spirit, be not joined to their company; for in their anger they slay men, and in their
come not wantonness

O my soul,

they hamstring
in Israel.

oxen.

fierce;

and their wrath,

for it is

cruel!

Cursed be their anger, for it is I will divide them in Jacob

and

scatter them

The Book of Job

When Jacob
the grave
calls them
"brothers,"

275

he clearly has in

mind their rashness and

injustices

which that

led to

after the marriage of

Dinah in Chapter

Thirty-five. And indeed, his

ways.

prediction was

realized, but in two very different

The Sons

of

Levi became the

priests.

But

since

they

were

distributed

throughout the

land, they

received no

territories of their own.

Num. 18:20

And the Lord

their

said

to

Aaron, "You
have any

shall

have

no

inheritance in
am your

land,

neither shall you

portion

among them; I
Israel."

portion and your

inheritance among the

was

people of

came

Simon's fate, on the other hand, from the tribe of Simon, and

total obscurity. No men of importance the men of that tribe settled within

most of

the

borders
of

of

Judah. Of the
all

sixteen cities which were granted to of were also

Simon in the
to the

Book

Joshua,

tribe ofJudah

listed among the (compare Joshua 19:1-9 with Joshua 15:20-62).

but five

cities granted

Before the

settlement of the

land, Simon

numbered

tribe with exceptions of Judah and Dan. At the end of the

59,300, more than any book, that number

had fallen to 22,200, less than any other tribe. By the end of the Book of Deuteronomy the tribe appears to have no independent existence whatsoever, hence it is the only tribe which does not Moses just before his death (Deuteronomy 33).
and even receive a

blessing from
left

Although it had been nearly

the most numerous tribe when the people

Egypt, by Thus,
went

the time

they

reached

the promised

land,

the tribe of Simon

had been
Israel."

completely
Simon
to

absorbed

by

Judah

and ceased was

to exist as an independent tribe.

and scattered

each and

in its Levi

own

way

"divided in Jacob

in

remind one so much of

the two goats. A lot was

drawn;

one

God,

and the other and

to

Azazel,

as

if it didn't

matter much which was

which.

The glory

the heinous character of their act left no other division

possible.

It
again

should also

be

noted that when

Joseph

chose a

hostage

at

random, the lot

fell

upon us

Simon.
more

Now let

look

closely

at

the terms of this debt.

Num. 3:12-13

Behold, I have
Israel. The Levites
the

taken the Levites

shall

from among the

all the
of the

people of are

be mine, for first-bom I

first-born
of

mine; on

day

that

slew all the

land

Egypt, I
of men

consecrated

for my

own all the shall

first-bom in Israel, both

am the

and of

beasts, they

be

mine.

Lord.

First, it
incurred

must

be

noted

that Israel

itself

neither was

incurred the debt,

nor was

it

at their

direct
.

request.

Rather, it
was

incurred

by

the Lord on their

behalf. "... I Now let

us

slew.

But the debt

look

at

the conditions under

there, in front of them, nonetheless. which the debt was incurred:

276

Interpretation
as the people

Insofar

had

a request,

it

was:

Exo. 2:23-25

In the

course of those

many days the

their
came

king

of

Egypt died. And

and cried out

the people of

Israel

groaned under

bondage,

for

help,
with

and their

cry

under

bondage

up to God. And God heard

covenant with

their groaning, and

God

remembered

his

Isaac,

and with

Jacob. And God

saw

the people of

Abraham, Israel, and

God knew their

condition.

It

would

be hard to think

of a more

just

or more reasonable request.

The

Lord began His reply

Exo. 3:7-9

by

saying:

I have

heard
and

the affliction of my people who are in Egypt, and have cry because of their taskmasters; I know their sufferings, I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyp
seen

their

tians,
a

and to

land

bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites,
the

the

Hittites,

Amorites,

the

Perizzites,

the

Hivites,

and the come to

Jebusites.
me,
and

And now, behold, the cry of the people of Israel has I have seen the oppression with which the Egyptians

oppress them.

But His final

Exo. 4:21-23

words are:

When

you go

back to Egypt, I have

put

see that you

your

do before Pharaoh I
will

all

the miracles which

in

power; but

harden his say to

to let

heart,

so that

he

will not

let the

people go.

And

you shall

Pharaoh, Thus
to you,

says the

Lord, Israel is my first-born

son, and I say

"Let my son go that he may serve me"; if him go, behold, I will slay your first-bom son.

you refuse

The

conclusion seem

to

effects of the conditions of

be that for the Bible, man is responsible for the ill his own existence, even though he may have in no
which we

way participated in their coming to be. There were many other stories of Aaron

do

not

have time to tell.

the families

His

acts with the

fire

pans

the reader might want to put together for himself.

The two tales that

each

one must remember are

the time the heads

a

of

brought
story:

a rod to plant and

Aaron's became

Aaron's

the way

he

could make art appear to

when

was the time of the midst and quell

plague,

Aaron,
of

though not

That, too, is part of Then, too, there could run into their Moses,
tree.

be

nature.

it.
the

Now It

we must go to

desert

Zin.
all over again: and this time almost as
was the

was

moved.

exactly like the beginning Then it was the desert of Sin, The
in
all these years.

it

if they hadn't desert of Zin. But Not

much

the story was the same.

changed

people revolted

for lack
said:

of water.

had

Last time God had

The Book of Job

Exo. 17:6

277

Behold, I
drink.

will stand

before

you there on the rock at

Horeb;

and you

shall strike the

rock, and water shall come out of

it,

that the people may

"Strike!"

second

person,

imperative,

"Strike!"

singular,

God

again

told Moses to take up the rod, but this time, he said:

Num. 20:8ff.

Take the rod,

and assemble the

congregation, you and Aaron

your

brother,

and speak

to the rock before their eyes to yield its water; so the rock for them; so you shall give

you shall

bring

water out of

drink to the

congregation and their cattle.

as

And Moses took the

and

rod

from before the Lord,

gathered the

he

commanded

him. And Moses

Aaron

assembly together before the rock, and he said to them, Hear now, you rebels; shall we bring forth water for you out of this rock? And Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock with his rod
twice;
and water came

forth abundantly,

and

the congregation

drank,

and their cattle.

"Speak": tive, The

second

person,

imperative,
that

plural; "Struck": third person, indica

singular. people

had their

water

day, but

the Lord said to Moses and Aaron:

Num. 20:12

Because land

you

did

not

believe in me, to sanctify

you shall not

me

in the

eyes of

the people of the

Israel,

therefore

bring

this assembly

into

which

I have

given them.

"You

shall not

bring":

second

person,

future,

plural.

Aaron

will

die for

what

Moses had done. We

can

finally

versation with what

full meaning of the end of God. Moses had said, "I am not a man of
understand

the

Moses'

first

con

speech,"

and this

is
It

he

meant.

Like

Billy Budd,
caused

Moses in

anger

lost the him to

power of speech. smash

was that same old anger of

his that had him to

once caused

the Tablets of

Stone,

and now

it had

strike

the rock. That was why God angrily

threw Aaron at him. "Is there not

Aaron,

your

brother,

the

Levite?"

They, too,
azar went

were

brothers, like
of

the first pair, and again one will

die because
and

of

the action of the other. But now things have changed.

Moses, Aaron,

Ele

up to the top

Mount Horeb
stripped and

Num. 20:28

And Moses
Then Moses

Aaron

of

his garments,
on

and put them upon

Eleazar his son;

and

Aaron died there

came

the

top

of the mountain.

Eleazar

down from the

mountain.

And thus Aaron bore the

sure

perversion of the children of

Israel. I've

never

been

whenever

how Aaron died. I only know that his son Eleazar became High Priest, but difficulties and bloodshed arose, he was silently replaced by his son

Phineas.

278

Interpretation
a perversion

If there is may
escape

lying

behind

civilization

it does

not mean

that one

by

returning to the
If he [one

prepolitical:

Lev. 17:16

who eats what and

dies

of

itself

or

is
he

torn
shall

by beasts] does
bear his

not

wash them
perversion.

[his clothes]

bathe his

flesh,

It is
can

also

for Israel to know that if

It has done

perversion

is

"faced"

not

and

dealt with, it

kill

a nation.

so once:

Lev. 18:25

The land became defiled

and so

punished

its

perversions.

and that

it

can

do

so again:

Lev. 26:38f.

You
shall

be lost among the nations and the land of your enemies devour [eat] you. Whoever among you is left will rot away on
will

account of their perversion

in the land

of their enemies. shall rot

.

Yea,

on

account of the perversion of their with them.

fathers they
.

away along
. . .

But if they

confess their perversion

will remember

Only
seems

two quotations

from

our

list remain,

and the reader

may

read

them as

best.
If him.

Num. 15:31

a soul raises

his hand [and murders]

...

his

perversion

is

upon

Deu. 19:15

single witness shall not raise

up

against

any

man

for any

perversion or

any

sin

...

The

question must still remain open as

to whether the author of Job

was

aware of

this tradition. However one reads

see?"

it, Job

says

eyes of
means

flesh? Can You

see as men

"Can time
as our

mean

in 10:4-6, "Have You to You what time

probe

to mortal man? Do Your years pass

by

years, that You

back

into my perversions and track down my 4. For Zophar, the incommensurability

sin?"

which

its

origins

in the fact that the

own

workings out of
view except

has been perplexing Job finds human justice take place in a

view

realm

far beyond its itself.

ken. No

God's

is large

enough

to

make sense of

enough

5. The problem, according to Zophar, is not merely one of having a large horizon. It is the myriad of little separate worlds, each of which might
claim a

suddenly come into contact with any other, or other. No world can perceive its effect on any
them

being

apart

other world until

from any God brings

together, and then it is too late. 6. This incommensurability is only apparent and is due to the limited charac ter of man's superficial view of his own world. But if man were to clean his

The Book of Job

own

279

heart

of all

injustice,

and

trust in

God,

all would

be well,

and man would

emerge as the center of all that

is

visible.

CHAPTER TWELVE

1 Then Job

answered and said:

2 "You are, indeed

of

the people and with you

learning
fall
a
joke2

will

short of

yours.'

die, 3 but like you, I too have some understanding which does not Who is not capable of such things? 4 But now I have become

to my

friends,

one who would

'Call

on

God

and

have him

answer'

joke,

always

simple, innocent joke! 5 For those who can think at their ease there is scorn for calamity. But it's out there waiting for anyone whose foot
slip.3

happens to for those 7 Just

6 Oh, there is
God,4

peace enough

in the tents

of robbers and

who enrage ask

which

God Himself has

you;

placed

security in their hand.

the beasts and

they

will show

or the
will

tell you, 8 or have a chat

with

the earth and

it

birds in the sky, they can teach you. Even the fish in
these

the sea can relate the tale for

was

the hand

of

9 Who among God that has done all

you.
this?5
soul6

all

does

not

know that it

10 In his hand is the

man. with

of

every

living thing
for

and

the breath of each

food?7

bodily

11 Does
the old or

not

the ear

try
of

words as

the palate tastes

12 Is

wisdom

does length

days

make

understanding?

13 With Him
and what

are wisdom and valor.

can never

His

are counsel and

understanding, 14

He tears down
ever reopened.

be

rebuilt.

He

closes

in

on

a man and

nothing is
soundness.

15 He
errs8

restrains

the waters and all is parched. He

sends them out again and the

land is

overturned.

16 With Him

are strength and

Both the

one who

and

the one who causes the error are His. 17

madness.

He

makes counselors
undoes

to go about ravaged; and judges He drives into

loins.9

18 He

the belt of kings and binds a strip about their

19 He
obliterates pours out

makes priests to go about

ravaged;

and subverts

the mighty.
elders.

20 He
21 He

the speech of the

trustworthy

and takes taste

from the

disgrace

upon noble men and

looses the

girdle of

the well armed.

22
He

He
out

unveils

deep

things from out of the

darkness; He leads

the Shadow of
destroys"

Death

into the

light.10

23 He

makes nations great and

then He

them.

expands nations and there

He leaves them. 24 He
earth.

obliterates
wander

the heart from the

heads like

of

the peoples of the

He

makes

them

through chaos with

makes them wander

no path. a

25

They

grope

in the darkness

without a

light. He

drunken

man.12

Comments
people, while Job is

1.
alone yet

They live in

a world which

they

share with a whole

in his. Perhaps they each world is only one

understand

that world as well as any that live

in it,

and all must

be heard.

280

Interpretation
laugh"

2. "a

3. While Job has

a certain with

kind

of respect

for Zophar's

wisdom of cannot

the ages,

that which comes only

the surface of
who

time, reflection,

and

belief, he
it
all

totally ignore
anyone and

things, is immediately involved. But the

be

the immediate look of things as

surface

reveals

itself to

is

too easily

forgotten,

its

uncomfortable remnants can point

escaped

by turning

them into a joke. At this

in his thought, this notion of immediate involvement is of prime impor tance for Job. Without it things are merely the way they are said to be. 4. The meaning of the text is obscure. 5. For Job, this is the
unintended

irony lying
or

behind the

great

Psalms like

Nineteen, "The heavens

6. The
"hearing"

are

telling

the glory of
"wind,"

God."

"breath,"

"spirit."

word can mean of

7. Although the Book

"seeing"

Job is

wrapped

around the contention

"knowledge,"

between
of

and
"taste"

for the true image

of

the

imagery

and of the

"palate"

is

of some

help

in

our attempt

to understand what

Job

means

by

knowing. The
Can

subject

first

came

up in:
does
the slime of an

Job 6:6

what

is tasteless be

eaten without salt or

egg

have any taste? My soul contagion in my daily bread.

white

refuses to touch them.

They

are

like

Taste is

what makes

knowledge

worth while.

The taste

of a world

is

what

makes that world pects of an act.

livable. Unlike seeing, taste includes the most important as object, its beauties and its uglinesses. Knowledge is not a passive itself to
us

It

presents

in

such a

way that

we cannot

but

react.
of

At this stage,

to know to

is

not

to comprehend the whole as an object outside

the

knower, but
both
under out

ingest

a part of the

object,

either

to make it part of oneself, or to spit it out.

palate

Job constantly standing

and were the same

plays with the

fact that the

is

an organ of

speech, as if the
thing.

knowing

coming in

and the speech

going

Job 12:20 Job 6:30

He
elders.

obliterates the speech of the

trustworthy
and yet

and takes taste

from the

There is

no

injustice

on

my tongue,

does

not

my

palate

know the taste

of ruination.

At

a certain point

in the text, Job

says:

Job 29:10.

The

voice of the nobles was

hushed,
and

and their tongue cleaved to

an eye

their palate,
and

for

an ear

had heard

it blessed me;

had
cried

seen

it approved, because I had

saved a poor man when

he

out,

and an orphan when there was no one else to

help

him.

But later, Elihu

says:

The Book of Job

Job 33:2

281
speak.

Behold, I

open

my lips,

and the tongue

in my

palate

begins to

From these two statements, it's hard to know exactly what is meant by the "palate." The least one can say is that it is an organ of taste and of speech: that it is not the tongue itself, but something which, in some way or another,
word
can contain

the tongue.
says:

When Job
Job 31-30

Could I have
come to over to sin

rejoiced when
evil

hardship

struck at those that

hate

me or

life because

by
is

had found them, without giving my for life with a curse. his asking
not

palate

he

means that

his

speech

times say, but comes

from

within and

merely on the tip of his tongue, hence implies room inside,

as we some
out of which

the speech came, a world

accompanied sinfulness
moment at

if
he

you

like. He
or

means

that speech
would

by

pleasure or curse as

pain, anger
spoke an

delight. He
adds

is necessarily have tasted the

in his

it. This

to the notion that for the

on

least,

there

is,

for Job,

immediate

interrelationship bordering
concerning

unity He

of an

object,

awareness of

it, human

speech

it,

and

human

reaction

to it.
that speech can only be

means

feeling

because it is

speech about a world.

8. The

word used

implies

wrong done inadvertently.

9. The kaleidoscopic
world about
"belt"

melange of order and

disarray

which

Job

sees

in the

him is wonderfully for

"bind"

captured

by

language

of the text.

The

word

for

is the

same as the word which we

also comes

Further,
undoes
loins."

the word

have been translating as from that same root, as if to

them

"discipline."

say:

"He

the discipline of

kings

and

disciplines

In

other

words,

civil

discipline has been

by forcibly

discipline

about their
a

replaced

by

loincloth.
also

The

effect

is

enhanced

in Hebrew

by

the fact that the word for

"strip"

sounds as

if it

came

from the
a

same root:

"He

undoes

the discipline

of

kings

and

disciplines them
10.
Job 10:21f.

by

discipline

about their

loins."

Well, I

will

shadowy death shadowy death

be going soon, going to and I will not return; to

and without order

a a

land land

of

darkness light is

and

whose

light is

darkness,

A land

darkness."

whose

At this point, for Job, the taunting chaos underlaying chaos which we do not see. 11.
causes

we see

is only

a reminder of a

true

them to perish

12. The

surface

world, to which Job

has
of

committed

himself to taking God's

world and

seri

ously, is a crazy contradictory world,

of roads to

full

wisdom, valor, and madness; full

glory that lead

nowhere.

But for

Job, it's

all

it is

through that world that we

know Him. The

world

to be a chaos, and yet that is where

it

always

is too orderly, too revelatory, finds itself.

282

Interpretation

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

you

1 "All this my eye has seen; my ear has heard and understood. 2 Whatever know, I know, nor do I fall short of you. 3 I would speak with the Al
I
wish

mighty!

to argue with God. 4 But you are a bunch of worthless doctors

who plaster with

your part.

lies. 5 Who

can move you

to silence? It would be wisdom on

7 Would
words of

6 Hear my argument; listen to my quarrel. you speak unjustly for God's sake? For His 8 Would
you show when

sake would you speak

treachery?

Him favor

or argue

His

case

for him. 9
you

Will that be
you can

your ace

in the hole if

He

comes to examine you?

a mortal?

Do

think

deceive Him

as you can

deceive

10

Certainly

He Himself

would argue against you

you were to show

and

His

preference not

be to terrify
ash,

hidden favor, 11 will to let His fear fall upon you? 12 Your
Him
even a of
clay.'

aphorisms are proverbs of

your

bulwarks, bulwarks

For

for my sake. I will speak, let come upon me what may. 14 do I take my flesh between my teeth and my life in my hands? 15 It may be that He will slay me. I have no higher None the less I will defend my ways before Him. 16 That too has become for me salvation, 13 Be
silent now what reason
expectations.2

for the impious do have laid

not approach words.

Him.3

17 Listen, listen to my
out

With

your ears attend

to my declaration. 18 I

my

case and

I know I
as

shall

be

vindicated.

19 Who is he that face. 21 22 Then

would contend with me?

Now,

things are I can only remain silent and perish.

20 But do two things for

I

me and

shall no

longer be hid from

You

your me.

Remove Your hand from me,

summon me

and or

let
let

not

Your terror frighten

up

and

will

reply,

me speak and

shall give answer.

23 How many
sion and

are

vices.4

my

my perversions and my sins? Let me know my transgres 24 Why do You hide your face from me and think of me as
me

Your like

enemy?

25 Would You terrorize

like

driven leaf?

or put me

to

flight

a piece of

dry

straw, 26 that You write bitter things

youth?5

the perversions of my

27 You

put

my every wandering. You circumscribe becomes worn out like a rotten thing have
eaten.6

up feet in the stocks. You scrutinize my the foundation under my feet, 28 and all like a piece of clothing that the moths

against me and

bring

Comments
1. Job begins this
and

part of

his

argument with the assertion

that he has heard

as

fully
is

understood the

tradition. The implication here is that the tradition

such

not capable of

defending

itself. This leads to

a new

turn of things when

he says; "I would speak with the Almighty! I wish to argue with God." To uphold the tradition by denying the surface, or as Job thinks of

plastering

over

its

it, by
they

wounds with

lies,

that

is, by calling

things just

when

The Book of Job

seem not

283

to

foundation foundation
meet

of

be just, is ultimately destructive of the tradition itself. The tme the tradition must ultimately lie at ease with the surface, and any
and,

which must smooth over the surface

by implication,

cannot

terms, is a "bulwark of 2. This is the ketir (what is actually written). The geri (how the tradition says it is actually to be read) would give "Though He slay me, yet will I trust in
on

it

its

own

clay."

Him."

3. Again, Job is playing with the been a well-known phrase:

psalmic

litterateur. There is

what must

have

My

strength and the music of the

Lord,

and

He has become for

me salvation.

which occurs

in Exodus 15:2, Isaiah 12:2,

and

Psalms 118:14. In Psalms 118:21

it is

also mindful of the phrase

Thank thee that thou hast

answered and thou

hast become for

me salvation.

Job, by

the way, was not the only to

biblical

character to

play

with

the line. Joab

once said

his brother Abishai:

are too

If

the

Syrians

strong for me, then thou

shalt

become for

me salvation.

Job has been for the

surface

caught

between the two

has

worlds.

The

surface and

human integral

care

have demanded
courage

what wisdom

has forbidden. As in the

own

case of part

Socrates, Job's
of

no existence

in its

right, but is
of

an

his grasp

of the

importance

of the question

in front

him. Job

must act

in

accordance with those

human concerns,
phrase

while

feeling

the

full

weight of wis

dom's

prohibition.

When quoting the

some new

"[it/he] has become for

too,"

salvation,"

me

he has

added the critical words

"That

as

if to

suggest that

kind

of

salvation, though searching it out

he may have glimpsed may be full of danger and

require great courage.

In light

of the

first

verses of

the chapter, we can see that

Job, like Socrates, implicitly

piety.

suggests a need

to reconsider our notion of true

of

It may

consist of our attempt

to understand the words

the

God, in
the

Socrates'

case, the Delphic

Oracle, by taking
that

them seriously, while

facing

claims of the surface.

We

must also remember

in

verse

9, Job had implied

piety.

that

it

was a

lack

of

courage

in Zophar that led him to his false

point

4. At this

Job

pauses

half in expectation, but receiving

no

reply, he

turns and goes on.

but for him it is

5. In this passage, Job, too, associates perversion with the long-distant past, a long-distant dead past. This was not the first time. Back in
said:

Chapter Ten he had

284

Interpretation
Have You
to You
that
what eyes of

Job 10:4

flesh? Can You

see as mortals see?

pass

Can time

mean

time means to man? Do Your years

by

as our years,

back into my perversions and track down my sin? mind I am not guilty, and yet there is none to Your Somewhere in

You

probe

save

me

from Your hand.

Not

perversion

but the
writings

charge

of perversion a

is the true

source

of

human
man

suffering.

Told in

that

he is heir to
a

long-forgotten perversion,

is

denied
straw

a past on which to

build

firm foundation. He becomes the

piece of

dry

blowing in every wind. Twice before Job had connected the being
watched:

question of perversion with

the problem

of

Job 7:18

Yes,
spit.

and

will you

let

me

inspect him every morning and test him every minute. When be? You'll not even let me alone to swallow my own I have sinned,
what

Supposing
a

Watcher Of Man?

Why
even

have

you set me on course against you so that

have I done to you, Oh Thou Great I

can you not pardon
now

become

burden

to myself?

Why

transgressions or

dust. You

will

forgive my perversions? For seek for me, but I am not.

shall

my lie down in the

And

again

in Chapter Ten.
Your dealings
with me were

Job 10:12ff.

full

of

life

and

loving

care.

Your

guardianship watched over my spirit. But You treasured all these things in Your heart. I know what You have in mind; if I sin You'll
be watching and You'll not clear me from my perversion. Well if I have been guilty the grief is mine, but even when I am innocent I

have been
me and

so sated with reproach that no

feeling

of

honor is left in

see

only my feebleness.

and will soon

do

so again:

Job 14:16

Then You

no

longer

would

You

keep

track of my every step, or be on

the watch
and

for my

sin.

My

transgression would

be

sealed

up in

a pouch

would plaster over

my

perversions.

It is this

sense of

being

watched,
of

because

of what

he is, because
suffer

anything he has done, but his inherited perversion, that has reduced Job
not of

because

to nonbeing.

People do indeed
as some

for

the actions of past generations,

but to

regard that

form

of poetic or even

divine justice
required to

rather than a

horrible necessity is

to undermine that sense of

actions.

honor
look
at

right the
view of

effects of those ancient

6. Here his

we get a closer

Job's first He
can

the clash. He can

lay

out

case and

it

can

be

made solid.

demand to know the

exact nature of

The Book of Job

285

the charges laid up against him and their precise number. Such is the nature of all the evidence, but it is not clear that there is any way of presenting such
evidence
means of

in the

other court.

Like

Socrates,
room can piece of

human speech, but unless or sees, or knows will be worth the Cf. note to 7:21.

only speak or reply by be left for it, nothing that Job has,
can moths

Job

clothing that the

have

eaten.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

1 Man up You
as a

('adam)
Your

is born

of

woman,

short-lived and

full

of rage.

2 He

sprouts

fresh bud

and withers.

He flits

by

as a shadow and cannot endure.

3 Can
to

open

eyes even

to

one such as
You?2

proceedings raised against

unclean

that, and still come along with 4 Who can bring a clean thing out

him'

of an

thing? Not

one!3

5 His time is fixed. You

which

keep

the

number of

his

months. gaze

You have
and

set

him limits

he

cannot overstep.
as a

6 Then
are
and

turn Your

from him
a

let him

be,

so

long

as

his days

hireling
itself
and

acceptable.4

7 For

tree there is hope. If it is

cut

down, it
old

renews

never wanes.

8 When its
then
at

roots

become
10 But

in the land

its sprouting its stump is left in

and sends out

the dust to

die, 9
a

the scent of water

it bursts into bloom

branches like
and

is

no more.

young A man The

sapling.

when a man

(gebher) dies,
is he? 11 The is dried
up.

he

perishes

('adam)
river

expires,

and where

waters are

gone

from the

sea.

becomes

a wasteland and are no more

12 A

man

lies down
roused

and rises not.

Till the heavens

they

shall not wake nor

be

from their

slumber.5

13 Who
passes?

can move me a

You to hide

me

in the Pit

and conceal me

till

your anger

Set

fixed limit
again?

and remember me.

14 If

a man

(gebher) dies,
waited

will

he

come

back to life

All the days

of

my

service

I have

in

expec

tation for my release to come. 15 You

would

would call.
hands.6

would answer and no sin.

You

have love for the

of

work of or

Your
on

16 Then
for my

longer
17

would

You

keep

track

sion would

be

my every step, sealed up in a pouch has fallen

have
waters worn

be

the

watch

My

transgres

and

You

would plaster over

perversions.7

18 A
place.8

mountain

and crumbled

away,

a rock

my dislodged from its

washed

19 The

the

stones

away

and

its torrents have

away

the dust of the land.

So,

You have
resigned.
never

trashed9

all mortal

hope. 20 You have

and sent

overpowered

man,

and

he has

You knew

mangled of

his face
were

him

off.

21 His
was

sons were

honored but he

it.

They

unaware.10

22 His

body surrounds him with

pain,

and

in disgrace, but he his spirit is eaten away.

Comments
1. Note the
change

to the third person. Job

will

defend

not

himself simply,

but

mankind

in his

own person.

286

Interpretation
not

2. Man is
woman,

the

best

of all conceivable creatures.

rage,"

short-lived and

full

of

yet

that

is the

man whom

He is, in fact, "bom of Job has chosen

to defend. Is God willing to judge mankind in terms of the highest goals of which they are capable, or will He insist upon the highest simply? It is one

thing

to strive toward impossible goals

judged

by

them from without, and so

from within, but to feel constantly to ever be made to feel wanting is, for

Job,
of a

to render all those strivings meaningless.

must expect

3. Justice

from

each

man, tree, is thinking at this juncture might nature in its classical sense.
or of a
would

be

unjust.

thing the highest possible; to demand more One wonders if these thoughts that Job be
part of what

not

led

men to the concept of

man's nature is limited, a way must be found for him to be. 5. The compelling mood of this passage lies in the capacity of a man with thoughts so laden with death to give such full articulation to a world bursting
with

4. If

life.
of the slumber of a wonderful

6. Thoughts

drifting

off

into

death have tired Job, and now he is slowly daydream in which the two worlds begin to blur
All the
made
contradictions are gone.

over and merge

into

a single world.

There is

calling him. It is

and answering.

The hands that full

of room

Job

no

a wide world

for

man and

longer devour him, but love for God.

cessation

7. Job's daydream

culminates with an end

to the watching and the

of all charges of perversion.

8. Job suddenly wakes, ied

a

and the

din

of the

thousandfold, and the surface world nothing left but the pain of the lost dream. 9.
caused to perish
verse seems rather

clashing has been

worlds

has been

magnif

washed away.

There is

10. This
stand

critical, though I have not been

can

able

to under

it

as

should wish.

The best I
and

do is to

point out that when

Job

suddenly

wakes

feeling
not

gruffly

awakened

the

problem

clashing worlds, his fall from the dream, his first thoughts concern of perversion, but its inverse. The problem has shifted from an

from his dream

finds himself back in

the

by

overburdensome awareness of

the acts of the

father

on

the

part of

the son, to an

agonizing lack of awareness of the acts of the son have not been able to see the implications of the

on the part of the

father, but I

shift.

The Book
Translation

of
and

Job

Commentary

on

Chapters 15-29

Robert D. Sacks
St. John's College, Santa Fe

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite

answer such

answered and said:

2 "Should
with

a wise man even

blustery

thoughts and fill his own

belly

the east wind? 3

goes nowhere? with

Should he You have 5 Your

argue with such useless words and

idle talk that

have

abandoned

FEAR

and

deserted the

grounds of all

discourse

God.1

perversion own

has taught

your mouth and you

chosen a

6 Your

mouth

condemns

you, not

I,

and your own

crafty tongue. lips have testified

writhing into know that
we

against you.

7 Were
being2

you the

first

man

('adam)
you

to be

bom? Did
in

you come

before the hills? 8 Have have

know

been

listening
able

on

God's

secret council?

Why,
do
and

you

set all wisdom aside

for

yourself.

9 What do

you

not

or understand

that we are not

to?3

10 Both the hoary-headed

the aged are among us, more resplendent in days than your father. 11 Are

the compassions of God and His gentle words too meager for you? 12 What taken

has
a

hold

of your

heart

and so

dazzled4

your

eyes, 13 that you have turned

your spirit on

God

and

dredged

such words

up

out of your mouth?

14 What is

mortal that

he

should

be

clean or one

bom

of woman that

he

should consider

himself

just?5

15 He

puts no trust

in His

Holy

Ones

and even the

heavens

are

not clean who

in His

sight.

16 And

what of

that abhorred and corrupted one, man,

drinks up injustice like 17 I will show you. Listen to

which

water!6

me!

This thing have I

seen and will

relate, 18 a

thing

the wise have reported

from their fathers and have not withheld. 19 To

them alone has the land been given, and no stranger has gone among them.
all his days and the number of his years lies 20 The guilty man writhes in hidden from those who can terrorize. 21 Sounds of fear are always in his ear.
pain7

When he is
will return wanders

at ease a robber will

fall

upon

him. 22 He

can

have

no

trust that

he

from the darkness,

not

and

he is

ever on guard against a sword.

23 He

for bread,
set

knowing

where.

ready like a

at

hand. 24 Narrowness

and anguish oppress

He knows only that the day of darkness is him. They overwhelm him
stretched out

king
of

for battle, 25 for he has

his hand

against

God,

and

The first fourteen

chapters of the translation and will appear

and

Interpretation. The balance

commentary appeared in Volume 24, Numbers in future issues.

interpretation, Fall

1997, Vol. 25, No. 1

Interpretation
the

played with are

hero

against the

Almighty. 26 Neck

down, he

charges against

Him

his thickly-bossed

shield.

27 His face is

covered with

fat

and

his haunches bound

will

bloated.8

28 He dwells in
not not

cities of

desolation, in houses
become
rich.

not

to be lived in
wealth

and

for the trash heap. 29 He

will not

What

he does have

last, nor will his possessions spread themselves over the earth. 30 He will be turned from the darkness, but a flame turned aside by the breath of his own mouth will dry up his young saplings. 31 Let him not trust in deceitful
nothing for his compensation will be 32 He will be finished before his time. His fronds
nothing.9

moisty cruelly cast off his his own blossoms like the olive, 34 for the congregation of the polluted is a barren place; and the tents of bribery are a consuming fire. 35 They conceive
green,10

will never

turn to

33 but like

a vine

he

will

unripe grapes and reject

toil and give

birth to

wickedness.

Their

belly

brews

deceit.""

