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Introduction
to Job
Introduction
INTRODUCTION TO JOB
This
book, in the Hebrew copies, generally goes by this name, from Job, who is
however the subject, if not the writer of it. In the Vulgate Latin version it
is called "the Book of Job"; in the Syriac version, the Writing of
Job; and in the Arabic, the Writing or Book of Job the Just. In some Hebrew
Bibles it stands between the Book of Proverbs and the Song of Solomon; but,
according to the TalmudistsF1T. Bab. Bava Bathra, fol. 14. 2. , it
should stand between the Psalms of David and the Proverbs of Solomon. Some have
made a question of it, whether there ever was such a man as Job, and suppose
this book not to be a real history, or to contain matters of fact, but to be
written under fictitious names, and to be parabolical, and that it is designed
to set forth an example of patience in suffering affliction; and some of the
Jewish writersF2Ibid. fol. 15. 1. affirm, that Job never was in
being, and that this book is a parable, apologue, or fable; and to this
MaimonidesF3Moreh Nevochim, par. 3. c. 22. himself inclines; but
this opinion is justly rejected by Aben Ezra, Peritsol, and others; for that
there was such a man is as certain as that there were such men as Noah and
Daniel, with whom he is mentioned by the Prophet Ezekiel, Ezekiel 14:14 and
the testimony of the Apostle James is full to this purpose, who speaks of him
as a person well known, and not to be doubted of; of whom, and of whose
patience, the Jews he writes to had heard much, James 5:11 besides,
the names of the countries where he and his friends lived, the account given of
his family, and of his substance, both before and after his afflictions, show
it to be a real history. Learned men are not agreed about the signification of
his name; according to JeromF4Prooem. in Job, Quaest. Heb. in Lib.
Paralipom. fol. 82. , it signifies a magician, taking it to be the same with אוב, "ob": and some Jewish writersF5T.
Bab. Sotah, fol. 11. 1. & Sanhedrin, fol. 106. 1. place him with Balaam and
Jethro, as the counsellors of Pharaoh against the Israelites, for which he was
afflicted: the same ancient fathers render the word grieving and howling;
others, as SpanheimF6Hist. Job, p. 61. , derive it from יאב, to "love" or "desire", and so it
signifies desire or delight, and is the same with Desiderius or Erasmus; hence
Job is called by SuidasF7In voce ιωβ.
τριποθητος, exceeding
desirable; but HillerusF8Onomastic. Sacr. p. 293, 852. , deriving it
from the same root, makes it to signify just the reverse, "without
desire"; or not desirable; and supposes it to be a compound of יאוב, "desire", and איב,
"not"; but the generality of writers derive it from איב, "to be at enmity", and so it signifies one
that is exposed to the hatred and enmity of men, or one that is a hater and
enemy of wicked men; or, as SchmidttF9Comment. in Job, i. 1. p. 6.
interprets it, a man zealous for God, and showing hatred to wickedness and
wicked men on his account. Who Job was, it is not easy to say; not the same
with Jobab, of the race of Esau, as some, Genesis 36:33.
AristeasF11Apud Euseb. Praepar. Evangel. l. 9. c. 25. p. 430. says
he was a son of Esau himself, by his wife Bessare, and was first called Jobam;
nor the same with Job a son of Issachar, Genesis 46:13, nor
was he a descendant of Abraham by Keturah; but rather sprung from Uz, the
firstborn of Nahor, brother of Abraham, Genesis 22:21, who
gave name to the country where Job lived, as Buz his brother did to that of which
Elihu was, and as Chesed, another brother of Uz, did to the Chasdim or
Chaldeans, who were both near to Job. It is also not agreed in what time Job
lived; MaimonidesF12Ut supra. (Moreh Nevochim, par. 3. c. 22.) says,
of their writers some place him in the times of the patriarchs, some in the
times of Moses, others in the times of David, and others say that he was of the
wise men of Babylon; and some add, that he was of them that came out of the
captivity there, and had a school at Tiberias, as say the TalmudistsF13T.
