Reflections on the Book of Job

Yung Suk Kim, Ph.D.
Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity
Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology
Virginia Union University

Why is the wisdom book so long? I am not a big fan of a long book with all the elaborate words. However, I love poetic expressions in the middle sections of the book and Job's authentic, persistent engagement with God without being swayed by his friends. Job's friends failed to minister to him, busy persuading him with words of empty theology. But God acknowledges Job and his case while not answering him about why he suffers. In the end, God seems to admit unwittingly that his experiment with Job was too cruel for any lesson.

1. Job 42:6 (translation issue):

In Job 42:6b, did Job repent or comfort himself after/because of God's appearance? The verb in the issue is nacham, נָחַם, which means to comfort (in many places in the Hebrew Bible, including Job) or to be sorry. Except for the Common English Bible and the Complete Jewish Bible with Rashi Commentary, almost all English translations go with "repent," which seems absurd, given the Joban perspective in that the issue is not sin but innocent suffering. Eventually, what Job urgently needs is not the logical answer to why he suffers---about which God did not answer him at all--but God's presence and comfort.

Moreover, in 42:6a, there is no object of the verb emas, which means to protest (Job 7:16; 34:33; 36:5). Compare it with other uses of this verb: 1 Sam 15:23, 26; Jer 7:29; Hos 4:6; 9:17; Amos 5:21; Job 19:18; Prov 15:32) (see Leo Purdue, Wisdom Literature, 126).

Traditional translations:
-NRSV/NIV: "therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes.”

Alternative translations:
-The Complete Jewish Bible has it: "Therefore I despise [my life], and I will be consoled on dust and ashes."
-CEB: "Therefore, I relent and find comfort on dust and ashes."
-Leo Purdue: "I protest, but feel sorry for dust and ashes" (Wisdom Literature, 125).
-William Brown: "Therefore I waste away, yet am comforted over dust and ashes" (Wisdom's Wonder, 126).
*The Hebrew text: עַל־כֵּ֖ן אֶמְאַ֣ס וְנִחַ֑מְתִּי עַל־עָפָ֥ר וָאֵֽפֶר:

2. Worth quoting Purdue (Wisdom Literature, p. 126)
Job is not "repenting in" dust and ashes, but rather he expresses his despondency over human fate. He feels sorrow for human beings (i.e., "dust and ashes"), a compassion absent from the nature of God. Job refuses to be intimidated, for he remains defiant. It is Yahweh who has been judged guilty, not the mortal Job, for the voice from the whirlwind has been condemned by his own words.

3. A good article to read
"Advice to Job from a Buddhist Friend" by Sandra B. Lubarsky. [Shofar: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Jewish Studies, Volume 17, Number 3, Spring 1999, pp. 58-68 (Article) Published by Purdue University Press]

"God comes to Job and Job feels God as personally present, as one who knows and cares for him. It may be that the "answer" to such a fundamental question as suffering finds expression in relational terms because the existential need that arises from suffering is ultimately for relationship and care, not for logic. Perhaps it is the case that though there is much that we do not understand, this much we can understand--that we are connected, each to each, to all of creation and (for Jews) to the Creator and that that connection is permeated with God's presence and care. Here Judaism and Buddhism meet--though the one is theistic and the other not--in the belief that the heart of understanding is relationality" (p. 67).

4. Job's Lament: how to read (my earlier post)
Job does not know why he suffers and argues that he is blameless. Even if he is not sinless or perfect, he does not deserve such excruciating suffering. He concludes that God must be cruel or impartial because "He destroys both the blameless and the wicked" (Job 9:22). So, he feels nothing and laments: "If I am wicked, woe to me! If I am righteous, I cannot lift up my head, for I am filled with disgrace and look upon my affliction. Bold as a lion you hunt me; you repeat your exploits against me" (Job 10:15-16).

Job operates within the traditional theology of reward and punishment and struggles to understand his innocent suffering. In this view, the logic is "you reap what you sow." But he challenges this traditional wisdom because it does not work for him. In later chapters, he even points out that his friends are not faultless and that the wicked are at ease (Job 12:6; 13:7-12). He persistently argues that he is blameless and does not deserve all-loss calamity, including his unbearable suffering.

In reality, however, there was nothing he could do to correct the situation. On the one hand, he knows that normative wisdom failed in his eyes. On the other hand, he must live and deal with the traditional worldview. Worse, no one heard him. Even God is silent. His three friends keep preaching: "You have sinned; you deserve punishment; repent; then you will prosper again." His friends were intoxicated by the pills of traditional theology. They are busy protecting the traditional religion. They don't listen to him at all. They speak all the time. So much so that Job is more despondent and dejected.

The alternative worldview may help Job understand his misery better. That is, anyone falls victim to anything under heaven. So to speak, tragedy happens anywhere to anyone. In that regard, heaven and earth are merciless and impartial. There are human-made sufferings; there are also unknown sufferings. There are "righteous sufferings" too, for those who work for God's righteousness. In the case of Job, suffering or misfortune is caused not necessarily by God's action or due to sin. As the sun shines on all, and as the storm hits anyone at any place, things may happen to anyone (c.f., Matt 5:45; Dao De Jing 5). That is life's design, perhaps. It's science and the sheer reality that we must embrace.