Comments
1. For Eliphaz, the FEAR
and earlier
ways."

of

God is the

grounds of all

discourse

with

God,

he had

called

it "your surety,

and your

hope,

the simplicity of your

How

are we

to understand the relation between FEAR and speech? Had

not

very opposite? "Remove Your hand from me, and let not your terror frighten me. Then summon me up and I will reply, or let me speak and You shall give

Job

claimed the

answer."

Job

wishes

to speak

with

God in terms

of the

highest human

goals.

This

means, in effect, to
and

abandon

the concept of perversion in favor of notions of

right

wrong,

of the

just

and the unjust.

Job, then,

wants

course

in

which

the human voice is heard. If another voice is to

human discourse, a dis be heard, it must

be heard in

another way.

It

must

be held in
you

awe rather than

followed

by

thought.

2. The Revised Standard's "Were

good enough.

brought forth before the

hills?"

is

not

very complicated one and we shall hear of it again. A fuller account of it can be found in the note to verse 1 of Chapter 39, but even now we can see that Eliphaz is accusing Job of believing that in anguish
word a

The

is

himself into being, and that he owes no debt to the past because he received nothing from the past. He is older than the mountains, stands on his own feet, and the baseness of his origins is his pride and not his
and pain pulled

he

shame.

He

is, in fact, claiming

I,
. . .

to be wisdom, if not God

and

himself:
and

Pro. 8:12

wisdom, dwell in prudence,

created me at the
were no

I find knowledge
of

discretion.

The LORD

beginning

acts of old.

When there

depths I

was

his work, the first of his "brought when

forth,"

there were no springs

Before the mountains had abounding been shaped, before the hills, I was "brought forth";
with water.

The Book of Job

Psa. 90:2 Before the
mountains were

"brought

forth,"

or ever

thou hadst
art

formed the
God.

earth and the world,

from everlasting to everlasting thou

3. He is indeed accusing Job of pretending to know the primordial secret. 4. The root rzm is unknown outside of this verse. The Revised Standard has

"Why

do

your eyes

flash"

but

Greenberg

has "How

your eyes

have failed

you."

The Arabic
movement"

cognate means,

or

"to

agitate."

among many other things "to be in continual This is the lexicographical foundation for my trans

lation.

5. In many

ways

this is Eliphaz's most cutting argument.

Underlying
they

Job's

commitment to the surface world

is the

notion that no matter

how narrowly
contain are

limited the horizons

sufficiently
questions

of

that world may

be,

whatever scraps

connected raise

to things presently unseen, that

own

by

they

in their

inadequacy, they

can

pursuing them and the lead beyond themselves

to a wider and more complete understanding of oneself and the world in which
one

lives. saying "What has taken hold of your heart and so dazzled your eyes that have turned your spirit on God and dredged such words up out of your Eliphaz admits that Job has not simply and negatively turned him from
eyes."

By
you

mouth,"

God, but that something of human concern has "dazzled his This is, perhaps, Eliphaz's deepest insight into the nature
For
a

of

human thought.

fuller

explanation of what
somehow or

mean

by

that,

see

the note to 30:17.

Eliphaz has
within one

horizon

vaguely seen that each man is always caught up another. What they do not see is a function of its scope.

The question, then, is whether anything of mere human concern can be of any ultimate concern. "What is a man that he should be clean or one bom of woman
that he should
consider

himself

just?"

6. Back in

verse

6, Eliphaz had
surface

said, "Your
against

own mouth condemns you not

I,

and your own

meant.

lips have testified

you,"

and now
world

it is

clear what

he

For Eliphaz, the

not

world, the

to which Job has committed

himself, is
discourse"

merely

a superficial world as corrupted world.

the other friends had thought,

otherwise as a with

it is
of

an unclean and

deeply

To take it
one's

"ground

is nothing

more

than to

"fill

wind."

belly

the east
can

twisted view and a

distract the

mind and turn

crafty tongue may build Job's arguments, but they it from realizing its true position.
pulled

only

Does Job think that he

salvation

himself into being? Does he God

and

not realize rather

that his

lies in "the

compassions of

His

words,"

gentle

than in

these "useless

words and

idle talk that

nowhere?"

goes

All denial.

men are

guilty, even His

Holy Ones,

but Job

more than all

because

of

his

Interpretation
7. For
reasons which will

become

clearer

in the

note

to

39:1,

the word which

translated as

in had been translated "come writhing into as it intends of "writhes in course, Eliphaz,
pain."

being"

verse

7 is here

bitter play
the

on words.

8. "The guilty man lies hidden from the 7. Man's

struggle

writhes

in

pain all

his days

and

number of

his

years verse

ruthless."

is

not

Eliphaz is thinking his glory, but his shame. Guilt

of what

he had

said

in

makes man a stranger

to

the world and rums his world into a battlefield. Since he has no

home,

there

is

nothing for him to defend

struggle to ennoble

with

dignity. There is, in fact, nothing heroic in that

it,

and

it

transforms

him into

beast.

9. To

consider man as the

"trust in deceitful
struggle are open can

nothing."

beginning Any gains

of man with
achieved

nothing behind him, is to purely on the basis of that

other claim

to be lost in that struggle, since no

for

legitimacy
definite

be

made

for them. in the

radical sense

10. The
1 1. His

self-made man

can, as such, have no

goal, and hence no sense of

sense of

fulfillment.

the struggle as

being

at

the foundation of existence, Eliphaz

argues, prevents man from

gle

thinking in

terms of a goal towards which the strug

struggle

is

aiming.

It, therefore, degenerates into

for its

own sake.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

1 Then Job
Bringers
such

answered

and

said:

2 "I have heard

whole

so much of this

stuff.

of a toilsome

compassion, the

lot

of you!
so?'

3 Is

there no end to
could speak

blustery
do if it

talk? What ails you that you

were you

answer me

4 I too

as you

instead

of me!

could

heap

words upon you and shake

my head; 5 strengthen you with my words or hold you in check by the motion of my lips. 6 But when I speak, my pain is not held in check, nor does it
subside when

quiet.2

am worn me out!

7 Oh how He has

You have

community.3

8 You have

shriveled me
me."

up

as a witness

testify

against

9 His

malevolent anger
me.6

my whole and this distortion has risen up to tears at me. He gnashes His teeth.
gape at me with their mouths.

wiped out

My They
sets

Foe5

hones his
my

eyes against

10

They

strike

cheeks

to taunt me.

They
He

gather en masse against me.

11 God
men.

the wicked to close in on me and casts me

into the hands

of

guilty

12

was at ease and

He

shattered me.

grabbed me

by

the neck and shattered

me.

He

set me out as a target.

13 His bowmen

surrounded me.

He

cleaved open

my kidneys without mercy and spilled my bile me breach after breach. He rushed at me as
sackcloth over
with

out on the ground.

a

14 He broke
sewed

conqueror; 15 I have

my
and

skin.

I have driven my homs into the dust. 16

and

My face is

red

no

weeping my injustice on my hands

eyes are covered with

shadowy death, 17 though I have

my

prayer

is

pure.

The Book of Job

18 Let
For be
now not

the earth cover over my blood or

advocates,7

find

a place

my witness must be in heaven, The one who can high. 20 Oh my my friends, my eyes weep before God. 21 Will no one argue for a MAN (gebher) before God as a man ('adam) should do for a friend?8 22 For a few years will pass by, and then I shall go the way that I
on shall not return.

for my outcry. 19 testify for me must

Comments
1. These
text. His
words are spoken

directly

to his friends in full awareness of con

friends were, indeed, to have brought him compassion,

Now
when

Job 2: 1 1

Job's three friends had heard

came each

of all the evils that

had

come upon

him, they
the

from his

own place

Eliphaz the

Temanite, Bildad
show

Shuhite,

and

Zophar the Naamatite.

They

conferred

with one another and planned

to come together to console him and to

him

compassion.

but the

compassion was to

have helped him

doors

over the sight of

toil.

Job 3:10 Job 3:20

...

for it

closed not the

of

my

mother's

belly

but hid my
or

eyes

from toil.

Why

does He

give

light to those

whom toil

has consumed,

life to

the bitter of soul?

This is Job's
Job 15:1

answer to

Eliphaz's
"Should

Then Eliphaz the Temanite

even answer such
wind?"

answered and said:

a wise man

blustery

thoughts and

fill his

own

belly

with

the east

"What Job
mad.

ails you that you answer me

so?"

As it seems, their illness has driven

of the surface world. not see that

His friends, Eliphaz and the others, are part the innocent suffer every day, and yet they do see They Job sees a world that cannot see itself.
He

they

see.

For Job, Eliphaz has become a man who raises himself up by bringing all men, for the
surface

cannot allow

himself to be human.
con

including
has

himself down. His

suffering.

tempt

has

rendered

him insensitive to innocent

condemned

The

sight of a man

from the

surface who

the surface so that

it

seems to condemn

sake of the world.

itself, has forced Job to testify against the world for the Job is lost, confused, and angry. He believed in a world that
and that

did

not

believe in itself

had

attacked

him for

doing

so.

Job has been

broken.

Interpretation
2. This is
a wonderful comment on not

words,

what powers

they have,

and what

powers

they do

have.

They

have

a power

both

over the one spoken to and

over the speaker

himself.
power

Words have the

that what

to take away

pain.

Eliphaz knows

more

than most

Job

says of

himself is true:
many frail

Job 4:3-4

It

was you who always encouraged and strengthened so you who

hands,
and

had the

words to pick

up

those that were stumbling

bolster the knees that

were about to

bend.

but for those

no

who

have his

peered

behind the curtain, the

this

magic

is gone,

and words

longer have their 3. Indicative

of

power.
madness throughout
chapter

is

the jagged and abrupt

way in

which

the third, and

he constantly switches persons from third to second and back to when he uses the second person, it is not always clear whether he
and the effect

is addressing his friends or God. God, his effects, him have, come all of a jumble into Job's mind.
4. His defense
would stand

that

belief in

him

well

working There is that infinite

of guilt

under rules

intelligible to
wheel of

man.

in any human court or a divine court Job knows that, but has been worn out.
of guilt and

Job feels himself

a world of charges, bring suffering. the world that makes those more and more into sucked being charges. Once he is captured by that world, his defense begins to melt. See note to Job 5. Or "my narrow constraint hones its eyes against

that

suffering that brings feelings In defending himself against

feelings

me?"

6:23.
This ambiguity is down
and
upon

key

to understanding the till he

kind

of madness one sees an

in Job

throughout the remainder of the chapter. Job

him, constricting his

view

guilty of believing that his world could 6. What a telling way of expressing the way in sharpen itself by its own act of cutting.
7. Some translate

angry pressing himself begins to feel small, petty, be other.

which an

feels

world

angry

eye can

"My friends

scorn me:

my

eye pours out tears to

God."

See

note

to 33:22.
anger

8. Job's
and

is

gone

now, but not his madness. Rejected

now

by both

earth

heaven, but

still convinced of

his

own

innocence, he
must

makes an appeal

to

both, expecting help from

man, as a solid

neither.

Somewhere God
and

friend trusting in both Job

have the evidence, in himself, must find it out.

and

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

"My

spirit

has been destroyed

and

my days

snuffed out.

The

grave

for

me now.

is ready

Mocking

men are always about me and

my

eye

lives

under their

discontent.

The Book of Job

3. Put up now, go my surety. Who will be the one to take my hand on it?1 4 So, You have protected their hearts from insight, and that is why even You no longer have any respect for 5 Why, he would even turn in a friend to get
them.2

his cut, but the eyes of his children will 6 He has made a folk adage of me, and I've become
comprehend.3

as

Tophet4

of

Old. 7

My
8

eyes are

blind from indignation

and all

form

appears to me

but

as shadows.

The

upright are appalled

by

that. The pure raise up against such impiety. 9 The

ways and the
man of clean

righteous
strength.5

hold tight to their

hands

adds

to his

10 Let them 11 heart

all pass

by

on

in

review.

No, I find
when

no wise man

you.6

among

My days
possess.

have 12

passed

by.

My

ambitions

They

claim

it is
near.7

day

have been snapped, all that my it is night and in the face of

darkness they say that light is 13 If I must take the Pit to be my home, and spread out my couch in darkness; 14 call out to the muck "Thou art my
Father'

and call out

'Mother'

'Sister'

and

to the maggots, 15

where

then is my
all sunk

hope? Oh my hopes, who will ever take note of them? 16 down into the Pit and together they lie in the dust."8

They

have

Comments
1. Chapter 17 is

a continuation of the scene which

began

around verse

18

of

the last chapter. Job

had

asked

for

man,

one of

his friends, to be his

will pass

advocate.

years"

After all, he argued, he and his and will "not

. . .

strange ways of

thinking

by

in "a few

return."

Their answer,

and

Job's initial

reaction

If nothing remains, then nothing will remain. to it, become clear from verses 1 and 2.

Then, in verse 3, we are to imagine Job, a smile slowly brighten ing up his face, going over to each in turn with an outstretched hand.
He is
rejected.

But in

verse

4 it becomes
must

clear that no one raised a

had

moved a muscle or returned

his

smile.

Then Job

have

half-angry, half-knowing

eye toward

heaven. 2. God, according to Job, has misjudged men. The wisdom that He has down to them via the Fathers has so closed them off from the surface 3. taknlennah: The Revised Standard, "The his
The

passed

that even the wisdom He gave them has become useless.

eyes of

children will
root

fail":
as

Greenberg, "The
foundation the be but
all,"

eyes of

his

away."

children will pine

or of

klh has

its
"to

"all"

notion of

"a

whole."

As

a verb

it

can mean either

complete" all,"

or

"to be

as

in the Pennsylvania Dutch

taken

expression

"Papa is

i.e., Papa is dead. We have

interpretation is
quite unclear at

it in

the

former sense, they in the latter,

either

reasonable.

4. The text is
reference

this point,

but if the translation is correct, the

is to

one of

the valleys below the walls of Jerusalem.

10

Interpretation
Jer. 7:31-32

And they have built the high

valley in the fire;
mind.
of the son of which

place of

Topheth,
did it

which

is in the
daughters

Hinnom,
the

to burn their

sons and

their

I did

not command, nor

come

into my

Therefore, behold,
be
called

days

are coming, says the or the

Lord,

when

it

will no more

Topheth,

Hinnom, but
2Kings 23:10

the valley of Slaughter:

no room elsewhere.
which

valley for they will

of the son of

bury

in Topheth,

because there is

And he defiled Topheth,

Hinnom,

that no one

might

burn his

is in the valley of the sons of son or his daughter as an

offering to Molech.
and

it did, indeed become

Thus

kind

of

byword:
its inhabitants,

Isa. 19:12-13

will

I do to this place,

says the

Lord,

and to

making this city like Topheth. The houses of Jerusalem and the houses of the kings of Judah all the houses upon whose roofs incense has been burned
offerings

to all the

host

of

heaven,

and

drink

have been

poured out to other gods

shall

be defiled like

the place of

Topheth.

5. Job
rest of

have been thinking: "The others, Eliphaz and Zophar and the mankind, they all live in what seems to them to be a single world. It has
must

its

ways and

its forms.

They

share an outward cast of

poor

sanity
hold."

which

they

main

tain

by holding

to it tightly; but for me,

melt sees

man, the molds are cracked and

when outward

form begins to
vision,

6. Job, in

a crazed

inner sanity cannot himself as a general,

with

the whole world

marching 7. This is how they do it. Their

undergoes a constant

past

him

on review

in

uniform. molds are never cracked and

because the

surface

transmutation

deformation

till it

fits the

mold exactly.

Night is
are

called

day. Innocent is
temporary.

called

guilty, and

pains which should

be faced

eternally 8. As in Gresham's Law, false hopes drive out the true. We do not know yet exactiy what Job's hopes for himself and perhaps for the whole of mankind We only know that they are incompatible with the notion that man is a The best one can do for now is to say that the notion of man as a maggot seems to be equivalent to the total denial of the ultimate relevance of
were.

called

maggot.

the surface as it appears to man.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

1 Then Bildad
these traps
considered

answered and said:

in

speech?

Try

2 "How long will you continue to set to understand and then we will speak. 3 are we in

beasts

Why

and made unclean

your eyes?

4 You,

you who

tear yourself

The Book of Job

in anger, Is the from its
apart
place?1

11

earth to

be

abandoned

for

your sake? or the rock

dislodged

5 The light
around

of

the wicked
will

will

be

smothered and there will

candle will

be

no glow

his fire. 6 Light

his
will

turn dark in his tent. His

fail him. 7 The

stride of
own

perversion will

be hobbled. His
net,
and

plans will

feet

lead him into him

he

will walk

trip him up, 8 for his himself right into the trap. 9
him. 10 His know
appointed upon

snare will grab

by

the

heel,

a web

tighten about

lies hidden in the ground, a from everywhere sending his feet

rope

snare on

his

path.

11 Terror falls
be

him

at odds.
ribs.

12 His

vigor will

starvation:

disaster is headed

straight

for his

13 His

skin will

eaten

away; death's

first bom

will consume

his

members.
of

and marched off to the vited.

King

Brimstone is
and

scattered

14 He will be torn from his tent of safety Terror. 15 It takes up lodging in his tent unin over his hut. 16 His roots will be dried up from from have
above.

beneath,

his branches
and

parched

17 All

recollection of

him

will

be lost from the land

be heir

he

will

no name abroad. orb.

18 He

will

be thrust
will

from light into darkness

no or

and

driven from this fruitful left in

all

19 For him there

scion,

not a shred

his haunts. 20

They

of the west are

horrified

his days, and they of the east are seized by confusion. 21 These are God."2 indeed the dwellings of the unjust for this is the place that knew not

by

Comments
1. We

remember

that

it

was

Bildad

who showed a certain

kind

of genuine

compassion

for the tender

again we see

reed

which

he ultimately had to
sufficient must

condemn

(cf.

8:1 Iff.). Here

with

the same patience and understanding

in his dealings

Job. These four

neither a

verses should
nor unclean.

be

to assure us that

Bildad,

at

least, is
Let Bildad
rock

beast

We

take his implicit advice to Job

with great seriousness. us suppose that there

the anger?

Can he

achieve

mean when

he

says

is something to what Job is saying. Is it worth all anything beyond tearing himself apart? What does "Is the earth to be abandoned for your sake? or the
There
are so

dislodged from its

place?"

many things he

could

have

meant.

Did he mean, "Job,

the

you are

too quick and have not sufficiently considered

were

suddenly to change the whole world just deserts, how many others would have to suffer unreservedly because of that Or he may have had in mind the time back in 14:18 when Job had said, "A

thing

you are

asking for. If God

to make

it

conform

exactly to your admittedly

change?"

mountain

has fallen

and crumbled

away, a

rock

dislodged from its

and

place."

That

was

the

moment when

Job

woke

the

surface again as

if for

the

suddenly first time. Perhaps Bildad is saying that

wives'

from his false dream

confronted wisdom

does

not come

in

flash. A

sudden confrontation with

the surface could itself

turn out

to be

as

deceptive

as

any

old

tale. Horrors

loom

out

in

dispro-

12

Interpretation
and overlooked.

portion; goods may be taken for granted

Time,

generations of

time, may indeed be

reality.

required

for

a tradition to pull our perceptions

back to

Or his question, "Is the

dislodged from its

so, what

place?"

are we to think of

to be abandoned for your sake? or the rock been a response to Job's last thoughts. If have may all his hopes? Suppose that he and all men were free
earth

to work toward them on their own. Could

really be better? In the remainder his reasons for believing that it is 2. It is

"God"

of

they really pull it his speech, Bildad will

likely.

off?

Would things
to articulate

go on

not

critical

for

our

does

not occur

understanding of the argument to note that the word in Bildad's speech until the very end. It is, in fact, the
rhetorical

final but

word of

the last verse, and therein lies the whole of its

not appear as an actor. of the wicked will

value;

even

there, God does

we

Instead,
more

have lines like "The light

glow around

be

smothered and

there will be no

his

fire"

in

which no

direct

cause

indicative

of the tenor of the passage as a whole are

is given; or even lines like "The stride

own

of

his

perversion will a

be hobbled. His
net,
and

plans will

trip him up for his

into the
trap."

feet

will

lead him into

he

will walk right

Isn't it
such

more

likely
as

that Job's high hopes for man will translate themselves

into

"plans"

these that will naturally

place

lead them to their

God?"

own

destruction,

given man as

he

is in "a

that knows not

CHAPTER NINETEEN

1 Then Job

answered and said:

2 "How

long

will you

torment my spirit and

me!

crush me with words? no shame

3 How many times

you

have humiliated

Do

you

feel

to be so harsh towards me? 4 Even if I

have

erred,1

that error must

lodge

within

me, 5

but, if

you must place yourselves above me

to

prove

my

disgrace, 6 know that it is God Himself 7 He has encircled me with His net. I
I cry out, but there is
cannot pass
through.3

who

has

perverted

me.2

no place of

but I get judgment. 8 He has barred the

scream path with

'Violence'

no answer.
road and

my darkness, head.4 glory from me, and removed the crown from my 10 He tears at me from all sides round and so I retreat. He uproots my hopes like a tree. 11 His anger bums against me, and He accounts me as one of his
stripped all

He has

covered

foes. 12 Together, His troops encamp 13 He have

I
round about
made

advance.

They

erect a

highway

toward me and

my tent.

strangers. all

my brothers withdraw from me, and of my friends He has made 14 Those who were close to me have left; and those who knew me forgotten. 15 Those who lived in my house and the women
who served

me account me an alien and called

to them I
gave no

have become
answer,

no more

than

a stranger.

16

to my

servant,5

but he

and now must

I curry to him for

The Book of Job

favor. 17
am

13

My breath

is

repulsive to
children

loathsome. 18 Even

my wife, and to the sons of my own belly I have contempt for me. When I rise, they speak
to me abhor
me and those

against me.

19 All those
against me.
teeth6

who were closest

I loved

have turned
the
skin of

20

My
to

bones

stick to

my

skin and

to my flesh.

Only

my 22

ceases

hold.7

21 Be flesh?

gentle with

me, you, my

struck me.

Why
find

do

you pursue me

friends, be gentle, for the hand of God has like God, taking satisfaction out of my
down? Who
iron lives
will see

23 Who
to

will

a place

that my words may be written

it that they are inscribed in the Book.8 24 With stylus incised in The Rock forever?9 25 Yet I know my one day he will stand up upon the dust.
26 Even
shall after

of

and with and

lead
that

vindicator10

my

skin

has been

stripped

away,

yet

from

out of

my

raw

flesh

I behold

God."

27 It is I

myself who shall see.

My

own eyes must

behold,

and not

those of a
said

stranger,12

although

the vitals within my bosom are finished.

him?'

8 You have

The root of the matter, they persecuting say, lies within me. 29 But, stand in terror of the sword, for fury is a perversion judgment."13 meet for the sword, that you may know that there is
are we

'How

Comments

implies a wrong done inadvertently. 2. In the last chapter, Bildad had said, "The stride of his
word used

1. The

perversion will

be

hobbled":
sion meet and

and

later in this chapter, Job

sword."

will admit

that "indignation is a perver

Job is angry because he knows that Bildad is right, he knows that Bildad is right because he knows of that anger. Behind
sober notion

for the

Bildad is the
ever,

that angry men cannot be free men. For

cannot

Job, how
error

men who are not

free

help being

angry.

By

perverting
worlds

into

perversion

God has

perverted man.

3. The
related

anger

that arises out of

finding

oneself

living

in two

to the problem of

freedom. Roads
other.

that are open and beckon

is closely in the one

are closed and

forbidden in the

Motion that
and yet

cannot move

There is only enough room for a scream. turns into anger. Each world has its rightful claim,

there is no

neutral ground

for judgment.

4. "He has

covered

removed the crown seem to

my from my

path with
head."

darkness, stripped all glory from me, and To Job, he, and perhaps all men, almost
and glorious

have been bom into have been

bright

path,

with a crown on

his

head,

all of which

stripped

from him. Man disease

was

bom into

a single

world, a bright and open surface in which the paths were open and action was
possible

in

spite of all

the random harshness of

and

famine.
Job
meant

Now

we can

begin to

get a somewhat clearer picture of what

in

his first

speech when

he said,

"May

the

day

of

my birth

rest

in oblivion,

and

14
with of

Interpretation
it
. . .

but let darkness

and gloom salvage eyes

it

for it

closed not

the gates

my mother's womb but hid my It was not an ugly day. Job had

from

toil."

cursed

it because, in its beauties, it

gave

rise

to all those hopes which were soon to

be dashed.
teeth."

5.

"slave"

or

6. Others: "I have

escaped

by

the skin of my

Literally they
the English

are cor
expres

rect, but I am not sure that the Hebrew

sion

words mean what

has
and

come

to mean since the days of

while most of

his skin,

which should

King James. I believe he means that fit loosely and comfortably, has become
fit tight, have lost their grip,
outside than at

hard

teeth are

tight, his gums, beginning to fall

within

which should out.

and

his

7. Job is
poem.

now more estranged

from the

any

other point

in the
he

He is left
gone

himself. Disease has drawn

away.

closer, and those whom the self

loved have
other, and

farther

Even the breath that has

escapes

has become

makes others of others. self and other wisdom no

The distinction between

all

but

replaced the world of

distinction
the surface

between the
which no

surface

and the

of the ages.

The

longer believes in Job, partly because he is a part of that surface, but mainly because he was the one who believed in it. The harshness of the surface, the disease, has pushed the surface farther from longer believes in itself,

him,

and

his

own skin pulls tighter round

him.
to be aware of the fact that there that place. The Book of Job lies

8. As
was at open

one reads this verse,

one man who us.

it is hard

not

least

did in fact

provide

before

9. Job
can

sees

his

words as

have

no assurance that

something to be set down for all time, although he they will ever be read. It is implied, however, that
be there to be
seen.

whatever

Job has

seen will always

It is further implied that

read the

if

anyone should ever see what

Job has

seen after

having

book,

nev

ertheless, he

will not experience what

Job

experienced.

The

mere awareness

that there once was another who was

not

"other"

will change all

that radically.

For him there 10. The Job's

will

be

no place

for

anger.

word

is from the

same root as

the word translated

lives"

"redeem"

in 3:5.
answer

"I know that my vindicator to his question, "Who will find a place that my
statement

appears to come

in

Who
with

words may be written down? it that they are inscribed in the Book. With stylus of iron and lead incised in the Rock forever?"
will see

to

Job
stand

sees as

his

vindicator the one who will come

along

one

day

and under

deeply

enough

to write

down his

tale

for

others to read.
"skin"

has been playing and closely the role that will continue to play throughout the book as a whole. Whether it has anything to do with the boils or not we do know, but it is clear that the seat of the disease is his
skin:

1 1. We

must examine more

The Book of Job

Job 7:5 Job 19:20 Job 19:26
Job 30:30

15

My skin has become hard and begins to ooze. My bones stick to my skin and to my flesh. Only
teeth ceases to hold.

the skin of

my
raw

Even

after

flesh

shall

my skin has been I behold God.

stripped

away,

yet

from

out of

my
are

My

skin turned

black

and

is

now

peeling

off me;

my bones

scorched

by

the heat.

In his dream

of the past

it

was one of the

things for

which

he

remembered

God

most

fondly.
With
skin and

Job 10:1 1

flesh You

clothed me and

knit

me together with

bones

and sinews.

It

was also

Bildad's
His

prime example.

Job 18:13

skin will

be

eaten

away; death's first born will consume his

members.

We have
trable

yet

to meet the

Leviathan, but

as we can

see, he has

skin

impene

by

man.

Job 41:31

Can
spears?

you

fill his hide (skin)

with

harpoons,

or

his head

with

fishing

Skin is that thin film Job

at this

of protection

between
can

self and other.

When it is gone,
pain,
and

even the most gentle and pleasant

breeze
other.

become

a source of

for

point, every
exposed

other

is

world, Job

himself,

and

In opening himself up to the surface left himself even more naked than when he
and showed that courage which

"came
cused

out of

his
of

belly"

mother's

he had

ac

Zophar

lacking.
said

The Satan had

the Satan will

"skin beneath his

skin!"

According

to

him, Job had

thick

skin of self-interest under

If Job does live up to this verse, have lost his bet because Job will have proved that he has no skin
skin of openness.

behind his

skin. we see an

12. For the first time in the book especially "seeing least, he has started to feel that
the fact that he

importance that

"seeing"

and

for himself is

beginning

to

have for Job. For the moment,

at

all of the anger and confusion might stem

from only

has

seen

the surface with his own eyes, whereas he has the

heard the

world of wisdom with

hearing

of

his

ears.

13. It surely looks

quite

impossible to say
at this time.
somewhere else

what

this verse could mean com

ing

from the
been

mouth of

Job from

Many

people think that the verse or

has

either

transposed

in the poem,

has been terribly

16

Interpretation
All this
and more are possible.

garbled.

The

present commentator would not

claim that

his

arguments are so cogent as

to have demonstrated the

of

integrity

of

the text. Anyone who

short of

believes that he has the Book

Job,

translation or

text,

is sadly mistaken. In despair, I thought it best to follow the received text as assiduously as I could in hopes of traveling vaguely in the direction intended by the author divine

help

rather

than to second guess the text with a

false

sense of security.

CHAPTER TWENTY

1 Then Zophar the Naamatite

would

answered and

said, 2 "It is my disquietude that

within

have

me

answer;

all

for

feeling

that

lies

me, 3 for I

seem to

hear

the admonition of

my

own

shame;

a spirit out of

my

own

understanding

would

have

reply.1

me
you

4 Do
upon the

know this, that from timeless time,

since man

('adam)

was set of the

earth, 5 the
of a

joy

of

defiled but

moment.2

has been quick, 6 Though his loftiness rise to

the guilty
own

and the

delight

the

heavens, his head

eternity.

reaching to the clouds,

those who see
can

7 like his like

dung
the

he

will

be lost in

Even

him

will ask

'Where is

he?'

8 He flies
night.

off as a

dream

and no one

find him. He
given

recedes

a vision of

9 The

eyes that observed

place.3

him have
10 His His bones

o'er;

they

no even
with

longer take

note of

him in his
return

sons
are

find favor
full
of

the poor and their

hands

his

wealth.4

11

vigor, yet
and

they lie

with

him in the dust. 12 Though

evil

bring

his tongue, 13 cherish it, never abandon it, but retain it on his palate, 14 the bread in his bowels will become the gall of an asp within him. 15 He devours wealth only to vomit it back, for
sweetness to
under

his lips

he hide it

God has 17 He The fruit

the

seized

it from

out of

his belly. 16 He
him.5

will suck

the poison of asps and

the tongue of a

viper will

shall not see of

slay the streams, the

rivers,

or

brooks

of

honey

and

butter.6

18

his labors he

shall return and never consume.

Oh, he

will receive
steal a

full

compensation of

his labors but it

will

bring

no

joy. 19 He may

house, but he
poor.

cannot cause

it to flourish for he has

crushed and abandoned the

shall merit

20 Since he knew
will

no peace

escape; 21 there
shall endure.

be be

no survivor
all

from his belly, nothing dear to him to enjoy it and thus nothing of his

22 Though

his

needs are

fulfilled he
down

will

feel hard

pressed.7

The hand
send out

of toil will

upon

him. 23 As he is him
and rain

about to

His

burning
will

anger upon

upon

fill his belly, God will him even to his very

bowels. 24 He
made of

flee the
him.8

machine of

brass. 25 Drawn,
will

and

iron only to be overturned by a bow through his body it goes, lightning swift into the
whole of

gall, and terror strikes

26 The

his treasures. He

be

consumed9

by

an unblown

darkness has been stored up to be fire and all shall go ill with

the remnant left in

his

tent.

27 The heavens

will unveil

his

perversion,10

and the

The Book of Job

earth shall

17

rise up
an

against

him. 28 The harvest

of

of

his

lands"

will

be unveiled,

trickled away on the

man

day

His

wrath.

29 Such is the
the
word

portion of the wicked

('adam);

inheritance left him

by

God."12

Comments
1

Zophar

makes no attempt to refute

Job

or even

to

disagree

or

blame him. he has Yet it is

Instead, he gently
found
not

suggests an alternative to
more

"seeing
than

for

oneself which
"seeing."

within

himself. It's kind

like for

"hearing"

it is like

the

hearing
it
a

the others spoke of

of

hearing

the

wisdom of

the

fathers. One
from

might call

"hearing

oneself."

It does

not arise

from the

surface of an external world,

but

comes

deeply

internal

sense of shame that

breaks down the distinction between

understanding
reshapes and gives

admo

nition and understanding.

This

new

meaning

to the surface.

