Bria Dorsey

February 26, 2020

Performing the Problem of Suffering: The Book of Job

Structure and Form of the Book of Job

The Book of Job recounts the story of Job – a man that once had everything is stripped

away of his worldly possessions and is tested by God. This biblical story addresses the notion of

suffering and is a text that many consult in times of their own hardships. The Book of Job is a

combination of simple prose stories (the beginning and end of the text) and complex, rich poetry

that reflects aspects of the structure/process of suffering.

The first chapter of the Book of Job – “The Story of Job” – provides the reader with

background on the primary character:

A man once lived in the land of Utz. His name was Job. This man was innocent, upright,
and God-fearing, and kept himself apart from evil. Seven sons and three daughters were
born to him. His flock consisted of seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five
hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and a large staff of servants. He was
the greatest of the men of the East” (Scheindlin, 55).

The story is set up as a simplistic fable, however, it is anything but. In the following chapter

(“Job’s Curse”), Job curses the day he was born; this monologue marks the beginning of the

poetic structure that is present in the remainder of the text. This structure is much more complex

than the prose used in the introduction – alluding to the complexities one encounters when

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suffering. When one suffers, they experience an intricate amalgamation of emotions – sadness,

anger, frustration, etc. This is reflected in the transition from prose to poetry.

After Job curses the day he was born, his friends – Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar, are busy

questioning the cause of Job’s suffering, as depicted in their various speeches. The debate

between Job and his friends are structured, but in a way that mimics a realistic, natural flow of

conversation. As Carol Newsom writes in “The Book of Job: Introduction, Commentary, and

Reflections”, she describes these speeches as appearing in cycles: “Following Job’s initial speech

this exchange exhibits a regular and symmetrical pattern throughout two cycles, but appears to

break down in the third” (Newsom, 320). In his article, “The Structure and Message of the Book

of Job”, Andrew Steinmann analyzes this cyclical structure, writing: “…the artistry of the author

is evident. The reader, who knows Job has three friends, naturally looks for cycles of three

speeches. Instead, his expectations are disappointed. Only by reassessing the literary structure of

the friends’ speeches can the reader see the pattern…Thus, the author skillfully coerces his

readers into thinking a second time about his message” (Steinmann, 95).

Following Job’s last response to his friends is a section removed from the Book of Job,

titled “A Meditation on Wisdom”. This chapter serves as an interlude, allowing the reader to rest

from the back-and-forth between Job and his counterparts. However, while the reader is given a

break from reading about Job’s suffering, he is not. As seen in A Serious Man, sometimes those

that suffer are not given a chance to rest – in the end of the movie, when everything is beginning

to look up for Larry Gopnik, he gets a tense phone call about the results of an X-ray test and a

tornado begins to descend on his town. The same happens with Job – he loses his livestock,

servants, and children in a short period of time. So, then, what is the purpose of “A Meditation of

Wisdom”? In addition to serving as an interlude, it can also provide guidance when it comes to

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suffering. Steinmann writes: “A few commentators defend the poem as both genuine and an

important part of the book’s message. [John] Hartley states, ‘Since this hymn enhances the work,

coincides with the author’s style, stands at the place of a major transition in the book and

contributes to the theme of wisdom that reverberates throughout the book…’” (Steinmann, 88).

It isn’t until God answers Job that the structure of the book switches back to prose, almost

making it seem like everything is back to normal. The epilogue is as follows:

Yahweh made Job more prosperous in the latter part of his life than in the former. He had
fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of cattle, and a thousand
female donkeys, beside seven sons and three daughters…there were no women as beautiful
as Job’s daughters in all the land—and he gave them an inheritance alongside their
brothers. Afterward, Job lived one hundred forty years; he lived to see his sons and
grandsons to the fourth generation and died in old age after a full life span (Scheindlin,
157).

The use of prose is seen once again in the ending of the Book of Job, reinforcing the simplicity

of the ending – Job lost everything and has regained it, and more. This “happy” ending gives

solace to the reader, however, the simplicity depicted fails to appropriately mirror what happens

when real people suffer. In “Why Is There a Book of Job, and What Does It Do to You If You

Read It?”, David Clines writes:

Who among its [the Book of Job’s] readers is unable to sympathize with Job because he is
a rich man?....I never raised this question until I lectured on Job at a black seminary in
Atlanta and had a student say, ‘Man, I don’t like this dude Job. He is a rich man, and I am
not. I have to get up at four in the morning to go to work before I come to school; I have to
do three jobs to keep my family and pay for my education. Why should I be interested in
the story of this rich man?’ (Clines, 18-19).

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Those that experience tragedy, pain, suffering, etc. are rarely given back whatever they originally

lost – they must work hard to rebuild whatever they originally had. This is where many readers

seem to disconnect with Job.

Good work, Bria. Your reading is thorough and you make

good use of scholarly texts. However, you're missing a
thesis statement and a real conclusion -- something that ties
together all of the seemingly disparate points you've made
about various sections of the Book of Job. How does it affect
a reader's overall interpretation of the Book of Job, to be
faced with these many shifts that you've marked? Also, to
elevate this paper to the next level, you could provide more
in-depth and nuanced commentary on the scholars you
invoke. Where might you disagree with a scholar? Where
might you agree, but only up to a point? The use of scholars
in a text should ultimately show your reader more about your
perspective.

Grade: 88

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 Bibliography

Clines, David J.A. “‘Why Is There a Book of Job, and What Does It Do to You If You Read It?’”
The Book of Job, by Willem A. M. Beuken, Leuven University Press, 1994, pp. 1–20.

Gregory W. Parsons, "The structure and purpose of the Book of Job," Bibliotheca Sacra 138
(April-June 1981): 139-157.

Newsom, Carol A. “The Book of Job.” The New Interpreter's Bible. the First Book of
Maccabees, the Second Book of Maccabees, Introduction to Hebrew Poetry, the Book of
Job, the Book of Psalms, by Robert Doran et al., Abingdon, 1996, pp. 319–341.

Scheindlin, Raymond P. The Book of Job. W.W. Norton, 1999.

Steinmann, Andrew. “The Structure and Message of the Book of Job.” Vetus Testamentum, vol.
46, no. 1, 1996, pp. 85–100, 10.1163/1568533962581035. Accessed 10 Mar. 2020.