What genre is Job?

[Oompa Loompa]

Bottom line up front, I thing Job is not historical narrative, but a story comparable to a parable. Although the events did not actually occur, it contains biblical truths. Particularly the truths about disinterested faith, meaning that we are not to worship God because of a promise of reward, nor out of fear of punishment. But solely because God is God and we are not. Your thoughts?

 

[David Lamb]

Bottom line up front, I thing Job is not historical narrative, but a story comparable to a parable. Although the events did not actually occur, it contains biblical truths. Particularly the truths about disinterested faith, meaning that we are not to worship God because of a promise of reward, nor out of fear of punishment. But solely because God is God and we are not. Your thoughts?

You seem to have given an answer to your own question. How can you be so certain that the events did not actually occur? I came across the following paragraph at the website Was Job a Man or a Myth?

"Man from Uz
First, take the way the book opens: “There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job” (Job 1:1). Now compare that with the beginning of Judges 17:1, which begins a story: “There was a man of the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Micah.” Or compare it to the beginning of 1 Samuel: “There was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim of the hill country of Ephraim whose name was Elkanah” (1 Samuel 1:1).

Now, one of the ways to assess whether a piece of writing is history or whether it bears the traits of fiction would be to compare how the books are written. The fact that Job begins the way those chapters begin, which are not presented as parable or fiction, is at least one pointer to the way readers would have taken it as they began to read this book. They would have taken it the way they took Judges or 1 Samuel — as an account of things that really happened. That’s my first argument."

Like the author of that paragraph, I believe Job was a real person.

 

[Vambram]

Job is a real person and I believe that all the events and dialogs in the Book of Job actually happened.

 

[Oompa Loompa]

You seem to have given an answer to your own question. How can you be so certain that the events did not actually occur? I came across the following paragraph at the website Was Job a Man or a Myth?

"Man from Uz
First, take the way the book opens: “There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job” (Job 1:1). Now compare that with the beginning of Judges 17:1, which begins a story: “There was a man of the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Micah.” Or compare it to the beginning of 1 Samuel: “There was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim of the hill country of Ephraim whose name was Elkanah” (1 Samuel 1:1).

Now, one of the ways to assess whether a piece of writing is history or whether it bears the traits of fiction would be to compare how the books are written. The fact that Job begins the way those chapters begin, which are not presented as parable or fiction, is at least one pointer to the way readers would have taken it as they began to read this book. They would have taken it the way they took Judges or 1 Samuel — as an account of things that really happened. That’s my first argument."

Like the author of that paragraph, I believe Job was a real person.

What you say is true. However, when looking at the Hebrew, it was written in poetry. How often are historical books written in poem? Also, many of Jesus' parables started in a similar fashion.

 

[David Lamb]

What you say is true. However, when looking at the Hebrew, it was written in poetry. How often are historical books written in poem? Also, many of Jesus' parables started in a similar fashion.

Ezekiel refers to Job as a real person:

““Even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliver [only] themselves by their righteousness,” says the Lord GOD.” (Eze 14:14 NKJV)

So does James:

“10 My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience. 11 Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end [intended by] the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.” (Jas 5:10-11 NKJV)

 

[Oompa Loompa]

Ezekiel refers to Job as a real person:

““Even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliver [only] themselves by their righteousness,” says the Lord GOD.” (Eze 14:14 NKJV)

So does James:

“10 My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience. 11 Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end [intended by] the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.” (Jas 5:10-11 NKJV)

Okay. Then who was present to witness the conversation between God and Satan regarding Job? Was it the camera man?

 

[David Lamb]

Okay. Then who was present to witness the conversation between God and Satan regarding Job? Was it the camera man?

Don't you believe that the human writers of the bible were inspired by God to write His truth? You might just as well ask, "Who was present in the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth?" There is much that is described in the bible where human writers were not present. The temptation of Jesus in the wilderness, and the time recorded in John 17 where we read of Him in prayer to the Father, for example.