Hieros. Sotah, fol. 20. 3, 4. T. Bab. Bava Bathra, fol. 15. 2. who give very
different accounts of him: some say he was in the times of the judges; others
in the times of the queen of Sheba; and others in the times of Ahasuerus; but
the more general opinion is, and indeed the more probable, that he was born
when the Israelites went down into Egypt, and that he was dead when they came
from thenceF14T. Hieros. Sotah, fol. 20. 3, 4. T. Bab. Bava Bathra,
fol. 15. 2. Bereshit Rabba, sect. 57. fol. 50. 4. Seder Olam Rabba, c. 3. p. 8.
Juchasin, fol. 9. 2. Shalshalet Hakabala, fol. 7. 1. : in short, they place him
almost in all the ages from Abraham to the Babylonish captivity, and after it;
and even LutherF15Mensal. Colloqu. c. 32. p. 361. was of opinion
that he lived in the times of Solomon, for which there is no more reason than
for the rest: it seems most probable that he lived before MosesF16Origen
contr. Cels. l. 6. p. 305. , at least before the giving of the law to him,
since no mention is made of it in this book, nor any reference to it; whereas
there is to things more ancient, as the general deluge, the burning of Sodom,
&c. the law concerning sacrifices only to be offered by priests was not as
yet given; for Job offered sacrifices as being the head of his family, and so
did his three friends, Job 1:5. The length
of his life best agrees with the times before Moses, for in his time the age of
man was reduced to seventy years; whereas Job must live two hundred years or
more, since he lived one hundred and forty after his restoration: add to this,
that this book seems to have been written before any idolatry was in the world
but the worship of the sun and moon, Job 31:25 and
before there were any writings divinely inspired, since there is no appeal to
any in the whole controversy between Job and his friends; but the appeal is
made to men of years and wisdom, and to traditions of former times, Job 5:1. According
to Dr. OwenF17Theologoumen. l. 3. c. 4. p. 188. Job lived three
hundred and fifty years after the dispersion at Babel, about A. M. 2100. It is
also greatly controverted who was the writer of this book; some ascribe the
writing of it to Isaiah the prophet; others to Solomon, as LutherF18Ut
supra, (Mensal. Colloqu.) c. 31. p. 359. ; others to one of the prophets who
was an Idumaean; but most to Moses, so the JewsF19T. Hieros. Sotah,
fol. 20. 4. T. Bab. Bava Bathra, fol. 14. 2. & 15. 1. Jarchi in Job, 31.
35. say, that he wrote his own book, the section of Balaam, and Job. Some think
that he wrote it when in Midian, for the comfort and encouragement of the
Hebrews afflicted in Egypt at that time, and who might hope to be delivered out
of their afflictions, as this good man was delivered out of his; and this, it
is supposed, accounts for the use of many Arabic words in it; Midian being in
Arabia, where Moses, having lived some years, had mixed their language with his
own. Some are of opinion that he met with this book when in those parts, which
he found either in the Arabic or Syriac language, and translated it into HebrewF20Vid.
Origen. in Job, fol. 1. & Dickinson. Physic. vet. & vera, c. 19. sect.
27. p. 303. for the use of the Israelites; and others think it was written by
Job's friends, and particularly by Elihu, which is concluded from Job 32:15, but it
is most probable that it was written by Job himself, or at least compiled from
his diary or "adversaria" kept by him, or from those of his friends,
or from both, and that it was written in the language it is now in: but be it
written by whom it may, there is no doubt to be made of the divine authority of
it; as appears from the sublimity of the style, the subject matter of it, its
agreement with other parts of the sacred writings, and particularly from a
quotation of a passage out of Job 5:13 by the
Apostle Paul, 1 Corinthians 3:19
see also Job 5:17, compared
with Hebrews 12:5. The
design of it is not only in general to assert and explain the doctrine of
Providence, as Maimonides observes; but in particular to show, that, though
good men are afflicted, yet sooner or later they are delivered out of their
afflictions; and that it becomes them to bear them patiently, and not murmur at
them; nor complain of God on account of them, whose ways and works are
unsearchable, and who gives no account of his matters to men, but is sovereign,
wise, and just, in all he does; and whatsoever is done by him issues in the
good of his people, as well as in his own glory, as the event shows. This book
may be considered either as an history of the life of Job, in which an account
is given of him in his prosperity; of his afflictions, and how they came upon
him; of a visit paid him by his friends, and of the discourses that pass
between him and them, and of his restoration to greater affluence than he
enjoyed before: or as a drama or dialogue consisting of divers parts, and in
which various speakers are introduced, as God, Satan, Job, his wife, and
friends; or as a dispute, in which Job's three friends are the opponents,
himself the respondent, Elihu the moderator, and God the umpire, who settled and
determined the point in question. It contains many useful things in it
concerning the Divine Being, and the perfections of his nature, his wisdom,
power, justice, goodness, and sovereignty; concerning the works of creation and
providence; concerning original sin, and the corruption of mankind; concerning
redemption by Christ, and good works to be done by men; and concerning the
resurrection of the dead, and eternal life. Some think Job was a type of Christ
in his afflictions and sufferings; in his patience under them, and deliverance
out of them; in his exaltation to an high pitch of happiness and prosperity;
and in his intercession for his friends. He is in many things worthy of
imitation, though in others to be blamed, and not followed; and, on the whole,
this book of his may be read with great pleasure and profit.