2. The

superficial world

does

itself. Although it takes

own

place

future. As

we remember

not bring along with it an understanding of in time, it can reveal neither its own past or its from Zophar's first speech, the daily events which

take place on the simple plane of the surface world are, in that their

fact,

so complicated

interconnections

are well

beyond the

realm of

human ken.

searching out a deeper understanding of wickedness and of joy in themselves, do we come to realize that they cannot live together for long.

Only by

3. Chances

are good that no

lightning
and

bolt

will strike at

him from

out of

heaven. He
he
ceases to as a

continues to

breathe

to take up space,

but,

great as

he may be,
all sense of

him

any human being. As he loses

himself. Even

be

part of

man's world.

They

no

longer treat him

or recognize

connection with

others, he loses

connection with nized as such.

a surface

world, in order to exist, must be recog

4. If

whatever

he has done is full

inevitably

to

be

undone

by

his own, he

must

live

knowing

that all will be as

are

if he had

not

been.
with

5. "His bones in his bowels

world

of vigor yet

they lie

him in the dust

him."

...

the bread

will

become the

for

someone.
a

asp For bread to be bread, it

must also

gall of an

within must

The

world must well.

be

be digested
must

The

world

is

not

merely

given, it

be

a received.

To be, it

be

received

by

soul capable of and

receiving it. Job's allegedly has turned into the gall of an asp.
of

surface world

has been ill-digested

6. Zophar,
any
man can

course,

means

that

he his

will

look

right past them without ever says

noticing them or their beauty. The "world of "see for himself,

butter"

listening"

that what Job or

radi and

eyes"

with

own

this surface world

cally depends upon that brooks of honey and

self and upon those eyes.

"The streams, the

rivers,

have

all

faded

out of

his

vision so

that he scarcely

18

Interpretation
them. In short,

sees them and will never remember

they

are as

little

a part of

his 16

world as

he is

a part of

the world of other men.

Zophar's
and

speech reveals and even exemplifies

itself. The

words of verses

18

could

have been

said

by

someone

in anger, but

no one while

in

anger

would

have

noticed

the things he points out in verse 17.

7. This
what all

seems to

be the foundation
surface

of

justice for Zophar. Job may be

His inner

right

in

he

says of

his

world, but no one actually lives in

and our reactions to that world.

such a world.

We
tells

live in

our graspings

of,

voice

him that the inner

to see, or to

voices of others or

greedy, angry

voices

will not allow

them

hear,

to enjoy the world around them.

8. A
not

world without

joy

and

listen for beauty; his 9.

"eaten"

world

everything in it wears a mask of terror. Job does is full of horrors, because he is full of anger.
not the sort of
or

10. In

way, Job is right. Perversion is

thing

which reveals

itself in

a surface world.

We

cannot see

it

feel its

effects upon us.

If the

heavens do
11.

not

lay

caused as an unblown
"house"

it bare for Job, the rising of the earth will appear as un fire. Job's anger has its roots in his view of the world.
fear ultimately drive him to lay bare his perversion,
such actions that even and the earth shall

12. Loneliness
on
him."

and

will

the surface "The heavens

against

will

rise

up

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

1 Then Job
your you mock.

answered and said:

2 "Listen

well

to my words, and
and after

let

that

be

compassion.1

3 Bear

with me while

I speak,

may

spirit not worn your mouth.

4 Is my itself

complaint against man

I have spoken, then (adamfl If it were, why has my

appalled.

out?2

5 Turn to

me and

be

Clap

your

hand to

6 When I remember, I

am

filled

with

terror and a palsy grips my

flesh.

Why do the wicked live on, ancient, yet heroic in power, their seed firmly established by their 8 their progeny spread out before their eyes? 9 Their
side,3

homes

are at

peace,

without

fear, for

the stave of

God is

not upon them.

10

Their bull breeds

miscarry.
strike4

and

is

not rejected.

His
as

cow

drops her

calf with never a

11

They

set their

babes free
lute

sheep; their children dance. 12

to the strains
peace
of a
pipe.5

They
the

up

with

tumbrel and with

and rejoice

13
Pit.
14

They They

spend their

days in

good cheer and

in

they descend into

ways.'

profit

say to God: 'Turn away from us. We have no desire to know your 15 'What is this Almighty that we should serve him? How shall we if we do come to terms with 16 Is not good fortune in the palm of
Him?'

their

hand?6

Though

such counsel of the wicked

is beyond me, 17 how

often

is

The Book of Job

it that the how
often

19

lamp

of

the wicked is put out, or that calamities come

allot them pain

upon

does He
you

in His has

anger?

18 Are they
with?7

as straw

them, or before

the wind, or as chaff that the storm

made off

19 God,

say,

will

treasure up

all

his

wickedness to
and

lay

upon

his

sons?

Why
what

then, let Him

complete

the bargain now

of

then shall he learn. 20 Let his

cruet of
fury:8

eyes see

his

own ruin and care

let him drink

after

the Almighty's

21 for his

does he

for his house

off.9

he has gone, God

and the number of

months

has been

cut

22 Would he teach understanding are on high? His

even to that

who can

judge those

who

23 One dies in the (height of) his simplicity wholly at ease and secure. 24 skin is sleek; the marrow of his bones still moist. 25 Another dies in the
of

bitterness

his soul,

never

having

eaten of

goodness, 26

yet together

they lie

in the dust,

and the worms cover

them over.

27 Oh, I know what you are thinking, the machination you have devised against me. 28 For you say, 'Where is the house of this prince? where is this
tent, this

dwelling
of

place of the evil

ones?'

29 You have inquired 30 because the

of

by, but
on

no sign

have

you ever recognized

rescued

wicked man can make

every is

passer spared

the

day

calamity,

from the frenzy. 31 Who

him face his

ways? Well, his deeds are done now, who will repay him? 32 When he is brought to the grave, they will set a vigil over his tomb. 33 The clods of the Everyone10 wadi will fall sweetly upon him. will march along after him, and

those who precede

him

will

be

without

number."

remain

34 How, then full of

can you offer me such

empty

compassion when your answers

treachery?"

Comments
1. Job begins appealing to Zophar's sense of hearing. Zophar is right. A man cannot live on hatred for his fellow

by

2. For Job,

man.

His

spirit would wear

itself

out.

But Job
on the

can see

beauty

in

man and

in the

world.

We know that; he

saw

it

day
that

he is

was

bom. His

complaint

is

against all that surface to make

beauty
it fit

which obscures all

unpleasant

by

allowing standing on his own two feet. In Job's mind, the tme misanthropist is not the

a plan rather than

man

to meet that world as

contorting the it is,

man

one who

for

believing
3. The

himself to be

maggot; the true

man
or

misanthropist

is angry with is the one

who

loves

man although
wicked

he believes that
not

is in fact

a maggot. minds of men.

do

disappear

fade from the

On the

contrary,
poets.

they become the main Start with Romulus and

subject of go on

the historian and are glorified

the

by

the

from there. When

and not

founders

of great

nations commit

horrible crimes, it is the deed

the man that is

forgotten.

20
4.
5.
as

Interpretation
"raise"

"Why

do the

wicked

they

are, have not

fully

For Job, Zophar's remarks, faced the question because he has not fully faced the
on.
.

live

?"

perceptive

world.

his understanding of a part has obscured the whole. To that it. extent, he has contorted the surface in order to allow himself to look at In the 6. Greenberg translates: "Their happiness is not their own The depth
of
doing."

Book

of

Job it is

often

difficult to distinguish
which,
as

a negative

statement

from

negatively

worded rhetorical question

in English, implies
so?"

strongly

worded positive answer.

is

so.

But the

author

For example, "Is that not strongly implies that it of the Book of Job often leaves it up to the reader to
that not
so?"

distinguish between "Is

problem

and

"That is

so!"

not

throughout the

whole of

the

book,

and each

very common translator must deal with it

about

It is

as as

best
I do.

as

he

can.

The Revised Standard in the last

and

King

James have

the same

7. What

was said

note also applies

to verses

16-19,

and

transla

tions differ greatly.

8. I have taken
means

umehamat as

kind

of

play

on words.
"drink"

"from

anger,"

but together

with

the word
flask."

Fundamentally it one cannot help also

hearing

the word

umehemet

"and from

9. Verses 19 through 21, the intended to be Job's answer to

Job 20:26 The
will whole of

culmination of the
what

first

Zophar had

said

Job's speech, are to him in his last speech.

part of

darkness has been

stored

be

consumed

by
up

an unblown

fire

and all shall go

will

up to be his treasures. He ill with the bare his perversion,

and

remnant

left in his

tent.

The heavens him.

lay

the earth shall rise

against

Zophar's fires is both

not seem

notion that

divine justice
If

works

in is

unseen ways and not related to the

by

unblown will

unwise and unjust.

punishment

crime, it

how much our demands for justice may have been met, the one who is punished will have learned nothing. This roundabout justice is also unjust because too many innocent peo ple get hurt along the way. It may be enough for him to see his offspring "strike up with tumbrel and with lute and rejoice to the strains of a when
pipe"

to be related to the crime, and then no matter

they
up

his care, but when in later life they the pieces, he may neither know nor care.
10.
all man

were children and under

are

left to

pick

('adam)
what you are

11. Oh, I know

me.

thinking,

the machination you have

devised

against

For
will

you

say "Where is the house

without
number."

of

this prince?

...

and

him

those who precede

be

Job is

This, clearly is not an easy passage to understand. So far as I can understand thinking of a case in which everyone knows that somewhere in the

past

The Book of Job

something horrible happened; but in
returned to peace and order

21
so

to

live

with the

surface,

they have

transformed the past that no one remembers who, or what, or when, and all

has

tranquility.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite

of

answered and said:

2 "Can
to a

a man

(gebher) be
you

any

use

to his

God

as a prudent man can

be

of use

friend? 3 When

act

justly

does it

give the

Almighty
4 Do

any kind
you

of pleasure?

Does He

profit when of your

you are you

your ways

become

simple?

FEAR that He has

evil.

rebuked you and

really think that it is because hauled you up for judgment? 5 Oh,

Are there
on a

no

bounds to

your perversions?

6 You have impounded

have
The

brothers
You've

whim, and whatever clothed the naked you've stripped away. 7

you arms.

for the weary to drink, and bread from the hungry. 8 And so the land goes to the man of
given no water

withheld
favored1

occupy it, 9 but the fatherless have been

snares, fear strikes
a

widow you

crushed.

have sent away empty, and the arms of the 10 And for that you have been surrounded by
or

you of a

sudden, 11

darkness

so that you cannot

see, and

flood 12 Is

of waters not

has

covered you

over.2

God high in the heavens?

so you say:
mist?'

Only

look to the
Him

utmost star.

See how far

He

off

it is. 13 And

'How

much can

God know? Can He judge from

and

behind that thick

strolls round

14 'Clouds
heaven.'

obscure

He

can see

nothing

as

the circuit of

15 Have

you

kept to that 17 Those

primordial path

which the men of wickedness

their

time?3

have trod, 16 Their foundation flows off in a

How
can

men who were snatched stream. who

up before say to God

'Leave
who

Almighty do any thing about it 18 when it was He Though the counsel of the filled their houses with all kinds of
us

be!'

the

good?4

guilty is beyond me, 19 the

righteous see

it

and

rejoice; the innocent

show

derision, 20 saying 'Has

not our

enemy been destroyed, their

at peace.

remains consumed

by

fire?'5

21 Please, come close Him and be your way. 22 Receive guidance from His heart. 23 If far from
you will return

to6

All

good things will come

mouth and
and

keep

to the

Almighty

be rebuilt, if

His saying in your you keep injustice

tent, 24 take gold dust as sand and nuggets as rocks in a stream, 25 The Almighty will be your gold and most precious silver, 26 for then you
your

shall

take delight in the

Almighty

and raise your countenance

If

you supplicate to

Him, He
have
sunk

will

hear you,
thus

and you will

up unto God. 27 have fulfilled your

vows. path.

28 Proclaim 29 When

your words and

it

shall

be. A light

will shine upon your

will save

say '(it is their) audacity'! But He the humbled. 30 Even the guilty He will deliver; they will be deliv
men
you will

low

ered through the

purity

of your

hands."7

22

Interpretation
Comments 1. "those

countenance"

of raised

2. One
what we

reads

Eliphaz's
or seem

speech without

knowing

quite

what

to

say.

From

know,

to know of Job's character, this

sudden

torrent of

accusations appears

to be quite undeserved. We
says:

have God's

word

for it in

Chap

ter

1,

and

in Chapter 29, Job

....

for

an ear

had heard

and

it blessed me;
he
of cried

an eye

had

seen and

it approved,

because I had
no one else

saved a poor man when

out, and an orphan when there was

to

help

him. The blessings heart

sing.

those who had been lost came to me, and

and and

made the widow's

put on

fit like

a coat or a

hat. I became
and often

eyes

judgment, to the blind,

it

covered me.

A just

cause

feet to the lame. I for

a man whom

was a

father to the needy,

even

would search out a case

I did

not

know. I

would

break the jaw

of the unjust and wrest the

prey from his teeth.

It

hardly
Job

seems as

if

we are

speaking

of

the same man. Perhaps one should

discount God's
perhaps
around

speech as

belonging
had
never

to a very

different
his

strain of the story.

Or

was

lying

or

him. We have

no

way

of

really knowing. We
and

opened
can

eyes to the surface world

Job deserved everything that happened, tempest in a teapot.

thought of

only say that if it is the case, the whole book is nothing but a

Another possibility is that Eliphaz was frightened by what Job said. The seeing a just man suffer may have so threatened to pull his world apart that he called the just man unjust and was at ease.

Or
stood.

perhaps

Eliphaz

was

right in

Let

us suppose

that Job climbed a

he is

clothed a

hundred

naked men.
a

which Job could not have under hundred hills, and that in each valley The surface world is a finite world, and there a

way in

always another an

hill,

hill

not climbed: and each

finite

act

in that finite

world

has

infinite

number of effects

in the infinite

world.

Justice, for Eliphaz, may

It would, in fact
come

require what no

human

can perform.

3. What Job proposes, this surface world, is

not new.

to nothing more than a return to pagan times when the sun was thought to god and the bringer of all warmth and but

be

sustenance,

no

felt then between the divine ble.

or

relationship

was seen

and morality.

Human life

was short and unsta

4. Eliphaz

seems to

be trying to

needle
can

his

Job into seeing that the finitude

no universal standard

of

surface world

implies that there

be

itself. The only thing in the

concerns

justice beyond
as

visible world above man

itself,

is the sun, which,

far

as

shines on good and

go

bad

alike.

5. When things
are other causes.

badly

for them,

however,

the

righteous know that there

The Book of Job

6. This is in God. 7. These his
claim

23
to"

verse one.

play on words. It is the same A man cannot "be of use to

word

that was translated "of use

God,"

but he

can

"come

close"

to

are

Eliphaz's last

words.

With them he

pleads with

Job to
in

give

up

to the critical significance of the surface. It

is

a world

which each

thing is
shall

what

it is. Gold dust is

a man

gold

dust,

nuggets are

nuggets, and the guilty

words and thus

are guilty.
be."

But if

is

"rebuilt"

then

he may "proclaim his leads to the

it

Job's
natures.

position either presupposes or soon

notion of nature or

be

an

is to be in place, things must be what they are. There must intelligible necessity to the world. All that is involved in holding to the
If
argument

surface.

But that

would

limit

prayer.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

1 Then Job hand is I

answered and said:

all

"My
4 I

musings are
can

bitter

again

today.

My

heavy

from

groaning.'

my

3 Who

tell me how to

find Him! How

before Him, He would

might come

to his appointed place!

would

lay

out

my

case

and

fill my

mouth with arguments.

5 I

would

know

with what words

answer me!

I in

want

to understand what He would

have to say to
with

me.

6 Would
His
and there

He

strive against me with me.

His
an

great power?

No, surely He

would place

confidence would

7 There

upright man can reason

forever.2

Him,

I be

released

8 I

got me

from my judge to the east, but it was full I

of

His absence3; to the west, but I

could

not sense

Him; 9
He

to the north among His works,

could not see. come

the south

was veiled and me and

but I could not grasp Him. In 10 But He knows the way I have

taken. He has tried

to His

I have

through as gold. 11

My foot held

tight

track; I kept to His ways and did not swerve. 12 Nor have I departed from the commandments of His lips. From within my breast I have treasured up
the words of His
mouth.4

13 But He is
and

of

but

one

purpose, who
yet

can

dissuade

Him? His

soul need

only desire,

it is done. 14 But
When I

He fills my

breast,
His

and there are

presence softened

many such leads me into

who stand

by

Him. 15 It is because
reflect

of all this that

confusion.5

I fear Him. 16 God has

confusion.

heart,6 The Almighty has led me into my destroyed by the darkness only because He had

17 I

was

not

concealed7

its thick

murk

from

me.

Comments 1. It is the morning of the next day. Job may have thought that after a good sleep his world might look different, that confusion and frustration

night's

24

Interpretation
just
vanish

might

like

some

bad dream. But the

today."

problems

did he

not was

just

go

away;

"My
2. way

musings are
"No,"

bitter

again

They
be

were real and as

bitter.

thought

Job, "Things

can't

Eliphaz

says.

If

things are

in

no

what

they
of

are, then the just is not just and all becomes the surface before me has no place
within

meaningless.

If this

slender

bit

God's whole, how

could

it

stand

before

me?"

3. "but it
4. Job's

was

full

of

His

absence."

Simply

ainnenu

but

see note

to

7:8.

spirit was not

innately
His

that

of a rebel.

He had
and

accepted

the world

he it

had
was

grown

up in,

and

loved it. It filled his breast

mouth"

the human

horizon,

as

defined

by

"the but

words of

he held

as a treasure. source of

Still there he

was a

kind

of emptiness.

He looked

around

him for the

those things that he

one could not

treasured most,
see could see

all was veiled.

He believed only that the

him.

5. God's law in speech, and God's law in action: To Job, the one filled his breast and seemed the only thing of value in the world; the other was a nest of meaningless chaos. Such was the presence that led Job into confusion.

6. To
consider

see what

Job
of

means and the

irony

implied in his words,

one must

the

duality

having
your

"soft heart":

2Chr 34:27

because God

heart

was

SOFT

and you

humbled

yourself

before

when you

heard his

words against this place and

its inhabitants,

and you

have humbled
before me, I

yourself

before me,

and

have

rent your clothes

Deu 20:3

have heard you, says the LORD. and shall say to them, 'Hear, O Israel, you draw near this day to battle against your enemies: let not your heart BE SOFT; do not fear,
and wept

also

or

tremble,

or

be in dread

of

them;

It

was

God's talk

of

justice that first

The "soft

softened

Job's heart
of an

and

laid it bare to
of

be buffeted
justice is

by

His

heart"

actions.

which came

to be out of a love
"underskin."

another

way

of

speaking

about

Job's lack

It

was

this openness that left him open to so much pain.

7. "covered

over"

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

1
even

"Why has

not

the

Almighty

established1

specific times

for judgment*? Now

2

those who

know Him

cannot recognize

His

timing.2

sent to pasture. 3 Men lead away have impounded the widow's ox 4a The destitute they turned from the roads. 9 They pluck the fatherless from the breast and take a pledge of the 4b The poor of the land hide themselves to gether. 5 They are wild asses in the desert, going off about

are carried

off, flocks seized and

Boundary

stones3

peacefully

the donkeys of the

fatherless.

They

poor.4

their

labors

of

The Book of Job

25

snatching up at dawn. They have only the wasteland to provide food for the young men. 6 They harvest in the fields and glean the vineyards of the guilty.

7 Naked, they pass the night without clothing, and shelter from the there is none. 8 Drenched by torrents in the hills, they cling to a rock for
shelter.5

cold
want

of

10 Without clothing, they

go about

naked.6

sheaves; 11 confined within walls, they labor in the wine vats, they thirst. 12 From out
wounded souls

at the olive of the sees

Hungry, they bear the press; trampling down

come mortal
unsavory.7

city

groans;
They8

cry out;
the

yet

in

all that

God

nothing its

13

were rebels against

light

who could neither recognize

path nor remain

within

its

course.

needy, and at saying, 'No

14 In the light, a murderer arises night he turns thief. 15 An adulterous

me'

killing

the poor and the

eye watches at

eye will take note of

and

he

conceals

twilight, his face. 16 In the dark

he tunnels his way into houses which are sealed up tight against him by day, he9 since does not know the light. 17 For him morning and the Shadow of Death are all the same for he recognizes nothing but the terrors of the Shadow
of

Death.

18

He10

is held in discredit
heat

over the entire

face

of

the waters and his lot is

vineyards.

accursed upon

the land. He cannot turn down the path to the

steal water

19 As 20

drought The

and

from snow,

so

does the Pit to those

who sin.

womb will

forget him

and

the worms will find him sweet. Let him no

longer be remembered, that injustice may be broken as a tree. 21 He is mated to a barren woman who cannot give birth, and life shall not go well for his widow. 22 for

By

his might, he he has

can make

the valiant

bend,

and though
world

he may
seem

stand

tall

a time

no steadfast

belief in life. 23 His

may

secure, and

he may
exalted

come to

rely

upon

it, but his

eyes are upon

its

ways."

for

while, but then he is gone; brought

of grain.

low,

and

24 He may be shriveled up like a

then prove me a

mallow, withered away like heads

25 If it be

not so

liar,

nothing."

and make

my

words worth

Comments
1. The I have translated here
"established"

word

as

is

a rather complicated

word which we

have

considered seen

before but

not

in

much

depth. The full

range of

its meaning
Job 10:13
Job 14:13

can

only be

by looking

at

how it is

used:

But You Who

treasured all these things

can move

You to hide

me

up in Your heart. in the Pit and conceal

me till your

anger passes?

Job 15:20
Job 17:04

years

The guilty man writhes in pain all his days and the lies hidden from those who can terrorize.

number of

his

So, You have protected

even

their

You

no

longer have any

respect

hearts from insight, for them.

and that

is why

26

Interpretation
Job 20:26 Job 21:19 The
whole of
you

darkness has been

will

stored

his up to be
to

treasures.

God,
sons?

say,

treasure

up

all

his

wickedness

lay

upon

his

Why

then, let Him

complete the

bargain

now and

then shall

he

learn.

Job 23:12
Job 24:01

From

within

my breast I have

treasured

up

the

words of

His

mouth.

Why

has

not the

Almighty

established specific

times

for judgment?

2. Literally, "His Punishments that do clearly

suffer. appear as

days"

not

clearly

appear as punishments, rewards

that do not
who

rewards; such things do no good, and it

is the innocent

3. The 10.

collapse of civilization,

the most tangible sign of that act

verse

according to Job, begins with the destruction which first brought it into being. See note to
with

4. This is in fact 24:9

which

I, along

others, have placed after 24:4a.

5. 24:9 transposed to follow 24:4a. 6.

The going
poor of the

land hide themselves together. labors

of

off about their

snatching up
. .
.

at

dawn.

They are wild asses in They have only the

torrents

the

desert,

wasteland

to provide food for the young men.

and shelter

Naked, they
Drenched

pass the night without

clothing,

from the

cold there

is

none.

by

in the hills, they cling

to a rock

for

want of shelter.

Without clothing, they

go about naked.

The

picture

that Job paints here is of a

world reverted

back to primitive,

almost animal-like around us,

which

already but they were none of Job's doing. The tme cause is God's justice, lacks the kind of order and timing that man can grasp.
has
not the

days. The times that Eliphaz had

warned of are

Why
those

Almighty

established specific

times for

judgment? Now,

even

who

know Him

cannot recognize
sent

His timing.

Boundary-stones

are carried off,

flocks

seized and

peacefully

to pasture.

The leave
pear.

all-too-often-praised

unintelligibility

of

the

divine

order and
quick to

justice

men no

imitative models,

models without which all

law is

disap deg
his

7. Whatever
radation.

remains of civilization

only

serves to

increase
"They"

the sense

of

8. It is
use of

not

immediately

clear to whom

the word

refers

but

the emphatic pronoun, I take it that the author has not switched subjects but is still speaking of the poor. If this is the correct

by

talking

about

Sin

at this

point, but

of

that

kind

of

out of the total

hopelessness described in

interpretation, Job is not depravity that can only arise

verses

cussion,

see

the note to verse 18.

switches to the plural

7 through 12. For further dis

rest of the passage

9. The Hebrew text

ter.

for the

10. The translations vary greatly from this point

on till

Some translate it in the indicative

the end of the

chao

while others put the whole

passage in the

The Book of Job

27
. . .

hortatory; "May he be held in discredit

and

may his lot be

accursed

May
seem

he

not

turn down the path

The
Some If

is that, taken in the indicative, the passage to be in direct contradiction to everything Job has been saying
essential problem
even

would so

far.

solve

the problem

by attributing
is
absurd or about

the speech to one

of

the other

speakers.

None

of these solutions still

impossible.
who were sucked a

we take

him to
and

be speaking

those of the poor

into degradation
more sense.
more

then into crime,

however,

the passage begins to make

are

bit

Job

would then

likely

to suffer

be saying that those ill effects from their actions.

should not

the ones who are in fact

This interpretation The

main argument

in its favor is that

while

be overlooked, though it is far from certain. verse 25 does not sit very well with the if taken to
refer

hortatory interpretation,
wrongdoers,

the rest of the passage,

to

all

does

not sit well with the

book

as a whole.

11. live

Greenberg

translates: "Though he have the strength to seize bulls

May

he

with no assurance of survival.

Yet

[God]

gives

him the security

on which

he relies, and keeps watch over his The Revised Standard translates: "Yet
of] the

affairs."

[God]
when

prolongs

mighty

by

his power;

they

rise up
and

they despair

(pull/bend) [the life of life. [He] gives

ways."

them security and

they

are

supported;

his

eyes are upon their

bend, and though he may he has no steadfast belief in life. His world may seem time] [it/He gives him to and he [come secure, security] to] rely upon it, but his may
stand

I have:

"By his

might, he can make the valiant

tall [for a

eyes are upon

its

ways."

I have brackets
to facilitate

around words that

do

not

actually

appear

in the Hebrew text

comparision.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

1 Then Bildad the Shuhite

He
makes peace

answered and
place.

said:1

2 Dominion
number

and

fear

are

His.

in His high
not

3 Is there any

to

His troops? Upon

the moon,

whom

does His light

fall? 4 How
bom

can a mortal think of woman?

himself just before

as

God

or what can cleanse anyone shines.

5 Look high
sight.

nothing

Even the

stars are not pure

in His

6 And

now what of

these mortals, the maggots or the son of man

('adam)?

the

worm.3

Comments 1. In half its

of the

order

to

understand

nearest rival, we book, including Chapters 3

this, the shortest chapter of the book and less than must begin by looking at the plan of the central section
through

25

as a whole.

28

Interpretation
Chapter Job 3 4-5 26 48 51 22 56 20 75 35
Number
of

Verses
Zophar

Eliphaz

Bildad

6-7 8 9-10
11
12-14

15 16-17

38 21

18
19

29
29 34 30 42

20 21 22 23-24

25
As
see, the

6
for three
three sets of two

we can

original plan called

rounds of

speeches each.

We

can also see

that the dialogue was cut off in the middle of

speech was never given.
or whether

Bildad's last
told whether

speech and that

Zophar's final "And

We
off.

are not

Bildad simply
man, the

stopped

talking,

Job

cut

him

2. Bildad

ends with the words

worm."

now what of

these mortals, the maggots

or the son of

We

remember

them well. Back in Chapter

'Sister'

17,

Job had said, "If I must call out where then is my Job had always known that the claim "man is
. . .

'Mother'

and

to the maggots,

hope?"

maggot"

would end conver

sation of

because it denies the

relevance of

any human conversation. between the notion that "man is

of things as

what, for Job, is the ultimate grounds As Job looks at the world, there is an equation
maggot"

and the claim that the surface view

of no ultimate relevance. a surface

it is

reveals

itself to human thought is

Since
no

the surface
other

the surface

precisely because it is

for man, it has

being

than to

be the

beginning
the

for

man.

In

spite of the constant strife

within on

Job's soul,

caused and

by

contradictory
Lord
on

claims of

both

the surface world

the one

hand,

the fear of the

the other to be "the

wisdom."

What is first for

beginning
human

of

man as such must

be the

beginning

of

con

versation.

Conversation, then,
that

must come to an end

precisely because Job has

sense, he

no proof

he

is not a maggot.

If the

surface world made perfect

would

know
of

that he was not a maggot;

enigmas and

but it does
and yet

not make perfect sense

It is full

contradictions,

for Job it

forgotten.

makes too much sense to

be

The Book of Job

And now,
what of

29

Bildad? He

was always

the most understanding, but now,

he

was

the one to make the

final break. We

ask ourselves why.

Perhaps the first

thing
He

to notice is that while he has

totally

abandoned

any

attempt to come to

terms with

Job, Bildad has

never condemned

him

personally. a compromise on

seems

to have learned from Job that any attempt to find

the question of the status of the surface world would

be

meaningless.

"Look high
sight."

as the

moon, nothing shines. Even the

other path.

stars are not pure and

in His mag

Bildad has taken the

seen

"Nothing

shines"

"man is

got!"

Bildad has

that the only viable counter-position to Job requires di

minishing the status of both man and the visible universe. To put it otherwise, Bildad began back in Chapter 8 with the
single

position that no

Only
man's

man, by himself, has a sufficiently large horizon to think as Job thinks. the wider horizon supplied by the wisdom of the ages will do as the
of

foundation

human thought. He

now sees

the position as untenable. If a single

horizon is necessarily too confined, it can only mean that the human horizon as such, including that of the fathers, is defective. Man is a worm and

has only
that

a worm's-eye view.
not condemned

Nonetheless, he has
he
cannot prove

Job. Why? Is it because he too knows

that he

is right

and

hence that Job is

wrong?

3. Thus two

old

friends

part.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

1 Then Job

answered and said:

2 "Oh why

must you

try

to

help

when you

are so powerless?
strength!1

You

would save me with a

mighty arm, but

you

have

not

the

3 What kind

of advice

is it that

you give without

wisdom, providing

guidance to

Whose

every is it that has been coming out of 5 Ancient specters writhe beneath the waters
spirit

passer

by. 4 To

whom

have

you uttered all these words?

you?2

and

its

denizens.3

6 The Pit

stands naked northern

before Him
out over

and there

is

no cover

for Abaddon. 7 He

stretches the
nothingness.4

lands

the chaos and suspends the earth above the

8 He binds up the waters in thickened murk, and yet the cloud is not burst by 9 He covers over the face of his throne, shrouding it in His clouds. 10 He cuts a boundary round the face of the waters reaching out to where the light
them.5

finds its
rebuke.

end

in darkness. 11 The
breath6

pillars of

heaven tremble,

astounded

by

His

12

Rahaba. 13

By His power By His

the sea comes to rest.

By

His

skill

He

struck

down

the heavens turn

are

fair. His hands have

His mighty deeds,

made the

fleeing

serpent writhe.

14 Yet these

but

touch of His way, only a whisper

who can

of what can
reflect upon

be heard in Him. Oh the

it!"7

thunder of

30

Interpretation
Comments
1. These

are

Job's last

words

to his friends. He has

come

to terms with them

in his

own mind now.

must go

his

own

They are all well-meaning men; Job knows that, but each way. They all want to help, but without having faced the
which

surface of things

in the way in
an answer or

Job has faced it, they

cannot share

his

question and so are powerless to

help.

We may
We may
richer.
off

not

find

to the question, "Does seeing come

strength

from

having
seen?"

the strength to
not

look,

does the

to look come from the

no

having

find

an answer

the going back and

forth,

each

because there may be time deeper and

answer; there may only be

each time richer and
it?"

deeper,

To ask,
or

as children sometimes

into the

realm of an

do, "Who started infinite regress. Is it that we do

not

may be to be carried see because we have

our eye? and

not

looked,

have
else

we not

that something

looked because nothing has caught has caught the eyes or the ears of Eliphaz

Or is it

the others?

2. has

Asking

this question

is

ceased.

Job implies that it is

voice

of them.

Their

is

not

of why the dialogue has been coming out homegrown because it did not arise from within

critical

to our understanding

not their own spirit that

their own horizons.

all those

Our

own voice,

blurred

and obscured thoughts which are

for Job, is the only voice able to articulate first stirred up from within
the surface of things as it lies
within our

our own particular partial awareness of own particular

liant
in

central

shaggy and ill-defined horizon. Other thoughts may have a bril focus, but when they have been poured from one mind into an

other,

which one

they lose that particular periphery which once connected them to the land they were bom. For this reason there are no pathways which could
back to his
own

lead

horizons
a

and

beyond. Too often,

what

is

living
to

thought for the teacher becomes

hardened dogma for the

student

precisely
return

because he

cannot reach out

to the horizon but

is continually forced to

the center which he

can repeat

in

comfortable repetition.

