Job 19
Job 19 | |
---|---|
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 19is the nineteenthchapterof 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
[edit]The original text is written inHebrew language.This chapter is divided into29 verses.
Textual witnesses
[edit]Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter inHebreware of theMasoretic Text,which includes theAleppo Codex(10th century), andCodex Leningradensis(1008).[7]
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).[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 19 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)
- Job (16:1–17:16)
- Bildad (18:1–21)
- Job (19:1–29)
- Rebuking the Friends (19:1–6)
- God's Treatment of Him (19:7–12)
- Others Have Abandoned Him (19:13–20)
- Plea to the Friends to Stop (19:21–22)
- The Possibility of a Redeemer (19:23–27)
- Back to the Friends (19:28–29)
- Zophar (20:1–29)
- Job (21:1–34)
- 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]
Chapter 19 is largely a lament that can be divided into several parts:[11]
- Job's lament to God and the people (verses 1–22)
- Job complains his friends' torments of him (verses 1–6)
- Job laments God's treatment to him (verses 7–12)
- Job laments people's abandonment of him (verses 13–20)
- Job pleads his friends to stop rebuking him (verses 21–22)
- Job explores the possibility of a redeemer (verses 23–27)
- Job warns his friends of the judgment for mistreating him (verses 28–29)[11]
Job's lament to God and the people (19:1–22)
[edit]Job's lament in this section is framed by his complaint of his friends tormenting him (verses 1–6) and his plea for his friends to stop doing that action (verses 21–22).[12]In between, Job laments that he no doubt believes God's ultimate power over his fate, but he simply cannot understand why God took away his dignity and reputation ( "glory" and "crown", verse 9), also that his family and the people have deserted him ( "his brothers", verse 13; "all who knew him", verses 13b, 14b), "closest friends" (verse 19), basically the entire community (cf.Job 30).[13]
Verse 4
[edit]- [Job said:]"And if indeed I have erred,
- my error remains with me. "[14]
- "I have erred": translated from the Hebrew verbשָׁגִיתִי,shagiti,is in the form of a hypothetical clause, because Job maintains his innocence.[15]
- "My error": translated from the Hebrew wordמְשׁוּגָה,meshugah(thatcan only be found herein the Hebrew Bible), derived fromשׁוּג,shug( "to wander; to err" ) with a root parallelingשָׁגַג,shagagorשָׁגָה,shagah.[16]
Job insists that even if it were true he has committed a minor, inadvertent sin (cf. Leviticus 5:18; Numbers 15:8), definitely not the intentional sin being accused by his friends, then it is solely Job concern, a matter between Job and God alone, not for his friends to prosecute him.[16][17]
The Greek Septuagint version has an insertion between the two lines: "in having spoken words which it is not right to speak, and my words err, and are unreasonable".[18]
Job's lament to God and the people (19:23–27)
[edit]This section is seen as the high point of Job's faith and hope, showing his belief with confidence in a "living redeemer" (verse 25a).[19]The identity of this redeemer could be a hypothetical legal figure, like the "umpire/arbiter" (Job 9:33) or "witness" (Job 16:19).[20]Job's biggest desire is not justice or vindication, but the restoration of his relationship with God.[20]At the end, Job warns his friends ( "you" in verse 28a is plural) to be afraid of judgment to them for their wrongful treatment of Job.[21]
Verse 25
[edit]- [Job said:]"For I know that my Redeemer lives,
- and He will stand at last on the earth; "[22]
- "My Redeemer": or "my Vindicator", from the active participle of the Hebrew wordגָּאַל,gaʾal' ( "to redeem, protect, vindicate" ), a well-known word in the Hebrew Bible because of its identification as the "kinsman-redeemer" (cf.Book of Ruth), who is 'the near kinsman who will pay off one’s debts, defend the family, avenge a killing, marry the widow of the deceased'.[23]The concept might include the description of the mediator in Job 16:19.[23]
- "At last": translated from the Hebrew wordאַחֲרוּן,ʾakharon( "last" ) in an adjectival form, not adverbial, as an epithet of the vindicator.[24]
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.
- ^abCrenshaw 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.
- ^abWilson 2015,pp. 102–103.
- ^Wilson 2015,p. 103.
- ^Wilson 2015,p. 104.
- ^Job 19:4MEV
- ^Note [a] on Job 19:4 inNET Bible
- ^abNote [c] on Job 19:4 in NET Bible
- ^Estes 2013,p. 117.
- ^Note [b] on Job 19:4 in NET Bible
- ^Wilson 2015,p. 106.
- ^abWilson 2015,p. 107.
- ^Wilson 2015,p. 108.
- ^Job 19:25MEV
- ^abNote [a] on Job 19:25 in NET Bible
- ^Note [b] on Job 19:25 in NET Bible
Sources
[edit]- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
External links
[edit]- Jewishtranslations:
- Iyov - Job - Chapter 19 (Judaica Press)translation [withRashi's commentary] at Chabad.org
- Christiantranslations:
- Online Bibleat GospelHall.org(ESV, KJV, Darby, American Standard Version, Bible in Basic English)
- Book of Job Chapter 19.Various versions
- Book of Jobpublic domain audiobook atLibriVoxVarious versions