Job 15 | |
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![]() The whole Book of Job in the Leningrad Codex (1008 C.E.) from an old fascimile edition. | |
Book | Book of Job |
Hebrew Bible part | Ketuvim |
Order in the Hebrew part | 3 |
Category | Sifrei Emet |
Christian Bible part | Old Testament |
Order in the Christian part | 18 |
Job 15 is the fifteenth chapter of the Book of Job in the Hebrew Bible or the Old Testament of the Christian Bible.[1][2] The book is anonymous; most scholars believe it was written around 6th century BCE.[3][4] This chapter records the speech of Eliphaz the Temanite (one of Job's friends), which belongs to the Dialogue section of the book, comprising Job 3:1–31:40.[5][6]
Text
[edit]The original text is written in Hebrew language. This chapter is divided into 35 verses.
Textual witnesses
[edit]Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter in Hebrew are of the Masoretic Text, which includes the Aleppo Codex (10th century), and Codex Leningradensis (1008).[7]
There is also a translation into Koine Greek known as the Septuagint, made in the last few centuries BC; some extant ancient manuscripts of this version include Codex Vaticanus (B; B; 4th century), Codex Sinaiticus (S; BHK: S; 4th century), and Codex Alexandrinus (A; A; 5th century).[8]
Analysis
[edit]The structure of the book is as follows:[9]
- The Prologue (chapters 1–2)
- The Dialogue (chapters 3–31)
- The Verdicts (32:1–42:6)
- The Epilogue (42:7–17)
Within the structure, chapter 15 is grouped into the Dialogue section with the following outline:[10]
- Job's Self-Curse and Self-Lament (3:1–26)
- Round One (4:1–14:22)
- Round Two (15:1–21:34)
- Eliphaz (15:1–35)
- A Rebuke of Job (15:1–6)
- How God Views and Treats Humans (15:7–16)
- The Fate of the Wicked (15:17–35)
- Job (16:1–17:16)
- Bildad (18:1–21)
- Job (19:1–29)
- Zophar (20:1–29)
- Job (21:1–34)
- Eliphaz (15:1–35)
- Round Three (22:1–27:23)
- Interlude – A Poem on Wisdom (28:1–28)
- Job's Summing Up (29:1–31:40)
The Dialogue section is composed in the format of poetry with distinctive syntax and grammar.[5]
Chapter 15 consists of three parts:[11]
- Eliphaz rebukes Job (verses 1–6)
- Eliphaz outlines his dispute with Job (verses 7–16)
- Eliphaz describes the fate of the wicked (verses 1–6)[11]
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6e/Job_Blagoveshenskiy_sobor.jpg/200px-Job_Blagoveshenskiy_sobor.jpg)
Eliphaz challenges Job (15:1–16)
[edit]The first part of this section contains Eliphaz's rebuke to Job for the choices Job made and the emptiness of the words of Job, who thinks of himself as a wise man (verses 1–6).[11] Eliphaz concerns that Job undermines the proper attitude of respecting God (Eliphaz is the only one of Job's three friends who refers to the "fear of God").[12] Eliphaz challenges each of Job's possible justifications and rejects each in turn:[13]
- Job may have 'some primacy in creation' (verse 7; cf. Proverbs 8:22–31), that is, he was present at creation; this is an impossible scenario.
- Job may have access to God's mind and purposes, that is, he was present in the heavenly council (verse 8a); this is impossible for a human being.
