THE BOOK OF JOB.

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• Introductory Narrative. Job 1:1-2:13.
• Part First. Job's Discussion with Three Friends. Job 3:1-31:40.
• Part Second. The Speech of Elihu. Job 32:1-37:24.
• Part Third. God Speaks from a Whirlwind. Job 38:1-42:6.
• The Sequel, or Concluding Narrative. Job 42:7-17.
• Questions Concerning the Book of Job.

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INTRODUCTORY NARRATIVE.

i. 1-ii. 13.

1. Job Is Introduced. i. 1-5.

• Where the land of Uz? 1, cf. 3, 15, 17.
• What the uses of his animals? 3.
• How does his religion compare with Abraham's? 1, 5.

2. Job Is Accused by Satan. 6-12.

• Who the "sons of God"? 6, cf. xxxviii. 7.
• How could Satan be among them? 6, 7.
• The point in Satan's accusation? 11.

3. The First Issue Decided. 13-22.

• What the fire of God, and how did it burn the sheep and servants? 16.
• How could the wind smite the four corners of the house? 19.
• What kind of house?
• What proved by the result?

4. Satan Shifts His Ground. ii. 1-6.

• In what sense, "without cause"? 3.
• What now the issue? 4, 5.
• To what extent may Satan afflict him? 6.

5. The Second Result. 7-10. [152]

• Nature of his disease? 7, 8.
• Why among the ashes? 8.
• What the thought of his wife? 9.
• Was Job correct as to the source of the evil? 10.
• Does Satan usually have power over the elements and diseases? Cf. Luke xiii. 16.

6. Job's Three Friends Come to Comfort Him. 11-13.

• Nationalities of these men?
• For Temanite, see Gen. xxxvi. 10, 11; for Shuhite, see Gen. xxv. 2. Naamathite is a descendant of Naamah, who is unknown.
• Why their long silence? 13.

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PART FIRST.

JOB'S DISCUSSIONS WITH THREE FRIENDS.

iii. 1-xxxi. 40.

§ I. JOB'S COMPLAINT. iii. 1-26.

      (a). He curses his birthday. iii. 1-10. His meaning in this?
      (b.) Laments that he died not in infancy? 11-16. What the waste places of 14? His idea of rest in the grave? 17-19.
      (c.) He longs for death. 20-26. Why had he feared this affliction? 25. Now in the condition desired by Satan. Cf. ii. 5.

§ II. THE FIRST SPEECH OF ELIPHAZ. iv. 1-v. 27.

      (a.) His opinion as to the cause of Job's affliction. iv. 1-9. Job's previous usefulness? 3, 4. [153] 
      (b.) He argues from the justice of God. 12-16. Was the vision imaginary? or real?
      (c.) He cites the calamities that befall the wicked. v. 3-7.
      (d.) Advises Job to "seek unto God." 8, 17-27.

§ III. JOB'S REPLY TO ELIPHAZ. vi. 1-vii. 21.

      (a.) Continues his lamentation. 1-10.
      (b.) Complains of disappointment in his friends. 14-24.
      (c.) Describes his pain and want of rest. vi. 4-10, 15, 16.

§ IV. FIRST SPEECH OF BILDAD. viii. 1-22.

      (a.) His children had perished for their sins, and he was suffering for his. viii. 1-7.
      (b.) God destroys the wicked, but delivers the righteous. 8-14, 20-22.

§ V. JOB'S REPLY TO BILDAD. ix. 1-x. 22.

      (a.) He exalts God. ix. 1-12.
      (b.) Denies that God executes justice fully in this world. ix. 22-24; x. 1-3.
      (c.) Laments again his birth, and draws another picture of death. x. 18-22. [154]

§ VI. FIRST SPEECH OF ZOPHAR. xi. 1-20.

      (a.) Job's suffering less than he deserves. xi. 1-6.
      (b.) Repentance would bring back prosperity. 14-17.

§ VII. JOB'S REPLY TO ZOPHAR. xii. 1-xiv. 22.

