Hebrew exam 2 OSU
Job 33:29-30 makes the claim that "God does all of these things" - that is, he brings pain to humans to teach them something.
"All of these things" are the trials that life gives you
Who is the author of Job? Be able to discuss the contrast between us and the ancient world with regard to authorship, and how the titles for ancient works preserves a record of this shift.
- The author is an ancient Israelite - Our modern culture authors works by the person who wrote it. The ancient world would either name works by the first few words of the work, the person who wrote it, or the overall content of the book
Job compares humans to different types of flora in the first half of ch.14. What is the point of the comparison to flowers, and what request does it prompt Job to make? What is the point of comparing humans to trees?
1. the point of this comparison is to show how fleeting life is. 2. Job requests to be concealed in the grave until God's anger has passed 3. The tree comparison is to show the difference between a tree which sprouts up again after it is cut down, but humans do not.
What is the evidence that the psalmist provides to back up his claim that the righteous do not starve?
During the days of famine they will have plenty (verse 25)
Some suspect that Elihu is not an original part of the dialogue, but that his words have been inserted by a later scribe to provide a corrective to the misinformation provided by the three friends. His long uninterrupted speech receives no answer from anyone, nor does anyone ever acknowledge his presence. In what ways does he make a contribution that is otherwise not attested in the book?
Elihu contributes to the conversation in a new way in that he relies and sources from his own wisdom, not the wisdom of others
What is Elihu saying in Job 32:8?
Elihu says that in all of us, there is a spirit that comes from God, this is how we think. Elihu says that even though he is young, he has the spirit of God and therefore is allowed to speak.
In what way does Eliphaz clearly overstep his bounds? Give an example of something the friends accuse Job of saying when in fact he never said it?
Eliphaz oversteps his boundaries in that he says Job has sinned greatly and has overlooked the poor and treated them poorly.
How does the bet between God and the adversary ratchet up to another level in ch.2?
God adds in chapter 2 that the adversary may diminish Job's health as well, but cannot kill him
God is the one who brings up Job in the conversation in the divine throne room. What additional comment does he make about Job in 1:8 that the narrator did not make in v.1?
God adds that there is no one on earth that it like Job
When the serpent of Genesis 3:14 is doomed to crawl upon his belly, what body part does he lose that compels this crawling?
His wings
Job requested a question and answer session with God in 13:22-24. How does God respond to this appeal in 38:3? Questions about what topics does God ask Job?
In 38:3 God grants Job's request and says He will question Job. God asks Job where he was when God created all things and what he knows about it
What is the reality behind the phrase "my god" in the context of a polytheistic world.
In a polytheistic world, "my god" literally means "my god" in that the person speaking has chosen one of the many gods to call their own, and is therefore speaking to them or about them specifically
What does he call death at the end of ch.16?
Job calls death the path of no return
When Job's three friends come to comfort him, how long do they remain silent?
Job's 3 friends remain silent for 7 days and 7 nights
We have stressed the various forms of authority to which the speakers in Job appeal. Rhetorical questions abound to an uncommonly high degree in this book. What kind of an appeal to what authority is the use of a rhetorical question?
Job's appeal in the rhetorical statements is to his own intellect and shared experiences
Be able to discuss the difference in dialogue conventions between our culture and the ancient Mediterranean and how it accounts for the conclusion of the book.
Responding to a question with a question in the ancient world - meant that the second question took precedence and was to be answered first. In our culture, we would not do this.
As tablet two begins, how long has the demise of the righteous man lasted up to this point, and did matters start to improve?
The demise of the righteous man has lasted a year, and things have gotten worse
A lesson is drawn from mountains. What is that lesson?
The lesson about the mountains is that words erode (wither down) a person's hope like water to a rock
Does the adopted son ever admit he was wrong? How does the son die?
The son eventually admits he was wrong, and dies by Ahiqars's torture.
Do we know when the book of Job was written and what is the evidence for its date?
We don't know when the book of Job was written, we know that it is really old because it was written in old Hebrew
Job 28 seems to come like a bolt out of the blue. It is devoted to only one subject, which is ________. What does Job have to say about this subject?
Wisdom - Job says that wisdom cannot be found and has not been found, because only God has it
What is the point of writing a wisdom psalm in an alphabetic format?
Writing a psalm in an alphabetic format creates a defined quantity of points that the author wants to touch on within the psalm
What is curious about Bildad's third and final speech?
his speech is very short-
What is it wise to visit according to advice #34, and why is this so?
it is wise to visit the house of the deceased because everyone is going to die.
The longstanding philosophical problem of evil has recently been solved, providing an interesting lesson in patience: just because a solution has not been found to a problem does mean there is no solution. Be able to articulate this problem and the two hidden premises that undermine its cogency.
people argue that "how can god be all good if there is evil in the world" - god cannot be all powerful if there is no evil in the world because there would be no reason for good power.
