The Book of Job as Sceptical Literature (Beihefte Zur Zeitschrift Fuer Die Alttestamentliche Wissenschaft)

272 Pages·1991·7.003 MB·English

by  Katharine J. Dell

Katharine J. Dell
The Book of Job as Sceptical Literature
w
DE
G
Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für die
alttestamentliche Wissenschaft
Herausgegeben von
Otto Kaiser
Band 197
Walter de Gruyter · Berlin · New York
1991
Katharine J. Dell
The Book of Job
as Sceptical Literature
Walter de Gruyter · Berlin · New York
1991
© Printed on acid-free paper which falls
within the guidelines of the ANSI to ensure
permanence and durability.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Dell, Katharine J. (Katharine Julia). 1961 —
The book of Job as sceptical literature / Katharine J. Dell,
p. cm. — (Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche
Wissenschaft, ISSN 0934-2575 ; Bd. 197)
Revision of the author's thesis (doctoral) —Oxford University,
1988.
Includes bibliographical references and indexes.
ISBN 3-11-012554-4 (alk. paper). - ISBN 0-89925-705-4 (U.S. :
alk. paper)
1. Bible. Ο. T. Job—Criticism, interpretation, etc. I. Title.
II. Series: Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissen-
schaft ; 197.
BS1415.2.D45 1991
221.6 s — dc20
[223'.1066] 91-14132
CIP
Deutsche Bibliothek Cataloging in Publication Data
Dell, Katharine J.:
The Book of Job as sceptical literature / Katharine J. Dell. —
Berlin ; New York : de Gruyter, 1991
(Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft ;
Bd. 197)
Zugl.: Oxford, Oriel College, Diss., 1988
ISBN 3-11-012554-4
NE: Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft / Beihefte
ISSN: 0934-2575
© Copyright 1991 by Walter de Gruyter & Co., D-1000 Berlin 30.
All rights reserved, including those of translation into foreign languages. No part of this
book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or
mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system,
without permission in writing from the publisher.
Printed in Germany
Printing: Werner Hildebrand, Berlin 65
Binding: Lüderitz und Bauer, Berlin 61
To my family

Preface
My interest in Job began with a weekly essay, grew when I researched into
the book further for an essay prize at St Hugh's College, Oxford and became
the subject for my doctoral thesis at Oxford University. This monograph is a
revised version of my thesis which was examined in 1988.
To Dr John Barton I owe a great debt of gratitude for providing so much
encouragement, enthusiasm and intellectual stimulation throughout my Old
Testament Studies. His assistance in the evolution of the ideas and structure of
this work has been invaluable, as has his patience in reading though many
versions. I have also been encouraged in my work by Professor Ernest
Nicholson and Dr Rex Mason and by other members of the Theology Faculty.
I would like to thank Professor Otto Kaiser for agreeing to publish my work
as a Beiheft for the Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft. I wish
also to thank friends and associates from St Cross, Oriel and Ripon College,
Cuddesdon for their interest and useful comments, particularly Dr Douglas
Hamilton for his assistance with the production of this final copy. Finally I
would like to thank my family for their encouragement - my parents, Robert
and Molly, and my brother, Christopher and it is to them that I dedicate this
book.
Oxford, December 1990 Katharine J. Dell

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION: 'Scepticism' as a description of Job 1
CHAPTER 1: Traditional and critical interpretations of the message of Job:
Job the patient or Job the rebel? 5
Introduction S
a) Traditional interpretations of Job 6
i) Jewish interpretations 7
ii) The Job tradition in the earliest biblical tradition and ancient versions 12
iii) The apocryphal and pseudepigraphical Job tradition 17
iv) The ecclesiastical Job tradition 23
b) Critical interpretations of Job 29
i) The innocent sufferer 29
ii) The doctrine of retribution 35
iii) The nature of God and man's relationship with Him 39
iv) Job as a protest 44
CHAPTER 2: The quest for an overall classification for Job: Wisdom and
genre 57
a) Job as 'wisdom' or 'wisdom literature' 58
b) Job as 'wisdom literature' 63
i) Form 64
ii) Content 73
iii) Context 83
c) The quest for an overall genre for Job 88
i) Genre levels 88
ii) The first pitfall - the assumption that the overall genre of Job is the most
predominant 'smaller' genre 89
iii) The second pitfall - deciding the overall genre before studying the smaller genres
which make up the whole 93
(1) Formal considerations foremost 93
(2) Considerations of content and meaning foremost 95
iv) Assessment of these findings 100
v) Small genres or forms in Job 103
χ Table of Contents
CHAPTER 3: A form-critical approach to Job: 'Parody* as an overall genre
for Job 109
a) The deliberate misuse of forms in Job 109
i) The suggestions of scholars concerning the use of forms in Job 109
ii) Passages in Job showing the deliberate misuse of forms 12S
iii) A pattern in the misuse of forms 136
iv) The reuse and misuse of forms in Ecclesiastes 138
b) A new overall genre for Job, the parody 147
i) Definitions of 'parody' 148
ii) Parody in Jonah 153
CHAPTER 4: The 'sceptical' setting, content and structure of Job : The
scepticism of Job and the author of the book 159
a) The quest for a context for Job 159
i) A wider intellectual setting for Job 160
ii) Job - the product of a philosophical group 166
b) The scepticism of Job as shown in the content of the book. 168
i) Scepticism and the Greek sceptics 168
ii) The dialogue section of Job 172
(1) The first cycle of speeches 172
(2) The second cycle of speeches 177
(3) The third cycle of speeches 181
c) The scepticism of the author of Job as shown in the overall structure of the book 184
i) The interrelationship of structure and content 184
ii) Secondary material 195
iii) The prologue, epilogue and dialogue 199
(1) The prologue and epilogue: Literary-critical questions 199
(2) The interplay of structure and themes between the prose tale and poetic
dialogue 203
iv) The speeches of Yahweh and Job's replies 205
(1) Literary-critical concerns 205
(2) The juxtaposition of the dialogue, speeches of Yahweh and Job's reply 207
(3) The epilogue 208
CONCLUSION 213
Abbreviations 218
BIBLIOGRAPHY 220
Indices 247