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Job 9

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Job 9
The whole Book of Job in theLeningrad Codex(1008 C.E.) from an old fascimile edition.
BookBook of Job
Hebrew Bible partKetuvim
Order in the Hebrew part3
CategorySifrei Emet
Christian Bible partOld Testament
Order in the Christian part18

Job 9is the ninthchapterof theBook of Jobin theHebrew Bibleor theOld Testamentof theChristianBible.[1][2]The book is anonymous; most scholars believe it was written around 6th century BCE.[3][4]This chapter records the speech ofJob,which belongs to the Dialogue section of the book, comprisingJob 3:1–31:40.[5][6]

Text

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The original text is written inHebrew language.This chapter is divided into35 verses.

Textual witnesses

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Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter inHebreware of theMasoretic Text,which includes theAleppo Codex(10th century), andCodex Leningradensis(1008).[7]Fragments containing parts of this chapter in Hebrew were found among theDead Sea Scrollsincluding 4Q100 (4QJobb;50–1 BCE) with extant verse 27.[8][9][10][11]

There is also a translation intoKoine Greekknown as theSeptuagint,made in the last few centuries BC; some extant ancient manuscripts of this version includeCodex Vaticanus(B;B;4th century),Codex Sinaiticus(S;BHK:S;4th century), andCodex Alexandrinus(A;A;5th century).[12]

Analysis

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The structure of the book is as follows:[13]

  • 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 9 is grouped into the Dialogue section with the following outline:[14]

  • Job's Self-Curse and Self-Lament (3:1–26)
  • Round One (4:1–14:22)
    • Eliphaz (4:1–5:27)
    • Job (6:1–7:21)
    • Bildad (8:1–22)
    • Job (9:1–10:22)
      • Being Righteous before God (9:1–4)
      • God's Power and Force (9:5–13)
      • The Difficulties of Litigation against God (9:14–20)
      • How Does God Rule the World? (9:21–24)
      • Exploring Other Options (9:25–35)
      • Transition to a Lament (10:1–2)
      • Three Sharp Questions (10:3–7)
      • Remember How You Made Me (10:8–12)
      • Now You Have Destroyed Me (10:13–17)
      • Closing Words of Despair (10:18–22)
    • Zophar (11:1–20)
    • Job (12:1–14:22)
  • Round Two (15:1–21:34)
  • 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]

At this point of the book, the issues of righteousness and justice have been raised by Eliphaz (Job 4–5) and Bildad (Job 8), and Job responded in his first speech (Job 6–7) and now in second speeche (Job 9–10).[15]Eliphaz asked whether humans are righteous (יִצְדָּ֑ק,yiṣ-dāq) before God (Job 4:17), but Job points out that it is his righteousness (צִדְקִי,ṣiḏ-qî) that is at stake (Job 6:29).[15]Bildad asked whether God perverts justice (מִשְׁפָּ֑ט,miš-pāṭ) or righteousness (צֶֽדֶק,ṣe-ḏeq;Job 8:3), so in this chapter Job asks how a person can be righteous (יִצְדָּ֑ק,yiṣ-dāq) before God (Job 9:2), which refers back to Eliphaz's question in Job 4:17, but here in the sense of how one can "be in the right" before God, rather than "be declared to be right" by God.[16]

"Job Speaks with His Friends" in Doré's English Bible, byGustave Doré(1866).

Job contemplates a litigation against God (9:1–24)

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As he questions his own righteousness (verse 2), Job contemplates a litigation with God (verse 3), which does not mean to usurp God's authority but rather to establish the trush of Job's righteousness before God (something that God already testified in Job 1:8 and 2:3, but at this time is unknown to Job and his peers).[17],but Job acknowledges the daunting prospect of this litigation in light of God's great power (verses 4–13).[18]Subsequently, Job lays out his case, in a section containing some legal terms (verses 14–20), along with a complaint that being legally right may not be enough to achieve a legal victory against God.[19]In all of his accusations he shares with his peers, Job places high regard to God as the "mighty" Creator (verses 4 and 19), as he tries to clarify to himself how God rules the universe.[20] The attachment to doctrine of retribution makes is difficult for Job to comprehend God's action, especially 'why the blameless and the wicked are not treated differently' (verse 22), while he continues to hold that God is 'in sovereign control of the world' (verse 24).[20]

Verse 9

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[Job said:] "“who made the Bear and Orion,
the Pleiades and the chambers of the south; "[21]

The translation ofBear,Orion,Pleiadesfrom (Hebrew:Ash,Kesil,andKimah [22]) follows the familiar names of constellations derived from Greek tradition to substitute the Hebrew terms (cf. Job 38:31-33; Amos 5:8).[23]

Job explores some options (9:25–35)

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In this section, Job explores options regarding his contemplated litigation against God:[25]

  1. The first option (verses 27–29) is to forget about his complaint, which may lead to condemnation, not vindication (verses 28b–29a).
  2. The second option (verses 30–31) is to clean himself up (verse 30), but Job worries that 'God will throw him back into the muck' (verse 31)
  3. The third option (verses 32–35) is to call for a mediator, arbiter or umpire (Hebrew:mokiah), which is the option Job really focuses on. It is unclear what kind of third party Job expects, whether it is an actual or a hypothetical figure.[25]Job pursues the possibility of an arbiter again in Job 16:18–22 and 19:23–27.[26]

