Jack Hakimian

OT504: The Writings

10-8-07

Critical Analysis #1
Job 4-8

Content and Context

Chapters 4 thru 8 follow the introductory assault on Job by Satan. Then we have the

arrival of his three friends (Job 1, 2). His friends seeing the horrific circumstance that has

befallen Job mourn out of deep sympathy for one week. In the presence of his friends Job

breaks forth into a complaint concerning the day of his birth. He wishes he had never

been born for the worst type of tragedy he dreaded has come upon him (Job 3). In

response to his lament (Job 3) and to help Job regain his health and prosperity they begin

to correct him and teach him that is God’s just and merciful in character. He rewards the

righteous and punishes the wicked. So if Job could just learn from this discipline and

contend before the righteous judge, God things would get better. 1

From chapters 4:1 to 27:23 there are three debates or dialogues. Each cycle has three six

speeches. For each of the three friends who try to provide comfort Job responds with his

1
John E. Hartley. 1998. The New International Commentary on the Old Testament: The
Book of Job. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans Publishing Co, pg 103.

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own longer comments.2 In chapters 4 thru 8 we have Eliphaz’s and Bildad’s first

speeches.

In chapters 4:1 to 5:27 Eliphaz states to Job in a very diplomatic way (Job 4:2) that Job’s

previous lament (Job 3) is contradicting what he has taught others (Job 4:2-4). He thinks

Job is going against the wisdom that bad things happen to bad people (Job 5:17-18), and

now that something has happened to him, he curses the day God gave him life (Job 4:5-

11). Instead Job should take responsibility for his sins and recognize that God punishes

evildoers (Job 4:17-21). For Eliphaz the law of retribution is applied justly by God (Job

4:7-21). Also, God restores people from that punishment if they sincerely repent (Job 5:9-

26). Difficulties are an opportunity for people to discover their sins and bring them before

God in confession.3 Job, should realize this and be careful in his complaints towards God,

less such an attitude God him into this situation in the first place.

In chapters 6:1-7:21 we see Job’s first response to Eliphaz. He argues that he has a right

to complain (Job 6:1-7). Rather his words of lament are appropriate in the comparison to

His suffering. In fact he would rather have God kill him, so that he would not deny the

Lord with his words (Job 6:8-13). As friends they have failed to understand what is going

on and truly comfort Job (Job 6:14-30). Rather their accusation that this God’s

punishment for evil is wrong and to simplistic in it’s reasoning. Because we see that all

people suffer at various times and in various degrees (Job 7:1-5). Something else is going

2
John E. Hartley, pg 103.
3
John E. Hartley, pg 104.

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on and Job needs to know, so he can be comforted.4 He breaks forth in a lament to God

pleading for understanding or death. For him, death is better then living in the state of

physical and mental agony (Job 7:6-21). Yet through the lament Job moves from self-pity

to a closer understanding God and a desire to search Him out in the suffering.5

In chapter 8 Bildad responds from a more traditional perspective. He argues that God’s

ways are good and if something bad does happen from His hand, it is because you

deserve it (Job 8:1-7). This evidence is based on the forefathers teachings (Job 8:8-10),

and the observation of nature (Job 8:11-19). Then he ends with an implicit exhortation for

Job to repent and become a man of “integrity” (Job 8:20-22). If Job does God will make

his life one of laughter and protection from the wicked. He seems to understand the

restorative process of God, but clearly misunderstands the cause of Job’s sufferings. Due

to a fixed theological schema where he sees Job’s suffering as a direct one to one

consequence of sin.6

This portion seems to set the stage for the other three debates which will consist of Job’s

diatribe with his friend’s narrow and discomforting perspectives. Fixed into a simplistic

system of thought these men are not able to understand that there is a “Divine Mystery”

to suffering.7 Of course for the reader of this narrative that mystery has been disclosed,

but for the participants the mystery is real, troublesome and illustrative of human brings

4
John E. Hartley, pg 104.
5
John E. Hartley, pg 104.
6
Daniel J Estes. 2005. Handbook On The Wisdom Books and Psalms. Grand Rapids,
Michigan: Baker Academic, pg 54
7
Daniel J Estes., pg 54.

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egotistic need to have answers for problems they cannot explain biblically, historically, or

philosophically.