- Job might think he has information that no one else has (two questions in verse 8b and 9); this is the real issue for Eliphaz (verse 10) who then appeals to the words of the sages (also in verse 18), similar to Bildad's appeal to tradition (Job 8:8–10).[13]
Eliphaz suggests that Job should be satisfied with his current condition, rather than searching for further answers, because no human can come to God with a clean slate (verse 11–13, 16).[14]
Verse 2
[edit]- [Eliphaz said:] "Should a wise man answer with windy knowledge,
- and fill his belly with the east wind?"[15]
- "Windy knowledge": translated from the Hebrew phrase דַעַת־רוּחַ, daʿat ruakh, which means "knowledge without any content" or "vain knowledge".[16]
- "East wind”: translated from the Hebrew phrase קָדִים, qadim, a parallel to "spirit/wind" (cf. Hosea 12:1–2), in this case it is 'maleficent', but here refers to 'hot air', the 'scorching and destructive wind' that 'blows off the Arabian dessert'.[17][18]
Eliphaz describes the fate of the wicked (15:17–35)
[edit]The lengthy description exploring the fate of the wicked in this section serves as a warning to Job. Each of the three friends states their particular description with different functions:[19]
- Eliphaz implies that this may apply to Job at this moment
- Bildad warns this is what Job may become (chapter 18)
- Zophar suggest this is what Job must avoid (chapter 20).[19]
Eliphaz claims that Job would have known the teaching because it is in the tradition of the sages (verses 18–19).[19] In essence, Eliphaz describes the negative aspect of the doctrine of retribution, that is, 'God will punish those who do evil' (verses 20–24 and 27–35).[20] Eliphaz's final verdict uses the imagery of birth that the conceived wickedness and deceit will grow up to be evil.[21]
Verse 35
[edit]- [Eliphaz said:] "They conceive trouble and give birth to evil,
- and their womb prepares deceit."[22]
The last statement that 'Job's belly prepares deception' forms an 'inclusio' which frames Eliphaz's speech with the statement at the start that 'Job’s belly was filled with the wind'.[23]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Halley 1965, pp. 244–245.
- ^ Holman Illustrated Bible Handbook. Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee. 2012.
- ^ Kugler & Hartin 2009, p. 193.
- ^ Crenshaw 2007, p. 332.
- ^ a b Crenshaw 2007, p. 335.
- ^ Wilson 2015, p. 18.
- ^ Würthwein 1995, pp. 36–37.
- ^ Würthwein 1995, pp. 73–74.
- ^ Wilson 2015, pp. 17–23.
- ^ Wilson 2015, pp. 18–21.
- ^ a b c Wilson 2015, p. 91.
- ^ Wilson 2015, pp. 91–92.
- ^ a b Wilson 2015, p. 92.
- ^ Wilson 2015, pp. 92–93.
- ^ Job 15:2 ESV
- ^ Note [a] on Job 15:2 in NET Bible
- ^ Note [c] on Job 15:2 in NET Bible
- ^ Estes 2013, p. 93.
- ^ a b c Wilson 2015, p. 93.
- ^ Wilson 2015, p. 94.
- ^ Wilson 2015, p. 95.
- ^ Job 15:35 ESV
- ^ Note [b] on Job 15:35 in NET Bible
Sources
[edit]- Alter, Robert (2010). The Wisdom Books: Job, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes: A Translation with Commentary. W.W. Norton & Co. ISBN 978-0393080735.
- Coogan, Michael David (2007). Coogan, Michael David; Brettler, Marc Zvi; Newsom, Carol Ann; Perkins, Pheme (eds.). The New Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical Books: New Revised Standard Version, Issue 48 (Augmented 3rd ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780195288810.
- Crenshaw, James L. (2007). "17. Job". In Barton, John; Muddiman, John (eds.). The Oxford Bible Commentary (first (paperback) ed.). Oxford University Press. pp. 331–355. ISBN 978-0199277186. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
- Estes, Daniel J. (2013). Walton, John H.; Strauss, Mark L. (eds.). Job. Teach the Text Commentary Series. United States: Baker Publishing Group. ISBN 9781441242778.
- Farmer, Kathleen A. (1998). "The Wisdom Books". In McKenzie, Steven L.; Graham, Matt Patrick (eds.). The Hebrew Bible Today: An Introduction to Critical Issues. Westminster John Knox Press. ISBN 978-0-66425652-4.
- Halley, Henry H. (1965). Halley's Bible Handbook: an abbreviated Bible commentary (24th (revised) ed.). Zondervan Publishing House. ISBN 0-310-25720-4.
- Kugler, Robert; Hartin, Patrick J. (2009). An Introduction to the Bible. Eerdmans. ISBN 978-0-8028-4636-5.
- Walton, John H. (2012). Job. United States: Zondervan. ISBN 9780310492009.
- Wilson, Lindsay (2015). Job. United States: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. ISBN 9781467443289.
- Würthwein, Ernst (1995). The Text of the Old Testament. Translated by Rhodes, Erroll F. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans. ISBN 0-8028-0788-7. Retrieved January 26, 2019.
External links
[edit]- Jewish translations:
- Iyov - Job - Chapter 15 (Judaica Press) translation [with Rashi's commentary] at Chabad.org
- Christian translations:
- Online Bible at GospelHall.org (ESV, KJV, Darby, American Standard Version, Bible in Basic English)
- Book of Job Chapter 15. Various versions
Book of Job public domain audiobook at LibriVox Various versions