Hierarchical Précis
Job
The Book of Job is unique and stands alone with no connection to any other in the Bible, other than three references to the man Job.
In
Job’s
time
it
was
considered
that
God’s
judgement
was
administered
during
life;
prosperity
for
the
good
and
punishment
for
the
wicked. This is the story of an innocent man’s suffering and his refusal to blame God in the midst of that suffering.
Job loses everything
[Job 1]
Job
is
a
righteous
man
who
fears
God
and
hates
evil.
He
is
very
wealthy
and
considered
to
be
the
greatest
of
all
the
men
of
the
east.
His sons do not have the same reverence for God and he continually prays for them.
On
a
day
that
court
is
held
in
heaven,
Satan
is
present
and
God
questions
him
concerning
Job.
Satan
claims
that
Job
serves
God
only
because
he
is
wealthy,
and
if
his
wealth
was
taken
away,
then
he
would
curse
Him.
God
gives
Satan
permission
to
test
Job,
but
he
is not permitted to touch Job himself.
In
the
space
of
a
single
day
Job
loses
everything,
all
his
possessions,
servants
and
family.
Despite
all
this,
Job
worships
God
and
makes no complaint against Him.
Job is inflicted with running sores
[Job 2]
Having
failed
in
this
attempt
to
discredit
Job,
Satan
claims
that
Job
is
now
concerned
only
about
himself.
God
permits
Satan
to
test
him
further, but his life is to be spared.
Job’s
body
becomes
covered
from
head
to
toe
in
running
sores.
His
suffering
is
so
great
that
even
his
wife
suggests
he
should
curse
God and die. But Job holds fast and still refuses to speak against God.
Three
of
Job’s
friends,
Eliphaz,
Bildad
and
Zophar,
hear
of
his
plight
and
come
to
see
him.
His
sores
are
so
bad
they
can
hardly
recognise him and spend seven days just sitting with him to be a comfort to him.
Job speaks of his anguish
[Job 3]
Job
speaks
to
his
friends,
relating
how
he
now
finds
life
so
bitter
that
he
wishes
he
had
never
been
born.
He
longs
for
relief
to
his
suffering in death.
Eliphaz speaks to Job
[Job 4-5]
Eliphaz
responds
to
Job’s
complaint,
reminding
him
that
he
has
often
counselled
people
in
the
past
and
he
should
now
consider
his
own
advice: God afflicts the guilty, not the innocent, and no one is blameless before Him.
What
is
it
that
Job
has
done?
Troubles
are
just
a
part
of
life.
He
should
turn
to
God,
be
grateful
for
the
chastising
due
him
and
wait
for God’s favour to be restored and his life to be abundant again.
Job’s response to Eliphaz
[Job 6-7]
Job
describes
the
degree
of
his
suffering
as
immeasurable.
He
longs
for
his
cries
to
God
to
end
his
life
to
be
heard.
His
friend’s
words
bring no comfort; they are meaningless because he has done no wrong.
Job
fears
he
has
to
live
out
his
appointed
time
on
earth
continuing
in
suffering.
The
nights
bring
no
relief
and
his
days
are
spent
without
hope.
He
now
turns
to
God
and
complains
about
his
condition,
desperately
trying
to
reason
with
Him,
crying
out
about
his
present condition and questioning why any past transgressions have not been pardoned.
Bildad now speaks to Job
[Job 8]
Bildad
believes
in
God’s
justice
and
that
He
will
not
condemn
an
innocent
man.
Job
must
therefore
have
sinned
at
some
time
and
his
passionate words can be seen only to be hypocritical. Only God’s provision of relief would prove him and other accusers wrong.
Job’s response to Bildad
[Job 9-10]
Job
too
believes
in
the
justice
of
God
and
reflects
on
His
wisdom,
power
and
dominion.
How
then
can
he
communicate
with
God,
to
call
him
to
account?
Good
or
bad
people,
disaster
can
come
to
both,
but
the
wicked
are
seen
to
prosper.
Job
is
confused
by
his
predicament.
His
confusion
continues
to
be
expressed
in
his
words.
His
creator
has
become
his
destroyer,
yet
he
takes
comfort
in
the
good
things
God
had
given
him.
But
confusion
remains
because
of
the
harsh
way
God
has
now
dealt
with
him.
Nevertheless,
he
still
wishes
he
had
not been born, questioning whether there will be any respite before his days are over.