Concerns of the Text

The central focus of the texts seems to be on the issue of “retribution theology”. They see

the world ordered on this basic premise: God punishes wicked people with poverty and

pain for their sins and blesses righteous people with joy and prosperity for their righteous

acts.8 They don’t take into consideration that there are situations where “good people”

suffer for their goodness or for other reasons not connected with their behavior.9

There seems to be multiple concerns by the author revealed through these passages. One

main concern revealed through Eliphaz. Eliphaz criticism of Job’s lament is that he seems

to be negating the idea of wisdom that he himself once held and strengthened others with

(Job 4:3-6). It appears that the traditional wisdom held in this ancient near east culture

was that if a person was speaking foolish they we also wicked in God’s eyes, and if they

were wise they were righteousness.10 Surely, by the way Job laments in chapter 3 he is

bordering on becoming a fool. The very way he wishes to die, rather then accept the life

and punishment that God has allotted to him, exposes for Eliphaz how Job has become a

fool. 11

8
Daniel J Estes., pg 40.
9
Daniel J Estes., pg 42.
10
Brown, William P. 1996. Character In Crisis: A Fresh Approach to the Wisdom Literature of the
Old Testament. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans Publishing, pg
11
Daniel J Estes., pg 43,44

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Second concern of the text has to due with lamenting.12 Can people lament and complain

to God about a situation they don’t agree with, or should they accept everything from the

hand of God as direct response to their sins. Job’s friends see this kind of complaining

similar to the accusations the wicked make of God (Job 22:17). 13 Job in complaining to

God shows that lamenting is actually a struggle to dig and search for God in ones dark

hour of the soul.14 In chapter 7: 18 Job argues that God is constantly examining him to

see if there is any flaw in him. The testing of God has become to burdensome for Job. 15

Due to the paradoxical situation of God being near and scrutinizing him and thus having

a reason to judge him, he rather die, or have God show that he is in actuality near by

answering his prayer request for death.16

Third concern of the text seems to highlight the motives of humans. It appears that

Eliphaz and Bildad are arguing for a view of God that sees right actions as lending to

prosperity and protection. When Job’s wife challenges Job to curse God and die, you can

sense the test is ultimately about his motives.17 Will Job serve God, because He is both

author and taker of gifts, or will he only serve God when the gifts are accessible and

experienced?18 Do humans, like Job only serve God to get positive retributions or

rewards, or do they serve God out of loyalty and love.19

12
Roland E Murphy. 2002. The Tree of Life: An Exploration of Biblical Wisdom
Literature. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans Publishing, Pg 38.
13
William P Brown, pg 66.
14
Roland E Murphy, Pg 39.
15
John E. Hartley, pg 151.
16
John E. Hartley, pg 134.
17
Rolf. Rendtorff. 1991. The Old Testament: An Introduction. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, pg 252.
18
Roland E Murphy, Pg 46.
19
Roland E Murphy, Pg 36

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 Hermeneutical Significance

In our contemporary church there as sections of people who like the three friends of Job

seems to have a simple theology of suffering that troubles and provokes Christians who

are suffering persecution, poverty or physical pain with sincere faith and love for God.20

Especially from the “Word Faith” movement that advocates a one to one relationship

with “true faith” and “material, spiritual, and social prosperity”.21 They draw from the

Old Testament covenant that God made with Moses, the principles of blessing and

cursing.22 Like the ancients, we misapply a proper hermeneutical approach when it comes

to developing a theology from history or the Pentateuch. If one reads the Deuteronomical

covenant in chapter 28 carefully you come to realize that the context of the promise has

to do with the nation on a macro level. On a microscopic level we can infer that there was

in Israel poor people (Deut 15:7), sick people (Lev 13:45, 46), contaminations (Lev

13:47-52), barrenness (1 Sam 1:3-5) and internal social strife (Lev 20:9). When one reads

it from this context we can understand why on a microscopic level we see a righteous

person like Job suffering. God still puts us humans to the test (Job 1); evil befalls humans

due to the corruption of the world (Job 7:1-3). Through Job’s life we see that

“experiential wisdom” is shattered. The finite cannot know the thoughts and plans of the

infinite God (Job 38) and some things remain a mystery despite the fact that God let’s us

20
Brown, William P. 1996. Character In Crisis: A Fresh Approach to the Wisdom Literature of the
Old Testament. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans Publishing, pg 50.
21
Hummel, Charles E. 1983. Fire in the Fireplace: Charismatic Renewal in the Nineties.
Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
22
Deuteronomy 28

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see past the veil into the council’s of God (Job 1, 2).23 Questions remain such as, “Why

does God interact with Satan? Why does God engage in a wager? Why does God allow

humans to be basis of his competition with Satan? Why does God need us to experience

testing when He already knows our hearts?

23
Rolf. Rendtorff, pg 252.

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 Bibliography

Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary. 1986. Place Published: Thomas Nelson Publishers
(accessed.

Brown, William P. 1996. Character In Crisis: A Fresh Approach to the Wisdom

Literature of the Old Testament. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans Publishing.

Estes, Daniel J. 2005. Handbook On The Wisdom Books and Psalms. Grand Rapids,
Michigan: Baker Academic.

Hartley, John E. 1998. The New International Commentary on the Old Testament: The
Book of Job. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans Publishing Co.

Hummel, Charles E. 1983. Fire in the Fireplace: Charismatic Renewal in the Nineties.
Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

Murphy, Roland E. 2002. The Tree of Life: An Exploration of Biblical Wisdom

Literature. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans Publishing.

Rendtorff, Rolf. 1991. The Old Testament: An Introduction. Philadelphia: Fortress Press.