Clines deserves to be read thoroughly, though there are times when he is irritatingly defensive on christological implications in the big texts in job. The book of job is one of the most difficult to adequately translate of all the old testament books. Merely to say that clines work is thorough would be an understatement. It abounds in unique references and has significant passages that can be plausibly translated in a variety of ways. Word, 1989, 2006, 2011, which opens with a helpful orientation to job and to books about job, which, though published in 1989, will still put the student in a position to tackle the book with confidence. Pdf a very short commentary on the book of job david. The role and character of elihu in the book of job the doc file.
Get the best deal by comparing prices from over 100,000 booksellers. Waters ritten by an unknown author, possibly the most ancient literary account in the bible,1 the book of job is a mixture of divine and human wisdom that addresses a major life issue. In the second of his three monumental volumes on the book of job in the word bible commentary series, david clines notes that, in the modern period, elias busitas in 1772 was the first scholar to suggest that the elihu speeches found in job, chapters 3237, constituted later editions to the book of job. The book of job is widely regarded as one of the great written masterpieces of history, equally impressive for the depth of the issues it wrestles with and the great literary quality it displays. Throughout the book that bears his name, job has been crying out to god, asking him to explain the reason for his suffering. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading job 120.
It marks the general conception of the unity of the whole history, but implies nothing of special connection of time or authorship with the books of samuel. Job 1 king james version kjv 1 there was a man in the land of uz, whose name was job. After this david returns to israel to the city of he. Addressing the problem of theodicy the vindication of the justice of god in the light of humanitys suffering it is a rich theological work setting out a variety of perspectives. Clines the worth of animals in the divine speeches of the book of job 9. In 2003, a festschrift was published in his honour. Clines second volume on the book of job chaps 21 37 is a treasury of linguistic, exegetical, form critical, and strophic analysis, leading into an incisive and perceptive exposition of the text. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading job 120, volume 17 word biblical commentary. If one or more works are by a distinct, homonymous authors, go ahead and split the author. Tim notes that the point of the story of job is that he suffers unfairly, but the righteous sufferer is someone that god elevates to a place of authority, someone who god listens to when they intercede for others.
Reflections on suffering from the book of job 3 undeserved suffering, therefore, serves as a dependable, useful model12 for the believer of any generation in dealing with the problem of theodicy. In each chapter, he provides an incredible bibliography which includes all of the major academic christian, jewish, and secular work cited by experts. In philistine ziklag, david lived a dangerous double life. Journal for the study of the new testament issues 5760, 1995. This is the message of the book of job that we must communicate effectively in the twentyfirst century. Clines served as president of the society of biblical literature in 2009. Is god to be held to a strict set of regulations based on human interpretations of his relationship with mankind. Job 120, volume 17 word biblical commentary kindle edition by clines, david j. This series emphasizes a thorough analysis of textual, linguistic, structural, and theological evidence. The word biblical commentary delivers the best in biblical scholarship, from the leading scholars of our day who share a commitment to scripture as divine revelation. Although most of the book consists of the words of job and his friends, job himself was not the author. Following the format of the word biblical commentary series, david j. This summary of the book of job provides information about the title, author s, date of writing, chronology, theme, theology, outline, a brief overview, and the chapters of the book of job.
Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. It is plain, from this history, that the lord watched over his servant job with the affection of a wise and loving father. Many old traditions have been preserved in the books, but they have been reworked by the historian. Although job is one of the longer books in the bible, in most churches today it is rarely taught or preached in a comprehensive way.
Hartleys commentary on job is not as comprehensive or technical as clines work, but it is not written at an introductory level either. The primary evidence for davids career is constituted by several chapters of the books 1 and 2 samuel in the hebrew bible old testament. Job 1 kjv there was a man in the land of uz, bible gateway. The book of psalms present the response of the people of israel to the acts and words of god.
Clines contribution to job in the word biblical commentary is the most comprehensive scholarly commentary i have read. Ive now read through about five commentaries on the book of job. David clines, the university of sheffield, sheffield institute of interdisciplinary biblical studies siibis, emeritus. David himself knew well by experience that this was the proper course of life, for only by doing so had he been blessed with. Clines is one of those commentators who realizes the necessity of dealing not only with the minutiae of the text. The arguments of job s friends david clines a moses legend in numbers 12 george coats the literary structure of luke 12 charles davis a literary approach to isaiah 28 cheryl exum plot, character and theology in exodus 114 david gunn intimacy and alienation in genesis 23 alan hauser.
His attention to detail, extensive commentary, and ability to communicate numerous interpretive issues establish this work as a most worthy. In this second volume of his commentary on job, professor david j. The structure of the book is that of a prose prologue and epilogue, while chs. David was born 10 years after jehovah chose saul to be king. There is a war between the men who choose sauls son ishbo. In this frequently discussed and often disputed book, one of the most frequently discussed and most often disputed figures is the character of elihu, a young man who suddenly appears. For example, even people who have scant comprehension of the content of the bible are aware of jobs words that the lord gave and the lord has taken. It is common to view the narrative frame as the original core of the book, enlarged later by the poetic dialogues and discourses, and sections of the book such as the elihu speeches and the wisdom poem of chapter 28 as late insertions, but recent trends have tended to concentrate on the. Clines is professor of biblical studies in the university of sheffield england, joint editor of the journal for the study of the old testament, and editor of the dictionary of classical hebrew. Approaches to the environment of the mustard seed 11. The book of job has a special poignancy in the age after the holocaust shoah of the 20th cent. Difficult portions of the hebrew text are thoroughly handled, but the commentary is written for the nontechnical. The book of job has been hailed as a literary masterpiece.