3. Job is
surface

alone now.

He is

finally free, free

birth, for

to setde down and live in

his

world, but something, some ancient specter, older

by

far than he, begins

all of

to writhe, or

dance,

or

to give

the Hebrew word means

those

things, beneath it. 4. Job is

more

beginning
a

to reflect upon the

than

just that, its

surface,

question

is

whether this surface

most minimal

fact that his surface world is nothing in need of support from within. The thing is a veneer, only intended to support human

existence at ance

through which whatever

the absolute truth of

search

or whether it is an integral external appear lies beneath it can reveal itself. At question is not the surface, but its relevance as a point in the

level,

for the truth.

beginning

For the present, Job has only focused on the surface, but he is beginning to feel disturbed, and to wonder how his world can be more than "A northern land
stretched the out over

the chaos or an earth suspended above the nothingness

"

The Book of Job

I
suspect that

31

Eliphaz

might

have looked

at

things in just that

way.

For him,
must

the human view of the surface has

been

so contorted

by

man's perversion that

nothing behind it can be recovered. A New Heaven revealed to him before he can proceed.
sees

and a

New Earth

be

5. Not only does Job have no account of the existence of his world, he also it as a fragile realm, constantly under the threat of all those forces that could, and yet do not, destroy it. Job can neither account for nor doubt the
relevance of

his

surface world.

6.

"spirit"

or

God has

7. The shaggy limit of Job's clarity ebbs its way into darkness and obscurity. shrouded from man the source of his own existence, and he cannot tell

what gives

his little

world

its

solidity.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

1 And
who
soul!2

again

has thrown 3 Yet

Job took up his proverb aside all my [claims for]

so

and said:
justice,1

the

"By the life of that God Almighty has embittered

the spirit of

my
nostrils, 4

long

as there

is breath

within

me,
or

or

never will

my lips

speak

any injustice,

my tongue utter

God in my deceit. 5

No, I'll

not pretend that you

have been just. Even till I perish, I

shall not turn

my simplicity from me. 6 I shall not disavow my integrity, but cling tight to my righteousness and not let go. For my heart has never felt pangs of
reproach.3

My
will

enemies4

are as the wicked and

unjust

8 for

what

hope does the impious

man

he that rises up against me as the have when he is cut off, when

God

comes upon what what

have drained away his soul. 9 Will God hear his cries when trouble his way, 10 or when he rejoices in the Almighty, even if he should call God at all times? 11 But I will teach you what is in the hands of God, and

belongs to the

Almighty

shall not conceal.

12 Well,

you

have

all seen

has happened. Oh, why are you so utterly useless? 13 Such is the lot of the guilty man ('adam) from God, a heritage from the Almighty set aside for those who can terrorize. 14 If his sons become great, the
sword will

be out for them, for his offspring will never be satisfied with bread. 15 When death buries those that remain, even their widows shall not weep. 16
should pile once

If he

17 then

up silver like dust, and lay out his clothing as if it were clay, he has laid it out, the righteous shall wear it, and the innocent will

share the silver.

18 He built his house like

a moth. a

It's like

a shack that some

night watchman might make.

will

19 He lies down,
and

overtake

be gathered, for when his eyes him like a flood of waters,

east wind will
hoist5

are opened all

rich man, but nothing more will be gone. 20 Terrors will

by

night a sea-storm will make off with

him. 21 The

from his place, 22

turn and

him up and be on its way. It will sweep him hurl itself at him without mercy. With the whole of

32
his

Interpretation
spirit

he flees from its hand. 23 But it

claps

down its

palm upon

him

and

whistles

him

off

from his

place."

Comments
1. Mishpath; Here is clearly
use

an

instance in

which one might

be tempted to

the word

"right."

2. Job has

seen a

great

deal, but

when

he

returns

to

his

own great

immediate
poignancy
This is the

world, the claims of justice still loom above him.

when

There is is

Job

swears

by

all

that is

holy

that all that

is

holy

also unjust.

conflict

that has

given

rise to the bitterness in Job's

manifest

soul. spirit of

3. Gratitude is forced to
manifests

itself

as

ingratitude. The
for its

God,

as

it

itself in Job's nostrils,

can show gratitude

value and

integrity
that act

only

by

appears

clinging to that as ingratitude.

so
one

integrity

in

spite of the

fact that the

result of

4. It is

hard to know how

takes it to be Job's

we are to understand verses

account of

however,
There him. He

how the

world once

7 through 10. If, looked to him,

it begins to

come

in better focus. he its trust. There

In
verse was a

was a shared

time when Job was an integral part of the human world around

its

views and

shared

kind

of

simplicity
that there

in his
itself 5.

ways which could sense mock piety. no essential change

5 he

maintains

has been

in his simplicity,

although

it has suddenly found

under an alien
"raise"

horizon.

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

1 "There is
taken

a mine

for

silver and a place where gold

is

made pure.

2 Iron is
brings

from

the earth1; and the rock

is

made

to

flow
to

with copper.

Man2

an end to the darkness. He explores

murk and the nels.

everything

Shadow

of

Death. 4 Far from any

passer

its limit, even to this rock of habitation, he blasts out chan

humanity,3
wander.4

Abandoned
a
fire.5

by

every

by, destitute
of

of all

they
it
churns

5 There is
like bird

land

which gives us our

daily bread,
and

but

underneath

6 Its

stones are

the

home

sapphires,

its dust is

of gold.

7 No

of

nor

witness,6

prey knows the trails. The eye of the falcon has never caught sight of it, have the sons of pride ever trampled it over. The lion can bear it no 9 but man has put his hand to the flint and
overturned its
mountains

by

the root.

10 He

rips open channels

through the

rocks.7

His

eye sees

precious
light.8

thing.

11 He binds up the

every
to

flowing rivers

and the

hidden

things

come

12 Yet wisdom, where can she be found?9 Which is the place of understand ing? 13 No mortal knows its value. Nor can it be found in the land of the living.

The Book of Job

14 The
cannot

33
15 It be

Deep
be

says

'It is

not within

me';

and

the Sea says 'I

have it

not.'

gotten

for gold,

nor silver or

be

weighed out as

its

price.

16 It

cannot

measured

by

the gold of

Ophir,

by

the precious onyx, or

by

sapphire.

17 Nor

gold nor glass can match

Neither
precious weight

crystal nor coral

its value; nor vessels of fine gold be its wage. 18 can call it to mind, for gathering wisdom is more
of

than pearls.

19 The topaz
gold.10

Nubia

cannot express

its

value nor can

its

be taken in

pure

20 Wisdom, where does she come from? Which is the place of understand ing? 21 She is hidden from the eye of every living thing. She is concealed even,
from the birds
of
heavens."

22 Abaddon
ears.'

and

Death have said, 'We have heard

understands

only knows the place, 24 for He

that are under the
out the waters
sky.13

rumors of

it

with our

23 But

GOD12

the way to

it; He

can

look to the

ends of the

earth,

and see all things

25 When He

established

the weight of the wind, and set

according to its measure, 26 when he gave a law for the rain and a passageway for the voice of the thunderbolt, 27 then it was that He saw it, counted it, measured it, and delved into it. 28 And then He said unto man

('adam), 'Behold, FEAR

evil

of the

Lord,14

that

is Wisdom,

and

to turn away

from

is

understanding.""5

Comments
1.
"dust"

2.
3.

"He"

"mortals"

4. This,

one of the most

beautiful

passages

in the book,
praised

could

be

read as the

first Ode to Man. Few image his

works

in literature have

in

such elegant speech

the Baconian ideals of the conquest of nature. Job sees this apparent greatness
as an
of own quest.

Men have looked beneath the

surface.

It is their

glory. They, too, have left the land of human habitation as Job has left his friends and with them all of human society. By their own powers they have dug

down

under

the surface and found a world of riches

which

they have
has

conquered

and made their own; but what of Job?

5.

According

to this view, the surface of nature, the one Job

committed

himself to,

gives

little indication

of the and

true nature of the

world.

The "land

which gives us our

which, we live
of meaningful

our

daily daily lives,

bread"

in which,
too

or perhaps one should

is

a much

meager

say on horizon to form the basis first be

searched

human

conversation.

Its inner

chumings must

out.

6. Man
capable of
overcome

can

force

nature

to reveal

itself to him in
can overcome

ways

in

which

it is

not

Man revealing itself to itself.

the
paltriness of

nature, and hence he can

man

his

own nature.

In this sense,

is

not a part of

34

Interpretation
of

nature, not because

any

perversion

in his nature, but because he is

not supplied

can conquer

and rule over nature.

7. Even
veins

man's plan to reveal nature rock to guide until

in the

his

way.

He

must

rip it

open

by nature. There are by his own might.

chaotic

no

8. From Job
lives.

Faust, containing

the inundation of

waters

has been
which

the symbol of man's understanding of and control over the world

in

he

9. Perhaps the

most

impressive

aspect of

Chapter 28 lies in the

sides.
of

care which

Job has taken in thinking through and articulating both moved by verses 1 through 11, yet the bare mention
next

One

cannot

but be

the

first

word of the

verse, "Yet

wisdom,"

is

sufficient

10. Verses 12 through 18

are magnificent

to turn things quite the other way round. in their ability to reveal simul

taneously both
11. Men

the richness and the

can

only

dig

poverty of the undertaking. beneath the surface, but even if, like birds, they
no good. we

could

fly

above

it, it

would

do them

12. This is the first time

Morphologically
refer to

it is

a plural and
of

the one God

since Chapter 2. is commonly used outside the Book of Job to Israel. The word is in the singular, and can have
met

have

the

"GOD"

word

"God"

a more generic meaning.

13. In these passages, Job

ments of the others

seems to

be trying to

restate

for himself the

argu

in terms that fit into the

world as

he has been

able to see

it

up till now. Unlike man, GOD has Man's horizons, beyond seep in
"that" "what"

a complete are

view of an

by

contrast,

limited,

and their edges are

all-encompassing horizon. hazy. Rumors from

we

and obscure pathways we

lead

out.

What

see

implies

either
or

or
"that"

have

merely
yond

is

central

The ambiguity of whether it is a to the reading of the book. Job's question is

not seen.

"what"

whether a pierce

man of care can rummage through

his

shrouded

way

and

begin to he

be
The

his

own

horizon,

or whether man

is faced

with a gulf

cannot pass.
will appear.

14. This is the only time in the text that the word
"LORD,"

"Lord"

word

which we re-emerge

frequently

saw

in Chapters 1

and

2,

and which will

in Chapter 38, is something like a personal name for the God of Israel. The root seems to be a word or "to meaning "to "being" "becoming" The distinction between the two, and can be made in
begin to
be"
become."

Hebrew, but
The
word

not with the

"Lord"

clarity that

one

has in

very Book of Job, especially in the Book of only time in Job. Its literal meaning is
used

is

common word

either Greek or English. for the God of Israel outside

the

Psalms, although it occurs here for the Lords." In the singular it is often "my
the

to apply to

human beings,
"mister"

and

its meaning lies somewhere between

two English words

and

"master."

15. The
out

structure and sense of notes give

the verse, together with what

has been

pointed

in the last two

suspicion

it the

ring

of a

quotation

from

psalmic literature.

If this

is true, it

would add to

the notion that this chapter is not to be

The Book of Job

read as a simple recantation on the part of

35

Job, but
his

more of an attempt
order of

to

restate

the thoughts of others

with

in terms that

make sense

to him in
own

to

come

to grips

his

awareness of the partial nature of

grasp

the whole.

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

1 And

again

months gone shone over autumnal yet with

Job took up his proverb by, to the days when God

and

said:1

2 "Who
me,

can return

to the

watched over

when

His

lamp

my head and I walked in the darkness by His light; 4 back to my days when God was at home in my tent, 5 when the Almighty was
and

me,

with

my lads

all about

me; 6 to

when

my feet

were

bathed in

cream, and the rock poured out its streams of oil

for

me?2

7 When I

went

to the city gates and was about to take my seat on the square,

8 the young men would see me and retire, the elders rose and stood. 9 Princes refrained from words and put their hands over their mouths. 10 The voice of the
nobles was

hushed,

and

their tongue stuck to their palate, 11 for an ear had

heard

and

saved a poor man when

it blessed me; an eye had seen and it approved, 12 because I had he cried out, and an orphan when there was no one else
of those who

to

help

him. 13 The blessings heart

sing.

had been lost

and

came to

me, and I

made the widow's

cause

14 I

put on

judgment,
to the

it

covered me.

A just

fit like

a coat or a

hat. 15 I became

eyes

blind,

and

feet to the lame. for

a man

16 I

was a

whom

father to the needy, and often I would search out I did not even know. 17 I would break the jaw of the
teeth.3

a case

unjust and wrest

the prey from his

18 I thought to myself; 'I

sand,'

shall perish roots

in my
me

own

little

nest,4

my days

having

multiplied as

19

'My

opening

up to the waters, and the dew

20 My dignity resting upon my new itself in my hand. 21 Men would hear silent to hear my counsel. 22 After I had
words

branches.'

was ever

fresh, my bow

would re

me and wait spoken

in expectation,

falling

fell gently

upon

them.

23

They

waited

they had no changes. My for me in expectation as for the

the spring
rain.

rain; their

mouths opened wide as

if to

catch

24 I joked

with

them a bit so that my kindness

self-confidence.5

would not overwhelm

them because

they had

no

25 I

chose their

way,

and sat as chief.

I dwelt

as a

king

among

his troops

or as one who

has

compassion

for

mourners.

Comments Job took up his

was

1. "And

again

began
which

with that

formulation

The only other chapter that 27. That time, it followed the passage 26:5-14
proverb and said":

began "Ancient

specters writhe

beneath the for

sea and

its

denizens."

This

time it follows the passage, "There is

pure."

a mine

silver and a place where gold

is

made

36

Interpretation
The two
"digging"

passages

are

still

understood

to

be

apart

from his

"proverb,"

which

I take to

refer to the rest of

Job's

speech.

The implication
surface world

seems to be that Job has yet to grasp any relationship between his and the world that he has discovered lying beneath it.

by

2. In the last chapter, Job had their own digging, discover a

seen

seen men

dig

beneath

their

own

surface, and

new world as yet unseen

He had

it done

and

knew

what

it

meant.

him to doubt his decisive

respect.

own

ability to

search

by any human eye. But this knowledge only caused behind his own surface in the most
the deceptive

Perhaps he had
of

made a mistake

in

banishing
Job fire.
was

beauty
had

of

the

day

his birth. The seeming

He had
and

was good.

already in his
and summer

autumnal

days,

retired, and ready to curl up

gone.

by

the
of

Spring

come and
well with

justice

crop kindness. The seeming began to fall

raised a good

fellow citizens, manuring them

was good.

3. This is the before his hat.

world

most complete picture we get of what apart.

life had been for Job favorite

old coat or a

A just

cause

fit like

Being
it.

just

was natural and comfortable

for Job,

and

the world

he knew fit
Job's
and

around

4. This line in its context, together

main credentials

with verse

4, is,

as

it were,

one of

for

being

who

he is. The implication is that the ability

both forces
and what allows

love

of

ruling

men

well, plus the willingness to relinquish that rule when the

what

time has come to

surface of

do so, is

Job to face the believe it;

no confi

things

with

dignity

and concern.

5.

Greenberg

translates: "When I smiled at

favor."

them, they

would not

they

never expected a sign of my The Revised Standard translates: "I and

smiled on

them when
not cast

they had

dence

the light

of

The first
means

problem

my is that

countenance
yappilun

they did

down."

"to

pray"

or

"to

intervene,"

may come from pll, which normally but see Genesis 48:11, "I never expected to
takes it. It could as well come from npl,

face."

see your

This is how
and

Greenberg
causative

"to
or

fall,"

however,

in the

form

could mean either

"to

down"

cast

"to

disarm."

overthrow or

A further
a subjective

problem

is

whether un

is

an objective

(the

proposed

translation)

or

(The Revised

Standard)

ending.

The Book
Translation

of
and

Job

Commentary

on

Chapters 30

and

31

Robert D. Sacks
St. John's College, Santa Fe

CHAPTER THIRTY

1 But fathers I

now

they have
have felt

turned me into the

joke',

those younger than I whose

would

contempt to put with

strength of wasteland

their hands to me, those men from whom all vigor has been
want and starvation.

my sheep dogs. 2 What is the lost, 3 a land

and

in

They

gnaw at a parched

destroy

as

they
root upon and

are

destroyed. 4

They

gather mallow and

leaves from the bushes. Broom

things, they are cried beds, in holes in the dust
of

has become their food. 5 Driven from the heart like thieves. 6
the rock. 7

They find their quarter in river Braying in the bushes, they huddle together under a weed. 8 Sons of Fools and Sons of Nobodies! They have been whipped from the land.2 9 And now they have made a ditty of me and I have become a byword to them. 10 Oh, how they abhor me and keep their distance; they do not even refrain from spitting in my face. 11 They unfasten my tent rope and down I come. They have thrown off all restraint. 12 On my right, flowering youths rise up and put me to flight. They pave roads of destruction against me. 13 They
tear

up my 14 They

path and come

foster my demise but it does them

a great

no good.

in

burst,

wave after wave of

gentility4

destruction.3

15 Terror turns
salvation passes

upon

me; it

by

like

a cloud.

days
and

of

misery have taken

and my 16 Now, my soul has poured itself out, and hold of me. 17 By night my bones are whittled away,

pursues

my

like the

wind,s

the gnawing never

ceases.6

18

My

and the collar of

my tunic

chokes at

clothing envelops me in great restraint me. 19 It throws me into the mire and I I

become like dust

and ashes. answer.

with stand

at

20 I cry out to You, but You give no brutal8 and me. 21 You have turned
22 You hoist
wreckage. all that

there, but

the might of

only stare Your hand You per

you

secute me. about

in the
for

up 23 I know

me

onto the

wind9

and set me astride to

be tossed
the house their

that

You

will

deliver

me

to

death,

prepared
and

lives; 24

yet will not

those in turmoil

reach out

hand

cry

out

in

calamity.10

their

The first bers 2

and

twenty-nine chapters of the translation and

and

3,

Volume 25, Number 1,

of

commentary appeared in Volume 24, Num Interpretation. The balance will appear in future issues.

interpretation,

Winter 1998, Vol. 25, No. 2

156

Interpretation
soul weep for those who had seen hard times? My 26 I hoped for the good but there came evil; I waited in

25 Did I
the poor.

not

grieved

for

expectation

for the light, but there Days

I
of

came

stood

Jackal"

poverty up in the assembly and friend to the

were ever

only a murk. 27 My before me. 28 I walked in

and cried

bowels churned, I became black

never at rest.

gloom with no sun above.

out; 29

and so

brother to the
now

ostrich.'2

30

My

skin turned

off me; and

my bones are scorched by the heat. 31 my flute to the voice of tears.

My

peeling lyre has turned to mourning

and

is

Comments
1. Verse 1 is intended Job's back to 24
of the

as a reference

verse

last

chapter.

friendly laughter, intended

of gratitude which
answered

to relieve others of the burden of that

kind

leaves them

dence, has been

by

only a derisive laughter.

with

feeling

of

debilitating

crippling depen

2. In turning laughter into scorn, they have, in Job's eyes, lost all without gaining true animality. Their needs remain human, but the

humanity
contempt

implied

by

their jest

makes

it impossible for them to join

together
without under a

with others except

in

the most direct sense of

huddling
human
no no

weed, sharing only their

inability

to share.

They

are

the means to be human.

men

3. Job finds that he is

are powerless and can surface

longer

able

to maintain the fiction that these

do

harm. The

mass effect of

those who cannot see the

has, for Job, overwhelmed the surface. 4. The place of laughter, joking, playing, of
in the Hebrew text, has become

scoffing,

and

scorn,

all

the same
with

word

confused

for Job
his

and

intertwined
jest

the problem of contempt and compassion. When

stemmed came

goodnatured

which

from his
contempt

compassion

became

their gibes, their contempt

for him be

his

for them. his feelings

of contempt and compassion

The

confusion of

then works upon

his

received notion of

being

watched to produce a

deep

sense of guilt which

terrifies

his inner
"spirit."

sense of gentility.

5.

or

6. Verse 17 is
people

to

be taken in

completely literal

way.

It is

not uncommon

for

to be told

by

their dentist that their gums are

in

poor shape

clench their teeth at night.

It is hard to imagine how

much pain

because they we can both

cause ourselves and withstand waking.

But why
so

should

in sleep Job feel this

by twisting and turning, feeling without guilt so deeply in his being and punish
he knows he did
not commit?

himself
perhaps

harshly
most

for

a crime which

This is

the

fundamental
at us

question raised

by

the

book. It is

a question that

has been peering

evaded

from behind every page,

Jobs"

an enigma

too vital to be

by

speaking

of

"two

or of multiple authorship.

The Book of Job

In

157

facing

this problem in a

day

when

the works of Dr. Sigmund

much

Freud have

become

so much a part of

the air we

breathe, I feel

like

five-year-old

boy

dressed in his Little Lord Fauntleroy suit, trudging home from the pond with a tiny sailboat under his arm. How shall he relate the great saga of his
day's
as

adventures at the
and

dinner table

when

the list of guests

includes

such men

Mr. Darwin
at us

Mr. Melville? Yet

even

in

our

little

pond the question still

weight of guilt soul

looms

large:

Why

should a man
not

like Job feel the

or act of the

for

crime which
verted

he knows he did

commit,

feel that his fathers

has been

per

by

an original and

all-encompassing
as

that

for him has

no

such power over

the human spirit?

As Eliphaz, Job is too

view of

and

in fact

the whole of human society

known to Job,
any clarity,

sees and

it,

perverted to recognize

his

own perversion with own sin.

his

the world

is too

narrow

to see his

He
as

must

learn to forgo the itself to him in

limited
his

view of man and

listen to the

voice of

God

it

reveals

own night visions.

own guilt. raised

Job's nightly twistings and turnings are caused by his Conscience is the means of divine retribution. But doubts have been
of

terms of the

concerning this way of looking at the world both in terms injustice that it may be causing with regard to Job.
and of

itself

and

in

pain

Is it then, that by considering himself guilty in order to prove to himself the existence
self-punishment, then becomes the

causing himself such his guilt, he can come to

by

terms with other pains, ones which have no cause? Our guilt, confirmed to us

by

our own pain.

reason

for

our otherwise reason

less

Or does the Or do we, beyond

feeling

of guilt act

as

our

only immediate

guarantor of

the

cosmic significance of our actions?

by

condemning
what

ourselves of

sin,

wish to place ourselves on a rank

ourselves

by becoming

the condemner as well as the condemned? If

some strange

this is the case,

that we

does it imply? Is it

kind

of

Kantian freedom

feel, in that we, and no other, such as the deposed father, have become Lord and Master over ourselves? Or is it a way we have of silently and subliminally
under

feeling

the

joys

of

tyranny,

even at

the expense of

living

our

daily

life

the pain and dread of that tyranny.

as these reasons are case of

Compelling
adequate

in general, they do

not seem

to be quite

in the

Job. These

arguments presuppose and gain their

force

from the

cognitive power of

human thought. from the

They

intend to
drives

give a

thoughtful touch the

and reasoned account of the workings of

the human
needs and

psyche which

heart

of

the matter as it

is

apart

of the

investigator

himself. This may not, of course, always happen, but the science assumes that at least in theory it is possible. That would suggest that the human psyche can only be Life
were so
understood

if it is hence

fundamentally

understood as

something

capable of

understanding,
would

and

of

be

so simple

misunderstanding itself. if the two, science and the

are not.

all-too-human concept of

psyche,
a

easily separable, but they

The Newtonian

inertia,

158

Interpretation
arrived at

by much human labor, thought, and worked its way down reflection, has by now become a mindless feeling that has to the bottom of the gut. Galileo was almost killed for believing that the earth street believed it. It moved, and yet in not too long a time most people on the
once countertintuitive notion

is, however, doubtful

that

many

could articulate

any

reason

for that belief.

Surely they
I
see

had nothing every

step.

as cogent as those who

had

once

said, "The sun moves,

it

morning."

rise

Ghosts

of thoughts that once

lived in

other minds

haunt

our

every

One
cannot,
where way.

might

argue that

our

Newtonian

ghosts

have not,

and perhaps

even

bury

themselves down
are made.

deeply

enough

into

our souls to

live in the land

to be on their

dreams

This is surely true,

and yet

they do

seem

Perhaps the
serious attempt

one thinker of

the past who was most alive to the fact that any

to give an

account of

human thought

must regard

it

as an activ

ity

which

is

capable of

understanding

itself, is Socrates.
his
account of a

Such had

questions

lead

one to remember

discussion he

once

with a man named

Thrasymachus. Plato

recounts

the story in The Republic.

Thrasymachus

sees a world

in

which

justice

was the advantage of the stronger.

Socrates begins
the advantage

by

of

asking him whether if eating a great quantity of beef is to Polydamas the pancratiast, does that mean that it is to the
to do so.

advantage of all of us

Justice is the
stronger

advantage of the stronger

2. The 3. The

is Polydamas
Polydamas
of

A. Justice is

the advantage of

Polydamas is eating a great quantity B. Justice is eating a great quantity of beef. QED
advantage of

beef

The

whole argument

one word

is

used

in the

right

is very silly, not what Thrasymachus meant at all. Not way, but it makes Thrasymachus a bit nervous all

the same to see his words

leading

to a world larger than the one he focused on.

advantage of the ruler and that

What he meant,
all must

of

course, is that justice is the

command.

follow his

As it turns out, Somehow he any

somewhere on the

periphery

of

Thrasymachus's
his

world

is the is
have

notion that

the stronger knows what is

must

truly

to his
or on

own advantage and what world would never

not.

have

always

known that,

made

sense to

him, but he

cannot

focus in

that notion without

having

to make a radical reinterpretation of his understand

ing

of the world. consider

Once Thrasymachus is forced to

the environment of his own

thought, however, he
opportunity
of

embraces

it

with

vigor,

although

Socrates

gives

him the

rejecting it.

The Book of Job

"It doesn't
Polemarchus,"

159

I said, "if Thrasymachus says it any difference, that way now, let's accept it from him. Now tell me, Thrasymachus, was this what you wanted to say the just is, what seems to the stronger to be the advantage of the
make

stronger,
mean

whether

it is

advantageous or not?

Shall

we assert that this

is the way

you

it?"

"Not in the
mistakes

least,"

he

said.

"Do

you suppose

that I call a man who makes

mistakes?"

stronger'

at the moment when suppose you to mean

this,"

"I did
not

he is making I said, "when you

things."

agreed that the rulers are

infallible but

also make mistakes

in

some

(340 c)

This step is fatal to Thrasymachus's argument, although it is hardly fatal to the man. It means that Thrasymachus was forced to step outside his hero to see

his

wisdom rather

than remain inside to feel his power. He

make sure of

because he has to
wants

his

power

to be admired, and to

be

admired

does this partly in the future, but partly because he means to be admired from the outside.

This

means

that he wants to be
make

Socrates threatens to for horses for

or are

judged

by

recognized as possessing an art. But when Thrasymachus step beyond his art as those who care those who can tell whether a horse has been well cared

not, Thrasymachus turns on him:

"Tell me,
you answer

Socrates, do
of

you

have
such

nurse?" this?"

a wet

"Why

said.

"Shouldn't
she

instead

things?"

"Because,"

asking

he said, "you know

since

neglects your

sniveling

nose and

doesn't

give

fault

you

do

shepherd."

not even recognize

sheep

or

it the wiping you need, (343 a)

rule

it's her

Shepherds, according
insofar
outside

to

Thrasymachus, only

for the

good of the

sheep

as

it

makes them

fatter

and gives the shepherd more meat. at

Stepping

in

order to see what

The only real Thrasymachus has escaped Socrates but in

ancillary.

is best for the sheep themselves can question is, "What is best for the
so

shepherd?"

best only be Thus

doing, he has failed

agrees

to escape

himself. Near the

ment: end of

their

discussion, Thrasymachus readily

to the state

say it, then, as is like but what is unlike,

us

"Let

follows,"

I said, "the just

man

does

not

try

to

better

what

while the unjust man tries

to better both like and

unlike?"

(349d)
For example, the
musical man

is

able

to

best the

unmusical man

precisely

by

tuning his lyre in

reason

the same way that other musical men do. But for that same

the musical man does not

try

to best another musical man, and the same

is

true of the wise and of the just. But unlike the artisans, the unjust man, who to

wishes

better,

that

goals outside who so wants

himself in terms

is to better anybody or anything, can have no common of which he could be praised. Thrasymachus,

to be seen and to be

heard, has finally been

pried out of

himself

160
in

Interpretation
to see if he can be seen. He blushes and
seen
remains as silent as one who

order

has been

by

bear.
not to

Socrates's goal, then, is

wrong.

defeat Thrasymachus

or to prove that
able

he

was

Perhaps

that can't even be done. What he may have been

and own

to do

is

to

help
The

him find those bits

byways horizon.

on

the periphery

of

his

vision which

might

lead him beyond his

case of or

teaching,

Meno, on the other hand, is a different matter. Meno has a dogma, or one might even say, an ideology. It is only the dead

remains of a thought which

first grew up in an other mind, the mind of Gorgias. Since he merely inherited these thoughts, Meno is not in touch those vague and all but forgotten peripheral thoughts which dwell in the outer limits of Gorgias's

horizon,

and which underlie all can work and

that is at the focus of his attention.

Only

Gorgias himself
surround

his thought
not

his way back to those dim and smudged ideas which through which he must pass if he is to go beyond
will always

them. If ter.

he does
our

they

be

with

him in their

unarticulated charac

Since

horizons

are vague and

shaggy,

drifting

off

into

a world

beyond

itself, only it

can offer a means of escape.

Meno,
for

then cannot escape until he is

willing to face his own horizon. Modern science, however, in its

well-defined object.

search

rigor and exactitude

demands

the

Freud, of course, sees id, but in his attempt

that there

is

no

to emulate what

sharp distinction between the ego and is generally thought to be the way of

modern

science, he did not give sufficient heed to Plato's partly explicit, partly
claim that all meaningful

implicit Freud's
reason

human thought,

including

his

own and

hence
where

as well, can

only take place along that edge and in the gray

tries to make clearer to itself what

Man is both

a social and a rational animal. was

far

as

he knew,
the

the first man

it has already seen. The two are not identical. Job, so to feel the full implication of that distinction, it
was yet naked and unmediated

and

by

first, he met it being prior human thought.

are

unprepared while

We

born

as

social

animals, weak,

feeble,

and

in

need of others.

The
the

everyday life of action requires Fathers or divine revelation, or

Without them there
munal

well-defined

horizons for

established either

by

by

those ghosts we call our common heritage.

grounds
communal action or com can

would

be insufficient
not

life. But

reason

does

believe in

ghosts.

It

only grasp them

on the other

by

bringing

them back to
can

life

as a rethought

thought.

Sociality,

hand,

knows only that it depend upon it.

Well

only live Bildad's

by learning

to live with the ghosts. Our lives

we remember

words:

8:8-10

Only

ask of the

first

generation.

Seat only

yourself of a

firmly

upon what their

fathers had

searched out;

for

we are

nothing, our days are but a

shadow

yesterday and know passing over the land. Will they

not

The Book of Job

teach you and speak to you as the words come

161

tumbling

out of

their

heart?

But is that
and of

"asking"

the asking of piety and

answer

belief,

doubt? For Bildad the

is clear,

and

asking of wonder to do otherwise is not only to

or the

try

to answer the riddle of the

Reason

and

Sphinx, it is to threaten Laius as well. dedication to the surface, then, demand the one thing forbidden

by divine law, tradition, and sociality, that is, autonomous understanding. Job is both a rational animal and a social animal, and he is both in the
deepest is
and as the
which

sense.
not

He therefore lives

under

two shaggy horizons. For each the other savior, and this is the form
of what

is

there. As we have seen, sociality can only articulate itself to itself

and

forbidder Job is
which

hence,

as the

rewarder,

or

in

aware of

it. This

act of

self-forbidding

the

self wants most

is that
7.
of

is felt

as guilt.

Greenberg

translates: "With

my tunic fits my

waist."

I change my clothing: The neck Standard translates: "With violence it The Revised
great effort

seizes

my garment; it binds
translation

me about

like the

collar of

as an alternative

"My

garment

is

disfigured."

but it gives my Here the first problem

search."

tunic,"

is

the

ive,

meaning of the word ithappas. Its distort" or "to disguise it means "to

root means
oneself"

"to

In the

reflex

by

a change of

Sam.