Zophar now speaks to Job
[Job 11]
Zophar
is
harsher
towards
Job
than
his
other
two
friends,
claiming
he
lies
about
his
innocence
and
that
God
is
letting
him
off
lightly.
Job must repent of his sins and put them behind him; only then will God restore him.
Job’s response to Zophar
[Job 12-14]
Job
refutes
his
friends’
arguments,
telling
them
they
are
no
wiser
than
he.
It
is
Job
who
is
upright,
yet
is
suffering,
whilst
there
are
those who are not upright and prosper. Still Job acknowledges God’s wisdom and sovereignty, particularly over men’s affairs.
He
again
defends
himself
against
the
accusation
of
his
friends,
which
he
says
is
nothing
but
lies
for
which
they
will
surely
be
judged
by God. He tells them to leave him alone and reaffirms his confidence in God. Job now pleads with God to discuss his afflictions.
Job
reflects
on
man’s
sinful
life,
the
inevitability
of
death
and
the
hope
of
a
resurrection.
He
then
complains
of
the
severity
with
which
God
has
dealt
with
him,
even
suggesting
this
is
the
way
He
deals
with
men
generally,
destroying
their
hope
until
death,
having
lived in pain and sorrow.
Eliphaz speaks for the second time
[Job 15]
Eliphaz
charges
Job
with
showing
no
respect
for
God
in
his
attempts
to
justify
himself,
claiming
his
own
words
condemn
him.
To
emphasise
how
wrong
he
considers
Job’s
words
to
be
in
saying
the
wicked
are
not
punished,
Eliphaz
now
delivers
a
detailed
account
of
the woes and fate due to them.
Job’s response to Eliphaz
[Job 16-17]
Job’s
reply
to
Eliphaz
applies
to
all
his
friends;
instead
of
bringing
him
comfort
they
added
to
his
misery.
Had
they
been
in
his
circumstance,
then
he
would
have
treated
them
differently.
Job
again
speaks
of
his
sufferings,
maintains
his
innocence
and
wishes
he
could take his case directly to God. Still he continues to wait for relief in death.
His
friends
have
dealt
with
him
unjustly,
for
upright
men
will
be
astonished
at
what
has
happened
to
him,
and
true
men
of
God
will
want to strengthen themselves. He sees no wisdom in his friends’ words and has no hope other than death.
Bildad now speaks for the second time
[Job 18]
Bildad
appears
to
have
lost
patience
with
Job
as
he
now
embarks
on
a
full
attack,
reproving
his
attitude
and
words.
Like
Eliphaz
before
him, he goes into some detail concerning the misery and fate of wicked people, presumably applying his words to Job.
Job’s response to Bildad
[Job 19]
Job
again
complains
about
his
friends’
cruel
words
and
his
afflictions
of
which
he
says
God
is
the
instigator.
Yet
still
he
expresses
his
faith
in
his
Redeemer
and
that
he
will
eventually
see
Him.
Job
warns
his
friends
that
if
they
continue,
they
may
well
suffer
God’s
judgement.
Zophar speaks for the second and last time
[Job 20]
It
seems
that
Zophar
has
taken
no
notice
of
Job’s
confession
of
faith,
but
reacts
to
his
reproach
with
more
words
concerning
the
fate
of
the
wicked
and
the
hypocrites.
He
asserts
that
the
prosperity
of
a
wicked
man
is
short
and
his
ruin
a
surety;
not
just
he,
but
his
family
will
also
suffer;
he
will
be
stripped
of
his
ill-gotten
wealth
and
live
in
misery;
his
death
will
be
violent
and
his
family
and
property
finally
destroyed.
Job’s response to Zophar
[Job 21]
Job
now
seems
to
give
up
complaining
about
his
own
predicament
(it
didn’t
seem
to
move
his
friends)
and
focuses
on
the
primary
point
of
dispute
between
them:
is
prosperity
the
mark
of
a
righteous
man
and
the
loss
of
it
sufficient
to
prove
him
guilty
of
sin?
He
addresses
this
by
suggesting
they
should
be
astonished
by
the
fact
that
often
the
wicked
seem
to
live
long
lives
and
prosper
in
all
respects,
yet
live
in
defiance
of
God,
although
their
ruin
does
come
eventually.
Job
charges
his
friends
to
observe
these
facts,
and
in
doing
so
accuses them with falsehood in their attempts to comfort him.
