The Book of Job: A Modern Bible Commentary

By BookCaps

There are lots of Bible commentaries on the Book of Job, but BookCaps offers one of the first electronic Bible Commentaries for the modern reader.

This commentary includes an introduction to the book (including the history of the text, the structure, and the themes), a chapter by chapter summary, and discussion questions.

BookCaps Bible Commentaries are nondenominational study guides for people who are just getting into the Bible for the first time, or who just want to know a little more.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookCaps
• Release date: Dec 6, 2011
• ISBN: 9781466178311

BookCaps

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About BookCaps Bible Commentaries

BookCaps Bible Commentaries are non-denomination study guides for people who are just getting into the Bible for the first time, or who just want to know a little more.

Each commentary, looks at the historical context behind the book, the themes, who wrote them., and study questions. A chapter summary of each chapter of the book is also included.

To find out more about this series and other BookCaps books, visit: BookCaps.com.

Introduction

The New Encyclopedia Britannica says of the book of Job, It is counted among the masterpieces of world literature. Few books of the Bible are generally counted as literature in the secular world. But Job, being more a book of poetry and drama, is called a masterpiece. However, Job is much more than a literary work that should be studied by scholars and pupils for its beauty and charm—it is a drama highlighting God’s wisdom, power, justice, and love.

The book of Job contains a powerful debate that in many ways still affects us today. Let’s take a closer look at Job. Who wrote it? Why? And why is it important for us today? A deeper analysis of this literary masterpiece will give us the answers to these questions and more.

Author

In Hebrew, the name Job means object of hostility. Throughout history, Job has become a symbol of patience and integrity despite suffering. But Job was not the writer of the Bible book that bears his name. After all, how could someone describe their own death as in the closing chapter of the book? No, someone else wrote Job, and that someone is generally considered to be Moses.

Why do we say that Moses was the writer of Job? Because according to the oldest traditions of both Jewish and Christian scholars, Moses has always been credited with writing the book.

Job was certainly written in Hebrew. Scholars know that it was not translated from another language because of the unique Hebrew phrases and patterns found in the poetry. Also, the narrative portions of Job closely resemble the writings of the Pentateuch (that is, the first five books of the Bible), which was also written by Moses.

The timing and location also make sense. (More on the historical background below.) Moses life, as described in Exodus, began in Egypt when Israel was enslaved there. By a series of miraculous events, baby Moses was saved from the sword and brought