Encountering the Old Testament, Chapter 20

Leviathan

In Job 40, probably refers to the crocodile as a picture of strength, resilience, and apparent indestructibility that God uses to contrast his mighty power with the weakness and ignorance of humans.

Behemoth

In Job 40, probably refers to the hippopotamus as a picture of strength, resilience, and apparent indestructibility that God uses to contrast his mighty power with the weakness and ignorance of humans.

rationalist

Individual who accepts reason as the supreme authority in matters of opinion, belief, or conduct, holding that human reason, unaided by divine revelation, is an adequate or sole guide to all attainable religious truth. Zophar, one of Job's friends, considered himself a rationalist, reasoning that Job's punishment was no less than can be reasonably expected and concluding that Job should put his iniquity and wickedness "far away" (11:14).

dialogues

Literary works in the form of a conversation between two or more persons. Dialogues were often found in ancient Mesopotamian discoursive Wisdom literature, that is, documents produced by ancient Near Eastern sages containing lengthy discourses or essays grappling with life's most difficult problems.

sages

Men renowned for wisdom who in the ancient Near East produced documents containing lengthy discourses or essays grappling with life's most difficult problems.

Kassite period

Period of Mesopotamian history from the fourteenth to twelfth centuries BC, during which we find examples of Mesopotamian dialogue literature such as the text Ludlul bēl nēmeqi ("I will praise the Lord of wisdom"), a lengthy monologue in which a noble Babylonian recounts how he met with every sort of disaster before the god Marduk eventually restored him to his position. The Kassites were a people "from the eastern hills" who gradually took over Babylon and ruled for a time.

prologue

Preface or introductory part of a discourse, poem, or novel; in Job, the prose prologue helps create a literary frame for the poetic speeches.

monologues

Prolonged talk or discourse by a single speaker or any composition, such as a poem or drama, in which a single person or actor speaks alone. Monologues were often found in ancient Mesopotamian discoursive wisdom literature, that is, documents produced by ancient Near Eastern sages containing lengthy discourses or essays grappling with life's most difficult problems.

monotheistic

Relating to the biblically grounded belief that there is only one God.

Wisdom literature

Designation that modern scholars use for three books that share "wisdom" features: Job, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes; selected Psalms are also part of the collection (Pss. 1; 37; 49; 73, etc.), and Song of Songs is also similar to Wisdom literature in its didactic function and literary form. Although all the books included in the "poetic" section of the canon are related to wisdom literature, wisdom ideas reach beyond the poetical books of the Bible. Several of the prophets use wisdom sayings and parables in their sermons, as did Jesus in many of his teachings. Old Testament wisdom literature had an international backdrop, for each nation apparently had wisdom teachers who reflected their own particular nationalistic wisdom traditions, and archaeologists have discovered examples of wisdom literature from all parts of the ancient Near East.

retribution

Doctrine which holds that goodness results in prosperity and wickedness leads to suffering; Mesopotamian dialogue material accepted the doctrine of retribution presented in Job and Ecclesiastes.

theodicy

Attempt to vindicate the justice and holiness of God in light of the existence of evil in the world. If God is both all-powerful and all-loving, as the Bible everywhere claims, then how can evil continue to exist in the world? How can the wicked prosper if God is just? Why do good people suffer, and how could God let it happen? The Book of Job is one biblical response to this question.