Difference between revisions of "Job 1:6-10"

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The Old Testament > Job > Chapter 1

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Lexical notes

Verse 10

• "Hedge." Compare the protection and safety of Israel in Ps 80:12; Isa 5:1-7; 2 Sam 7:1, 10. Also, in a more cosmological framework, see Gen 1:6-9; Ps 104:5-9; Ps 148:6; Job 38:8-11.

• "Blessed his work." Compare Alma 30:17 where Korihor teaches "that there could be no atonement made for the sins of men, but every man fared in this life according to the management of the creature; therefore every man prospered according to his genius, and that every man conquered according to his strength." The issue here is similar in that it seems to be questioning the link between prosperity and a cause for that prosperity. However, whereas Korihor seems to teach that prosperity is caused by an individual's genius or strength, the question here in Job seems to be more about God himself being the cause of Job's prosperity (and, hence, Job's piety).

Exegesis

Verses 6-12

This passage is often read in such a way that God is allowing Job to be tried simply to "win a bet." That is, God's intentions or motives do not seem to be particularly noble. Similarly, God might be read as doubting himself and needs to test Job in order to restore his pride in the fact that others love him disinterestedly. There are, however, other and arguably better ways to read this passage, as suggested below.

Verse 6

First, notice that Satan comes among the sons of God in a divine council setting. In fact, Hebrew uses a definite article to describe Satan as "the Satan," where Satan means "accuser." It seems unwarranted to assume that Satan, the accuser, here is the same persona as, say, Lucifer in D&C 76:26. Regardless, the point is that this accuser approaches the LORD in a council setting where deliberation occurs. The setting suggests that the ensuing scene should be taken as an elaboration on such deliberation. That is, it seems that the Book of Job is being introduced as an overtly theological text.

Verse 7

The LORD is the first to speak asking Satan where he has come from. Satan's response is brief and rather vague. This might be taken as Satan having been up to no good, or doing his job, looking for opportunities to accuse.

Verse 8

After Satan mentions that he's been roaming the earth, the LORD asks if Satan has considered Job. Although this might be taken as the LORD bragging, this is perhaps an uncharitable reading. Since the LORD is the initiator of this conversation, it seems quite plausible that that if there is any leading or "baiting" going on in this discussion, the LORD is intentionally bringing Satan into this discussion rather than vice versa. But why would the LORD initiate such discussion? This may be a literary device that is employed in order to, again, cast the story of Job in a theological light (e.g. why does God allow suffering, and what does it mean to love God disinterestedly?)

Verse 9

The question of disinterested obedience is explicitly introduced here: "Doth Job fear God for nought?" (cf. Gen 29:15; Isa 52:3). Although the Book of Job is often taken as a theological treatise on the problem of evil, the explicit theme introduced here seems to be a question of dis/interested fear of God. Presumably, Job would indeed be a praiseworthy individual if he feared God "for nought." If Job, perhaps typological like Adam of all humankind, is to withstand accusations, it seems he must be able, at least in some sense, prove (cf. Abr 3:25; also, "tempt" in Gen 22:1) that his fear of the LORD is not simply a result of the blessings Job has received, such as those articulated in verse 10.

The question of fearing God "for nought" can be thought about in several ways. One way to think of this is in a very strict sense: any reason to fear God, on this view, would violate the implicit "for nought" requirement suggested here. This, however, may be a reading that takes the text too systematically. For another kind of reading, we might think more carefully about different ways an individual might fear God. Janzen (see reference below) discusses this in terms of Bernard of Clairvaux's stages of human growth. According to Bernard, one begins first by loving oneself for one's own sake, then loving God for one's own sake, and then finally loving God for God's own sake. This way of thinking about different motivations for loving someone casts the theological question of Job in a way that parallels many themes in other scripture, esp. the way love, grace, and hypocrisy are talked about in the New Testament. For example, Jesus teaches that one should love not just one's friends, but one's enemies also (Matt 5:43-47)—loving one's enemies is, presumably, a more noble, pure, and disinterested kind of love. However, to think about God as Job's enemy is, most likely, going too far. The question being posed here in the Book of Job is not about God's love of Job; rather, it is about Job's love of God. Again, for Job's piety to be proven (at least to Satan, but perhaps also to God, and/or the divine council, and/or to Job himself), it seems Job's prosperity must be taken away.

Verse 10

For the LDS reader, the question of a hedge here may be recall the discussion of "opposition" in 2 Ne 2. If the purpose of life is to be tested or proved such that each person can choose between liberty and eternal life or everlasting death (cf. 2 Ne 2:27 and 2 Ne 10:23), then Satan's accusation here seems to be that Job has not really been tested, since his choosing of God so far has perhaps been motivated by the prosperity which God has blessed him with. When Adam and Eve are cast out of the Garden of Eden, God promises that life will be hard for Adam and Eve (cf. Gen 2:17-19; note also the "good and evil in Moses 5:11). In this sense, there seems to be a similar theological current at work between evil and hardship in the Book of Job and the creation story.

Related links

• Janzen, J. Gerald. Job (1985, Westminster John Knox Press), part of the "Interpretation, a Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching" series, ISBN-10: 0804231141, ISBN-13: 978-0804231145.