The Pious Sage in Job

by Kyle C. Dunham

Publisher:

Wipf and Stock

, 2016

Overview

Due to the complexity of the speech-cycles in the book of Job, scholars have struggled to resolve interpretive tensions in the author’s characterization of Job’s three friends. This book focuses on the significance of the ancient Near Eastern social and wisdom contexts for understanding the role that Eliphaz, the leading sage-counselor, fulfills in Job. Given the likely Edomite provenance of Eliphaz and the archaeological evidence linking the respective Israelite and Edomite schools of wisdom, Eliphaz articulates a polished wisdom tradition, the epitome of a worldview shared by Job prior to his calamity. Beyond a simplistic retribution perspective, Eliphaz draws from and refines each of the established sources of wisdom--experience, tradition, and revelation--to ground his counsel and censure of Job. Although Eliphaz is expected to exemplify the role of distinguished counselor-advocate in leading Job out of suffering into reconciliation with God, his ineffectual efforts highlight a significant purpose for the book of Job. The Joban author masterfully undermines conventional wisdom theodicy by exposing its inadequacy to reconcile the suffering of the righteous with divine compassion and sovereignty.

Key Features

• Focuses on the significance of the ancient Near Eastern social and wisdom contexts.
• Highlights a significant purpose for the book of Job.
• Exposes its inadequacy to reconcile the suffering of the righteous with divine compassion.

Product Details

• Title: The Pious Sage in Job
• Author: Kyle C. Dunham
• Publisher: Wipf and Stock
• Print Publication Date: 2016
• Logos Release Date: 2024
• Pages: 288
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Reader Edition
• Subjects: Bible › Job; Bible › Job Criticism, interpretation, etc; Eliphaz (Biblical figure); Religion › Biblical Studies--Old Testament; Religion › Biblical Studies--Wisdom Literature
• ISBNs: 9781498285636, 1498285635
• Resource ID: LLS:PIOUSSAGEINJOB
• Resource Type: Monograph
• Metadata Last Updated: 2024-10-07T17:11:03Z

About Kyle C. Dunham

Kyle C. Dunham, is the Associate Professor of Old Testament at Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary. He is the co-author of a forthcoming commentary on Ecclesiastes in the Evangelical Exegetical Commentary series.