28:8, 1 Kings 20:38, 22:30). That

It
must also other

would account

clothing (Cf. I for Greenberg's transla

not on

tion. In every case the emphasis is on the. act of

change of clothing.

disguising, however,
is in does
mean

the

be

pointed out that the verb while the word azar

the third not

the

first

person.

On the

hand,

"to

gird,"

the emphasis seems to be on the

strength rather

that on the waist. I then take

him to be saying the he This

verb. means

taking
to

the

feels his clothing pulling at him and distorting him. as the subject rather the object of the word for
"clothing"

Think only
notes
"spirit"

of

Phaedra.
and

8. See 9.
or

30:29, 39:1,

41:2.

10. This is felt

as the silent stare of self at self

weak

in

which

the division of

self

from

self

has itself become divided. Job the

and

has become Job the forbid

der, dissociated from itself

found that he
self.

could no

from its sociality, while Job the autonomous has longer be autonomous when cut off from his divided
each, as
or our
we shall

11. The Hebrew constantly (some say

the
echo of
"snake,"

(tan) has
others

several

meanings

and

see,

rings of the others.

It

can mean

"sea

monster"

the

"Serpent"

"jackal."

To

catch

say the "dragon"), or, as in the ring of the way in which

"seahorse,"

case, it can
always

mean an

each

bears
the

the other, think of the word word,

we cannot

which, partly because it is a

somewhat strange

hear

without

vaguely thinking

of

land
as

horse,
good

although

in

the case of the word tan the connection was

probably

but

stronger.

162

Interpretation
when used with a singular

Even

verb, like the

appears with a plural ending, either the regular somewhat more

God, it normally Hebrew ending (tanim), or the

name

of

foreign,

and

hence

somewhat more

mystical-sounding (tanin).

In the Biblical text, it is

even

often connected

with the

Leviathan,
it

and

may have
twist,"

been

considered

to be etymologically

connected with

levi, "to

and tan.

We first

meet the

Tan in the book

of

Genesis

as the great sea monster.

Gen. 1:21

So God
moves,

created the great sea monsters and

every

living

creature

that

with which the waters swarm,

according to their

kinds,
like

The

next

time we meet the tan it seems to

be something
'Prove

more

a serpent:

Exod. 7:9ff.

"When Pharaoh
miracle,'

says to you,
shall

yourselves

by

working

it say to Aaron, 'Take So Moses down before Pharaoh, that it may become a serpent and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did as the LORD commanded; Aaron
then you
your rod and cast
(tan).'

cast

down his

rod

before Pharaoh

and

his servants,

and

it became

serpent

(tan). Then Pharaoh

summoned the wise men and the

sorcerers; and

they

also, the magicians of

Egypt, did

the

same

by

their secret arts.

serpents.

For every man cast down his rod, But Aaron's rod swallowed up their

and

they became

rods."

It is not, however, the in

an earlier passage:

normal word

for

serpent

(nachash)

which

had been

used

Exod. 4:2

The LORD
rod."

said

to

him, "What is
on

that

in

hand?"

your

He said, "A
on the ground, said to

And he said, "Cast it

ground."

the

So he

cast

it

and

it became

a serpent and

Moses fled from it. But the LORD

and take

Moses, "Put
hand

out your

hand,

it

by

the

tail"

so

he

put out

his

and caught

it,

and

it became

a rod

in his hand.

In fact, the word verse in the Bible:

tan seems to

be

used to mean

"serpent"

in only

one other

Ps. 91:13

You
serpent

will tread on the

lion

and the

adder, the young lion

and the

(tan)
will

you will

trample under foot. Because he cleaves to me in

will protect

love, I
In its
role as

deliver him; I

him, because he knows my

name.

the sea monster, it is closely related to the

Leviathan,
strong
sword will

Isa. 27:1

In that
punish

day

the LORD

with

his hard

and great and

Leviathan the

fleeing
he

serpent

serpent

(nachash),

and

will

(nachash), Leviathan the twisting the monster (tan) that is in the sea. slay

The Book of Job

and as we can
of

163

see, the Biblical authors are again divided in their understanding

the ultimate
as

harsh

it

was

standing of the tan of the sea, although the division is in the case of the Leviathan. See note to 3:8.

not as

According
Ps. 74:13 Isa. 5 1 :9

to some accouunts, the monster will one

day

be

destroyed,
of

Thou didst divide the

sea

by thy

might; thou didst break the heads

the monster on the waters.

Awake,
days
of

awake, put

on

strength, O

arm of the

LORD;

awake, as in

old, the generations of

long

ago.

Was it

not thou that

didst

cut

Rahab in pieces, that didst

pierce

the monster? Was it not thou that didst

make the

dry

of the sea a

up the sea, the waters of the great deep; that didst way for the redeemed to pass over?

depths

whereas

for

others

he

will

be tamed;
for
ever and

Ps. 148:6

And he

established them

ever; he fixed their bounds

you sea

which cannot

be

passed.

Praise the LORD from the earth,

monsters and all

deeps,
or admiration. which might

This time, however, there is no hint of playfulness Ezekiel gives two fuller descriptions of the beast

be

of some

help

to the

reader:

Ezek. 29:2

Son

of man, set your

against

face

against

Pharaoh

king

of

Egypt,

and

prophesy the Lord GOD: Behold, I am against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great monster that lies in the midst of his streams, that says, 'My Nile is my own; I made fish of your streams
it.'

him

and against all

Egypt;

speak, and say, Thus says

will put

hooks in
scales;

your

jaws,
will

and make the

you

stick to your

and

draw

up

out of

the midst of your streams, with all the to your scales.

fish

of your streams which stick

Ezek. 32:2 say

are

Son
like

of man, raise a

lamentation

over

Pharaoh

king

of

Egypt,

and

to him:

You

consider yourself a

a monster

in the seas;

you

lion among the nations, but you burst forth in your rivers, trouble
rivers.

the waters with your

feet,

and

foul their

Thus

says the

Lord

my net over you with a host of many peoples; and I will haul you up in my dragnet. And I will cast you on the ground, on the open field I will fling you, and will cause all the birds of the GOD: I
will throw air

to settle on you, and I will gorge the beasts of the whole earth with

you.

Here the

tan appears as the great

blue Egyptian
to

maker of the

Nile

which

Pharaoh

pretended

hippopotamus-god, reported be, but in Ezekiel, he is revealed

would explain

to be not the

maker

but the destroyer. This in Exodus

why the
as a tan.

serpent

(nachash)
himself.

that was destroyed

appeared

to

Pharaoh

It

was

164

Interpretation
great complaint

Job's

that

man

is

ever watched rather than

trusted, began in

Chapter 7, verse 12 with the words: "Am I the sea You set watch over But now his awareness
me?"

or some monster of

(tan)
and

that

being

watched

the

failure

of

his brothers to

recognize

his brotherhood have left him

with

feeling
it
to

strangely by has come in the form

pulled

a sense of
of

brotherhood

that same tan, but this time

the Jackal.

The

jackal,
is

the wild cousin of the domestic

pictured

dog

and constant companion

the ostrich,

throughout the Bible as roaming through the land of

world of man.

desolation just beyond the

Neh. 2:1

went out

by

night

by

the

Valley

Gate to the Jackal's Well

Jerusalem
which were

and

to the

Dung Gate,
down
and

and

I inspected the

walls of

broken

its

gates which

had been destroyed

by

fire.

Like Job, the tan live human habitation:

Jer. 49:33

on the edge of the

desolate city, in

a wasteland

devoid

of

Hazor
shall

shall

become

haunt

of

jackals,

an

everlasting waste;

no man

dwell there,

no man shall sojourn

in her.

Isa. 13:19

Chaldeans,
them.

And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the splendor and pride of the will be like Sodom and Gomorrah when God overthrew It
will never

be inhabited

or

dwelt in for

all generations; no

Arab

will pitch

his

tent

there,

no shepherds will make their

flocks lie down

will

there. But wild beasts

will

lie down there,

and

its houses

be full

of

howling
palaces;

creatures; there
will

ostriches will

dwell,

and there satyrs will

dance. Hyenas

its time is

close at

cry in its towers, and jackals in the pleasant hand and its days will not be prolonged.

Job has

acted as a man, and yet no man sees

him

as a man.

Perhaps he has

no choice now other than to abandon meld

into the

world that

knows

no

both society and his own sociality and human eye or human tongue. For him it is a knows that it is into just beckon him.
there
word such a world that

frightening
the
voice

thought, but the

of

reader

in the Tempest be

will soon

12. "daughters
seems to used

greed,"

no reason

is usually taken to refer to the ostrich, and to doubt that. It is not, however, the same as the
ostrich

in 39:13 for the

from

whom

he

will

learn

so much.

There the
joy."

author will use

the word which comes

reflect a more

This

change

may

meaning "to shout for fundamental transformation in Job's thoughts

from

a root

about

the bird and about wild nature in general.

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

1 I have
maiden?1

made

covenant

2 What

part

my eyes, for how could I have I in God above, or heritage from the
with

gaze upon

Almighty

on

The Book of Job

high? 3 Is
not

165

wickedness?

calamity for the unjust and disaster only for those who work 4 Does He not see my ways or take count of my every step? 5 Have I walked along with falsehood, or has my foot hurried to deceit? 6
weigh me on the scales of

Let Him

simplicity.

7 If my step has
taint stuck

eyes,

or a

and then God will know of my from the way, my heart gone after my to my hand, 8 then let me sow, but another eat, or let my

justice,

wandered

crop be 9 If my heart
entrance over

uprooted.2

was seduced

by

a woman and

set ambush at

my

neighbor's

way, 10 may my

wife grind with

another,

and

let

others

bow down
perver

her, 11 because
12 It
would

that would
a

have been licentiousness

to

and a

juristic

sion.3

be

fire consuming down

for the

Abaddon,4

uprooting
my servants,
account?

all

that I

have

ever accomplished. ever

13 If
when

I felt

contempt

cause of one of

man or maid
rose up? not us

they brought
would

case against

me, 14 what would I do when God

should call me
make

How

answer

Him if He
mother's

into

15 Did
not

He in

who made me

in my I

belly

him

as well?

Did He

form

the same

womb?5

16 How 17

could

withhold pleasures

from

the poor or drain a widow's eye,

or even eat a crust of grown

they had
their

mother's6

bread alone, not sharing it with the fatherless, when with me for a father? 18 From my mother's belly I was up guide. 19 -Whenever I saw a man who was lost, without
could warm

clothing, nothing to cover his pitiful state, 20 damn if his loins didn't bless
me of

because he (knew that he my sheep. 21 If ever I brandished

at

always)

himself

with the

shearing
saw

hand

against the

fatherless because I
socket or with

help
at

22 let my shoulder fall from its standing the joint, 23 because divine torment would fill me bear its weight.
the gate,

my

arm

break

fear

and

could not

24 If
I

ever

placed

my

confidence

in gold,

or called

fine

or rejoiced

in the

greatness of

my

wealth or

the

bounty

my security, 25 found in my hand; 26 if

gold

ever

walking in splendor, 27 and heart placed fingers to my lips to kiss them, 28 my secretly attracted, my that too would have been a juristic perversion for I would have forsaken God
saw

the radiance of the

light,

or the moon

with

the most

high.7

29
come sin

Could8

I have

rejoiced when evil

hardship

struck at those that

without

hate

me or

to life because

had found them, 30

with a curse. us at

giving my
my

palate over to

asking for his life have said; "Who will let

by

31 Even the

men of

own

tent would

his flesh? We

will not

be

satisfied."9

sleeping out of doors but opened my doors to the traveler. 33 Would I have covered over my sins like (some) man ('adam) or

32 I left

no

stranger

concealed perversion was

so shattered

by

in my bosom 34 through terror of the great multitude? or family disgrace that I would stand petrified, not daring to

opening'0

way?"

go out the

166

Interpretation
will

35 Who
answer,
or

find

someone to

listen? Well, here is my

or wear

writ:

Let the

Almighty
a

let the it up him

man who on

has

a quarrel against me write

it down in
a crown.

book.

36 I'll

hoist13

my shoulders,

it

round me and

like

37 But I
as a

will also give

prince!14

an account of

my every step

will present

it to him

and

38 But if my own land cries out against me, its furrows weeping together, 39 claims that I have eaten its produce without payment and snuffed out the life of its owners, 40 then may thorns grow in that place for wheat and foul
weeds

for

barley.15
TAM!'6

THE WORDS OF JOB ARE

Comments
Berith

1.
and

karafi, literally, "I have

of phrase than

covenant."

cut a

It is

a much more

formal

legalistic turn

Eliphaz

uses

in 5:22-23:

Have
rocks

no

FEAR

of

the

beasts
beasts

of the earth,
of

for

you

have

a covenant with the

in the field,

and the

the

fields

will

bring

you

peace,

and can even within

be

used to refer and

to the legal forms of a

marriage.

The

verse

holds

it the full tension

in this What

contradictory
and the need

interweaving
for

felt

at

the end of the

last

chapter

between sociality
verse

autonomous understanding.

As

the tension
convention.

seems

implies, sexuality is claimed natural and direct for the one

conflict

by

both

nature and

by

requires

law

and cere

mony for the

other.

This inner

is felt

as guilt.

Job, by

the pre-eminently socio-political act of entering

off

into

a covenant,

is

cutting himself

from the

most primal

form

of sociality.

Human sexuality, in
us

its ambiguities, is central, then, to all this disarray. In giving immortality, it is another key to our autonomy, but in so doing, it
our

kind

of

reminds us of

lack

of

immortality,

our weakness and need

for

others.

It

is, then,

also

key
to

to our sociality. Again the two are

shame and guilt.

linked,

and

in their

opposition give rise

But how
child

deep
of

are such thoughts?

and mortality?

How buried in

our soul?

What does the

know

death

When his bottle drops to the floor, the

If he cries, it
sometimes

child

knows that

what was

is

no more.

sometimes
not

it does

returns, but sometimes it is broken and ugly, and return at all. But how can he know that he too is a thing
that can

among things? Is he a
such

thing

be

unthinged

thoughts are seeds that have become buried

alone.

like the bottle? How many of on the fringe of his horizon?

of

When the bottle drops he is

the notion of mortality, when

soul than the notion of

Is this early feeling it comes full blown, to

ever

loneliness

what allows
our

Newtonian inertia

dig itself deeper into sounded, deep as that was?

The Book of Job

167

A child must be confounded when he hears of a time when his father was a little boy, when his father was he, and he was not. What role does it play in his imagination that his father was once too small to protect? Does it carry a scent
of the notion

that one

day
and

he himself

will protect another? and

2. In

spite of all the rift

between Job
one

his

friends,

or

between Job

and

God,

or

between Job

Job,

thing

seems to

hands round, not wealth or what is sometimes seen to be the highest human virtue. There is also, at least on Job's part, the feeling that there is some common understanding concerning what things are
just
that
and what

be held in common; on all called but Justice is

"manliness,"

things

are

unjust, regardless

of

however

rough and readymade

understanding

might

be for Job.
seems to center

The

disagreement, however,
can see

itself

on a question

the guarantor of that

eyes

justice. Job believes in that guarantor, but

guarantied. oxymoronic about this phrase.

with

concerning his own

he

nothing

tween the

3. There is something of the legal and the prelegal.

"eating"

It hovers be

4.

5. This translation requires reading berhem for barehem (see Gordis, The Book of Job, Jewish Theological Seminary- of America, 5738, p. 348). In the note to 3:11, there was a brief discussion of the importance of the
"womb"
"belly."

words
words at

and

In that

note

I discussed the importance these two

now

have for

each of the

three speakers. But

We

must

take a second look

Job.

This
can

chapter either
an

tell,

leads up to Job's last honest attempt to recount his way

or

is

words.
of

They are, so far as one life. They are intended to

been in
accordance with and

assure

his three friends that his

as

actions

have

always

justice,

that term is understood

by

the

tradition, the

fathers,

the law. For

the tradition, it is the guarantor who stands behind this understanding.

Job's position, however,

Job 31:15
Did
not not

seems more

nearly
in my

expressed

by

the words

He

who made me

mother's

belly

make

him

as well?

Did He

form

us

in the

same womb?

Even

at the

very

beginning

of

the

book, Job had

mother's

said:

Job 1:21

Naked I
there.

came out of

my

belly

and naked

shall return

In

verse

15, Job implies

that what supports

fers from the foundation

as understood
what we

by

the tradition.
called

his understanding of justice dif For each, the founda

sociality, the forces
stood
which

tions are closely connected to

have

bring

men

together.

As hitherto understood, sociality

in

opposition to

autonomy.

168

Interpretation
It concealed the sociality had become a painful world. for autonomy in very brutal ways. In his former understanding, the
world of was often related

For Job, the

human

need

womb, which
could rest

to

death,
wholly

where each was a place of quietness unrelated

wholly

undisturbed and

to any

other.

Job 3:19

Small

and

great, all are there,

and the slave

is free

of

his lord.

We

are

beginning

to see a
of

himself the implications

indicates that sociality may original unity rather than in Such thoughts
stood within are not
proper

is beginning to spell out to what the comic Job had said in Chapter 1. Verse 15 have a more cosmic origin and have its roots in an different Job,
one who

their

later coming together. wholly foreign to the Bible, but they must be under context. The first ten chapters of the book of Genesis
a

do indeed
man,
and

give an account of the coming-to-be of all men

world

from

one original

tell the story of the development of that

must

up

until

the time of the

not one of

Flood. It

be

noted

that after Noah's drunken spree,

however,

these incidences or

characters

is

ever mentioned again either

in the Torah

or

in

the earlier prophets.

Noah

The names Adam, Eve, Eden, Cain, Abel, his ark, are totally dropped from the text. Once the covenant has been made between God and the animate world, only it is to be relied upon, and All is forgotten in nothing is to be established on a more primitive foundation.
the Garden of
and

Noah's drunken spree, became

aware of

and

his

antediluvial origins. on the

only Ham, the cursed one, perhaps by accident, (For a further discussion, see Robert Book of Genesis [Lewiston, NY: Mellon Press,
sees as

D. Sacks, A

Commentary

1990].) If Job,
form

as seems to

be the case,

sociality

having its justification

not

in

a guarantor who guarantees of original

that each will receive his just rewards, but in some

unity, the distinction between autonomy and sociality begins to

are not

evaporate.

Perhaps these things

very

clear

to

Job, but they do indicate

send

his

need

to raise those

difficulties

which would

eventually
of

him into the he

tempest.
what

Making
feared

clear

to himself the

implications

this way of understanding

world which
Jackal."

lies beneath the

when

surface would

so much

he

spoke of

imply that he must face the becoming "a brother to the

For the present,

are all

however, Job
agreement

wishes

to make clear to his friends that

they

in fundamental
"her."

tion no matter how much

concerning the place of justice in human ac they may disagree about the nature of its foundations.
share: that neither wealth nor

6. Literally, 7. This Job

is
of ultimate

and

his friends

beauty

but justice,

importance,

although the verse shows that on

this is not due to any

lack 8.
an

of

sensitivity to
clause, but

beauty

Job's

part. and the

Greenberg

starts off with

"Did

I"

"if"

neither one works as well

Revised Standard translates it as in light of the verse as a whole.

The Book of Job

9. Job is
pleased and confident that

169

his followers honor justice

virtue as a

more than

they honor their leader. It is indeed a sign of his 10. The theme of dele^ and of
"doors,"

leader.

"openings,"

petah,

is

an

important
visits

part of our story.

The

subject

first

strikes one as one

is comparing the two

that the messengers made,

one

to Abraham:

Gen. 18:1
the

The LORD

appeared to

Abraham

by

the oaks of

Mamre,

as

he

sat at

opening

of

his

tent

in the heat

of the

day. (3)

the other to Lot:

Gen. 19:6

Lot

went out of the

door to the men,

shut the

door

after

him, (4)
word

In

each case

the number in parentheses indicates the number of times the

used

in

question

is

in the

passage as a whole.

Lot lived in lived in

a

house. Houses have doors, doors that tent. Tents have only openings.
a

open and shut.

Abraham

Gen. 19:2

He said, "Please, my lords,

way."

turn aside to your servant's

house

and

spend the night, and wash your

your

feet;

then you can

They

said,

"No;

we will spend the

rise early night in the

"house"

and go on

square."

That,

so

far

as

one can

tell, is the first time begins

with

the word

was

unam

biguously
to

used of

to refer to an actual physical structure.

The story

doors,
in

which

Lot, like

the story of the city (see note

11:6),

originates

violence:

Gen. 19:5ff

and

they

called to

Lot, "Where
shut

are the men who came to you

them.''

tonight?

Bring

them out to us, so that we

out of the

door to the men,

who

may know the door after him.

a man;

Lot

went

Look, I have
them out to

two

daughters

have

not

known

let

me

bring

do nothing to these men, for But they replied, they have come under the shelter of my "Stand And they said, "This fellow came here as an alien, and
you, and do to them as you please; only
back!"
roof."

he

would

them."

play the judge! Now Then they pressed hard

we will

deal

worse with you than with

against the man men

Lot,

and came near

the
and

door to break it down. But the brought Lot into the house
struck with

inside

reached out their

hands

with

them,

and shut the

door. And
of the

they
both

blindness the

men who were at were unable

the

door
the

house,

small and great, so that

they

to

find

door. (6)

In

order

to see the
at the

deep

significance of

the fact that Job's

"door,"

is

"open,"

we must

look

full

range of all

the verses in which doors are spoken of as

complete.

being

either open or not open.

open

This list is

Often

doors lead to horror:

170

Interpretation
So they waited until they were embarrassed. When he still did not opened open the doors of the roof chamber, they took the key and
them.

Judg. 3:25

There

was their

lord

lying

dead

on

the floor.

The story

continues

Judg. 19:22

While they
perverse

were

enjoying themselves,

the men of the city, a

lot,

surrounded the

house,

and started

pounding on the door.

out

They
him."

said to the old

man, the master of the

your

house, "Bring

the
with

man who came

into

house,

so that we

may have intercourse

Judg. 19:27

and when

In the morning her master got up, opened the doors of the house, he went out to go on his way, there was his concubine
at the

lying
The story

door

of

the

house,

with

her hands

on the

threshold.

continues and

includes in

the rape of Tamar:

2Sam. 13:17

He

called the

young

man who served and

him

and

said, "Put this

her"

woman out of

my presence,

bolt the door

after

(3)

They

can seem

joyful, but they

"then
when

are ominous, as

Jepthah learns:

Judg. 11:31

whoever comes out of

the

doors

of

return victorious

from

the

Ammonites,
at

my house to meet me, shall be the LORD's,

and

to be offered

Judg. 11:34

up by me as a burnt Then Jephthah came to his home

came out to meet

offering."

Mizpah;

daughter
was

him

with

timbrels and with

neither son nor
and

behold, his dances; she

daughter. And

when you

his only child; beside her he had he saw her, he rent his clothes,
me

have brought

very low,

and you

said, "Alas, my daughter! have become the cause of

mouth to the

great

trouble to me; for I

take

have

opened

my

LORD,

and

cannot

back my

vow."

They

are torn

down

by

Samson:

Judg. 16:3

But Samson
took

lay only
doors

until midnight.

Then

at midnight

he

rose

up,

hold

of

the

of the

up,
of

bar

and

all, put them on

of

city gate and the two posts, pulled them his shoulders, and carried them to the

the

hill that is in front

top

Hebron.

They

can

lead to fear:

ISam. 3:15

Samuel house

lay

there until morning; then he opened the

doors

of the

of the

LORD. Samuel

was afraid to tell the vision to

Eli

The Book of Job- 111

They

can

be

connected with madness:

ISam. 21:13

So he
when and

changed

his behavior before them; he He down his beard.

pretended to

be

mad

in their

presence.

scratched marks on the

doors

of

the gate,

let his

spittle run

and slavery:

Exod. 21:6
the

then

his

master shall

bring
and

him before God. He his

shall

be brought to
ear with an

door

or the

doorpost;

master shall pierce

his

awl; and he shall serve him for life.

Deut. 15:17

then you shall take an awl and thrust

it through his
shall

earlobe

into

the

door,

and

he

shall

be

your slave

forever. You

do

the same with

regard to your

female

slave.

or

lamentation:

Zech. 11:1

Open

your

doors, O Lebanon,

so that

fire may devour

your cedars!

or are

only

open

for the

sake of

taking flight:
of

2Kings 9:3
the

Then take the flask

LORD: I
not shall eat

oil,

pour

it

on

anoint you

king

Israel.'

over

his head, and say, 'Thus says Then open the door and

flee; do
2Kings 9:10
shall

linger."

The dogs

bury

her."

Then he

Jezebel in the territory of Jezreel, opened the door and fled.

and no one

or the

doors

are shut:

Neh. 7:3

And I
until

said to

them, "The

gates of

Jerusalem

are not to

be

opened

the sun is

hot;

while the gatekeepers are still guards

them shut and

of

bar the doors. Appoint

standing guard, let from among the inhabitants

Jerusalem,

some at their watch

posts, and others before their own

houses."

Neh. 13:19

When it began to be dark be

at the gates of

Jerusalem before the

sabbath, I commanded that the doors should be shut and gave orders that

they

should not

opened until after the sabbath.

And I

set some of

my
on

servants over the gates, to prevent

any burden from

being

brought in

the sabbath day.

or an open

door is only

thing

to be hoped for:

Prov. 18:16

gift opens

doors; it

gives access to the great.

172

Interpretation
opened

God has

them, but only the

Yet he

ones

in heaven:
doors
of

Ps. 78:23

commanded the skies above, and opened the

heaven;

Perhaps that is why God

Gen. 6:16 Make opening decks.

never

taught Noah how to

make a

door.

a roof

for the ark,

and

finish it
it

to a cubit above; and put the

of the ark

in its side;

make

with

lower,
of all

second, and third

Gen. 7:16

And those that entered,

had
commanded

male and

female
shut

flesh,

went

in

as

God

him;

and

the

LORD

him in.

opening and Lot had a door. Openings are the place of innocent people, people like Tamar and Uriah who in their innocence trusted
an

Abraham had

too much.

Gen. 38:14
up,

she put off and sat

her

widow's at the

garments,
of

put on a

veil, wrapped herself

down
saw

Timnah. She
given to

that

opening Shelah was

Enaim,

which

is

on

the

road

to

grown

up,

yet she

had

not

been

him in

marriage.

2Sam. 11:9

But Uriah
servants of

slept at the and

his lord,

opening of the king's house with did not go down to his house.

all the

When Judah

and

his brothers

returned man

to Egypt

expecting to be

accused of

theft, they

were met

by

friendly
went

in

an opening:

Gen. 43:19

So they him
at

up to the
to the

steward of

Joseph's house

and spoke with

the

opening

house.

Some

people also

die

at

openings, but

they

are all

bad

people

like Korach:

Num. 16:27

So they got away from- the dwellings of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram; and Dathan and Abiram came out and stood at the opening
of their
ones.

tents, together

with their

wives, their children,

and their

little

and

Sisrah;
He
said to

Judg. 4:20

her, "Stand

at

the

opening
here?'

of the

tent,

and

comes and asks

you, 'Is anyone

if anybody

say,

'No.'"

and

the

bad Abimelech:
Abimelech
to the

Judg. 9:52

came to the
of

opening

the tower to

tower, and fought against it, burn it with fire.

and came near

The Book of Job

also

173

in this group is:

then

Deut. 22:21

they

shall

bring

the

father's house because

midst.

and the men of

young woman out to the opening of her her town shall stone her to death,
act

she committed a

disgraceful

in Israel

by

herself in her father's house. So

you shall purge the evil

prostituting from your

We

can also

include Jezebel, but

as we shall

see,

she

doesn't really

count.

2Kings 11:16

So they laid hands on her; to the king's house, and there

she went through the she was put to

horses'

opening

death.

The Tent

of

Meeting, The Tabernacle,

through them all.

and the

Court

all

had openings, but

we will not go

Exod. 33:9

When Moses
and stand at the

entered the

tent, the
tent,

pillar of cloud would and the

descend

opening

of the

LORD

would speak with

Moses.

But then the opening fell into hard times: The dream
to an end.

of openness

had

come

ISam. 2:22

Now Eli

Israel,

and

was very old. He heard all that his sons were doing to all how they lay with the women who served at the entrance

to the tent of meeting.

Although the Tent

was

of

Meeting

will

be

mentioned once more

the last time it was ever used so far as we are told. Perhaps

we should

in the text, that have

known from the

Gen. 4:7
sin
it."

beginning
you

that this experiment in openness was not to last:

If

do well,

will you not

be

accepted?

And if

you

do

not

do well,

is

lurking

at the

opening; its desire is for you, but you must master

First Kings Chapter

6,

verse

31

reads

and the

For the opening to the inner sanctuary he doorposts were five-sided.

made

doors

of

olivewood; the lintel

This is the first time the two

the temple.

words

have

come together.

It is the

building

of

Art, born of the sons of Cain, has been sanctified and has sanctified many other things. The last time the Tent of Meeting was mentioned, it was to speak of the day when the holy vessels were taken from the tent to be put into
the temple, and so to be placed behind
a

door.

174

Interpretation
So they brought up the
all ark of the

1 Kings 8:4f.

LORD,

the tent of meeting, and

priests and

the

holy

vessels that were

up.

in

the tent; the

and all the

the
of

Levites

brought them
who

King Solomon

congregation

Israel,
or

had

assembled

sacrificing
numbered.

so

before him, were with not be counted many sheep and oxen that they could Then the priests brought the ark of the covenant of the
of the

him before the ark,

LORD to its place, in the inner sanctuary

house, in

the most

holy

place,

underneath

the wings of the

cherubim.

Only
fear,

twice

will

it actually happen that

door is

opened

in

joy

and without

once

in the

glorious and almost mythical reign of

King

Hezekaiah. It is

presented as a vision of things as sense of

they

ought to

be. First

we must

try

to get a

the times.

2Chron. 29:2 2Chron. 29:17

He did
ancestor

what was

right in the

sight of the

LORD, just

as

his

David had done. began to sanctify

on the

They
LORD;

first

day

of the

first month,
the

and

on the eighth

day
for

of the month

they
first

came to the vestibule of the

then

eight

days they
of the

sanctified the month

house

of

LORD,

and on the sixteenth

day

they finished.

2Chron. 30:5

So they decreed to make a proclamation throughout all Israel, from Beer-sheba to Dan, that the people should come and keep the
passover to the
not

LORD the God

of

Israel,

at

Jerusalem; for they had

Solomon

kept it in
There

great numbers as prescribed.

2Chron. 30:26

was great

joy
of

in Jerusalem, for

since the time of

son of

King

David

Israel there had been nothing like this in

Jerusalem.

2Chron. 31:1

Now
went out

when all

this was

finished,
and

all

Israel

who were present

to the

cities of

Judah

down the

sacred poles, and pulled

broke down the pillars, hewed down the high places and the
and all.

altars throughout all

Judah

and

Benjamin,

in Ephraim

and

Manasseh,
Israel 2Chron. 31:10 The

until

they had destroyed them

Then house

all the people of properties.

returned

to their cities, all to their

individual

chief priest

Azariah,
we

who was of the

of

Zadok,
into
the

answered

him, "Since they began

to

bring

the contributions

house

of the

LORD,

have had

enough to eat and so

spare; for the

great

LORD has blessed his people,

over."

have plenty to that we have this

2Chron. 32:5

work resolutely and built up the entire wall that broken down, and raised towers on it, and outside it he built another wall; he also strengthened the Millo in the city of David, and made weapons and shields in abundance. was

supply left Hezekiah set to

All
not

of

this begins when, for the

first time in the text,

we

hear

with

fear,

the words:

joy

and

The Book of Job

2Chron. 29:3
In the first
year of

175

doors

of the

house

of the

his reign, in the first month, he LORD and repaired them.

opened the

The

next

time we hear those

words

is

at

the

beginning

of

the new life after the

return

from Babylon:

Isa. 45:1

Thus

have

grasped to subdue nations

to open

LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I before him and strip kings of their robes, doors before him and the gates shall not be closed!
says the

Our

verse

in Job is

the

only

other

time in the whole of the Bible that a

door

has felt like "I left

. .
.

an entrance.

no stranger

sleeping

out of

doors but

opened

my doors to the traveler

petrified,
not

was

so shattered

by family

disgrace that I

would stand

daring

to go out the
we see

opening?"

Here

Job

with

the courage to stand at the opening, while providing a to the culmination of Job's speech. The begin
on

door for the

11. We

stranger.

are now quite close

ning
not

of

his final

argument

is based

his way

of

being. His

willingness to
a man

stand at the

opening of his "shattered by family

of

world and

to risk going

beyond it indicates
is here
note

disgrace."