A clines book probing the frontiers of biblical studies book deconstruction, hermeneutics, and the book of job. David had met one of them, king achish, and now sounded him out. The book of job, among the greatest masterpieces of world literature, deserves a commentary alert both to the windings of its arguments and to the massive. David clines multivolume work on job arguably still tops the list of important modern commentaries wbc 198920062010. Clines study of job 3842 forms the third and final volume on the book. Clines david j a davies philip and gunn david m edited by.
The two books of kings recount the fate of the monarchy in israel after the death of king david. The following are concerns that i have of clines exegesis. It is a thorough and demanding work that supplements clines well. Tim notes that the point of the story of job is that he suffers unfairly, but the righteous sufferer is someone that god elevates to a place of authority, someone who god listens to. The book of job continues to challenge and puzzle readers who seek to engage honestly with it. The book of job consists of a prose prologue and epilogue narrative framing poetic dialogues and monologues. In the second of his three monumental volumes on the book of job in the word bible commentary series, david clines notes that, in the modern period, elias busitas in 1772 was the first scholar to suggest that the elihu speeches found in job, chapters 3237, constituted later editions to the book of job as clines points out, among the. The biggest problem is that his explications of these passages sometimes get bogged down in analyzing the arguments for the various translations, with the result that the reader winds up confused. Job 120, volume 17 word biblical commentary kindle. Clines for the word biblical commentary series throughout the book that bears his name, job has been crying out to god, asking him to explain the reason for his suffering. Seow connects this verse to the lament tradition in the ot. This claim supports cliness rearrangement of the book so that the elihu speeches precede jobs final speech, which places the colophon imme.
First, the name elihu is a variant spelling of the name elijah, and elihus actions in the book of job suggest a strong connection to the great prophet. So he takes what is commonly viewed as a citation of job in other ot writings, to be jobs author quoting other biblical authors. Studies biblical studies, hebrew language, and ideology in the bible. The hardcover of the job 27, volume 18a by david j. The book of genesis, the first book of the hebrew bible and the old testament, is an account of the creation of the world and the origins of the jewish people it is divisible into two parts, the primeval history chapters 111 and the ancestral history chapters 1250. Clines second volume on the book of job chaps 21 37 is a treasury of linguistic, exegetical, form critical, and strophic analysis, leading into an incisive and perceptive exposition of. The arguments of jobs friends david clines a moses legend in numbers 12 george coats the literary structure of luke 12 charles davis a literary approach to isaiah 28 cheryl exum plot, character and theology in exodus 114 david gunn intimacy and alienation in genesis 23 alan hauser. Volume 18b is devoted entirely to the response of the lord from the tempest to job, together with the replies of job job 3842, presenting the lords own explanation of his manifold purposes in creation and bringing to an unexpected conclusion jobs dramatic quest for justice. He has served as president of the society for old testament study, as well as president of the society of biblical literature. Pdf writing a job commentary david clines academia. Apply to agent, research intern, community service officer and more. Word biblical commentary, 18b wbc 9780310522003 by david j. In the former, clines shows how the book of job deconstructs itself, affirming at its end the very dogma the doctrine of retribution it set out to destroy in chap.
The role and character of elihu in the book of job the. For a summary, consult his commentary in the new bible commentary, 21st century edition, pp. Followers of this approach are sometimes referred to as the sheffield school. The primeval history sets out the authors or authors concepts of the nature of the deity and of humankinds. John hartley the book of job new international commentary on the old testament, 1988. Journal of the study of the old testament supplements 19. Communicating the book of job in the twentyfirst century. The collectors of the revised common lectionary have a neat solution for the wouldbe preacher of the book of job.
Lhbots jsot supplement series logos bible software. Introductory issues of date, authorship, purpose etc. General introduction introduction job in the context of near eastern wisdom literature job in hebrew wisdom date and provenance literary forms in the book of job the composition of the book of job text and versions the language of the book of job the argument part ii. To be sure, some familiar details of the experience of its protagonist have come over into common knowledge. Gunn, clines made the university of sheffield a pioneer in literary readings of the final form of the biblical text.
Davids challenge also echoes a familiar phrase that reverberates throughout the scriptures. Library of hebrew bible old testament studies formerly jsot supplement series 1. The ideology of writers and readers of the hebrew bible journal for the study of the old testament supplement series, 205. Rabbi breitowitz responds to these fundamental issues based on the book of job. Cadwallader the peasant, the farmer and the gardener. Holbert, preaching job, preaching classic texts st. Clines studied at the university of sydney and st johns college, cambridge career. The essential reference work is david clines threevolume contribution to the wbc waco, tx. Apply to customer service representative, reservation agent, housekeeper and more. David, second king of ancient israel, an important figure in judaism, christianity, and islam. David clines does an adequate job of discussing these matters in his commentary on the first twenty chapters of job. Achish offered david the border town of ziklag, and david and the 600 families with him moved there. Clines position on the time of jobs writing is in the 7th2nd centuries bc. Dec 03, 2010 the third and best understanding of elihus role in the book of job is that he helps to prepare job for gods appearance in the whirlwind.
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