Background and Outline (Job)

Bible Commentary / Produced by TOW Project

The author of Job is anonymous. Job does not seem to be an Israelite, because he is said to be from the land of Uz (Job 1:1), which most scholars suggest was to the southeast of ancient Israel. Because he is cited in the book of Ezekiel (Ezek. 14:14, 20), it seems best to date his story no later than Ezekiel’s life (6^thCentury BC). His story, in any case, is timeless.

The book contains a wide variety of literary genres (narrative, poetry, visions, dialogue and others) woven together into a literary masterpiece. The most commonly accepted outline identifies two cycles of lament, dialogue, and revelation, sandwiched between a prologue and an epilogue:

Job 1:1-2:11	Prologue - Job's Prosperity Lost
Job 3:1-26	Job's First Lament
Job 4:1-27:23	Dialogue With the Three Friends
Job 28:1-28	Wisdom Revealed
Job 29:1-31:40	Job's Second Lament
Job 32:1-37:24	Dialogue With Elihu
Job 38:1-42:6	God Revealed
Job 42:7-17	Epilogue - Job's Prosperity Restored

< Introduction to Job

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- Introduction to Job
- Background and Outline (Job)
- Theology and Themes (Job)
- Prologue (Job 1-2)
- Job’s First Lament (Job 3)
- Job’s Friends Blame Job for the Calamity (Job 4-23)
- Wisdom Revealed (Job 28)
- Job’s Second Lament (Job 29-42)
- Dialogue With Elihu (Job 32-37)
- God Appears (Job 38-42:9)
- Epilogue — Job’s Prosperity Restored (Job 42:7-17)
- Key Verses and Themes in Job

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Contributors: Timothy Johnson
Adopted by the Theology of Work Project Board April 28, 2011. Rev. June 28, 2011.. Image by Used under license from Veer . Used by permission.

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Unless otherwise noted, the Scripture quotations contained herein are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, Copyright © 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and are used by permission. All rights reserved.