The Book of Job

In this volume, the dual background of Job, both in Oriental Wisdom and in biblical thought, is set forth. The comples questions concerning the authenticity and integrity of each section of Jobm the Prose Tale, the three Cycles of the Dialogue, the Elihu chapters, and "the Speeches of the Lord" are discussed in detail, with special reference to their content and their contribution to the meaningof the book as a whole. The great variety of views on these issues obtaining among scholars, thinkers, and general readers is presented and analyzed. The study then turns to the place of Job in the history of biblical religion and traces its abiding contribution to relion on the basic question of evil in the world. Important elements in the style of Job, nt previously recognized, provide valuable keys to the interpretation of the text and its structure. Such technical questions as the date of composition, the original language, and the canonicity of the book are then treated. The volume then offers a new and original translation of the book of Job into modern English.