This

"family

disgrace"

equated with

the concept

"perversion,"

as we

have discussed it in the

to 11:6. If I

understand the grammar

perversion,
of

which stem not of

the

fathers, if
have

correctly, Job is arguing that the feelings of guilt and from the responsibility we have had to bear for the acts concealed, led to a terror of all that is around us. Like Lot

the fear we

the beginnings of the city leads us deeper and deeper

into

the city, and to

doors. We therefore
city.

stand petrified and cannot allow ourselves

to peer beyond the

But Job
such a

now stands at

the opening.
contains the speeches of

12. And

now we

have
the

book in

our

hands. It

Eliphaz, Bildad, and ter 19, Job had said:

Who
that
will are

rest of

those who

have

a quarrel against

Job. In

Chap

they

find a place that my words may be written 'down? Who will see to it inscribed in the Book. With stylus of iron and with lead incised in the

Rock forever?

The two books Job longed for have become

which each

one

book. It is

dialogue in

has

tried to articulate the ground upon which the horizon under which

he stands, and, if only

by implication,
13.
"raise"

he

stands.

14. Here Job

tion

seems

to be clear that a complete articulation of

his

own posi

is

not possible

except

in the

context

of a

complete

articulation of

the

thought and hence the accusations of those who appose

him.

176

Interpretation
must

These accusations, however,

speeches,
over which there as

be

weighed

not

in

the

light

of

Job
of

is

still a

living

controversy,

but in the light

his

actions, or,

he

15. As

we

it, "my every have seen, there is a disagreement between Job

puts
justice.'

step."

and

his friends
of

concerning the true foundations of friends, Job's understanding of justice has

an unjust man.

From
no

the point of view

and

his
to

foundation, He has

he is, therefore,

Job

understands their position.

no proof with regard

the ultimate value of the purely human

unjust.

perspective

concerning the just and the

Such things

must still

be

open.

Verses 38 is

through

40, Job's last words,

are a counterpart to

Bildad's last

speech at the end of

Chapter 25.

They

state the

parameters within which mutual existence

possible.

For them, Job is

claim that

an unjust man.

It is it

understandable

that
of

they

should pro

injustice,

and

indeed

perhaps

would

But if that understanding of the world and to misinterpret any definite act of Job's
specific act of

be wrong man's place in it

as

them not to

do

so. so

should

lead them

injustice,

then regardless of

him unjustly of some how that complaint may have been

to accuse

voiced, there can no longer be any grounds for mutual respect.

16. The

word

tarn, which, for the

"simple"

sake of

unity, I have

rather

slavishly

and

doggedly
now

rendered as all

throughout the whole of the

translation,

must

be faced in

its

complexity.

The first thing to be pointed out is its critical importance for nearly all the to be heard in the Book of Job. In that sense, at least, it binds the proem (Chapters 1 and 2) to the rest of the book. For each it is a virtue, if not the
voices

highest

virtue.

This

remains true no matter wife

how

much

other matters.

Even his
and

knows that the

central

they may disagree about issue is his TAM. Only the

it.

Satan, Zophar,

the Voice in the Tempest never mention

God 1:1 He
was a tarn and straightforward man, a

GOD-FEARING

man who

turned away from evil.

1:8 2:3

He is

a tarn and straightforward man, a

GOD-FEARING

man and one

who turns

away from

evil.

He is

a tarn and straightforward man, a

GOD-fearing

man and one who

turned away

from

evil.

Job's Wife
2:9 4:6f. And his But may
your ways?

wife said to

him, "You

are still

holding

tight to your tarn.

Eliphaz
not

that

FEAR itself be
who

your

surety, and your

was ever

hope,
lost?

the tarn of

Think back now,

being innocent
contempt

Bildad 8:20 But surely God will neither have the hand of the evildoer.

for

a tarn man nor strengthen

Job
27:5

Even till death I

shall not turn

my tarn from

me.

The Book of Job

Elihu

111

36:4

One

who

has

tarn

knowledge is among

you.

Although

each praises the tarn

in his

own

way, it

is

not clear that

they

would

totally

agree on which things are tarn and which are not. of the word are somewhat unclear.

Even the beginnings

Its

most

rudimentary

meaning

seems to

be "finished":
On the tops lily-work. Thus the

1 Kings 7:22

of the pillars was

work of the

pillars was tarn.

The
ished."

"finished"

word

has

a certain

duality
after

to

it, however. A

new car

just

off

the assembly line is all

This

antithesis

the Englsh word

matter whether on the other
gether.

"finish"

its first bad wreck, it is also "fin is felt more strongly in Hebrew than in English because is felt to be the end of a process in either case, no

"finished"; but

that process leads to

excellence or

to destruction. The word tarn, to hold

hand, does

not quite contain the notion of process

it to

Gen. 47:18

When that
said to

year was

tarn, they

came to

him the

following

year, and

hide from my lord that our money is tarn; and the herds of cattle are my lord's. There is nothing left in the sight of my lord but our bodies and our lands.

him, "We

cannot

From here it
of excellence.

acquires of

that

special

meaning
as

of the word which

implies

kind

Think

the word

"finish"

it is
house

applied

to fine furniture

1 Kings 6:22

Next he
whole

overlaid the whole might

with

gold,

in

order

that the

house

be tarn;

even

the whole altar that

belonged to the

inner sanctuary he

overlaid with gold.

In that sense, it
2Sam. 20:18

came

be

used of

human

plans:

Then

she

said,

"They

used to

say in the

old

days, 'Let

them

inquire

at

Abel';

and so

it

tarn."

was

or of a

lamb worthy

of

being

used

in

a sacrifice:

Exod. 12:5

Your lamb

shall

be

tarn a year-old male; you

may take it from the

sheep

or

from

the goats.

In his final song, David

2Sam. 22:33 The God be tarn.

sings:

who

has

girded me with strength

has

set

free my

path to

178
as

Interpretation
men were

if

in fetters

which prevent them

from

being

tarn, as if the tarn were

somehow man's natural state.

This man, the Chapter 1 1 is

,

man who

is tarn,

as we saw

in the

long

note

at the end of

neither

the man of the city, nor the man of the

field, but

the man

living

in tents.
When the boys
grew

Gen. 25:27

up, Esau was a

skillful

hunter,

a man of the

field,
It
can also mean

while

Jacob

was a tarn

man,

living

in

tent.

"innocent,"

either

in the

sense of

having

committed a crime

while

being

unaware of certain critical

facts:
and

1 Kings 22:34
of

But

a certain man
.

drew his bow

in his

tarn struck the

king

Israel

or

because

one

is

not capable of suspicion.

Gen. 20:5f.

"Did he

not

himself say to me, 'She is my

sister'?

And

she

herself said, 'He is my brother.' I did this in the tarn of my heart and hands." the innocence of my Then God said to him in the dream, "Yes, I know that you did this in the tarn of your heart; furthermore

it

was

who

kept her.

you

from sinning

against me.

Therefore I did

not

let It is
also used

you touch

to describe the individual

virtue of an

individual
or

man apart

from

whatever virtue might give excellence as a

founder

leader:

Gen. 6:9 Gen. 17:1

These are the descendants of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, tarn in his generation; Noah walked with God. When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to

Abram,
tarn.

and said to

him, "I

am

God

Almighty;

walk

before me,

and

be

In

answer

to Bildad's

statement:

Job 8:20

strengthen the

But surely God will neither have contempt for hand of the evildoer.

a tarn man nor

Job

says:

Job 9:20ff.

am tarn

but He

will show me perverse.

. .

I
.

am

tarn

but I

no

care and or

have only contempt for my life. guilty He destroys all.

longer

Therefore I say

that tarn

For Job, "the

twisted"

'aqaSh

is the only time the

emerges as the prime opposite of the tarn

word occurs

in the text,

This

and seems to

be

a more

forceful

The Book of Job

substitute
verse."

179
"per

for the term, 'aven, bent,

the word we

have been translating

as

Prov. 10:9 Prov. 28:18

Whoever

walks

in

tarn walks securely,

out.

but

whoever

follows

twisted

('aqash)
One

ways will

be found in

who walks
ways will

tarn will

be saved, but

whoever

follows

twisted

('aqash)
What
appear as

fall into the Pit.

appears

to be tarn

from Job's human

perspective

seems
sees

to him to

"the

twisted"

from the divine

perspective.

And

yet

Job

his

tarn as

his only way to justice.

31:6-8
my

Let Him
tarn.

weigh me on the scales of wandered

justice,

and then

God

will

know

of

If my step has

eyes, or a taint stuck

from the way, my heart gone after my to my hand, then let me sow, but another eat, or let
not turn

27:05

my crop be uprooted. Even till death I shall

my

tarn

from

me.

The ambiguity inherent in the tarn may be

statement:

seen

by

comparing Eliphaz's

4:6f.

But may
your ways?

not

that FEAR itself be your surety, and your

whoever

hope,

the tarn of

Think back now,

being

innocent

was ever

lost?

with

Job's
But God
I have become

12:4

now

and

have him

answer'

-a

joke to my friends, one who joke, a tarn, innocent joke!

would

'Call

on

Is the tarn

related

to Eliphaz's

simple acceptance or to

Job's

simple ques

tion? The one looks to the other as a joke. And now Job's whole speech has

been

called tarn.

The Book
Translation

of
and

Job

Commentary

on

Chapters 32 through 38

Robert D. Sacks
St. John 's College, Santa Fe

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

1 Now, the three

eyes.

men ceased to

2 But

Elihu1

the son of

Barachel,2

reply to Job because he was right in his own Ram3 of the House of was angry at Job;
more

fuming, because
burned
against
condemned

he"

considered

himself

just than God. 3 And his

anger

his three friends because they could find no answer but merely Job. 4 Now Elihu held back his words and waited for Job, because
than he was. 5

they

were all older mouths of

But,

when

Elihu

saw

that no answer came

him.5

from the

these three men, anger burned within

of

6 Then Elihu

son

Barachel the

Buzite6

answered

and

said:

"I

am

but

young in years, and you are most venerable, to declare my thoughts in front of you. 7 I
speak, and fullness mortals,
a of years proclaim

and so

shrunk

back

and

FEARED

said to myself

'Let the
there

generations

wisdom.'

8 But surely

is

a spirit not

in

breath

of the
nor

Almighty
is it the

that gives

him

understanding.

9 It is

the

judgment.7

great who are

wise,

elders who understand

thoughts.'

11 I 10 Thus, I say unto you, 'Hear me. I myself shall declare my have waited in expectation for your words and listened for your understanding while you searched for something to say. 12 I observed you carefully and there was
none

to confute Job nor was there an answer to his assertions from any of
of

you.8

saying We have found wisdom; God will defeat him not 14 Now, he has set out no words against me and I shall not reply using your reasonings, 15 for they have been shattered, and can no longer reply. All mean

13 Beware

man.9

ing'0

has left

them."

16 I

waited

in

expectation

till

they had finished

I
shall give

speaking, till
side of

they

stood and

my in my belly declare my thoughts. 18 I am full of words, and the presses upon me; 19 my belly is like wine that has no vent, like jugs of new
could no
shall
wind12

longer

reply.

17 But

now

the matter. I myself

ready to burst; 20 I shall speak, and it will expand me; I shall open my lips and reply. 21 I will show no favor or flatter any man ('adam); for I know
wine
off."

no

flattery. 22 Or may my
The first thirty-one

maker soon

carry

me

chapters of

the translation and commentary appeared

and

bers 2

and

3,

and

Volume 25, Numbers 1

of

Interpretation. The balance

in Volume 24, Num will appear in a

future issue.

interpretation,

Spring 1998,

Vol. 25, No. 3

294

Interpretation

Comments

1. There is something
and the

mysterious about the sudden appearance of this man,

we read on.

mystery will only increase as internal problems of the same many 2. Otherwise 3. Given the
unknown.

As

we shall

see, there are too

sort to account

for

them

by

assuming the

passage was added as a whole without much regard

for the

greater context.

other

cases, the
son of

descendent
at

of

Ram the

reader is naturally led to assume that Elihu is a Hezron. This would place him as either part of or

least

close to the royal

line

of the

House

of

David.

4. It is 3

not perfectly clear 5. Literally, "and his nose and us

who was

the

antecedent

is.
same expression used of

fuming."

This is the

in

verse

6. Let

is commonly, though not exclusively, used look once more at the tree of generations
TERACH I

God.

Sarah

-Abraham

-Katura

Haran

Shua

Nahor-

Lot Milkah
I Bethual I I Uz 1

Iskah

Buz

I
Isaak-Rebekah

Laban
I

Esau

Jakob

Leah

Eliphaz

Judah Perez Hezron Ram

Aminadab

I
Taman

Nahshon

Salmon
Boaz

Eliphaz

Bildad

Obad Jesse David Barachel

I

Job

Barachel
I

Elihu?

Elihu?

The Book of Job

As
we can

295

see, there

as given was of of

in

verse

something misleading about the genealogy of Elihu 2. When we were first introduced to him, we were told that he
was

the House of Ram. We then naturally inferred that he was a descendant

and

Judah,

hence

part

of,

or at

least

close

to, the

royal

line,

the House of

David.

According
brother

to verse

6, however,

this turns out to be deceptive. He

is, in
the

fact,

the progeny of some otherwise

of

unknown

Ram,

descendant

of

Buz,

younger

Uz.

7. One

cannot

help being

moved

initially by

this young man. He seems

with an air of

respectful and

mild, but he also seems to speak

and authority.

Several times he

speaks of the

deference he is

wont

understanding to pay to his

elders, and the FEAR he

feels in rising
out.

to speak among them.

Nonetheless, he

feels strongly that he must speak 8. Again he presents himself

listen to
can others.

young man who was willing to He implies that Job's arguments deserved to be heard before he
as a patient

be

answered. sentence

9. This
the

is

somewhat critical to our attempt

to

understand

Elihu, but

grammer

is

ambiguous. wise

Greenberg
will

translates:

"I fear that

not

you will

have found the

translation may

course; God

defeat him

man.'"

say 'We A more literal

help:
say] [we have

"[Lest] [you
[man]."

found] [wisdom] [God]

marks,
we are

[will defeat

him] [not]

Since Hebrew does

readings:

not use quotation

left

with

two possible

"Lest "Lest

you you

say, 'We have found say, 'We have found

wisdom:

God

will will

defeat him defeat him

man.'"

not
man."

wisdom,'

God

not

It's hard, if

not

impossible,

to know

for

certain either way.

The first reading

will

would mean

that the others wrongfully claim to have found

a certain wisdom, and that their wisdom consists of the

knowledge that "God

other

defeat him,

man."

not

In

other words

Elihu is accusing the

to his questions

three of

believing
within will

that there

is

no answer to

Job

or

which

is

available

the realm of
a

human

understanding.

The

remainder of

his speech, then,

be

purely human

attempt

to answer Job.

According

to the second
a certain
will

they have found

fact only "God
speech

interpretation, he is accusing them of believing that wisdom with which they can defeat Job, whereas in
man."

defeat him

not

If this is how the

verse

is

to

be his

understood, we can only take him to be asserting that the

remainder of

is

spoken with more

than human authority.

10.

"words"

1 1. As
share

we

began to
of

see

in

verse

9, Elihu, in
not

spite of

his piety, like Job, does

seem

not

the horizons

the fathers: "It is

judgment."

the great who are wise, nor

is it the
that

elders who understand

The

words

"no

longer"

to

imply

for

him, too,
12.
or

an older world
"spirit"

has been shattered, but

as yet we

do

not

know the

cause.

296

Interpretation

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

1 "Attend my words, Job. Listen well to each utterance that I make. 2 Be hold, I open my lips, and the tongue in my palate begins to speak. 3 My speech is an upright heart. The thoughts of my lips speak with clarity. 4 The spirit of God has
made

me, and the breath of the

you can.

Almighty

gives me

life.
take your stand.
nipped2

5 Answer me, if

Lay

your case out

before
God,1

me and

6 Here I am, just

from clay, 7

as you

wished, standing in for

heavily.3

though I too was

nor

and terror of me will not overwhelm

you,

does the

pressure

put upon you weigh

too

8 Oh,
word.4

you

have

spoken

it into my ear,
of

and

still

hear the

sound of each no perver

9 T

am

pure,'5

'free

transgression,'6

clean,'7

am

'There is

me,'8

sion about
enemy.'10

10 'He finds
puts

ways

to oppose
stocks."1

me,'9

and

'He thinks

of me as

his

11 'He

my feet in the have

not acted

'He

scrutinizes

my every

wander

ing."2

12 But in this
than any mortal.
count.

you

justly. I

will answer

you, for God is greater

to answer on
note.13

13

Why

do

you vie with

Him? He is

not obliged

15 It 14 Yet God may speak once, even twice, but none take every may be in a dream, or in a vision of the night, when heavy sleep falls upon beds.14 mortals as they slumber in their 16 He
unveils the ears of mortals and places man

His

seal upon

their

discipline,15

17 to turn
(gebher)}%

('adam) away from

action and

conceal16

pride

from the

man

He

will

keep
pain

his

soul

back from the pit,

and

and

his life from perishing

strife.18

by

the

sword.17

20 his bones ceaselessly twist in food.19 His life renders his bread loathsome, and his soul takes no delight in fine 21 His flesh is devoured, no longer to be seen, and his bones are ground away 19 He is tried

by

in his bed

and

disappear.20

22 His

soul

draws

near

to the Muck and his life is

[attracted]

to

[all that] brings death.21. 23 If there only were

tell man
say:
what

messenger,22

an

interpreter23

one

in

thousand, to

som.'26

have mercy on him and (ladam) 'Redeem25 him from descending into the Muck, for I have found his ran 25 'Let his flesh become brighter than youth, and let him return to his
right would
days.'

is

for

him,24

24 he

springtime

26 Let him but

face27

supplicate unto

God

and

he

shall

be

accepted and see

His

with shouts of

joy, for He

shall return

to mortal man his sense of

right

eousness.

27 Let him only stand squarely in front of mortals and say, T have sinned; I have dealt perversely with what was right, and my accounts have not
settled.'

been
and

28 Thus He
in the do
all

shall redeem
light.28

his

soul

from passing into the Muck;

his life

shall see
will soul

29 Yes, God

these things two or three times for a man

made

(gebher),
of

30

to

31

bring Pay heed, Job,

his

back from the Muck to be

and

bright

by

the

light
you

life.

hear me; be

silent and

will speak.

32 If

have the

The Book of Job

words, respond to me.

297
you

Well,

speak!

for I

wish

to

justify

you.

33 But, if
wisdom."29

have nothing, then listen to

me.

Be

silent and

will teach you

Comments 1. hen 'ani kephikha f'el before God

you
"
are."

Greenberg

translates:

"You

and

are

the same

The Revised Standard translates: "Behold, I am towards God as The King James translates: "Behold, I am, according to thy wish in

God's

stead."

It is be. It is

clear that this

or at

is

a critical passage

in

our attempt to understand who

Elihu is,

least

who

he

claims to

be

and perhaps even

believes himself to

also a

very difficult

passage to

understand, as you can tell

"mouth."

by

the vast

discrepancies in
(kephikha). It
"like"

the translations. The problem

come
or

from the

root ph

meaning

lies in the meaning of the word The initial (ke) primarily

"when."

"as,"

means

but its

affect can or

instance,
ending is
objective;

'asher means

"which"

vary greatly in individual cases. For The final (kf'a) "that"; but means
"

a second personal ending. when attached to nouns

When
it is

attached to verbs or prepositions

it is

possessive.

The

problem

is

what

they

mean when

to,"

"according

strung out together. The word kephi usually means something like but looking at several examples may help:
Each morning let each man gather "according woven work "like/after the fashion of a coat of "In
with"

Exod. 16:21 Exod. 28:32 Lev. 25:53 Num. 7:5 Num. 35:8 Zech. 2:4

to"

his

eating.

mail.

accordance man man

his

years

let him

repay.

Each Each

to"

"according "according
horns

his his

work. share.

to"

These

are the

which scattered

Judah, "so

that"

no man could

lift his head. Mai. 2:9 Therefore I

the
people

also

have

made you contemptible and

that"

base before kept my Saul

all

"since/according
are

to
the

you

have

not

ways.

IChron. 12:23

And these
came

the

number of

bands

of the armed troops who

of

to David in Hebron to turn the kingdom

to the
word of
to"

over to

him

"according
2Chron. 31:2
Each
man

the

Lord.

"according

his

work.

As

we can

see, the

expression never means

"the

as."

same

The

closest

it

ever

comes to having that meaning is in Exodus 28:32, but even there provides a pattern for a totally different kind of thing. In all
means

one

thing only
it

other cases

"proportion
which

to"

instance in
The English

the

Unfortunately, there is only one other "according a object is thinking, speaking being, IChronicIes 12:23,
or
words."

to."

and there the expression

next part
word

clearly means "according to His le 'el. In general, it is to look at is the first / in

equivalent word

to the
"be-

"to."

Strictly

speaking, Hebrew has

no

independent

for

298

Interpretation
Thus ha'iti
melech means

come."

"I

was

king"; but

ha'

id fmelech

means

"I

was

to

king,"

or more
words of

simply "I became

the verse, hen
I."

king."

The first

'ani, usually

collapsed

into

hinone word expressions

neni, mean "here am

such as

When

put

together with the

one

finds
to

hinnenu

le '

you"

abhdechah, "we have become

slaves

(Genesis

50:18). 2. berg. 3. For Elihu, Job is

sphere of
own right.
"Nipped"

is

a good word which

confess to

have

"nipped"

from Green

The

anguished perplexities that arise within

the

human

cognition can

find for

themselves no solution

from

within

its

border. For him, too, there is a great world out there beyond the human realm. He has already rejected Bildad's Wisdom of the Fathers,
Job 32:9
It is
not

the great who are wise, nor

is it

the elders who

understand

judgment.

And he has
32:14

seen

the

inadequacy

of the

human horizon.
I
shall not

Now, he has
your

set out no words against me and

reasonings, for they have been shattered, meaning has left them.

and can no

reply using longer reply. All

And

so

he believes he

understands

of the

Jackal. As early

as

why Job has felt himself drawn to the Chapter 9, Job had said
turn

world

Job 9:34f.

But let Him

his

rod

away from

me and not

frighten

me with
myself

His terror, then I

I

would speak out without

FEAR

of

Him; for in

am none of these things.

and again

Job 13:1 9f

Now,
things

as things are me and

can

for

shall no and

only remain silent and perish. But do two longer be hid from your face. Remove
not

Your hand from me,

let

Your terror frighten

me.

At the heart
cannot

of Elihu's understanding of man is the notion that Job's request be fulfilled. Man has not the stamina to face what lies beyond his own

horizons. He
the

offers

himself
can nor

as one

who,

knowing
from

of the

terrors that lie beyond

human sphere,

listen to Job's is there

need

case

within the

human

sphere.

Job

cannot go

beyond, him,
We

4. There is something

eerie about

any longer. this line. Elihu insists that Job had

that

spoken

directly

to

and yet there

is little indication he
He

Job
not

was even aware of

his

existence.

are not

told when

arrived and

do

know

whether what

he had Job has

off.

been there from the

been saying in

beginning

or not.

even seems to

know

a rough

way, and

yet most of

his

quotations are

just

bit

The Book of Job

5. Not found
as

299

such, but

cf.

8:6, 11:4, 16:17.

6. Not found
7. Not found 8. Not found 9. Not found
10. 13:24 11. 13:27 12. 13.27 13. With

as such. as such. as

such, but

cf.

13:26.

as such.

a view to what will

be

said

in the has

following

note, it

might

be

wise

to remind ourselves of

how the

author
point.

used

the word that

we

have trans "to take

lated "to take

a

note of allow

thing is to

up to this it to become

In general, "to take

world, and,

note of a person or

a part of our

hence,

not

note of a person or a

thing is

not

to

allow

it to become

a part of our world.

Job 7:8 Job 17:13-15

in

The
and

eye that sees me takes no note of me; your eye

is

upon

me,

am not.

If I

must take the

darkness;

call out to the muck

'Sister'

Pit to be my home, and spread 'Thou art my

to the maggots,

out

my

couch

Father'

and call out who will

'Mother'

and

Oh my hopes,
o'er;

ever take note of them?

Job 20:9

The
note of

eyes that observed

him have

given

they

no

longer take

him in his
me"

place.

Job 24:15
Job 33:14

An

adulterous eye watches at

and

note of

he

conceals

twilight, saying; "No his face. twice, but

none

eye will

take

Yet God may

speak once, even

take note.

14. There

is, for Elihu,

to

one contact that man

which we can

has

with

the realm beyond man.

That

contact

is sleep; sleep in

see,

and yet not

"take

note."

There

we can allow ourselves

perceive all

those things we would

keep

distant from

our

daily

lives.
spelled

Zophar had already

Job 20:7-9

it

out:

like his
him

own

dung

he

will

be lost in

eternity.

Even those

who see

will ask

"Where is
recedes

he?"

He flies

off as a

dream
The

and no one can

find him. He
him have

like

a vision of the night. no

eyes that observed

place.

given

o'er;

they

longer take

note of

him in his

As

we shall

see, Elihu is not only

"But,"

thinking

of what

is

said

in the Torah:

Exod. 33:20f.

live."

and

he said, "you cannot see my face, for no And the LORD continued, "See, there is
rock; rock,
and while and

one shall see me a place

by

me

where you shall stand on the will put you

my glory

passes

by

in

a cleft of the
passed

will cover you with

my
and

hand

until

I have

by;

then I will take

shall

you shall see

my back; but my face

away my hand, not be

seen."

300
and

Interpretation

Num. 12:6f.

And he said, "Hear my words: When there are prophets among you, I the LORD make myself known to them in visions; I speak to
them
all

so with my servant Moses; he is entrusted with house. With him I speak face to face clearly, not in riddles; my then were you not afraid and he beholds the form of the LORD. Why

in dreams. Not

to speak against my servant

Moses?"

Primarily he has in
Job 7:13-15

mind

Job's

own statement:

When I said that my bed will show me compassion and my couch bear my complaint, You frightened me with dreams and terrified me with visions and I preferred strangulation and death to my own
substance.

Job has already been where he wishes to go in the only way in and he has seen for himself that it is no place for waking man. Job is
unjust

which

he can,

because he judges in terms

of

his

own world

things that can

only be fairly judged in terms of a world into which he can 15. An act intended to teach, but usually implying force:
Lev. 26:22f. I
will

never enter.

let loose

wild animals against

you of your children and

destroy

your

you, and they livestock; they

shall

bereave

shall make you spite of this

few in number,

and your roads shall

be deserted. If in
I

discipline,
sevenfold

you

have

not

turned

back to me, but

you:

continue

hostile to

me, then I too

will continue

hostile to

myself will strike you

for

your sins.

16. "covered
17.

over"

Man, for Elihu, has only

realm of

vague

intimations

of the

frightful Pit

that

lies

beyond the
not meant

human ken
warn.

the Muck. Irrational fear is

God's signpost,
that our conceit

to punish
us

but to

It is

our
we

has brought

to the edge of the pit

only way of do not see. have

seen

knowing
in the

7:13-15

18. Job knows this only too well, cited in note 14.

as we

quotation

from Job

19. And this:

Job 6:7

They

are

like

a contagion

in my

daily

bread.

20. And this

as well:

Job 30:17

By
ceases.

night

my bones

are whittled away, and the

gnawing

never

The Book of Job

And
more yet

301
is

Job

continues.
and

He knows this
of guilt

all

too well. But for

Job,

the world
guilt:

complicated,

feelings
am

do

not of

themselves

imply

Job 9:20

Though I

just my

own mouth would condemn me.

21. This seems to be at the heart of Elihu's conviction that man must be kept from peering beyond his own horizon. The human fear of what is beyond the human is a divine gift. The fear of death is a divine rectification of the fascina
tion that the human soul
elaborate at this point.

feels for death. So

kind

much

he says, but he does

not

22. Or

"angel"

or some word

of more

23. The

has two
stands

meanings.

It

can mean

divine being. See 1:14, 4:18, and 33:2. interpreter," "an in the simple
people who speak two

sense of one who

between two
live
the other.

different lan
the

guages,
thoughts

and to that extent who

of one

under

different horizons,

and makes

intelligible to

Gen. 42:23

They
with

did

not

know that Joseph

understood

them,

since

he

spoke

them through an
also

interpreter. had been interpreter (or envoys) of the sent to him to inquire about

2Chron. 32:31

So

in the

matter of the who

officials of sign that order

Babylon,

the

had been done in the land, God left him to himself, in to test him and to know all that was in his heart.

Its

more regular

meaning

by far, however,
not

is "to

scoff:

Isa. 28:22

Now therefore do

scoff, or
of

your

bonds

will

be

made

stronger;
of

for I have heard

upon

decree

destruction from

the

Lord GOD

hosts

the whole land.

Various best I
can

attempts

have been

made

to understand how the two are related. The

do is to

quote

Isaiah:

Isa. 43:27

Your first
me.

ancestor

sinned, and your interpreters transgressed against

Job 16:20,

on the other

hand,

seems to require

something like
argue

Oh my advocates, my friends, my eyes weep before God. Will no one MAN (gebher) before God as a man ('adam) should do for a friend?

for

perhaps

in the

sense of those

that can make

his

case

intelligible to

others.

For Elihu, Job is right, the human

voice cannot make cannot

itself heard in the

a man

highest He

court.

Job's

"advocate,"

his

"friend,"

be just

like himsellf.

must

be "an

interpreter,"

one who can stand

between God

and man.

302

Interpretation
man's
man"

24. Greenberg's translation: "To declare the

seems rather

less

man,"

likely
which

because it takes f'adam to

mean

"for the
still

than "to a

is

bit

strange after

the

word

"to tell"; but

it is

not

impossible.

25.
Exod. 13:15 When Pharaoh stubbornly
to let
us

refused

go, the LORD killed

the all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from human firstborn to male LORD the to every firstborn of animals. Therefore I sacrifice that

first

opens the womb,

but every firstborn

of

my

sons

redeem.

Like Israel, the

a

whole of mankind

lies in debt for the

conditions of

their own

debt that they have not the means to pay. Man does not own the being, surface world. It is not his to inquire into and to enlarge its borders. If not paid one richer than man, it will all soon turn itself into Muck. for

by

26. Cf.
Isa. 43:3 For I
give

am

the LORD your

God,

the

Holy

One

of

Israel,

your

Savior. I
you.

Egypt

as your

ransom, Ethiopia

and

Seba in

exchange

for

27. This
world

"interpreter"

would conquer all

the frightful things that live in the

of

beyond the
to 3:8.

world of man.

The terrible face

God

would now

become

the home of

joyous

man.

See

note

Isa. 27:1
ps. 74:14

And

on

that

day
the

the

Lord

shall punish the

Leviathan.

You

crushed

head

of the

Leviathan

and gave

it

as

food to

the

people of

the island.

Job

would stand where

he

could not stand

before

and

laugh

where there was

only horror because the horror would have been banished. 28. Job, for his part, has only to confess to a sin that by its not and cannot know that he has committed. Primarily, as Elihu
means

nature points

he does
out, this
note

accepting the

"perversion"

notion of

as

it

was

discussed in that has

a

long

to 11:6. Job's old

hopes,

that the

human

perspective

legitimate

place

in

any but his

ultimate account of soul will

things,

will still

"be

all

heaped together in the

Muck,"

be

redeemed and pass

beyond it.

29. Job has

no answer and remains silent.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

1 Then Elihu
me,
us

answered and said:

2 "Hear my

words ye wise

men; give ear to

all you who

know, 3 for

the ear tests words as the palate tastes

food. 4 Let

choose1

for

ourselves what

is

lawful2

so that we

may know among ourselves

The Book of Job

what

303

is

good.

5 Now Job has said; T

justice,'4

am

right'3

and

'.

that

God

who

has thrown
me'5

aside all
and

6 T declare false the judgment my claims for 'The arrow was mortal, though I was without

made against

transgression.6

7 What

man

8 joins (gebher) is there like Job who drinks up mockery as if it were company with those who deal in wickedness and walks with mortal men of evil? 9 For he has said, 'It is of no use to a man (gebher) that he be in GOD's favor.'8
water,7

10 And so,

you

men9

of

Almighty
God does Him the
and

from

evil.

11 As

a man

heart, hear me; far be God from injustice and the (ladam) labors so shall he be recompensed,

and wherever a man

not cause

wanders, that is where he will find himself. 12 Now surely, wickedess, nor does the

Almighty
cared

turn

judgment

aside.

13 Who laid

charge upon

Him to
orb?

care

for the

earth?