As we approach the end of the Book of Job, God appears finally and speaks to Job. But he still does not answer Job why he suffers. Perhaps the only good news is that God is there with him. How we interpret the final scene of God is the next topic.

*Elihu appears on the scene

*OTHER interesting POSTS: Cross-cultural reading of wisdom

Power of a metaphor

In a metaphor, there are two things: the tenor (the target domain) and the vehicle (the source domain). The former is the thing described---the subject of a metaphor, and the latter is a means that describes the thing. In reality, metaphors surround us because what we compare with is from nature. We live in nature, seeing, feeling, touching, and experiencing things therein. We express ideas and thoughts via metaphors or similitudes. For example, how can I best express gratitude to my mother other than through a metaphor? I can say from my heart that she is heaven, sea, soft wind, and earth. What my mother means to me is ineffable, so I use certain metaphorical images to express my thinking. Metaphors are evasive to some degree, and no one can understand fully what is expressed in them. As such, the power of a metaphor lies in its freedom that defies any fix of the meaning. 

 

New blood as a metaphor

"New blood" may be understood as a metaphor for the vibrant activity that strengthens the community and organization. While a person's flesh and bones look like remaining the same though undergoing weakness and changes, red cells, which take up almost all the blood cells, are made every second with about 2 million new red cells. In 8 weeks, there will be new blood cells. According to the source, "Blood carries oxygen, carbon dioxide, nutrients, waste products, cells, and hormones. It is part of the circulatory system that includes the heart and blood vessels." Without newly made blood cells, the body will not maintain its system. Likewise, our organizations and communities will be debilitated and gone forever if we do not have robust cells. In an emergency, we need to receive new blood from others. But in a normal situation, blood needs reproduction in the bone marrow. This means bones must be strong. Then, suddenly, we realize our body is a holistic, interdependent organism. For a healthy community, there are many things to consider. See the three types of blood cells: red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. 

• Red blood cells (erythrocytes) carry oxygen to all cells in the body. The oxygen is carried to cells on a protein in red blood cells (called hemoglobin). Hemoglobin is what makes the blood red. It also carries carbon dioxide away from cells so that it can be exhaled by the lungs. Almost all of the cells in the blood are red blood cells.
• White blood cells (leukocytes) are an important part of the immune system. They fight infection by defending the body against bacteria, viruses, and other germs. Most of the body’s white blood cells are outside the blood, and in other tissues of the body. Normally, there are very few white blood cells in the blood.
• Platelets (thrombocytes) make the blood clot and help stop bleeding. When a blood vessel is damaged, platelets travel to the area and clump together (the source).

Red cells do life-sustaining activities, which are essential to human bodies and to all organizations. White cells perform life-defending activities, which are also indispensable. Platelets function as life-saving agents in emergencies. Likewise, we must check that we have this function in our organizations.

Definitions of Wisdom

I found a good definition of wisdom in James Crenshaw's book, Old Testament Wisdom, third ed. WJKP, 2010.

"It follows that wisdom is the reasoned search for specific ways to assure wellbeing and the implementation of those discoveries in daily existence. Wisdom addresses natural, human, and theological dimensions of reality, and constitutes an attitude toward life, a living tradition, and a literary corpus" (p. 16).

"The reasoned search for specific ways to ensure personal well-being in everyday life, to make sense of extreme adversity and vexing anomalies, and to transmit this hard-earned knowledge so that successive generations will embody it---wisdom---is universal" (p. 4).

"The goal of wisdom was the formation of character and to make sense of life's anomalies" (p. 4).

"Wisdom is a particular attitude toward reality, a worldview" (p. 11).

"The conclusion reached from this multifaceted approach to defining wisdom is that formally, wisdom consists of proverbial sentence or instruction, debate, intellectual reflection; thematically, wisdom comprises self-evident intuitions about mastering life for human betterment, gropings after life's secrets with regard to innocent suffering, grappling with finitude, and quest for truth concealed in the created order and manifested in a feminine persona" (p. 12).

Human stupidity

"The more comfortable we become with being stupid, the deeper we will wade into the unknown and the more likely we are to make big discoveries." --from "The importance of stupidity in scientific research" (Martin A. Schwartz).

Whatever we do, study or not, we must have an attitude of humility. Arrogant people do not learn anything. 

In fact, the reality of who we are is this: The more we know, the more we feel stupid because we are not capable of knowing everything we wish to know. We must acknowledge our stupidity.   

Laozi says: "Knowing not to know is the best" (Dao De Jing 71).

Righteousness and justice (Amos 5:24): Poetic Imagination

[Courtesy of FreeBibleImages.org]

"But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream" (Amos 5:24).