What is the reason that a long series of proverbs or counsel is introduced into the narrative? What words begin almost every piece of advice?
the long series of proverbs are introduced to teach Ahiqar's son to be wise, because he is being groomed as Ahiqar's heir. The words that begin almost every piece of advice are "My Son."
Pslam 73 What event occurs to jar the psalmist back to reality, and how does this help him?
the psalmist entered the sanctuary og God whcih helped him understand the destiny of the wicked
What is the "sustenance of mankind"? How does the sufferer relate to it?
the sustenance of mankind is beer and the sufferer says it sickens him
psalm 73 What personal temptation does the writer recount in the first 14 verses?
to be like the wicked
Satan, who is so prominent in later Judaism and Christianity, is only a peripheral figure in the Hebrew Bible. Be able to identify the four possible places where Satan might appear in the Hebrew Bible and the degree of confidence we have in seeing this figure there.
1. Job 1 2. Isiah 14 3. Ezekiel 28 4. Genesis 3
Be able to identify red flags in Elihu's speech (don't forget 32:17-22; 36:4)
- Elihu is angry, never a good thing for a human, and especially in the wisdom tradition where the perspective of Prov 29:22 might lead one to think that things are going to get worse: "An angry man stirs up strife, and a furious man abounds in transgression" - He is simply wrong that Job's self-justification is misplaced, for Elihu does not know, namely, that Job is actually righteous.
To whom does the psalmist address this work? Why is this what we would expect for Wisdom Literature?
- The psalmist address everyone who lives in the world - Wisdom literature is an intentional phenomenon
A remarkable candor surfaces when the sufferer exclaims, "I wish I knew that these things were pleasing to a god!" Complete the following quotation: "What seems good to oneself could be ____________________, what in one's own heart seems abominable could be ___________!" Why might such a question be not as likely to appear on an ancient Israelite's lips?
- What seems good to oneself could be an offense to a god, what in one's own heart seems abominable could be good to a god." - This would not be said by an Israelite because YHWH has given explicit instructions as to what He wants from His people
What are the sources of authority that Eliphaz and Job's friends employ to give credence to his words?
- eliphaz implies that he has had a revelation from God and that God directed his advice.
Job responds to the first interlocutor with the claim that his sufferings come from what source? How does this perspective compare with what you know from the first two chapters of the book?
- job claims that his sufferings come from The Almighty, which is accurate because God is the One who allows the suffering to happen.
Job may not curse God, but he does curse something. What is it? Job paints an elaborate picture of what he envisions would have happened had he died at birth. What are the key components in this picture?
-Job curses the day he was born. - The key components of the picture are that Job says if he had died, he would be at peace in death with the kings and rulers of the earth.
Be able to discuss the creature Leviathan.
-means "twisting one" (serpent)
Ahiqar .... The Jews of Elephantine in the 5th century BCE were using a copy written in Aramaic. Selections from his story as preserved in the Slavonic version. Be able to briefly narrate the basic plot of the story.
Ahiqar is educating his nephew in wisdom literature and then all of a sudden the nephew revolts on him and tries to get him killed. He pits kings against each other and tries to create uproar so he can become a ruler. Ahiqar finds this out and takes his nephew captive, tortures him, and kills him
According to the conclusion of ch.1, did Job do anything wrong or anything that might justify the adversary's claim on which he is staking his bet?
No, Job never sinned and never charged God with wrongdoing. Therefore, the adversary has no justification
What is the best way to interpret Job 21:30 which appears in the King James as "the wicked is reserved to the day of destruction" (KJV), and why?
The wicked are not punished when they die, the simply go to sleep in sheol
It is not true that each of the three friends speaks three times. Where is there a deviation?
Zophar only speaks 2 times
In what way does Advice #35 attempt to solve the problem of gluttony?
this piece of advice says to not eat bread if you are not hungry, so that you do not appear greedy.
What are the four qualities that characterize Job in the first verse of the book, a statement that is later repeated by God. In the light of 1 Kings 4:30, the comparison at the end of Job 1:3 was significant in describing Job. In 1 Kings 22 we see God on his throne and conversation takes place with angelic beings in his council (for another example, look at Isaiah 6:1-8) where God typically begins the discussion in what way?
-Job is blameless, upright, he fears God and shuns evil -God typically begins discussions by asking questions
Both Job and the narrator share the perspective that both good and evil come from Yahweh. Job affirms this in the beginning of the book: "Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil (ra`)?" In the conclusion, Job was comforted "for all the calamity (ra`ah) that the LORD had brought on him" (Job 42:11). This is a perspective that runs throughout the Hebrew Bible - be able to provide at least two other texts as evidence.
1. amos 3:6 2. Isiah 45:6-7 1. 1 Samuel 16:14
Be able to identify at least four different rebellions among the supernatural creatures identified in the Bible.
1. genesis 3 - the serpent deceives eve 2. genesis 6- angels have sex with humans 3. isiah 14 - lucifer falls from heaven 4. ezekiel 28- king of tyer- talks about satan
We have noted that the book of Job is written as a partial response to the misuse of the book of Proverbs. What are the two things that Job asks from God as he appeals for a personal dialogue with God? What are the ground rules that Job proposes in 13:22? What are the questions that Job wants God to answer? Does Job admit that he sinned when he was young?
