The Book of Job

A Modern Translation and Commentary

Kravitz, Olitzky

• Publisher: Wipf and Stock
• Year: 2017
• ISBN:
  9781532636059
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Biblical Studies

The book of Job is the most challenging--and most engaging--of all the books in the Hebrew Scriptures. It challenges one's faith in the essential goodness of God and humanity. In this volume, Rabbis Kravitz and Olitzky provide an original, modern translation and commentary while also inviting classic rabbinic commentators of the past to provide insight to the text. Along with helping the reader to understand the original Hebrew sources, the authors also strive to answer some of the basic answers of human existence posed by religion: Why is there evil? Why do the good suffer? Why do those who do evil seem to go unpunished? Are acts of goodness rewarded?

Chapter 1

1:1 There was once a man from the land of Uz whose name was Job; that man was honest and upright, fearing God and keeping far from evil.

The author of this text is quite clear: Job was upright and honest. Not only was he a good man, but he also kept himself far from evil. Undaunted, Rashi claimed that Job’s virtue was forced. He comes to this conclusion by understanding the verb v’haya “(and) was” to mean “became.” So the remainder of the verse, suggests Rashi, implies that because Job was afraid of God (and not because Job loved God) Job kept himself far from evil. Ibn Ezra rejects Rashi’s explanation and supports the author’s claim of Job’s righteousness.

According to Gersonides, Job had been successful in acquiring possessions that were illusory, like those of money and children. They ultimately had no real value. While we might accept his position about the former, few parents would accept his opinion about the latter. Gersonides argued that Job’s children were well-behaved in terms of political behavior, blending desire and love as evinced by their continual eating together so as to intensify their feelings of community. Job would seek to consecrate them from one period to the next. Every seven days he would offer sacrifices with the assumption that somehow one of them might have sinned and condemned God because of the temptations offered by their wealth and their easy life.

1:2 Seven sons and three daughters were born to him.

This is a straightforward verse. Job had seven sons and three daughters.

1:3 He owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred female donkeys, and a great household as well. He was the most important person of all of the people of the east.

While this verse may be read as a way for the author to further introduce the reader to Job, its real purpose is to describe the extent of Job’s wealth and influence.

1:4 His sons took turns holding feasts in their homes and they invited their sisters to eat and drink with them.

In order to get a better sense of the duration of the feasts, or perhaps to define them in terms of time, the Targum suggests that each feast lasted seven days. Rashi too wants the reader to understand the nature of these feasts. He reports that each brother held a feast in his own home.

1:5 When the cycle of feasting was finished, Job would send for his sons and daughters and sanctify them. Arising early in the morning, he would offer burnt offerings for each one, thinking [to himself], “What if my children have sinned by cursing God in their thoughts?” [so] Job kept doing this.

It is clear that Job, like most parents, worried about his children and tried to protect them. He offered sacrifices as a prophylactic measure. The sacrifices served to sanctify Job’s children. Although the text says, “Job would send,” it does not indicate for whom he sent. Following Rashi’s suggestion, we have added “his sons and daughters” to our translation. Thus, we translated banai (literally, “my sons”) as “my children.”

1:6 One certain day the angels of God came to present themselves before Adonai and Satan came along with them.

This verse echoes an earlier time in which an anthropomorphic notion of God was more prevalent. Satan’s presence among them comes as no surprise to the reader to whom a power of evil was manifest in the world as a reasonable conclusion to the events he or she endured.

1:7 Adonai said to Satan, “Where are you coming from?” Satan thus answered Adonai, “From roaming around the earth and from walking up and down in it.”

In this verse, Satan is not very responsive to God. The Targum suggests that when he is “roaming around the earth” Satan is examining the deeds of humans. Similarly, Rashi argues that Satan is looking for those who are good and those who are evil. Satan is disappointed that he has not found anyone to match Abraham.

1:8 Adonai said to Satan, “Have you noticed my servant Job? No one is like him in all the earth. Perfect and upright, he fears God and keeps far from evil.”

God is familiar with Job. He is a good person and God knows it. Rashi thinks that the question is posed as God’s way of asking Satan whether Satan wants to accuse such a person of transgression and misdeeds.