Verses 30–31

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[Job said:]30"If I wash myself with snow
and cleanse my hands with lye,
31yet you will plunge me into a pit,
and my own clothes will abhor me. "[27]
  • "With snow": translated from thewritten Hebrewבְמוֹ,vemo,"(in) snow", whereasit is readasבמי־שלג,veme sheleg,"with water of snow", as supported by the Syriac versions andTargum;here apparently symbolizes "purification" (cf.Psalm 51:9 andIsaiah 1:18.[28]The termsheleg(only appeared for"reading"not in"writing"), also rendered as “soap” (NIV, NRSV, NLT).[28]
  • "Lye":from Hebrewבֹּר,bor( "lye", potash "), which has the same meaning asבֹּרִית,borit,the alkali orsodamade from the ashes of certain plants used as an ingredient to wash or to make (hands) pure or clean.[29]
  • "Pit": rendered based on the pointing in the Masoretic Text (שַּׁ֣חַת,sakhat,also means "ditch" ).[30]A change in the pointing of the Hebrew word toשֻׁחוֹת,shukhot,obtains the equivalent ofשֻׂחוֹת,sukhotorסֻחוֹת,sukhot,which means "filth" (Isaiah 5:25).[30]M. H. Pope argues that the word "pit" in the Masoretic Text includes the idea of "filth", so an emendation is unnecessary.[31]

See also

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  • RelatedBibleparts:Job 4,Job 6,Job 7,Job 38,Job 42,Isaiah 5,Amos 5

    • References

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    1. ^Halley 1965,pp. 244–245.
    2. ^Holman Illustrated Bible Handbook. Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee. 2012.
    3. ^Kugler & Hartin 2009,p. 193.
    4. ^Crenshaw 2007,p. 332.
    5. ^abCrenshaw 2007,p. 335.
    6. ^Wilson 2015,p. 18.
    7. ^Würthwein 1995,pp. 36–37.
    8. ^Ulrich 2010,p. 727.
    9. ^Dead sea scrolls - Job
    10. ^Fitzmyer 2008,p. 42.
    11. ^4Q100 at the Leon Levy Dead Sea Scrolls Digital Library
    12. ^Würthwein 1995,pp. 73–74.
    13. ^Wilson 2015,pp. 17–23.
    14. ^Wilson 2015,pp. 18–21.
    15. ^abWilson 2015,p. 67.
    16. ^Wilson 2015,pp. 67–68.
    17. ^Wilson 2015,p. 68.
    18. ^Wilson 2015,pp. 68–69.
    19. ^Wilson 2015,p. 69.
    20. ^abWilson 2015,p. 70.
    21. ^Job 9:9ESV
    22. ^Note on Job 9:9 inNKJV
    23. ^Coogan 2007,p. 736 Hebrew Bible.
    24. ^Note [a] on Job 9:9 inNET Bible
    25. ^abWilson 2015,p. 71.
    26. ^Wilson 2015,p. 72.
    27. ^Job 9:30–31ESV
    28. ^abNote [a] on Job 9:30 inNET Bible
    29. ^Note [b] on Job 9:30 in NET Bible
    30. ^abNote on Job 9:31 in NET
    31. ^Pope, M. H. “The Word sahat in Job 9:31," JBL 83 [1964]: 269-78;apudnote on Job 9:31 in NET.

    Sources

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    • Alter, Robert (2010).The Wisdom Books: Job, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes: A Translation with Commentary.W.W. Norton & Co.ISBN978-0393080735.
    • 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.ISBN9780195288810.
    • Crenshaw, James L. (2007). "17. Job". InBarton, John;Muddiman, John(eds.).The Oxford Bible Commentary(first (paperback) ed.). Oxford University Press. pp. 331–355.ISBN978-0199277186.RetrievedFebruary 6,2019.
    • Estes, Daniel J. (2013). Walton, John H.; Strauss, Mark L. (eds.).Job.Teach the Text Commentary Series. United States: Baker Publishing Group.ISBN9781441242778.
    • 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.ISBN978-0-66425652-4.
    • Fitzmyer, Joseph A.(2008).A Guide to the Dead Sea Scrolls and Related Literature.Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.ISBN9780802862419.
    • Halley, Henry H.(1965).Halley's Bible Handbook: an abbreviated Bible commentary(24th (revised) ed.). Zondervan Publishing House.ISBN0-310-25720-4.
    • Kugler, Robert; Hartin, Patrick J. (2009).An Introduction to the Bible.Eerdmans.ISBN978-0-8028-4636-5.
    • Ulrich, Eugene,ed. (2010).The Biblical Qumran Scrolls: Transcriptions and Textual Variants.Brill.
    • Walton, John H. (2012).Job.United States: Zondervan.ISBN9780310492009.
    • Wilson, Lindsay (2015).Job.United States: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.ISBN9781467443289.
    • Würthwein, Ernst(1995).The Text of the Old Testament.Translated by Rhodes, Erroll F. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans.ISBN0-8028-0788-7.RetrievedJanuary 26,2019.
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