Job (Biblical figure)

Job ( ; he, אִיּוֹב – ''Īyyōḇ''; gr, Ἰώβ – ''Iṓb'') is the central figure of the Book of Job in the Bible. In rabbinical literature, Job is called one of the prophets of the Gentiles. In Islam, Job ( ar, أيوب, translit= ''Ayyūb'') is also considered a prophet.

Job is presented as a good and prosperous family man who is suddenly beset with horrendous disasters that take away all he holds dear—a scenario intended to test Job's faith in God. Struggling mightily to understand this situation, Job reflects on his despair but consistently remains devout.

In the Hebrew Book of Job

The Hebrew Book of Job is part of Ketuvim ("Writings") of the Hebrew Bible.

The characters in the Book of Job consist of Job, his wife, his three friends ( Bildad, Eliphaz, and Zophar), a man named Elihu, God, and angels (one of whom is called Satan, which means 'Adversary').

It begins with an introduction to Job's character—he is described as a blessed man who lives righteously in the Land of Uz. The Lord's praise of Job prompts an angel with the title of "satan" ("Adversary") to suggest that Job served God simply because God protected him. God removes Job's protection and gives permission to the angel to take his wealth, his children, and his physical health (but not his life). Despite his difficult circumstances, he does not curse God, but rather curses the day of his birth. And although he anguishes over his plight, he stops short of accusing God of injustice. Job's miserable earthly condition is simply God's will.

In the following, Job debates with three friends concerning his condition. They argue whether it was justified, and they debate solutions to his problems. Job ultimately condemns all their counsel, beliefs, and critiques of him as false. God then appears to Job and his friends out of a whirlwind, not answering Job's central questions. Job, by staying silent before God, stresses the point that he understands that his affliction is God's will even though he despairs at not knowing why. Job appears faithful without direct knowledge of God and without demands for special attention from God, even for a cause that all others would declare to be just. And the text gives an allusion to : "And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding".

God rebukes the three friends and gives them instruction for the remission of sin, followed by Job being restored to an even better condition than his former wealthy state (). Job is blessed to have seven sons, and three daughters named Jemimah (which means "dove"), Keziah ("cinnamon"), and Keren-happuch ("horn of eye-makeup"). His daughters were said to be the most beautiful women in the land.

In the Greek Old Testament Book of Job

The Septuagint, an ancient Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament, has a revised and updated final verse that claims Job's genealogy, asserting him to be a grandson of Esau and a ruler of Edom.

In other religious texts

Judaism

* He is mentioned in the Book of Ezekiel.
* He is cited as someone "who held fast to all the ways of justice" in the deuterocanonical Book of Sirach.

Christianity

* He is praised for his perseverance in the Christian Epistle of James.
* He is the protagonist of a pseudepigraphal book called the Testament of Job.
* He is also mentioned in the Doctrine and Covenants, one of the four sacred texts of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church).

Islam

* He is discussed as a prophet in the Quran by the name of Ayūb.
The Quran describes Job as a righteous servant of Allah, who was afflicted by suffering for a lengthy period of time. However, it clearly states that Job never lost faith in God and forever called to God in prayer, asking Him to remove his affliction:

And entionJob, when he called to his Lord, "Indeed, adversity has touched me, and you are the Most Merciful of the merciful."

— Quran, sura 21 (The Prophets), ayah 8

Baháʼí

*In the writings of the Baháʼí Faith: A lengthy tablet was written by Bahá'u'lláh, the first part of which is focused on Job. The Tablet is often referred to as the Tablet of Patience or the Tablet of Job.

Job in Judaism

A clear majority of rabbis saw Job as having in fact existed as a historically factual figure.

According to a minority view, Job never existed. In this view, Job was a literary creation by a prophet who used this form of writing to convey a divine message. On the other hand, the Talmud (in Tractate Baba Batra 15a–16b) goes to great lengths trying to ascertain when Job actually lived, citing many opinions and interpretations by the leading sages.

Job is further mentioned in the Talmud as follows:

*Job's resignation to his fate.
*When Job was prosperous, anyone who associated with him even to buy from him or sell to him, was blessed.
*Job's reward for being generous
*David, Job and Ezekiel described the Torah's length without putting a number to it.
*Job was in fact one of three advisors that Pharaoh consulted, prior to taking action against the increasingly multiplying Israelites in the Book of Exodus. As described in the Talmud: Balaam urged Pharaoh to kill the Hebrew new-born boys; Jethro opposed this decree; and Job, though personally opposed to the decree, kept silent and did not protest it. It is for Job's silence that God subsequently punishes him with his bitter afflictions. However, the Book of Job itself contains no indication of this, and to the prophet Ezekiel, Yahweh refers to Job as a righteous man of the same calibre as Noah and Daniel.

Christian views

Christianity accepts the Book of Job as canon in its Old Testament. In addition, Job is mentioned in the New Testament of the Christian Bible: the Epistle of James () paraphrases Job as an example of patience in suffering.

Job's declaration, "I know ''that'' my redeemer liveth" (), is considered by some Christians to be a proto-Christian reference to Christ as the Redeemer, and is the basis of several Christian hymns, as well as the opening scene of Part III of Handel's ''Messiah''. However, Jewish bible commentators and scholars point out that Job "insists on a divine hearing in his lifetime" (cf. Job 16:19–22).Cf. "But I know that my ''Vindicator'' lives; In the end He will testify on earth – this, after my skin will have been peeled off." (Job, 19:25 – ''Vindicator'', Hebrew "go'el", a person, usually a relative, who stood up for his kinsman's rights; also used of God in his relationship with Israel.

He is commemorated by the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod in their Calendar of Saints on May 9, by the Roman Catholic Church on May 10, and by the Eastern Orthodox and Byzantine Catholic churches on May 6.

He is also commemorated by the Armenian Apostolic Church on May 6 and December 26, and by the Coptic Orthodox Church on April 27 and August 29. The Armenian Apostolic Church commemorates Job along with John the Baptist on the Thursday after the third Sunday of the Feast of the Assumption.

Islamic views and Quranic account

In the Qur'an, Job ( ar, أيّوب , translit=Ayyūb) is considered a prophet in Islam. The narrative frame of Job's story in Islam is similar to the Hebrew Bible