      (a.) He rebukes their assumption of superiority. xii. 1-4.
      (b.) Refutes their reasoning by reference to prosperity of the wicked. 6-10.
      (c.) Rebukes them for false reasoning. xiii. 4-13.
      (d.) He trusts in God, yet defends his own innocence. 15-18.
      (e.) He raises the question of a resurrection. xiv. 1-13.

§ VIII-XVII. TWO MORE ROUNDS OF SPEECHES. xv. 1-xxxi. 40.

• Job's last speech very long. xxvi. 1-xxxi. 40.
• Argument on both sides unchanged.
• Job elaborates his argument from the occasional prosperity of wicked men. xxi. 1-15.
• He declares his innocence of common sins. xxxi. 1-40.

      (1.) Of fornication. xxxi. 1-8.
      (2.) Of adultery. 9-11.
      (3.) Of injustice to his servants. 13-15.
      (4.) Of neglecting the poor. 16-23.
      (5.) Of worshiping gold, or the sun and moon. 24-48.
      (6.) Of exulting at the fall of an enemy. 29-31.
      (7.) Of inhospitality to strangers. 32.
      (8.) Of concealing his faults like Adam. 33, 34.
      (9.) Of obtaining land by fraud. 38-40.
• Whence this high standard of right? [155]

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PART SECOND.

THE SPEECH OF ELIHU.

xxxi. 1-xxxvii. 24.

• He is introduced. xxxii. 1-5.
• His ancestry? 2, cf. Gen. xxii. 21.
• He gives his reason for keeping silent, and for now speaking. xxxii. 6-20.
• His position as to the question at issue. xxxiii. 8-13.

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PART THIRD.

GOD SPEAKS FROM A WHIRLWIND.

xxxviii. 1-xlii. 6.

§ I. THE INFINITE CONTRAST BETWEEN THE KNOWLEDGE
AND POWER OF GOD, AND THOSE OF MAN. xxxviii. 1-xxxix. 30.

• Design?

§ II. JOB HUMBLES HIMSELF, AND GOD PROCEEDS. xl. 1-xlii. 6.

• Why the effect on Job? xl. 3-5.
• What the final effect on Job? xlii. 3, 6.

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THE SEQUEL, OR CONCLUDING NARRATIVE.

xlii. 7-17.

1. God's Decision of the Question Discussed. xlii. 7-9.

• What bearing has the decision on the modern theory of Universalism?
• Chief design of the book?

2. Job's Restoration. 10-17.

• Why mention the inheritance of his daughters? 15.
• What was his entire age? 16. [156]

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QUESTIONS CONCERNING THE BOOK OF JOB.

(1.) Is it Historical?
(a.) Job was a real person. Ezek. xiv. 12-20; Jas. v. 10, 11.
(b.) His extreme righteousness, his patience, and his restoration recognized by Ezekiel and James.
(c.) Their knowledge obtained from the book; and therefore the historical matter in the book is endorsed.
(2.) When did the events occur?
(a.) Eliphaz a descendant of Teman, the grandson of Esau Gen. xxxvi. 8-11. But grandsons of Esau were contemporaries of sons and grandsons of Jacob; hence, Eliphaz lived after Jacob went into Egypt.
(b.) If the events of the exodus and the wilderness had already transpired, Job and friends would have known it, and could not have failed to allude to these events or to the law. Hence, before the Exodus.
(c.) Job's age favors the patriarchal period, xlii. 16.
(3.) When the book written and by whom?
(a.) Most probably written when the events were fresh in the memories of men.
(b.) The style of the Hebrew is ancient.
(c.) Moses in the wilderness at the time; written by him or some one unknown.
(4.) How the speeches in poetic form?
(a.) Certainly not spoken in this form: for the speakers [157] were not inspired, and men without supernatural aid could not debate in such poetry.
(b.) The poetic form given by the writer of the book. Its historical character to this extent modified.
(5.) Why should it be thought Canonical?
(a.) It is endorsed by Ezekiel and James, both inspired men.
(b.) It was a part of the scriptures endorsed by Jesus and all the apostles. [158]

[CNSH1 152-158]