Eliphaz now speaks for the third and last time
[Job 22]
Eliphaz
accuses
Job
of
self-righteousness
and
even
lists
sins
he
says
Job
has
committed,
which
are
the
cause
of
his
troubles.
He
reminds
Job
of
God’s
works
of
majesty
and
judgement
in
days
of
old
and
urges
him
to
acknowledge
his
sins
and
repent;
then
all
will
be
well with him again.
Job’s response to Eliphaz
[Job 23-24]
Job
longs
to
find
God
to
plead
his
case
to
Him,
but
He
is
not
to
be
found.
He
is
still
confident
in
his
innocence,
but
nevertheless
is
fearful of being in His presence.
He
now
lists
some
terrible
things
he
sees
that
go
on
in
the
world
in
the
transgressions
of
the
wicked.
Although
they
are
not
punished
in
this
life,
God
will
reserve
them
for
future
punishment.
It
cannot
be
said
then
that
all
who
are
suffering
are
wicked,
nor
that
all
who
are prosperous are righteous. Job asserts that his words cannot be contradicted.
Bildad speaks for the third and last time
[Job 25]
It
would
seem
all
has
been
said
that
can
be
said,
for
Bildad
now
does
no
more
than
state
the
obvious,
that
no
man
is
perfect
in
God’s
sight.
Job’s response to Bildad
[Job 26]
Bildad’s
speech
seems
to
have
brought
Job
to
the
realisation
that
his
friends’
arguments
have
run
out
of
steam
and
he
sharply
reproves
them
for
their
lack
of
wisdom.
He
shows
that
God’s
might
is
evident
in
creation,
but
even
so,
who
can
understand
the
full
extent
of
His
power?
Job’s concluding response to his friends’ arguments
[Job 27]
His
friends
have
finished
speaking,
Zophar
having
elected
not
to
speak
for
a
third
time.
Job
strongly
asserts
his
innocence
and
speaks
against the hypocrites and wicked people.
Job reflects on wisdom
[Job 28]
Now
his
friends
are
silent,
Job
ponders
on
the
mysterious
ways
of
God
and
the
question
of
wisdom.
He
speaks
of
man’s
endeavour
to
obtain
precious
metals
and
the
difficulties
involved
in
the
process.
But
precious
metals
and
stones
do
not
compare
to
wisdom
and
no
amount
of
them
can
purchase
it,
nor
can
it
be
searched
out
from
amongst
earthly
things.
True
wisdom
begins
with
the
fear
of
the
Lord
and abstaining from evil.
Job reflects on his past prosperity
[Job 29]
Job
recalls
the
glorious
days
when
God
blessed
him,
even
from
his
youth.
He
was
blessed
with
a
good
home
and
family,
respected
by
all manner of people and held in great respect as a magistrate.
His present suffering
[Job 30]
Now
Job’s
previous
glory
has
all
been
turned
on
its
head.
He
was
held
in
esteem
by
the
greatest
of
men,
but
is
now
held
in
contempt
by
the
lowest;
he
enjoyed
good
health,
but
now
is
in
a
constant
state
of
suffering;
he
had
enjoyed
the
presence
of
God
in
his
life,
but
now
God
has
deserted
him.
In
times
past
Job
had
a
sympathising
heart
towards
those
in
need
or
in
trouble;
he
now
has
to
lament
over
his own sorrowful condition.
Job defends his character before God
[Job 31]
Job
gives
a
detailed
account
of
himself
and
his
life.
He
defends
his
integrity,
chastity,
his
dealings
with
his
servants,
the
poor,
widows
and
the
fatherless.
He
has
not
been
guilty
of
covetousness
or
idolatry,
has
always
been
hospitable
towards
strangers
and
has
never
attempted to cover sin. Now Job appeals to God’s judgement, confident of his innocence.
Elihu comes on the scene: His first speech
[Job 32-33]
A
young
man
by
the
name
of
Elihu
had
been
listening
to
the
exchanges
between
Job
and
his
friends.
He
has
become
angry
at
Job’s
self-
righteousness
and
angry
because
his
friends
condemned
him
but
had
no
answer.
He
hadn’t
spoken
until
now
out
of
respect
for
their
age,
but
they
are
now
silent
and
so
he
speaks
up.
Elihu
explains
to
Job
that
he
has
the
Spirit
in
him
and
God
has
given
him
understanding. Great men are not always wise and age does not always bring understanding. He resolves to speak impartially.
Elihu
proposes
to
speak
in
God’s
stead,
but
not
harshly.