1. job asks god to withdraw his hand from him and stop frightening him. 2. the ground rules are for God to let Job speak and to have God reply to him. 3. Job wants God to answer how many sins he has committed and why God is hiding from him. 4. Job implies that he has sinned when he says "[God will] make [him] reap the sins of [his] youth"
The silent person was a high priority in Egyptian wisdom literature, and Proverbs stressed the importance of watching carefully one's speech. How does a donkey capture well Ahiqar's view on the subject?
A donkey captures well Ahiqar's view on silence because a donkey is loud and obstructive, and Ahiqar is saying not to be that way.
Be able to explain Job 19:25 with particular reference to the significance of the go'el, an institution which you should be able to explain.
A go'el is an avenger - he pays your debt for you - if you get killed, he will avenge you and balances out any wrong that has happened
Be able to explain the significance of the image of the tree in Job 14:7-12 for Job's anticipation of what will happen after he dies.
A tree sprouts up again after it is cut down, but humans do not
A) In what ways does the polytheistic environment of this text affect a sufferer's outlook that differs from what a monotheist might write? B) Is there a progression of thought that marks a development of ideas from start to finish, and what is your evidence? C) Be able to articulate succinctly the essential point of view of each of the two speakers.
A. the polytheistic environment affects the sufferer's outlook in that there are many gods that could have caused this suffering in his life, and that because he may not have offered a gift to enough of the gods, he has not received blessing. A monotheist would not have this problem because there is only 1 God according to them. B. In the beginning of the text, the sufferer is only speaking about all that is wrong, however by the end of the dialogue, there is a breakthrough in that the sufferer asks for help, as opposed to solely ranting his issues C. Sufferer - believes he is doing everything right and yet has not received blessing, therefore he is confused D. Friend - maintains his position of pointing out the sufferer's wrong way of thinking and encourages him to pursue what he knows to be true about the gods
Advice #26 addresses the reality that anger is problematic at the same time it affirms that it is bound to happen. How does Ahiqar suggest that even when you are angry it is possible to minimize the damage it might cause?
Ahiqar says that when anger seizes you, as it inevitably will, to keep your mouth shut so that damage is minimized.
The king of Assyria, Sennacherib (who reigned 705-681 BCE.)
Ahiqar was his scribe. Worried he was going to die without a heir, therefor he adopted his nephew, Anadan.
What does God say in Job 38:2 about Job's relationship to the wisdom tradition as represented in the book of Proverbs? According to God, does Job know what he is talking about
God tells Job that he has words without knowledge and he obscures God's plans. Proverbs says that the fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge. According to God, Job doesn't know what he is talking about.
Job's responses are substantially longer than the comments of the three friends. To what does Job appeal for guidance in 12:7-10 that sounds like the book of Proverbs (cf. Prov 30:18-31; 6:6-9), and what guidance do they give?
Job appeals to the creatures of the earth for guidance about who has control over all things, including what is happening to him
What is the point of the final seven verses of ch.19 that Job speaks before Zophar responds in the next section?
Job is speaking about his hope in God's redemption through resurrection.
Eliphaz had introduced personal experience (4:8) as a source of authority in his argumentation. How does Job respond to this as ch.13 begins? Now that all three friends have had a chance to speak and Job has found their words inadequate, with whom does Job now wish to speak?
Job says Eliphaz's personal experience isn't special because Job is not inferior to him. Job now wants to speak to God
Unlike the three friends who gradually diminish their reponses, how do Job's words final words to the friends compare in quantity?
Job's last response is unusually long, containing 6 chapters
What is Job's response when Job's wife tells him to curse God and die? Who does Job see as the author of the calamity?
Job's response to his wife by saying she is wrong, and that they ought to accept both good and bad things from God. Job sees God as the author of calamity.
What two creatures close God's questioning of Job?
Leviathan & Behemoth
In tablet III, respite comes to the sufferer as the god Marduk restores his health and status in the community. The final tablet (IV) records how the sufferer perceives Marduk's role (see lines 1-11 below). In the light of these lines, Marduk is precisely the god one should expect to restore the sufferer because Marduk was the one who did what?
Marduk struck him down and therefore, restored him and removed his ailments. He brought this man sickness and therefore can remove it and give him health
Be able to describe myth and its importance.
Myth- story, connects to reality (gives meaning to life & has to make sense)
How are wisdom psalms identified? Be able to give specific examples from psalms we read in class.
These wisdom psalms are identified by any features reminiscent of the internationally attested literature in the ancient Near East that focused on skill in living: proverbs, empirically-based observations, justifying the ways of God to man, and the like. (i.e., things that were practical in real, physical life)
All people in ancient Babylon were understood to have personal gods or goddesses that would stick by them, even when all the other gods abandoned them. How does this fellow's personal god behave?
This person's god has hidden from him
