Translation and Interpretation

Extremity of Language

1. Job has more obscure and difficult to interpret passages than any other book in the Bible
2. There are more words in Job that are used only once in the Bible than in any other book
3. Expressions that may have been common usage at the time, but are almost unintelligible to us; cultural colloquialisms

• Cut the rug
• Kill the light
• Dial the number
• Cat got your tongue?

Richness of Hebrew as a spoken and written language

• 5 different words that are translated “lion”
• In other places same words are translated as “hero” or “angel”
• 6 different words used to describe “traps”, “ropes”, and “snares” when Bildad describes the fate of the wicked
• 7 different words translated “gold”

Song of Songs 1:5 – 

• KJV & ASV: I am black, but comely
• AMP: I am deeply tanned, but lovely
• CEB: Dark I am, and lovely
• ERV: I am dark and beautiful
• MEV: I am dark, but still lovely
• MSG: I am weathered but still elegant

Job 13:15…

• NIV - Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him; I will surely defend my ways to his face.
• RSV – Behold, he will slay me. I have no hope. Yet will I defend my ways to him.
• New Living Translation - God might kill me, but I have no other hope. I am going to argue my case with him.
• American Standard Version - Behold, he will slay me; I have no hope: Nevertheless I will maintain my ways before him.
• New International Reader's Version - Even if God kills me, I'll still put my hope in him. I'll argue my case in front of him.
• Good News Translation - I've lost all hope, so what if God kills me? I am going to state my case to him.
• GOD’S WORD Translation - If God would kill me, I would have no hope left. Nevertheless, I will defend my behavior to his face.

Job’s Wife… was she cursing or blessing? Was she serious or sarcastic? 

Barak - Hebrew verb used more than 325 times in the OT
Usually translated “bless” in the sense of giving or receiving benefits

• Genesis 1:22 - “God blessed them and said…”
• Job 1:10 - “You have blessed the work of his hands”
• Ps 103:2 - “bless the Lord, oh my soul”
• Job 1:11 & 2:5 - “He will curse you to your face”

Job is 95% POETRY

Poets frequently use difficult language to lead the reader on a journey of discovery of ideas, thoughts, and emotions, OR simply to obscure their true message or intent

• Humpty Dumpty
• Mary, Mary Quite Contrary
• Rock-a-bye Baby

Themes in Wisdom Literature

The fear of the Lord

1. +/- 60 times
2. ...is the beginning of wisdom - the foundation
3. Psalm 2:11

• NIV - Serve the Lord with fear and celebrate his rule with trembling.
• CEV - Serve and honor the Lord; be glad and tremble.
• TM - Worship God in adoring embrace, Celebrate in trembling awe
• ASV - Serve Jehovah with fear, And rejoice with trembling

Psalm 111:10

• NIV - The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding.

• CEV - Respect and obey the Lord! This is the first step to wisdom and good sense.

• TMV - The good life begins in the fear of God — Do that and you’ll know the blessing of God.

• ASV - The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all they that do his commandments

Prov 1:1-7Prov 14:27Ecc 12:13

Limits of Human Wisdom

Wisdom denotes an understanding of how God has ordered the world and how to live within that orderJob 38-39 give a grand tour of the universe to show Job’s lack of understandingEcclesiastes - Who knows?Ecc 3:21Ecc 6:12

Man in Relation to God

The Righteous vs. The WickedDoes God treat everyone the same?Gen 18:23-25Fate of the Righteous and the WickedPsalm 37 - Contrasts the Righteous with the WickedSets up the basis for Torah Obedience However - Ecc 7:15 In this meaningless life of mine I have seen both of these: the righteous perishing in their righteousness, and the wicked living long in their wickedness.

Justice and the Problem of Suffering

Job is the most prominent witnessInterpretations vary wildlyResolution is found only in the presence of the CreatorPsalms gives voice to lamentPs 3Ps 4Ps 6:2-3Ps 10:1

The Nature of True Piety and Integrity

In·teg·ri·ty | inˈteɡrədē/ | Noun

• the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness.
  "he is known to be a man of integrity"
  Synonyms: honesty, probity, rectitude, honor, good character, principles, ethics, morals, righteousness, morality, virtue, decency, fairness, scrupulousness, sincerity, truthfulness, trustworthiness
• the state of being whole and undivided.
  "upholding territorial integrity and national sovereignty"
  Synonyms: unity, unification, coherence, cohesion, togetherness, solidarity

Wikipedia: Integrity is the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles or moral uprightness. It is a personal choice to hold one's self to consistent standards.In ethics, integrity is regarded as the honesty and truthfulness or accuracy of one's actions. Integrity can stand in opposition to hypocrisy, in that judging with the standards of integrity involves regarding internal consistency as a virtue, and suggests that parties holding within themselves apparently conflicting values should account for the discrepancy or alter their beliefs. The word integrity evolved from the Latin adjective integer, meaning whole or complete. In this context, integrity is the inner sense of "wholeness" deriving from qualities such as honesty and consistency of character. As such, one may judge that others "have integrity" to the extent that they act according to the values, beliefs and principles they claim to hold.Significant attention is given to the subject of integrity in law and the conception of law in 20th century philosophy of law and jurisprudence centering in part on the research of Ronald Dworkin as studied in his book Law's Empire. Dworkin's position on integrity in law reinforces the conception of justice viewed as fairness.