1:9 Satan answered God, “Does Job revere God for nothing?”

While the sense of the verse is clear, it is difficult to translate into a contemporary American English idiom. The interrogative hay introduces “for free, for naught, for no reason, for nothing.”

1:10 “Haven’t you set up a [protective] hedge around him, around his family, and around everything that he has? You have blessed him so that his flocks have spread out throughout the land.”

This verse continues Satan’s statement from the previous verse. He is asking whether there is piety for its own sake, without reward—does Job not get something for his faith? We are caught up again with the Torah and rabbinic statements that promise reward and threaten punishment. On the other hand, the author of the book of Job places such statements in the mouth of Satan which suggest that there can be disinterested piety.

The Targum wants the reader to understand the power of Jewish observance, specifically following the words of Torah. It translates the verse as “Has not Your word screened him, protecting him, his family, and all that he has? You have blessed the work of his hands. His flocks increased throughout the land.” The verse seems to imply an actual hedge whereas the Targum translates it more as a metaphor or even a spiritual screen of some sort.

1:11 Just stretch out your hand and touch whatever he has and he will curse you right to your face.

This continues Satan’s dialogue with God. Satan is convinced that all God has to do is undermine Job and Job will immediately be transformed from a person of faith into one who curses the Almighty. Satan is attempting to demonstrate the superficiality of Job’s faith—that it is solely dependent on his well-being. As soon as his fortunes change, so will his faith, claims Satan. In an attempt to mitigate the message of Satan slightly and avoid any possible anthropomorphism, the Targum changes “You” (as in “. . . he will curse You”) to “Your word.” This means that Job would curse the word of God rather than the Divine self.

1:12 Adonai said to Satan, “All right, you have power over all he has, but don’t touch the man himself.” Satan then left the presence of Adonai.

Although the sense of the verse is clear, it is difficult to translate the words themselves into idiomatic English. God has given control over Job’s possessions to Satan as a way of proving that Job does not serve God only while he appears to derive benefits from his faith. While the text never tells us that he gained his wealth because of his faith, it can be presumed in a system of reward and punishment.

1:13 It happened on a day when the sons and daughters of Job were dining and drinking wine in the home of the oldest brother.

This verse introduces the action that will take place in the next verses. The Targum reminds us that this “day” is the beginning of the seven-day cycle of feasting that each of the sons of Job carried out. (See the Targum on Job 1:4 above.)

1:14 A messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the asses were grazing near them.”

The meaning of this verse is straightforward.

1:15 “The Sabeans made a raid, taking them [the animals] and killing the servants by the sword. I am the only one who got away to tell you!”

Given the context provided by the previous verse, we have translated the word “them” as “the animals.” Having taken the animals, the raiders had no need to kill the servants; yet they did. The report given by the sole survivor adds horror to what took place.

1:16 While this messenger was still speaking, another came and said, “A fire of God came down from heaven and totally burnt up the sheep and the shepherds and I am the only one that got away to tell you this!”

Another tragedy for Job to absorb. Unlike the previous assault, this one was due to some kind of natural (or divine) occurrence. It was not the result of human action. Gersonides explains, however, that this is an example of the negative effect of chance events.

1:17 Yet anothe...

Table of contents

• Title Page
• Acknowledgments
• Introduction
• Chapter 1
• Chapter 2
• Chapter 3
• Chapter 4
• Chapter 5
• Chapter 6
• Chapter 7
• Chapter 8
• Chapter 9
• Chapter 10
• Chapter 11
• Chapter 12
• Chapter 13
• Chapter 14
• Chapter 15
• Chapter 16
• Chapter 17
• Chapter 18
• Chapter 19
• Chapter 20
• Chapter 21
• Chapter 22
• Chapter 23
• Chapter 24
• Chapter 25
• Chapter 26
• Chapter 27
• Chapter 28
• Chapter 29
• Chapter 30
• Chapter 31
• Chapter 32
• Chapter 33
• Chapter 34
• Chapter 35
• Chapter 36
• Chapter 37
• Chapter 38
• Chapter 39
• Chapter 40
• Chapter 41
• Chapter 42
• For Further Reading