Or

who placed upon

whole of this

fruitful

14 If He
all

to, he

could gather

His

spirit

His breath back into Himself, 15

to
dust.10

flesh

would perish and man

('adam)

would return

16 If there is
sound of

such

thing

as

understanding, listen to this. Attend to the

my

words.

17 Shall

even

he that hates judgment bind

who can

up?"

Would
'You

you
are

condemn12

the Magnificent Just

or

One, 18 He

say to

king

worthless,'

to the nobles, 'You are guilty

men,'

19

who shows no

favor to

any liege, or recognizes the prince above the pauper, since they are the works of His hand, every 20 They can die in a moment; the people tremble at midnight, and pass on.
one?13

The mighty
there

are

turned aside, but

by

no

[human] hand, 21 for His

steps.

eyes are upon

the ways of man, and He watches

his every

22 There is
to

no

darkness

and
nor

is

no

Shadow

of

Death for the

worker of wickedness

hide in, 23

has He

ever yet accorded

it to

man

that he go with

God into

judgment.14

and sets others up in knowing 25 Surely, He can recognize their deeds; Everything turns to night, and they are crushed. 26 He slaps them down along with the guilty in full view of all 27 because they turned away from Him and do not comprehend His 28

24 He

shatters

the magnificent, no

how many,

their place.

ways of
needy.15

bringing
29 But,

the cries of the poor unto

when

Himself; for He hears

If He
a nation or

the cry of the

He is silent,
note16

who can condemn?

should

hide His

face,
30 have

who will even take

of

Him, be it

be it

a single man

(Warn)?17

Mankind18

has been

polluted

by kingship,
bear it

those who ensnare the people.

31 For he has
not

said unto

God T

will

all and offend no more.

32 What I
longer."9

seen, teach me. If I have done

not payment you must of

injustice, I

shall persist

in it

no

33 Should
tempt? It

for it be

required20

of you
you

because

you

had

such con

is

answer, not I. Whatever

and

know then,
who

speak! me will

34

Men21

heart,

every

wise man and

(gebher)
his

listen to

'Job has

spoken without

trials know no

knowledge, limit, because his answers

37 He
adds sin upon
God."

words

lack

insight.'

36

say 35 May Job's

and

are no

different from those

slaps us

men"

of the

of wickedness.

transgression,

in the face,

continually

speaks against

304

Interpretation

Comments
to note that Elihu

1. It is
inquiry.

interesting

speaks

in terms

of choice rather than

2.

mishpath

3. "I

right."

am

Not found

as such.

But

see

9:15

and

10:15:

Job 9:15

But
plead

even though

am

in the right

still

cannot

do it. Yet I

must

for

what seems

to me just. the grief

Job 10:15

Well, if I have been guilty

right I have been
in me.

is mine, but

even when

am

so sated with reproach that no

feeling

of

honor is left

4.
Job 27:2

By
justice,

the the

life

of

that

God
has

who

has

thrown aside all

[my

claims

for]

Almighty

embittered

my

soul!

5. Not found

as such. as such.

6. Not found
Job 6:3f.

But

see:

And thus I
upon me and

speak without spirit

care, for the

arrows of

the

Almighty

are

my

drinks in their

venom.

7. The
appear of

significance of

till the end of

"tasting"

the word

up from the time Job's friends Elihu's speech is markedly different from the connotations as we discussed them in the note to 12:11.
"drinking"

as

it

shows

The

complete

list

of quotations

is:

Job 6:2-4
all

"Would that my indignation could truly be weighed, my calamities laid out together on a scale! then would it raise up even the sands

of the seas.

And thus I in

speak without

care, for the

their

arrows of

the

Almighty
Job 15:16
And

are

me and

my

spirit

drinks in

venom."

what of

that

abhorred and corrupted

one, man, who drinks up

injustice like

water!

Job 21:20

Let his
cruet of

eyes see

his

own ruin and

let him drink

of the

Almighty's

fury.
man

Job 34:7

What

(gebher) is

there

like Job

who

drinks up mockery

as

if it

were water?

In this

section of the

book,

"drinking"

implies

taking into

oneself, even

greedily, the uglinesses of the outside world. For

coming to terms with them.

of

But for Eliphaz

and

for Elihu it is only

Job it is the first step in a final way

succumbing to them.

The Book of Job

8. Not found
with those who as such.

305

Nonetheless, Elihu's
serious
was

charge that

deal in
guilt
so

wickedness and walks with men of

evil,"

Job "joins company while it may at

first

sound

like

by
as

association, is

indeed. For

long

time now Job

has known that

way the
time

far

he

could

tell, he
men

the

first

man

to ask in a searching
ways since

questions that
and

thoughtless

have

raised

in thoughtless

began,
much.

Job knows that he has

no proof that

the difference counts

for

very 9.

"mortal"

10. Job's

view

of

man, Elihu argues, presupposes

an

independent

world

obeying its own laws and following its own nature. It assumes a world that has been placed into God's hands for safekeeping and to which He therefore has
certain of

duties be

and obligations.

But there is

no such world.
man

The

whole structure

the world is an expression of His spirit. For

as

to

demand justice from God

would

if

we

had been hauled into

to
the

court no

dreams. With
been
given
.

respect

God,
hand

man of

has

by a character in one of our own being apart from the part that has
considering the
other passages

to him
can

by

God.
means

1 1 One

best

see what

Elihu

by

in

which the word

has been
for He

used:

Job 5:18

causes pain,

but He binds up, He wounds, but His hands rivers hidden things light.

heal. Job 28:11 He binds up the

flowing

and the

come to

Elihu purposely uses 12. Literally, "find 13. Job does ill to

a word that can

have

either a violent or gentle meaning.

guilty"

his understanding of justice by considering it as it reveals itself purely from within the human prospective. This, argues Elihu, is true for two reasons. True justice requires the notion of equality before the law.
establish

equally deriva because they are all equally the work of the hand of God, and God is equally above all. That also implies a mutual recognition of the limitations of the human sphere which apply to all
visible when all men are seen as

But that equality only becomes

tive from that which is beyond

man.

Men

are equal

men as such.

For Elihu, both the judge

and the standard of judgment must come

with structured political

from beyond.

Equality before

the law is compatible

life

only if that equality has

man.

a prepolitical

foundation, but

that world is closed to

14. Although there Elihu is trying to

charges:

are no

direct quotations, it is
what

clear that

in these

verses

address

himself to

Job

sees as the most serious of

his

Job 7:12
Job 14:13

Am I the

sea or some monster that

You

set watch over me? and conceal me till your

Who

can move

You to hide

me

in

the

Pit

anger passes?

Set

me a

fixed limit

and remember me.

306

Interpretation
Then
no

Job 14: 16

longer

would

You

keep

track of

my every step,

or

be

on

the watch

for my

sin.

God precisely where Job had questioned. If divine justice were to model itself after human justice, as Job implies, it would leave itself open to justice. Its all the wrangling, loopholes, and ambiguities that mark human Elihu
praises
whole

force

resides

in its unknown,

and

hence

unquestionable character.

15. Human justice is inadequate to deal

cannot reveal show

with

to men the cosmic significance of

human misdoing because it their actions. It can at best

that one or more other human beings object to the act, which would, of

course, ultimately

imply
it

nothing

more than

the rule of the

strongest.

If

an act

is
of

to be seen as sinful

must

be

merely human concern. weak are heard. 16. The

word

Only

seen as violating an order beyond the sphere in that way can it become clear that the weak

as

is intended to

remind

Job

of much of what

he had

said.

Job 7:8 I Job 17:15 Job 20:9

The

eye

that sees me takes no note of me; your eye

is

upon me, and

am not.

Oh my hopes, The
note of

who will ever take note of them?

eyes that observed

him have

given

o'er;

they

no

longer take

him in his

place.

17. I believe that God

can

by

"If He

should as

hide His is

face"

he

means

that the acts of

disguise themselves

acts of chance.
part

times the

unknown source of retribution

He may be implying that at of its force, but it is not clear.

longer."

18.

man

('adam) injustice, I
a man shall persist

19. "If I have done

in it

no

Human justice is

fundamentally flawed; perversions of the fathers,

held to account,

may have been unjust without those for which, according to Elihu,

knowing

it. The
to be

we are still

are not and can never

or

become

visible

from

within the political

horizon. Kingship,

indeed any

political

regime, in order to establish

its

own

legitimacy,

must neglect all prior claims.

Only
seen

the

individual

can

do

expiation chil

acknowledging this debt, dren. See note to 11:6.

by

as we

have
fit"

in the

case of the

Egyptian

20. Others translate "as

"from-with-you."

you see

or

means

It usually

appears

something like it. Literally, the word in such contexts as "What does the it
him"

Lord

you?"

ask of

(Deut.

10:12)

or

"I
"I

will require

of

(Deut. 18:10), but

one can also

Lord"

find

passages such as

and

my kingdom

are guiltless

before

the

(2Sam 3:28).

My
in

own sense of the passage as a whole seems

to go along

better 21.
22.

with the usage

Deuteronomy 18:10,

but in the

main

I have tried to

help

the reader

decide for himself.

"mortal"

"mortal"

The Book of Job

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

307

1 Then Elihu
to say
all

answered and said:

2 "Is that

what you

think to

be judgment?

'My

righteousness
you?

is

greater than

God's?"

or when you

say 'How does

will answer

this

benefit

How

am

I better

off

than if I had sinned'? 4 I

with you.

your

words,

you

and

your

friends along
nebula,2

heavens
have

and see.

Take

note of the

how high

above you

5 Just look up into the it is. 6 If you

multiply
your

sinned

how

could you perturb

it,3

and even
you were

if

you

transgres
you add

sions, how could you affect it? 7 Or if

righteous, what would

evils4

to it? What could it gain from your hand? yourself,

and your righteousness great oppression
none who

8 Your

fall

upon men

like

is for

sons of man

('adam).5

9 Under
arms:

10 but 11

the night;
wiser

they cry out; they scream to be saved from mighty say 'Where is God my maker, the one who makes songs in teaches us more than the beasts of the earth; and makes us
of the
sky.'6

than the

birds

men.

12 There they cry out, but He gives no answer to the majestic pride of evil 13 Oh vanity; God will not listen, nor will the Almighty take note. 14
since you and

Particularly
before Him
present

have

said that you yourself take no note.

writhe7

Yet the
since

case

is

for Him

you must

[in

uncertainty].8

15 But

for the
as

He does

not exert

His anger, he
mouth.

foolishly
grows

misunderstands.

16 And

for
no

Job, futility

pours

from his

He

heavy

with words and

has

comprehension."

Comments

1. Not found

as such.

2. The

notion of

"the

nebula"

is

somewhat complicated

for Elihu. See

note

to Job 36:28.

3. Others translate

"Him"

throughout, but there

seems

to me no reason for

doing

so.
[acts]"

4. Literally, human

"guilty
cosmos
pull

5. For Elihu the

concerns.

The

that Job felt into a

is wholly indifferent to the fate of man and to realm larger than the human realm Job is
al
"justice"

dangerously misdirected. In flirting with the world of the Jackal, lowing himself to become enmeshed in a world in which the word
is
mute sound which symbolizes nothing.

is

6. Job had

said:

Job 10:3-4

Does it

seem good to

You that You oppress, that You have

contempt

for the toil Have You

of your own eyes of

hand, but
'

shine upon the counsel of the

guilty

flesh?

308

Interpretation
cannot

But he human
nence

know

what

oppression

is. Those

who

wonder

beyond the

realm cannot marvel at the night songs of nature, or at man's preemi creatures to

among the

be found there. To

man

it is

frightful

place.

He

is

crushed and can see nothing.

7. On the

irony

of this verse, see notes

. .

to 39:1.
what reason

matters

8. "There, they cry out. not, beyond the human

This is
what

For Elihu, to be attracted, for

sphere of

it

gance."

he had in

mind when

understanding is to he said:

act with

"arro

Job 34:36-37

May

Job's trials know

of

no

limit, because his

answers are no

different from those transgression, God.

the

men of wickedness.

He

adds sin upon

speaks against

slaps us

in the

face,

and

continually

For him, the God

can

world

beyond the

world of

human

concern

is

a world

devoid

of

the concept of justice. There

is nothing in terms of which man can speak so that listen. Man among the jackals is left in fear and total uncertainty.

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

1 And Elihu
you.

continued to speak:

2 "But

wait a

bit for
will

me and

will show

There is has

still another word

to be said for God. 3 I

from
who

afar to show simple

my Maker rightous. knowledge is among you.

fetch my knowledge 4 Indeed, my words are not false. One

5 God is mighty and shows no contempt mighty in strength of heart. 6 He gives no life to the guilty but grants judgment to the poor 7 and turns not His eyes from the righteous. As for kings
exalted.
'

about to ascend the

throne, He
and

seats them

forever,

and

they

are

8 But if they
gressions.

are

bound in fetters

trapped in cords of affliction, 9 He

reminds them what

they have done

and that

they

can prevail over

their trans

10 He

unveils their ears to admonition.

they they
He

will complete their cannot

days in prosperity

and

11 If they can hear and obey, their years in delight. 12 But if for

hear, they
14

will perish

by

the sword, and pass on without

why.2

13 The impious
whores.3

of

heart

put on anger and will not

cry

out

knowing help when

afflicts them.

They

died

when their soul

was

yet

young, for it lived

He tears from their poverty and unveils their ears by force, lured away from the edge of into a broad place, free of stress, and their table is laden with sumptuous fare. 17 You have fulfilled the judgment of the guilty and so judgment and justice
poor

among 15 But the

16

then

they

are

narrowness4

have laid hold

of you.

18 Beware lest 19 Will

fury

turn you to

derision

or a great of

ransom pull you aside.

your cries

for help,

even with

determination

The Book of Job

strength,
people you

309

bring

order to

life in

distress?5

20 Do

not pant

by

night eager to raze

what

from their

places.

21 Beware, do
poverty.6

not turn to

wickedness, for that is

have

chosen rather than

22 Behold, God is exalted in His power. Who can guide like Him? 23 Who injustice?' can oversee His ways? or say to Him, 'Thou hast done
exalt His works of which mortals sing. 25 Every man has beheld Him. Mortals have looked upon Him from ('adam) 26 Behold, God is exalted but we cannot know. The number of His years cannot be unearthed. 27 He draws up droplets of water, and the moisture refines
afar.7

24 Remember then to

itself into His

upon

mist

28 that flows together into

nebula8

and

trickles back down

mankind.9

29 Who
canopy?

can comprehend

the expanse of the clouds, the roarings under His

out over

30 He

spreads

His light

it

and covers over

upon

the roots of the

sea, 31 for

with them

He

pronounces

judgment

the nations, and provides

and commands
anger

food in
it to

abundance.

32 He

covers over the

lightning

in His hand

strike at

its

mark

33 But the roaring tells

of

Him, amassing His

against

injustice."10

Comments
1 Elihu began the
.

chapter

by

saying, "There is

still another word more

to

be

said

for

God,"

as

if

what

he

was about

consequent to what

he had

said

to say were before. He speaks

kind

of additional thought

of

"fetching

his knowledge

from

afar"

and stresses the truth of what reiterates

he is

about to say.
and

Before going into it, bit shocking, but it

however, he
must

his

commitment to

justice
and

to the cause of the poor.

a

What he then has to say is, indeed, new, be understood properly: "As for kings
about

indeed

to ascend the throne, He seats them

forever,

and

they

are

exalted."

Taken in

and
of

by itself,
Kings."

this

verse reads much much

like

what we would call

"the

Divine Right
verses that

However

this statement may be qualified in the turn out to

follow,

and no matter

how

critical those qualifications

be,

the

verse must

be faced in itself.
of man

For Elihu, the home

visible universe

is

the

only

proper

home for

man.

Nothing
that

in the

beyond the

realm of man can support the

the political sphere. In that sense, there can be no such

or prepolitical

is to say, human, thing as Natural Right, is to be

Self-Evident Truths

upon

which

the political regime

founded,
2. God.

and

therefore in the light

of which

it

can

be

questioned.

Monarchy

is limited
who

not

by

inalienable rights, but

by

divine

providence.

Even foreign tyrants

intend

no good

become tools in the

unseen

hands

of

310

Interpretation
And
of the of

2Kings 24:2

the

LORD
and

sent against

him bands

of the
and

Chaldees,
of

and

bands

Syrians,
the

bands

of the

Moabites,
Judah to
spake

bands

the children

Ammon,
word of

and sent them against

destroy it,
his

according to
the prophets.

the

LORD,

which

he

by

servants

3. Literally, 4.
sar

"holy

ones,"

but the

reference

is clearly to

pagan

temple whores.

just Job's feelings. See

of

note

to 6:23.

5. The meaning
obsessed with anger at

the text is

obscure.

Greenberg
much

translates: "Though you are

the case of the wicked, the justice of the case will

be

upheld.

Let

his

affluence not mislead wealth avail

you; let

bribery
full
of

not turn you aside.

efforts?"

Will

your

limitless

you, all your powerful

you are

The Revised Standard translates: "But

wicked; judgment
scoffing: and
avail and

the judgment
entice

of

the

justice

seize

you.

Beware lest

wrath

you

into

let

not

the greatness of the ransom turn you aside. Will your cry
or all the
strayed

to

keep

you

6. Job, like a has, in that sense, become

be
as one of them.
will

from distress, guilty man, has

force

strength

of your
realm of

beyond the

human

society.

He

an outlaw

to follow them may be of little importance.

among Once there, he

other outlaws.

What tempted him

will

find himself to
and

He may have
that there

entered

fully

determined to find justice justice. For Elihu,

no

order, but he
will go

find

is nothing
in
which

of them
of

to be found there. His cries

no son of con

unheard, nothing there will remind him

Adam

can remain

just in

a world

there

is

foundation for the

cept of

justice.
as the

7. Therefore, insofar
point not

human horizons

point

its laws, but to God and His guiding not a time for inquiry, but a time for song and exaltation. 8. The root of the word we have translated as
to nature and
"nebula"
away"

beyond themselves, they providence. It is

"to

means

wear

or

"to

pulverize or

beat into

a powder":

Exod. 30:34f.

The LORD

said to

Moses: Take

sweet

spices, stacte, and

onychia, and galbanum, sweet spices

equal part of

with pure

frankincense (an
as

each), and

make an

incense blended

by

the

perfumer, seasoned with salt, pure and

some of

holy;

and you shall

beat

it into powder,

and put part of

it before the

covenant

in the

tent of meeting where I shall meet with you;

most

it

shall

be for

you

holy.

or

2Sam. 22:43

I beat them into

a powder

like the dust

of the

earth, I crushed

them and stamped them

down like the

mire of the streets.

In that sense,

we

have already

seen

the root used in Job:

The Book of Job

Job 14:19 The
waters

31 1

have

worn the stones

away

and

its torrents have

washed

away the dust of the land.

As

noun, it first

refers

the

dustlike

particles

in their

smallness and

their

manyness.

When Isaiah

says:

Isa. 40:15

Behold,
considered

the nations are

like

drop

out of a

like the dust

as

on

the [pans of a] balance:

bucket, and are behold, he lifts up

the

islands

if they

were a

fleck.

the
of

imagery
dust
on

gathers

it force from the fact

is beyond
man's

that although the number of particles

the

pan

nothing, since
purchase.

no one

feels

cheated when

capacity to count, together they mean they are weighed in along with his is broken up daily:
and the clouds

Often it is
Prov. 3:20

used of a

temporary

whole which

By

his knowledge the depths

the dew.

are

broken up,

[nebulae] drop down

Sometimes it is
in itself
of a more

enduring thing, but

one can still see that the nebula

almost

was once a mass of separate

until

bits,

shapeless,

liquidlike

cluster

individual fragments
Prov. 8:28

God

made

them stand

firmly

together as a whole:

when

he

made

firm the
of

skies

[nebulae]

above,

when

he

established

the

fountains

the

deep,

At

other times

it looks
be

more

lasting:
faithful

Ps. 89:37

It

shall

established

for

ever as

the moon, and as a

witness

in heaven.

9.

man

('adam)
to

10.

According

Elihu,

the visible universe beyond man

is directed

by

the

hand

of God solely towards the good of man and

his

concerns:

He
them

spreads

His light

out over

it

and covers over the roots of the

sea, for

with

He

pronounces

judgment

upon

the nations, and provides

food in

abundance.

If Job is tempted into that world, however, he will be faced only by the nebula and the constant roaring. To man, God's labyrinthine complex of deli cately interwoven incoherent nebula.
Throughout the
or ends will seem no more than a

roaring

mass of

anger, an

passage

Elihu

speaks of

the way in which God covers over

hides from

mankind

the frightful origins as

they

manifest

themselves

in the

312
"roots

Interpretation
of

the

sea"

and notion

"the

strikes."

thing

of

Elihu's

lightning that that Job, by his demand

placed

We have already

seen some

to question, threatens to
man and

break

through the

barrier that God has

He
unveils

between

his destruction:
their

Job 33:17

the ears of mortals and places

man

His

seal upon

discipline,
over)

to turn

('adam)
the man

pride them

from

away from action and conceal (cover (gebher). He will keep his soul back

from

the

Pit,

and

his life from perishing

thoughts:

by

the

sword.

Job, too,
23:17

at one time

had

such

was not

destroyed

by

the

darkness only because He had

concealed

[covered over] its thick

murk

from

me.

Even

now

it is

a struggle

for Job, but for him the question,

and the need to see at each

for oneself,
turn.

and with one's own

human eyes, keeps reasserting itself

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

1 "At this too my heart trembles and leaps from its place. 2 Listen, listen to the in His voice and the groaning that comes up out of His mouth. light2 3 Straight down it comes under the whole of heaven. His goes out to the
rage1

well

ends of the

earth, 4
pride,4

and

then,
none

His

majestic

but

roaring that hear His

voice.3

He thunders

with

the voice of

voice can pursue.

5 God thunders
down,'

His voice, working great things, though we can never know them. 6 For to the Snow He says 'fall to the and to the rain 'pour and
marvels with
ground,'

the rain

is

downpour

of

His

might.

7 The

whole of

mankind5

He has
a

mortal as one of

His works, 8 like

when the

sealed up beast that

so

that

they may know

each

goes

in for

shelter and settles

down into its lair 9

place.6

tempest comes out of its chamber, cold

of

from its
light

scattering
cast

10 The breath
weighs

God turns

all

to

ice,

and

the wide waters are

and the

like bronze. 11 He
out

down the
a

clouds with

moisture,

ning-cloud spews

its bolt. 12 On

topsyturvy

course

He
of

steers them to
orb.

accomplish all that

He has
or

commanded them upon the

face His

this fruitful

13 Whether Job. Stand

by

love

by

the

lash,

so

He founds it

upon

land.7

at attention and contemplate the wonders of

God. 15 Do
appears?8

14 Hear this, you know

how God lays know how the

or even

charge upon clouds are

His

cloud when the radiation

16 Do

you

how

your

southern

wind?9

knowledge? 17 clothing keeps you warm when the land has respite from the 18 Can you beat the nebula into a great expanse, firm as a
what shall we

kept in

balance,

the wonders of simple

mirror cast

like
us

molten metal?

19 Tell

then,

say to Him? We

cannot

lay

out our case

The Book of Job

because Can
of the

313

a man speak when not a

darkness. 20 Does anything get through he is about to be swallowed

man

to Him when I speak?

up?10

21 Now,
nebula,
comes
a

sees

the

light though it

shine

blinding
of

bright in the

not till a golden

passing

spirit shall make them

pure."

22 Out

the north there

splendor.

mighty
abundant

none will

A frightful majesty rests upon God. 23 The Al find Him. He is ever multiplying in might and in right12,
neither wrack nor
reason.13

in

judgment; giving

24 Thus

mortals14

hold

in

FEAR15

the one whom even the wise of heart have never

seen."

Comments
1. A
that Job has seen in

passion

God, in

earth, and in man:

Job 3:17

There the guilty

cast off their rage and there rest those whose power

is
Job 3:26 Job 9:6

spent.

was not at

ease, I was not quiet, I had no rest, but

came."

rage pillars quake!

Who

can cause the earth to reel

from its

place till

its

Job 12:6
Job 14:1

Oh,
Man

there

is

peace enough

in the tents

of robbers and

those who enrage

God,

which
of

God Himself has

placed
and

security for in their hand.

of rage.

('adam) is born

woman, short-lived

full

2. It is very hard to know

"lightning,"

what

to do at this

point.

Most translate
means.

by

the
the

word word

and, clearly enough, that is

simple ear.

what

Elihu
and

However,

he

uses

is the

the word

first hits the

everyday word for light, This way of speech gives

and

that is indeed the way

one a much

better

sense of

Elihu's

feeling
in

for the dramatic it

his

sense

that the fearful lies close behind

the mundane. What can be more peaceful,

and yet a moment can

more of an airy nothing than light, roaring lion. 3. With his warning words, "Listen, listen well to the Elihu is trying in will if to give Job some picture sound of what he see he wanders off into the

become

rage,"

land

of

the Jackal

and should cross over

beyond the

world of man with

human

eyes and

human

ears.

To him, the divine have

a

will appear as

the bestial.

4. Here

again we

term wholly indifferent to good or

bad, human,

superhuman,

or subhuman:

Job 8:11
Job 10:16 Job 35:12

Can
marsh?

papyrus grow

[show its

majestic

pride]

where there

is

no

You

must

feel the

majestic pride of a

lion in

hunting

me?

There they cry out, but He

evil men.

gives no answer to the majestic pride of

Job 38:11 Job 40:10

Here your [majestically] proud waves must come to rest. Come, deck yourself out in majestic pride and dignity.

5.

"man"

('adam)

314

Interpretation
sphere winter

of

6. Elihu likens the way in which man has been sealed up within the human understanding to a beast settled down in its den for the long
the cold wind

when

blows

and nature

is inhospitable. The

cave

is

man's

only

shelter

from

a world which, no matter what chaos to man.

it may be in itself, is only His

commands

a cold

and

frightful

7. The

ways

in

which

God

accomplishes
would seem

and orders course

this

fruitful orb, if he indifferent to its 9. Elihu

our

were end.

to

face it, is full

to man a

topsyturvy

totally

8. For Elihu, the

world

of wondrous events.

means that and

if

even the simplest

things, the things

we

rely

on most

in

daily lives,
are

hence the things

which are most at

hand

within

the human

sphere,
what

in fact
4

unknown

to man, why, then, should he expect to understand

is beyond that
verse

sphere?

10. In
edge

of

Chapter 36, Elihu had said, "One This turns

out

who

has

simple

knowl

is among
of which

you."

to be

far from the truth. There is it

will

no court

in

front

Job

can

lay
no

out

his case,

certain that

be heard
a

and adjudi

cated.

He feels himself

a man about

to be swallowed up
whether

by

totally indifferent
is directed from
who

nebular world. outside of

He has

way

of

knowing

that world

itself

by

the hands of an all-knowing, all-caring

God

listens to

the prayers and needs of man or not. "Does anything get through to Him when I
speak?"

For him, however, there is

or consider.

no alternative

to

a steadfast

belief in

an

all-

loving
can

God

other than the senseless roar of the

stormy

nebula which no man

face

11. Elihu's final belief is that

nebula.

one

day

a spirit will pass

by

to purify the
always

On that

day

man will see that

from the

beginning

there

had

been

blinding
12.
13.
lo'

light shining bright in the nebula, though

ya'aneh.

not one a man could see.

"judgment"

This is

a complicated

reproduce

in English
and

by

a single word. same word

play on words which I was not able to On the one hand the verb ('nh) means

"to

answer,"

is the

that has occurred so often in that stock

phrase, "And X

said."

answered and
will

In

fact,

the very next chapter, which is

only

one verse

away,

begin

with the

words, "And the Lord answered Job

out of the

Tempest
other a

said."

and also means

On the
torture."

hand, it

"to

afflict"

or

"to

torment"

or even

"to

It is

particularly

haunting

pun.

In the

case of a pun,

there is usually a

primary meaning, the one that is intended to hit the reader first. Then there is a kind of double take when he sees, "Yes, but it could also mean. The first meaning must always come before the second, sometimes by five years, but
. .

usually the time can only be measured in milliseconds. An essential part of the humor in the pun is the unspoken agreement between the punner and the punnee as

to which

is

the

first meaning

and which

this case, there

is

no

millisecond;

one cannot

tell which

meaning has the punch; but in is the first. The sudden

The Book of Job

recognition

-315

that a horizon has been shared where least expected is missing, and

the

humor falls flat.

The pun,
which was not a

pun,
and
a

tween the two of

them, Elihu
there
can

so splendidly captures the relationship be Job. For Elihu there can be no greater com

fort than to feel that there is

chaos, but for

loving
word

God behind the

I have translated

mute raucousness of

Job,

be

no greater torment than to

have

no answer.
will appear

14. This is the last time that the in the text.

tal."

"mortal"

Etymologically, it is, in fact,

"weak,"
"sick,"

rather close to the

English

word

"mor

The

root means
"incurable."

or

or,

when used of a wound or a

disease,

it

means

We have

seen

the root used in that sense already:

Job 34:6

The

arrow was

mortal, though I was without transgression.

The

reader

because in the have translated

Job 4:12-12

plural

may find the complete list helpful. He must be a bit careful, it cannot be distinguished from the plural of the word we
"man"

as

(gebher).
but my
ear caught

gropes

Job 4:17
Job 5:17-18

only a trace, as one falls upon mortals. deep sleep or a man (gebher) more pure than his maker? Indeed, happy is the mortal whom God disciplines, that has no

word stole upon me

in

a night vision when

...

contempt

for the bonds

of

the

Almighty; for He

causes pain,

but He

binds up, He wounds, but His hands heal. Job 7:1

Job 7:17

Does
are not

not a mortal

have

a term of
of a

duty

to serve

here

on earth and

his days like the days

hired

servant?

What is

a mortal that thou shouldst answered and

Job 9:1-2
Job 10:4

Then Job

magnify him? I know, but then said, "Yes,

all that
apparent

what

can make a mortal's

justice

to

God?"

Can You Can time

pass

see as mortals see? mean

Job 10:5 Job 13:9

Job 14:19

to

You

what

time means to man?

Do

your years

by

as our years?

Do

you

think you can

deceive Him
all mortal

as you can

deceive

a mortal?

So, You have trashed

What is
that
a mortal that

hope.

Job 15:14
Job 25:4

he

should

be

clean or one

born

of woman

he

should consider

himself just? himself just before God

or what can

How

can a mortal think

cleanse anyone

born

of woman?

Job 25:6 Job 28:4 Job 28:13 Job 32:8 Job 33:12

And

now what of

these mortals, the maggots or the son of

man

('adam),
wander.

the

worm.

Abandoned

by

every

passer

by, destitute

of all

humanity, they

No

mortal

knows its

value.

But surely there is a spirit in mortals, that gives him understanding.

I
will answer

breath

of the

Almighty

you,

for God is

greater

than

any

mortal.

316*

Interpretation
It may be in sleep falls upon He
a

Job 33:15

dream,

or

in

a vision of the night, when

slumber

heavy
their

mortals as

they

in

their

beds.
seal upon

Job 33:16

unveils the ears of mortals and places

His

discipline,
Job 33:26
see

to turn man

('adam) away from

God
and

action and conceal

shall

Let him but

supplicate unto

he

be

accepted and mortal man

His face
sense of

with shouts of

joy, for He

shall return

to

his
Job 33:27

righteousness.

Let him only stand squarely in front of mortals and say, "I have sinned; I have dealt perversely with what was right, and my
accounts

have
who

not

been

settled."

Job 34:4-8

"God

has thrown

aside all

my

claims

for

justice,''

"I declare
mortal,

false the judgment

though

me"

made against
transgression."

and

"The

arrow was

was without

What

man

(gebher) is

there like

Job

who

those who

drinks up mockery as if it were water, joins company with deal in wickedness and walks with mortal men of evil?
you men of

Job 34:10

And so,
and the

heart, hear
evil.

me; far be God

from injustice

Almighty from
of

Job 34:34-35

Men
insight."

heart,

and

every

wise man

say "Job has Job 34:36

spoken without

(gebher) who listen to knowledge, and his words lack

limit, because his

me will

May

Job's

trials

know
of

no

answers are no

different from those Job 36:24 Job 36:25

Job 37:7-9

the men of wickedness.

Remember then to

exalt

His

works of which mortals sing. afar.

Mortals have looked

The

upon

Him from
sealed
a

whole of mankind

He has

each mortal as one of

His works, like

up so that they may know beast that goes in for shelter

and settles

down into its lair

when the tempest comes out of

its

chamber, cold from

Job 37:24

Thus

mortals

its scattering place. hold in FEAR the one

whom even the wise of

heart have

never seen.