Tzedakah (צְדָקָה) means "righteousness." This word deals with "relational" or "interpersonal" characters. In the HB, God's righteousness is one of the most important themes. Mishpat (מִשְׁפָּט) means "fairness" or "justice" in human lives, especially in matters of social justice. This word connotes judgment in a legal claim. Other judgment-related Hebrew words are shapat, din, or riv.

In sum, tzedakah denotes relationships, righteousness being the condition of who one is, as God is righteous and just. That is, how we relate to one another and to God. But mishpat refers to the need for balance, equilibrium, equity, or fairness. So righteousness is indeed the source of justice. There is no justice without righteousness.

In Amos 5:24, Amos uses his poetic imagination to challenge Israelites to live with justice and righteousness. Justice must run like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream. Justice roars loudly. God does not want festivals, burnt offerings, or noisy music. God wants to hear a big sound of justice rolling like a river. "Waters" symbolizes the vibrant, dynamic power of justice, especially economic justice for all.

Then, the prophet gives us another poetic image of the stream and relates it to righteousness. A stream lies in the lowest valley and flows steadily and quietly. And the source of a stream is rain from above. This image of a stream means that we must be humble before God and others because who we are is possible because of God's grace. In this regard, righteousness is a relational language that seeks God's way in everyday life as in a never-drying stream.

Wisdom reading notes

I finished Qohelet. This is the final reading note. I read all three wisdom books, producing 27 reading notes. This summer I did not expect to study wisdom literature though I wanted it long ago. I follow the inclination of my heart and do my best. My wisdom is I do what I can.

Qohelet confronts Proverbs

The view of "you reap what you sow" in Proverbs is not upheld by Qohelet, who is thoroughly realistic in his view of the world and humanity, saying that "the same fate awaits everyone" (Eccl 9:3). See what Qohelet says in Eccl 9:2-3:

Everything is the same for everyone. The same fate awaits the righteous and the wicked, the good and the bad, the pure and the impure, those who sacrifice and those who don’t sacrifice. The good person is like the wrongdoer; the same holds for those who make solemn pledges and those who are afraid to swear. This is the sad thing about all that happens under the sun: the same fate awaits everyone. Moreover, the human heart is full of evil; people’s minds are full of madness while they are alive, and afterward they die (Common English Bible).

"There is nothing better than to eat and drink and find enjoyment in their toil" (Eccl 3:12)

I like Qohelet because there is no doctrine whatsoever.

Qohelet is not a doctrinal book. While humans need true wisdom, there is no push for one kind of theology. Even with God-talk in the book, there is no traditional theology either. There is a deep critical reflection on humanity in a seemingly nonsensible world. People can read this book from nothing, without presuppositions about the ideal life or theology. 

No wisdom or knowledge, wealth, pleasure, achievements, or social status can give true happiness to one. Life is wind, and the same fate is for the wise and fool. People come and go away, not possessing anything after they die. They will be forgotten by those who come after them. 

Eccl 2:24 suggests that it is better to live simply than otherwise: "There is nothing better for mortals than to eat and drink and find enjoyment in their toil." Also, in 3:12-13: "I know that there is nothing better for them than to be happy and enjoy themselves as long as they live; moreover, it is God’s gift that all should eat and drink and take pleasure in all their toil."

People can live, honoring seasons in their lives (Eccl 3:1-8). "There is a time to be born and a time to die" (Eccl 3:2). It is so simple that humans are just like animals. They are from the dust and return to dust (Eccl 3:20). 

I appreciate Qoholet's candid observation of humanity as in Eccl 3:18-22. Here we see the lowly humans compared to animals, which is nothing wrong.  

3.18 I said to myself with regard to humans that God is testing them to show that they are but animals. 19 For the fate of humans and the fate of animals is the same; as one dies, so dies the other. They all have the same breath, and humans have no advantage over the animals, for all is vanity. 20 All go to one place, all are from the dust, and all turn to dust again. 21 Who knows whether the human spirit goes upward and the spirit of animals goes downward to the earth? 22 So I saw that there is nothing better than that all should enjoy their work, for that is their lot; who can bring them to see what will be after them? (NRSV Updated Edition).

 

"Hebel": Variations in the translation of Eccl 1:2

Hebel הֶבֶל means "vapor or breath," an important metaphor for something that is short-lived or ephemeral. This word in Eccl 1:2 is translated variously. What do you think is the best translation or how can you translate Eccl 1:2 in your way? More importantly, what is the meaning of "hebel" in Ecclesiastes? That is a matter of interpretation. See below a few examples of English translation:

NRSVue (NRSV updated edition):
Vanity of vanities, says the Teacher,
vanity of vanities! All is vanity.

NIV (New International Version):
“Meaningless! Meaningless!”
says the Teacher.
“Utterly meaningless!
Everything is meaningless.”

CEB (Common English Bible):
Perfectly pointless, says the Teacher, perfectly pointless.
Everything is pointless.

NASB (New American Standard Bible):  
“Futility of futilities,” says the Preacher,
“Futility of futilities! All is futility.”

CJB (Complete Jewish Bible):
Pointless! Pointless! — says Kohelet —
Utterly meaningless! Nothing matters!