 

[o_mlly]

Bottom line up front, I thing Job is not historical narrative, but a story comparable to a parable. Although the events did not actually occur, it contains biblical truths. Particularly the truths about disinterested faith, meaning that we are not to worship God because of a promise of reward, nor out of fear of punishment. But solely because God is God and we are not. Your thoughts?

Exegetes have more disagreements than agreements about the Book of Job. Differences among interpreters range from date of composition, place of origin, authenticity of various parts and even principal themes. While scholars suggest Babylonian, Egyptian, Arabian, or Edomite writings may have influenced the author of Job, they agree the poet did not borrow indiscriminately and possessed a highly original mind and a creative genius. Since they lack sufficient evidence to connect the author with any particular locale, scholars generally assume that he was a Jew.

The scholars’ controversy over the principle theme of Job lies in interpreting 42:1-6. In Job’s short and cryptic reply, the reader must glean the author’s insights as to the proper disposition for those who suffer unjustly. The meaning is elusive. Is it a story about a man whose faith in God remains undimmed through every tribulation, an illustration of the fortitude of a good person under testing, a portrait of someone who shakes his fist against God in fiery impatience and gives vent to blasphemous utterance, or are the verses an answer to the problem of innocent suffering, or finding God in desolation?

In The Catholic Study Bible, Donald Senior and the other editors emphasize the transcendence of the Lord. The speeches of the Lord remind all that God’s ways are so remote to the ways of man that our only response to His questions is a silent submission:

At the end of the book [of Job], the question of suffering may be left unanswered, but the integrity of God is no longer questioned. [. . .] The final effect of reading the book in this way [from beginning to end as a drama] includes an admission of the incomprehensibility of much of life. Whether we have identified with Job or with the others, we come to the speeches of the Lord and we realize that no one can answer the questions put to Job. Everyone—Job, Eliphaz, Bildad, Zophar, Elihu, the reader—once confronted with this incomprehensibility in human life, stands silent before the transcendent God (237, 241).​

 

[Oompa Loompa]

Don't you believe that the human writers of the bible were inspired by God to write His truth? You might just as well ask, "Who was present in the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth?" There is much that is described in the bible where human writers were not present. The temptation of Jesus in the wilderness, and the time recorded in John 17 where we read of Him in prayer to the Father, for example.

Well...who was present when God created the universe? Who was present to document Jesus being tempted in the wilderness? My opinion is that there were no witnesses. But stories heard through word of mouth.

 

[Clare73]

Well...who was present when God created the universe? Who was present to document Jesus being tempted in the wilderness? My opinion is that there were no witnesses. But stories heard through word of mouth.

Stories?. . .or reports?

 

[Akita Suggagaki]

Seems to me it can be classified as Wisdom Literature.

 

[Fervent]

The debate tends to conflate issues that are in fact separate, namely the historical character and literary status. This is partly because we tend to separate fiction and non-fiction much more rigidly than the ancient mind did and concern ourselves with teasing out "just the facts" whereas the narrative theme was more important to ancient chroniclers. So it is likely that Job was a real person who was well known, or at least there likely existed a well known tale of a man named Job that was understood to be about a real person. But there are also strong literary themes and structuring to the story that is most likely constructed by the author to serve his overall purpose in telling the story. Particularly, the literary structure follows what might be considered an ancient court drama with the speeches and oaths that get sworn being legal manuevers as God allows Himself to be put on trial by Satan through Job. So more than likely there are elements that are not "true to life" but that is not to say that it is wholesale a work of religious fiction. We must be careful with these kinds of questions to make sure we're not artificially influencing our understanding by expecting literary categories to line up with our modern literary models, because more than likely these will lead us to false conclusions rather than improving our understanding of the text.

 

[Oompa Loompa]

Seems to me it can be classified as Wisdom Literature.

I agree.