15. In

like manner, this is the last time that the

"FEAR"

word

will appear

in the text.

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

1 And the

LORD1

answered

Job

out of

the

Tempest
no

and said:

2 "Who is this
Come,3

one that makes counsel your

dark

by

words that

have

meaning?2

gird

loins like

a man

(gebher): I

will question

you,

and you must

let

me

up know.

4 Where

were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Speak up, if you know! 5 Who fixed its measurements, if you have understanding? Who any stretched a measuring line round it 6 and into what were its pylons fixed? Who set the cornerstone 7 as the morning stars sang together, and the sons of GOD joy?5 all shouted for 8 Who closed up the sea behind the double door when first

it

burst6

out of the womb

when

clothed

it in

a cloud and swaddled

it in

mist,7

The Book of Job

10

317

imposing
to

my law

upon

it,

and put

said, 'To this

come

point you

may come, but

up the bars and the double doors: 11 and no farther. Here your proud waves must
taught the dawn to know its
wicked?8

rest.'

12 Have
place,

you yet commanded grab

the morning,

or

13 to

hold

of the corners of the earth and winnow out the

clay9

14 All is
garment.
broken.12

as transformed as

stamped

by

seal,10

and

fixed"

as

dye in

15 But the light is

withheld

from the wicked,

and the uplifted arm

is

16 Have
down
selves

you ever come upon

the source of the

seas,13

or gone

for

walk14

by

the cranny in the deep? 17 Have the gates of

death15

unveiled

them

to you, or

have

you seen

the gates of the Shadow of Death16? 18 Have

all

you pondered

the expanse of the earth? If you know

these

things, declare is the

place of
home?17

them!

19 Which is the

road to

the

dwelling

of

light?
and and

and which

darkness, 20 that you may take it to its borders 21 You know, for even then, you were born,
great.18

know the way to its

the
number of your

days is
hail

22 Have 23
which

you come upon

the storehouses of snow, or seen the vaults

a time of narrowness and

of

I have laid

aside

for

for the days

of

battle

and of

war?19

24
earth?

By

what paths

is light dispersed? How is the

the canals

east wind cast about

the

25 Who
voice of

cleaved

for the
it

flooding

torrent and made a pathway

for the
or

the

thunder,20

26

so that

might rain

in

land

where no man

is,

in

a wilderness that and the rain

has

no

human

life21

in it, 27 to

make a surfeit of
bloom?22

the

devastation

devastated,
have
a

and make a

budding field

28 Does the
whose

father?

and who

begets the drops

of

dew? 29 From
heaven?23

belly does ice

you

emerge, and who gave birth to the

as

frost

of

30

Water draws itself up, tight

stone, and the face of the

with a

deep

clutches untie

to

itself.24

31 Did
her

bind the Pleiades together

you

chain, or

the reins of
with

Orion? 32 Can
children?

lead
you

out

the

Mazzaroth25

in its time
heaven,26

or guide

the Bear

33 Do

know the laws

of

the

and can you

impose its

authority on the 34 Can you raise

water?
J'

earth?27

your voice

to the clouds and

will

be

covered

in

a torrent of am

35 If

you send out the

lightning,

it

go?

Will it say to you, 'Here

?28

36 Who
outward can

placed

wisdom

at

the secret core and gave

wise enough

intelligibility
it into

to the

form?29

37 And

who

is

to tell the tale of the nebula? Who

congealed

tip

the

bottles

of the

sky, 38 to

liquify

the dust and cast

clods?

39 Can its
cubs

you

40

as

hunt up prey for the lioness, and bring to fulfillment the life in they crouch in their dens or lie in ambush in their lairs? 41 Who

prepares a catch

for the

raven when

his young cry

out to

God for help,

and

he

wanders about without

food?"30

318

Interpretation

Comments
1. This is the first time the

word

has been

used since

Chapter 2.
yet,
unlike most

2. Verse 2 is clearly intended

rhetorical
"Job,"

as a rhetorical question, and

questions, the answer

is

by

no means obvious.

Is the intended

answer

or

is it "Elihu"? Perhaps
na'

we are not yet

in

a position

to ask the question.

3. This is my all-too-poor attempt to capture the very moving fact that the Lord uses the word It is roughly equivalent to the English word and converts a command into a plea or a request, or, as in our case, an invita
"please"
.

tion. Needless to say

it is

a word the

Lord

uses

very rarely,

and each

instance

requires our close attention.

4. In

contradistinction

to the
uses

word

discussed in the
and which we

note to

Job 37:24, the

as man

word which the

Tempest from

for man,

have translated

(gebher),
translate
"man"

comes

it

"hero,"

as

('adam).

My
form

I was quite tempted to meaning "to be which would have been closer than simply using the word only reason for not doing so is that there is another, some
a root of the word which of

strong."

what

modified,

does in fact his

"hero,"

mean

although that

form is
The

never used
voice seems

in the Book

Job.
own

to be reminding Job of

first words, urging him

yet

to fulfill the

promise

inherent in his birth:

Job 3:3

Job

answered and said

"May

the

day

of

my birth be lost

and with

it

that night

in

which

it

was said

'A

man

(GEBHER) has been

conceived."

and now

he is

being
gird

asked

to gird his loins and become that man.

What
need

more can

be

said?

If Elihu

were not

nearly right, there

were

would

be

no

for Job to
be

would

no point

his loins; and yet, if Elihu in it either.

of some

simply right,

perhaps there

Again, it may be
Job 3:3

help

to the reader to see the complete

list:

Job
with

answered and said

night

"May
it

the

day

it that

in

which

was said

of my birth be lost and 'A MAN (GEBHER) has been

conceived."

Job 3:20,23

Why does
been lost

He

give

light to those
...

whom toil

has consumed,
whose

or

life to the bitter

of soul?

or to a man

(gebher)

way has

and whom

God has hedged

You
what

about.

Job 10:5
Job 14:10

Can time
But

mean to

time means to man?

when a man

Job 14:14 Job 16:21

Job 22:2

If

a man

(gebher) dies, he perishes and is no more. (gebher) dies, will he come back to life again?
for
a a man

Will

no one argue

(gebher) before God

use to

as a man

('adam)
"Can
can

should
a man

do for

friend?"

(gebher) be
friend?

of

any

his God
His

as a prudent man

be

of use to a

Job 33:16-18

He

unveils the ears of mortals and places

seal upon their

The Book of Job discipline,

from the Job 33:29-30
to turn man

-319

('adam) away from

.

action and conceal pride

man

(gebher)

and

his life from perishing

by

the sword.

Yes, God will do all these things two or three times for a man (gebher), to bring his soul back from the Muck to be made bright

by
Job 34:7-8

the

light

of

life.
there

What if it
were

man

(gebher) is

like Job

who

drinks up mockery

as

water, joins company with those who deal in wickedness

and walks with men of evil?

Job 34:9 Job 34:34

For he has said, 'It is

of no use to a man

(gebher)

that

he be in

GOD's
Men
will

favor.'

of

heart,

and

every

wise man

say 'Job has

spoken without

(gebhef) who listen to me knowledge, and his words lack

a man

insight.'

Job 38:3 Job 40:7

Come, Come,
you, and

gird

up
up

your

loins like loins like know.

(gebher). I

will question

you, and you must let me know.

gird
your

a man

(gebher). I

will question

you must

let

me

5. The LORD begins

other. same

with a whole

bevy
he

of

questions,

one right after the

They
and

are

infinitely

beyond Job,

and

can

only

stand

in

wonder.

At the

time, the

questions are couched

in terms

"foundations,"

"pylons,"

such as

"lines,"

"cornerstones"

that Job can very well understand. He also

number was used.

leams

that measurement, and

hence

6. This
a child as

word

is

often used of the out of

raging

seas and the monsters

in them

and of

it bursts forth

its
saw

mother's womb.

Dan. 7:2

Daniel said, "I

winds of

in my

vision

by

night,

and

behold,
of

the four

heaven
man,

were raise

Ezek. 32:2

Son

of

stirring up [bursting] the great a lamentation over Pharaoh king

sea."

Egypt,

and

say to him: "You consider yourself a lion among the nations, but you are like a monster (TAN) in the seas; you burst forth in your rivers,
trouble the waters with your

feet,

and

foul their

rivers."

Job 40:23

Though the river rage, he is unalarmed,

will

confident that the

Jordan

burst to his
thou art

mouth.

Ps. 22:9

Yet

he

who

burst

me

from the womb; thou didst

keep

me

safe upon

my
and

mother's

breasts.
of

Mic. 4:10

Writhe

burst, O daughter

Zion, like

a woman

in travail; for

now you shall go you shall go

forth from the city and dwell in the open country; to Babylon. There you shall be rescued, there the LORD from the hand
of your enemies

will redeem you

Here the
"creation"

beginning

of all things

is

not presented as

"Let it

be"

or as a

"making."

or as a primordial waters of

The passage, in mixing the

more as a

waters of

birth

with the

chaos, presents God

midwife, controlling the

birth

and

letting

things come forth in

number and order.

7. As

compared

to verses 4 through

7,

these verses, with words

like

"burst,"

320

Interpretation
"cloth,"
"swaddle,"

"womb,"

and

seem to mark a movement

movement

from the

arts to

those things which are older than the arts. This

ment

is in fact

a move

from the

masculine workman and

his arts,

which cause outside of

things to come to

be

by

the application of measurement to a world

itself,
that

and

by

the

forceful It is

fixing

of pylons

into something

more solid than themselves.

a movement

to another and older kind of coming to

be,

brings forth

measurelessly from within itself. Thus far, the movement seems tentative and ambiguous. The Voice presents itself as imposing its law upon the sea, and yet
"clothing"

it

also shows

itself to
It does

possess the more

feminine

virtues of
on

and of
sea,"

"swaddling."

not speak of

itself

as

"trampling

the tier of the

but

as

finding

a proper place

for its "proud

majesty."

Another way of looking at the problem is to consider the distinction between creating God and a nurturing God. Fundamental to this question is Aristotle's
"Of the things that are,
some are

statement:

by

nature, and some are

causes,"

the foremost of which is art. Aristotle implies that the

means

by other discovery of

nature

essentially

that there

is

no conclusion to upon

be drawn from the things

that are made

not

by

man and

hence rely

man, concerning the things that are

be"

manmade, but have

within

themselves their own source of motion and rest.

of

Here,
God

too, the artisan God has within Himself the "to

the object. He

shapes and molds

we meet

according to His plan, while the more feminine, nurturing in the Book of Job allows for the emergence of the "to which
be,"

is in the thing itself. 8. Winnowing is a

one wants

strange and

interesting

process.

There is the wheat,

which

because it is good, and there is the chaff, which one does not want because it is not good; but there they lie all mixed up together. One's first inclination is
a
would be to pick out the chaff, chaff by chaff. Winnowing, though, different process and calls for another kind of spirit. In winnowing, the very whole is tossed lightly in a blanket. The wind carries off the chaff, or most of it,

and the

wheat, because it is more stable and weighty, tumbles safely back into
rejoices with

the
all

blanket. The farmer

his flour though he knows that in

spite of wheat

his care, a bit of chaff may have may have fallen to the ground.
9. If it is
one

gotten

through,

and a grain or

two of

looks
to

at the

way the

author uses the word as the

for clay,

one can see that

beginning
or

be

used quite

generally
Elihu

dead
on

medium out of which and

into

which we come and go.

In that sense, it takes

what

"matter,"

something
"nebula."

of what we call

something like

means

by
a

the

Job 4:19

what of

those who

dwell in like

house

of

clay,

whose

foundation is

but dust? He Job 10:9 Job 13:12 dust. Your

clay.

will crush them

a moth.

Remember that You

made me as

clay

and that

You

will return me to

aphorisms are proverbs of ash, your

bulwarks, bulwarks

of

The Book of Job

Job 27:16 If he
were

321
if it

should pile

up

silver

like dust,

and

lay

out

his clothing
and ashes.

as

clay,
me

Job 30:19 Job 33:6

It throws

into the

mire and

I become like dust

Here I am, just

was nipped

as you wished,

standing in for God, though I too

from

clay.

While the

imagery

of

clay

often appears

in the

other

books

of

the

Bible,

especially in Isaiah and Jeremiah, in them itself, whereas in this speech he is like the
signet.

man

is constantly likened to the clay clay

object made of

bearing

a seal or

The implication is that

be."

man, like the pot, but unlike the clay, has his

own

shape, his own "to

Isa. 45:9

Woe to him
potter!

who strives with

his Maker,
who
handles?"

an earthen vessel with

the

Does the clay say to him making"? or "Your work has no

fashions it, "What

we are

are you

Isa. 64:8

Yet, O LORD,
potter;
we are all

thou art our the

work of was

Father;

the clay, and thou art our

thy hand.

Jer. 18:4

And the

vessel

he

hand,
potter

and

he

reworked

making of clay was spoiled in the potter's it into another vessel, as it seemed good to the I do

to do.
of

Jer. 18:6
the

O house

Israel,

can

not

with you as

this

potter

has done?

says

LORD. Behold, like the clay in the hand, O house of Israel.

potter's

hand,

so are you

in my

10. The
phrase should

single

Hebrew
a

word

hotam
a most

which

is here translated
up."

by

the English

"stamped

by

seal,"

has

interesting history,

of which

the

reader

be

aware.

Originally, it

meant

"to stop

Lev. 15:3

And this is the law

of

his

uncleanness or

for is

discharge:

whether

his

body
is

runs with

his discharge, in him.

his

body

stopped

from discharge, it

uncleanness

From there it
safe

acquires a

feeling

of permanence and out of

safety, either as a

thing

in itself,

or as

something safely

the way.

Job 24:16

against

In the dark he tunnels his way into houses which are him by day, since he does not know the light.
transgression would

sealed

up tight

Job 14:17

My

be

sealed

up in

a pouch and

You

would

plaster over

my

perversions.

Then, in its

nominal

form, it

comes

to be

used as a signet or seal placed

by

king

upon

his letter.
So
she wrote

1 Kings 21:8

letters in Ahab's

name and sealed elders and

them

with

his dwelt

seal, and she

with

sent

the letters to the

city.

the nobles who

Naboth in his

322

Interpretation
marks a

In that sense, it
that the object

thing's character, and becomes a kind of guarantee

and will continue to

is

what

it is

be

what

it has become.

Esther 8:8

And
name of

you

may

write as you please with regard

to the

Jews, in
cannot

the

the

king,
the

and seal

it

with

the king's

ring; for
king's

an edict written

in the

name of

king

and sealed with the

ring

be

revoked.

We have already

seen the word

going in that direction:

Job 33:16-18

He

unveils

the ears of mortals

and places

His

seal upon

their

discipline,
from the

to turn man

('adam) away from

will

action and conceal pride

man

(gebher). He

keep

his

soul

back from the

pit and

his life from perishing

by

the sword.

There

are two

Hebrew

words

for the English

t_ebha'th

"seal"

word

or

"signet

ring."

One is
tb\

our word

hotam;
"to

the other is tabba 'ath. It comes

from the Biblical

word

root

dip."

which means

Hence into the

becomes the for the

for

a signet

ring,

or that which word

used

is

"dipped"

wax

to give the seal

place

its form. This

second

eventually became the taking-off to translate the Greek word physis,

postbiblical word

tebha',

"nature."

or

It is

interesting
the
author of

to note that

of the two
mark

words, the tradition chose the root

upon the object

which emphasizes

fact that the

is impressed

from the

outside.

The

Job,

on the

other

hand,

chooses the one which emphasizes the guaranteed character of the

object

itself.
suggestion

The
11
root

is that for Greek

our

author, the

word

hotam is

beginning

to acquire

the character of the

.

"nature."

word physis or

Again the
used

author chooses a

is
be

present one's self or also

used to mean

only in the reflexive firm," "to stand in the "to take

a

very forceful mood. Even

word. at

In biblical Hebrew the

means

its weakest, it

"to
can

sense of

being fully
in the Book

present.

It

stand,"

in the

sense of

taking full responsibility

of

for be

one's actions.
of

A full list

of

the other occurrences

Job

should

help:

Job 1 :6 Job 2:1 Job 33:5 Job 41:10

One

One

day day

the

Sons Sons

of of

GOD GOD

came to present came to present

themselves themselves

the

Lay
No

your case out

before

me and

take your stand.

up.

one

is

so

brutal

as to rouse

him

Now,

who

is that

one who

would stand

before

me?

There is
help.

also an

interesting

series of uses

in Exodus

which

may be

of some

The Book of Job

Exod. 9: 1 3
Then the LORD

323

stand of

Exod. 14:13

said to Moses, "Rise up early in the morning and before Pharaoh, and say to him, 'Thus says the LORD, the God the Hebrews, "Let my people go, that they may serve And Moses said to the people, "Fear not, stand firm, and see the
me."

'

"

salvation of the

LORD,

which

he

will work

for

you

today; for the

again."

Egyptians
Exod. 19:17

whom you see

today, foot

you shall never see

Then Moses brought the

people out of the

of

camp to

meet

God;

and

they
Exod. 34:5

took their stand at the

the

mountain.

And the LORD descended in the

and proclaimed the name of the

cloud and stood with

him there,

LORD.

12. The

argument seems to

be that if
well

a white garment

has been dyed red,

and

the dye stands

red garment.

firm
It

or

has been

fixed,

then the garment

The

red color

is

as much a part of
of me

has truly become a the object in front of me as

of

anything
truth

else.

would

be wrong

to think

the white garment as the

lying

behind the

red garment.

In the
pot. pot

same

way, the clay cannot be considered to be the truth behind the mark,
or character

The seal,

or

has transformed the clay into

be
separated

pot, and a

it

now

is. former
example can

The

chaff of our

from the

wheat

precisely
spite of

because the

character of the chaff

is different from

the character of the wheat. It

is this difference in their

the

own characters that causes the separation

with

in

fact that they

are

both tossed

the same

force

and

blown

by

the same

wind.

The

argument as a whole
of

is intended
as

man, the realm

the

Jackal,

reply to Elihu. The world beyond it is, considered in itself and by the human eye,
as a

may

not

be

reducible

to the nebulae. The beings in

being

and

hence their

own strivings and ambitions apart

it may each have their from any human

own
con

cern, yet

man may be open to them. 13. Job had once said:

Job 7:12

Am I the

sea or some monster

that You set watch over me?

He is

now

being

asked

to

face that

sea.

14. I have tried to

character of

catch

the rather strange concatenation of the

foreboding
It is in the intended
one

the object and the relaxed,

and so carries with used

inviting
"going

character of

the

verb.

reflexive

form

it

a sense of aimless

freedom

and

joy. When it is

to describe God

for

walk"

in the Garden,
on

immediately
and

senses that of

He has

not come

for the

sake of

checking up

Adam

Eve. It can,
2.1

course, be

used with great

irony.

Job 1:7

"Oh,"

and

just

went

Satan to THE LORD "wandering down there to go for a

said the
walk."

around

Earth,

324

Interpretation
His
a

Job 18:7-8

plans will

trip him
Him

up, for his

own

feet

will

lead him into

net, and

he

will walk

himself right into the

and

trap.
as

Job 22:14

'Clouds
round

obscure

He

can see

nothing

He

strolls

the circuit of

heaven.'

It is

as

if the Voice beyond the

were

trying

to seduce Job into that frightful and

forbid

den

world

world of man.

15. Those that have

Ps. 9:13 Be

always

been

shunned

by

man:

gracious to me,
who

O LORD! Behold
liftest
of me

what

suffer

from those

who

hate me, O thou Ps. 107:18 death.

they loathed any kind

up from the gates of death, food, and they drew near to the

gates of

16. The Shadow

the
Jackal."

of

Death;

the tradition has connected it with "the Place of

Ps. 44: 1 8

Our heart has

not

turned

back,
of

nor

have

our steps

departed from thy

way, that thou shouldst

covered us with

have broken

us

in

the place of

jackals,

and

the

Shadow

Death.

It has been in the horrid haven had

of

air now

for

long
with

time now. Job

first

saw

it

as a

kind

of

things unwanted, the dark and dangerous place to which Job

consigned the

day

of

his birth

his first

words.

Job 3:1-8
in

Then, Job
said

opened

his

mouth and spurned

his day. Job

answered and

"May
it be

the

day

of

which

was said

my birth be lost in oblivion and 'A MAN (GEBHER) has been

with

it that

night

concei

May
not seek

that
nor

day

day

of

darkness.

May

God from

on

high

it

out of

any brightness radiate Death redeem it, and may

warms the counted
months.

upon

it; but let darkness

dwell
above

and the

Shadow
which

a cloud

it.

May

that

day terrify it. Let

the

the

murk consume

that night that

it

not

be

among Thus shall that

who

days

of the year or enter night

into the

number of

its

become hard

and sterile with no sound of

joy lay
And
now

in it. Those
open

the

despise the sea, Leviathan will curse it.

and those who are

determined to

Job is invited to

When he enters,
much about came out of who

drop in for a visit. that day will be there waiting

conception,
and as we main goal will
ago.

for him,

and

in it he

will

learn

birth
the

and

know from the first be to become that

words that

Tempest, his
fear
of

man

(gebher)
we

had been
and

conceived so

long

Death
shall

the

death

are central to the theme of the

book,

and, as

see, the remainder of Job's education is

gates.

nothing

more than a stroll

down

by

its

The Book of Job

325

Perhaps nothing of what is can be so transformed or disfigured and contorted as the face of death as it steps through the curtain drawn between the world of man and
the world of nature.
either

The

commonplace other.

becomes the terrifying,

and

it is

not clear that mask?

is the truth behind the

must

Which is the face

and which

is the

17. Job
of

learn to

peer

beyond the borders

of

the light and

into
in

the place
a

darkness. The

monsters of

the dark cannot be kept out

by hiding

cave, as

Elihu had
one who

suggested.

They

will wander and must

be gently

escorted

home

by

knows

the way.
verse to

18. Some take this

case.

be intended sarcastically, but that

of some

need not

be the
with

The

voice

may be reminding Job

deep-seated

kinship

he has

an antique whole.

19. In their 20. This

capture

own

home,
is

the monsters

have

a role

to play.
able

than I have been cleverly "cast in the English translation. The three verbs,
passage much more
crafted
"dispersed,"

to

abou

"cleaved,"

and

all mean the same and then there

very

gentle

word,

is

thing, "to divide into parts"; but the first is a a clear progression to the last, which is quite
to wind to

a violent word.

torrent, and, for the voice

Similarly, there is the motion from light finally, we are at a loss to know what it takes
thunder."

flooding

to "make a pathway

of the
education

showing him the forces that were needed to bring the inanimate world into being. They are only a part of the forces which he has "laid aside for a time of narrowness and for the days of battle and of God begins Job's

by

war."

In this
man

account more seems

to be required than a "let there

be.

21.

('adam)
not understand: a

22. This is the thing that Elihu could is for its own sake and not for the sake
more

budding field

which

of

man, but for all that it may be the

beautiful to Job.
as we caught our

23. Again,
are

first

glimpse

in

verse

8,

male and

female

origins

beginning

to play an equal role

in the foundation
unique

of all

things. This stance

which comes out of the

Tempest is

to the Book of Job. In rhetoric and

imagery, the closest book in the Bible to the Book of Job is the Book of Psalms; and yet, even there, if one considers the complete list of references to bellies and wombs in it, one sees that, in contradistinction to the Book of Job,
the female

is

always somewhat subordinate:

Ps. 17:14

from
portion

mortals

by

your

hand, O LORD

from

mortals whose
with what

in life is in this
stored

world.

May

their

bellies be filled

Ps. 22:9

up for them; may their children have more than enough; may they leave something over to their little ones. Yet it was you who took me from the womb; you kept me safe
you

have

on

my Ps. 22:10

mother's

breast.
was cast

On
you

you

from my birth,

and since

my

mother

bore

me

have been my God.

326

Interpretation
Be
gracious to me,

Ps. 31:9

O LORD, for I

am

in distress; my

eye wastes

Ps. 58:3

away from grief, my soul and body also. The wicked go astray from the womb; they speaking lies. Upon
you

err

from their birth,

Ps. 71:6

Ps. 110:3

I have leaned from my birth; it was you who took me from my mother's womb. My praise is continually of you. Your people will offer themselves willingly on the day you lead
your

forces

on

the

holy
a

mountains.

From the

womb of

the morning,

like dew, Ps. 127:3

your youth will come to you.

Sons
reward.

are

indeed

heritage from the LORD, the fruit formed my inward parts;

of the womb a

Ps. 139:13

For it

was you who

you

knit

me

together

in my

mother's womb.

24. The double

autonomy.

use of

the reflexive even gives the water a certain amount of

Its

reaction

25. The 26. This

not seem

exact

is something it does to itself. meaning of this word is not known, but it

constellations.

seems

to be the

name of one of

the

only occurs in one other passage in the Bible to have the same force that it acquires in this one:
expression

and

does

Jer. 33:24f.

Considerest
two
off?

thou not what this people

have spoken, saying, The

even cast

families
thus

which

the LORD hath chosen, he hath people, that

them

they have despised my

if I have I
cast

they

should

be

no more a not with

nation

before them. Thus

saith the

LORD; If my
the
seed of

covenant

be

day
and

and night, and

not appointed

LAWS OF HEAVEN
and

earth; Then

will

away the

Jacob,
be

David my

servant, so that I
seed of

will not

take

Abraham, Isaac,

and

any of his Jacob: for I

seed to

rulers over the

will cause

their

captivity to

return, and have mercy

on

them.

27. Men
their

were always aware of a world

beyond
things

their reach that sparkled over

slept.

heads
it

each

night

while

all

other

Its

vastness

and

un-

touchability
could stir

were awesome. or change

It

moved

according

to

its

own

paths, and

no man

its

course.

question to Job would have been banal unless Job were being face those well-known, everyday facts in a way in which no man ever had. If Job is to step beyond the limits of man, and into the realm of his
asked to

Yet God's

brotherhood
those

with the Jackal, as he will surely do in the chapters which follow, banal facts, and others, must be faced again. In the Book of Genesis, the sun, moon, and stars were to be regarded as little more than the servants of man, given to him by an all-loving God "to separate the day from the night"; and "to be for signs and for seasons and for days and
years."

But Job is

being

faced

The Mazzaroth

comes out

something called "the Laws of the in its own time, indifferent to good times and

with

Heaven."

to bad

The Book of Job

times, to times
an

327

of war, and to cold

times of

peace. stars

To

some

that

would

have

signified

unbearably

indifference in the

to human affairs. Not to see it as

twinkling for us, but to allow it to twinkle for itself was Job's first lesson. 28. Job must be prepared not only for a world whose inhabitants have ends
and ways of

their own unrelated to man. There will also be those that strike of a
without purpose and were

sudden as no aim.

if they had intention

which

ready to go, but took

can only be been used: have they
I,"

The full force

inheres in the

word

translated "Here am

felt

by

reminding

ourselves of the conditions under which

Gen. 22: 1

And it

came

to pass after these things, that God did tempt

Abraham,
am

and said unto

him, Abraham:

and

he said, Behold, Here

I. And Isaac
spake unto am

Gen. 22:7

Abraham his father,

son.

and said,

My

father:
and the

and

he said, Here but

where

I, my

And he said, Behold the fire

a

wood:

is the lamb for

the

burnt

offering?

Gen. 22: 1 1
Gen. 27:1

And the
said,

angel of

LORD
and

called unto

him
am

out of

heaven,

and

Abraham, Abraham:
so that

he said, Here
Isaac

I.
and

And it

came to pass, that when

was

old,

his

eyes were
said

dim,
unto

he

could not

see, he called
said unto

Esau his

eldest

son, and
am

him, My
am

son: and

he

him,

Behold, Here

I.

Gen. 27:18
Gen. 31:11

And he Here

came unto who art

his father,

and said,

My
a

father:

and

he said,

I;

And the

angel of

thou, my son? God spake unto I.

me

in

dream,

saying, Jacob:

And I said, Here

am

Gen. 37:13

And Israel

said unto

Joseph, Do

not

thy brethren feed

And he

the

flock in

Shechem? come,

and

will send thee unto them.

said to

him,

Here Gen. 46: 2

am

I.
spake unto

And God

Israel in the

visions of

the night, and said,

Jacob, Jacob. And he

Exod. 3:4

said, Here am I.

And
unto

when

the LORD saw that

he turned
and

aside to see,

God

called

him

out of the midst of the am

bush,
and

said, Moses, Moses. And

he said, Here ISam. 3:4

I.
called

That the LORD

Samuel:

he answered, Here
thou
calledst me.

am

I. And

he

ran unto

Eli,

and

said, Here am
again.

I; for

And he

said, I
the

called

not;

lie down

And he

went and

lay

down. And

LORD
and

called yet

again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to

Eli,
ISam. 3:8

said, Here am

I; for

thou

didst

call me.

And he answered, I And he

called

not, my son; lie down again.

called

And the LORD

and went to
perceived

Samuel

again the third time.

arose

Eli,

and

said, Here am

I; for
the

thou

didst

call me.

And Eli

that the
called

LORD had

called

child.

ISam 3:16
ISam. 12:3f.

Then Eli

Samuel,
I.

and said,

Samuel, my

son.

And he

answered, Here

am

Behold, Here
before his

am

I:

witness against me

before the LORD,

or whose ass

and

anointed: whose ox

have I taken?

have I

328

Interpretation
taken? or whom
whose

have I defrauded?
received you.

whom

have I

oppressed?

or of

hand have I it

any bribe to blind

mine eyes

therewith?

and

will restore

ISam. 22:12

And Saul said, Hear now, thou Here

am

son of

Ahitub. And he answered,

I, my lord.
he looked behind him, he
am saw

2Sam. 1:7

And

when

me,

and called unto me.

And I answered, Here And I

I. And he

said unto

me, Who art thou?

answered him, am I an Amalekite. And he said unto me again, Stand, I pray thee, upon me, and slay me: for anguish is come upon

me,

2Sam. 15:26

because my life is yet whole in me. But if he thus say, I have no delight in thee; behold, Here
me as seemeth good unto

am

I,

let him do to

him.

wisdom

29. The meaning of the text is obscure. Greenberg translates: "Who put The Re in the hidden parts? Who gave understanding to the
mind?"

vised

Standard translates: "Who

mist?

put wisdom

in the

clouds?

or given

under

standing to the
parts?

King
is

James translates: "Who

heart?"

put wisdom

in the inward

Who

gave

understanding to the
with the word
once

The first
(a

problem

b'tuhor*. It is

almost a

hopax legominon
and no one
root twh
be

word that appears quite sure what

only

in the

whole of

the known that it

literature)

is

it

means.

All

seem to agree

comes

from the

"to

overlay,"

"overspread,"

etc., rather from tbh, "to

secure,"

and that the surrounds

part of

"in."

means

So far

as

can

dope it out, the

problem

the w-type

vocalic mode of the tu. so we come

Is it

a shred of the w which

had been For

"coverer"

the

root?

If

have
to see

a noun related

to the

act of covering.

reasons which we will

later,
be

the Revised

Standard takes the

"covered"

to be a cloud. But
we are not

the u might
with a

a sign of the passive

instead. In that case,

"hidden"

dealing
the

"covering"

thing, but

with a

or

thing. In

fact,

in Psalm 51:8 (RS 51:6), translates: "thou desirest truth in the inward
word also appears

where even the

being."

Revised Standard

To

push the argument

fur

ther, The

we must

look

at the other problematic a true

word, fshichwai.
and so we must go

This time

we

do have

hopax

legominon;
means

fishing.

Semitic root skh or skh

in Aramaic

"to

watch,"

in the

sense of

doing
com

what a watchman
plain."

does. In Syriac it

means

"to

hope,"

and

in Arabic "to

In
not

connection with this sense of

able

"watching,"

there

is

tradition

which

I have

been

to track down that relates it to a celestial appearance. Hence the

"mist."

Revised Standard translates:

tion of tahot as
"cloud."

This, I

presume, is

what

led to the transla

Gersonides has
This

another

tradition which relates it

more to the act of seeing.

would account

for

such

translations

as

"mind"

or

"heart."

This is

partic

ularly interesting in the case of the King James translators, took it as rhetorically parallel to "inward
part."

since

they obviously
from the

As

part of

this argument, there is another and more common word

The Book of Job

same

329

root, maskit,

which can

indeed

"imagination,"

mean

but

which more often

means a

"carved

figure"

or an

"image"; hence my
and outward

translation.
of

The

relation of

between inner
Job.

intelligibility is,
all

course,

central

for the Book 30. If Job

these

can gird

his loins

and stand

before

these

things, he

will see

fearful forces,

all

in delicate balance,

each a part of

that with which it

seemed at war.