Commentator
John Gill (November 23, 1697-October 14,
1771) was an English Baptist, a biblical scholar, and a staunch Calvinist.
Gill's relationship with hyper-Calvinism is a matter of academic debate.
He was born in Kettering, Northamptonshire.
In his youth, he attended Kettering Grammar School, mastering the Latin
classics and learning Greek by age eleven. The young scholar continued
self-study in everything from logic to Hebrew. His love for Hebrew would follow
Gill throughout his life.
At the age of about twelve, Gill heard a
sermon from his pastor, William Wallis, on the text, "And the Lord called
unto Adam, and said unto him, where art thou?" (Genesis 3:9). The message
stayed with Gill and eventually led to his conversion. It was not until seven
years later that young John made a public profession when he was almost
nineteen years of age.
His first pastoral work was as an intern
assisting John Davis at Higham Ferrers in 1718 at age twenty one. He was
subsequently called to pastor the Strict Baptist church at Goat Yard Chapel,
Horsleydown, Southwark in 1719. In 1757, his congregation needed larger
premises and moved to a Carter Lane, St. Olave's Street, Southwark. His
pastorate lasted 51 years. This Baptist Church was once pastored by Benjamin
Keach and would later become the New Park Street Chapel and then the
Metropolitan Tabernacle pastored by Charles Spurgeon.
During Gill's ministry the church strongly
supported the preaching of George Whitefield at nearby Kennington Common.
In 1748, Gill was awarded the honorary degree
of Doctor of Divinity by the University of Aberdeen. He was a profound scholar
and a prolific author. His most important works are:
John Gill is the first major writing Baptist
theologian. His work retains its influence into the twenty-first century.
Gill's relationship with hyper-Calvinism in English Baptist life is a matter of
debate. Peter Toon has argued that Gill was himself a hyper-Calvinist, which
would make Gill the father of Baptist hyper-Calvinism. Tom Nettles has argued
that Gill was not a hyper-Calvinist himself, which would make him merely a
precursor and hero to Baptist hyper-Calvinists.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James Version Bible, NKJV
The
NKJV was commissioned in 1975 by Thomas Nelson Publishers. One-hundred-and-thirty
respected Bible scholars, church leaders, and lay Christians worked for seven
years with the goal of updating the vocabulary and grammar of the King James
Version, while preserving the classic style of the of the 1611 version.
The
task of updating the English of the KJV involved many changes in word order,
grammar, vocabulary, and spelling. One of the most significant features of the
NKJV was its removal of the second person pronouns "thou",
"thee", "ye," "thy," and "thine." Verb
forms were also modernized in the NKJV (for example, "speaks" rather
than "speaketh").
Young’s
Literal Translation was completed in 1898 by Robert Young, who also compiled
Young’s Analytical Concordance. It is an extremely literal translation that
attempts to preserve the tense and word usage as found in the original Greek
and Hebrew writings. The online text is from a reprint of the 1898 edition as
published by Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, Michigan. Obvious errors in
spelling or inconsistent spellings of the same word were corrected in the
online edition of the text. This text is Public Domain in the United States.