How To Read Job

Part I: Reading Job As Literature
1. What Is The Book Of Job About?
2. What Is The Rhetorical Strategy Of The Book Of Job?
3. Job In The Context Of The Ancient Near East
4. Is Job A Real Person?

Part II: Getting To Know The Characters Of The Book Of Job
5. What Do We Learn About God From Job?
6. Who Is “Satan” In Job?
7. What Is The Role Of Job In The Book Of Job?
8. How To Assess Job’s Human Advisers
9. Who Is Job’s Advocate?
10. Behemoth And Leviathan, The Most Powerful Creatures Imaginable

Part III: The Theological Message Of The Book Of Job
11. The Retribution Principle And Theodicy In Job
12. The Retribution Principle In Wisdom Literature
13. Does Job Believe In The Afterlife?
14. Learning About The Cosmos In Job
15. The Theology Of Suffering In The Book Of Job
16. Job’s View Of God

Part IV: Reading Job As A Christian
17. Job And Jesus
18. The Message Of The Book Of Job For Today
19. Does The Book Of Job Provide Comfort?
20. Applying The Book Of Job

Appendix: Commentaries On The Book Of Job
Author Index
Subject Index
Scripture Index

Additional Info
We often turn to the book of Job when we encounter suffering. We look for an explanation for the questions “Why me?” or “Why her?” But what if it turns out that although Job does suffer, the book is not really about his suffering?

If ever a book needed a “How to Read” instruction manual, it is the book of Job. And when two respected Old Testament scholars team up-both of whom have written commentaries on Job-we have a matchless guide to reading and appreciating the book. From their analysis of its place in the wisdom literature of the Bible and the ancient Near East to their discussions of its literary features and relationship to history, Walton and Longman give us the best of their expertise. They explore the theology of Job, placing it within Israelite religion and Old Testament theology. And they coach us in how to read Job as Christians. When it turns out the book is not what we thought it was, our reading is richly layered and more satisfying.

Whether you are preparing to preach or teach, leading a Bible study, studying for a class or for personal enrichment, How to Read Job is your starting point.