He
accuses
Job
with
an
irreverent
attitude
in
claiming
his
innocence
and
speaking
of
the
harsh
way
he
considers
God
has
dealt
with
him.
He
should
not
strive
against
God,
for
God
cares
for
men’s
souls
by
various
means.
Sometimes
instructing
by
dreams
and
visions
through
which
he
humbles
their
pride
to
preserve
them
from
ruin,
sometimes
through
afflictions
and
sometimes
through
a
messenger.
These
are
wise
and
gracious
methods
that
God
uses
to
enlighten
men. Elihu encourages Job to listen attentively to his teaching.
Elihu’s second speech
[Job 34]
Elihu
pauses,
but
no
one
responds,
and
so
he
continues
with
a
second
speech.
He
gets
the
attention
of
Job’s
friends,
then
charges
Job
with
accusing
God
of
acting
unrighteously,
which
is
of
course
impossible.
Elihu
refutes
Job’s
accusing
words
by
pointing
out
the
power
and judgements of God. He tells how men should address God, then solicits men of understanding to join him in trying Job.
Elihu’s third speech
[Job 35]
Job
remains
silent
and
Elihu
accuses
him
of
implying
that
his
righteousness
is
greater
than
God’s,
saying
that
no
man
can
affect
God,
either
by
his
iniquities
or
his
righteousness.
Many
men
are
oppressed,
but
few
cry
out
to
Him
in
their
time
of
need.
Job
has
lost
hope
in
ever seeing God’s favour return, but is this justified, and are Job’s complaints in reality lacking knowledge?
Elihu’s fourth speech
[Job 36-37]
Elihu,
despite
all
his
words
so
far,
says
there
is
more
to
be
said
on
God’s
behalf
and
entreats
Job
to
listen.
He
tells
of
God’s
dealings
with
men,
how
the
righteous
are
rewarded,
but
the
wicked
are
disciplined
and
commanded
to
return
from
iniquity
or
suffer
the
consequences.
He
suggests
that
if
Job
had
submitted
to
God’s
judgement,
then
things
would
have
been
different.
He
shouldn’t
be
wishing for death but learning the lesson. He then speaks of God’s sovereignty as reflected in nature.
Elihu
continues
to
extol
on
God’s
design
of
nature,
questioning
Job’s
understanding
of
it.
He
finishes
by
reflecting
on
God’s
power
and judgement, all of which is why man should be in awe of Him who is no respecter of persons.
God intervenes
[Job 38-40:2]
God
now
intervenes
and
challenges
Job
to
answer
numerous
questions
concerning
creation:
where
was
he
when
God
created
the
world,
night
and
day,
the
weather
systems
and
the
constellations?
And
what
about
the
wild
animals,
can
he
provide
their
food,
did
he
create
them and provide for all their needs? Will Job instruct the Almighty? Let him answer.
Job’s response
[Job 40:3-5]
Job’s response is not unexpected having been confronted by God. He humbles himself: Behold, I am vile. He cannot answer.
God continues to challenge Job
[Job 40:6-41:34]
God
challenges
Job
with
the
impossible,
questioning
if
he
is
at
all
like
Him
in
majesty
and
excellency,
having
dominion
over
the
proud.
An instance of God’s power is given in a specific land animal called a behemoth, describing its size and power.
The
leviathan,
a
sea
animal,
is
also
named,
and
the
two
described
as
animals
that
no
man
can
control.
A
lengthy
description
of
the
leviathan
is
given.
In
describing
these
animals,
God
is
emphasising
to
Job
the
infinite
distance
between
Job’s
impotency
and
His
omnipotence.
(Note.
Nobody
knows
what
the
behemoth
and
leviathan
were.
Favourite
guesses
were
elephants
and
crocodiles;
more
recent
and
controversial suggestions are dinosaurs.)
Job’s repentance; God’s verdict; Job’s restoration
[Job 42]
Job now acknowledges the folly in his thoughts and words, confesses them to God, finds he now abhors himself and repents.
God
accepts
Job’s
repentance
but
censures
his
three
friends,
demanding
sacrifices
to
be
offered
so
that
Job
might
pray
for
them.
Nothing is said against Elihu.
Having
forgiven
his
friends,
Job
is
restored
to
his
former
prosperity
and
receives
double
what
he
had
before.
His
family
continues
to
grow and he enjoys a full life, living a further one hundred and forty years.