Job

Tremper Longman III

BakerAcademic

a division of Baker Publishing Group

Grand Rapids, Michigan

BAKER COMMENTARY on the OLD TESTAMENT

WISDOM and PSALMS

Tremper Longman III, Editor

© 2012 by Tremper Longman III

Published by Baker Academic

a division of Baker Publishing Group

P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287

www.bakeracademic.com

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Longman, Tremper.

Job / Tremper Longman III.

pages cm—(Baker commentary on the Old Testament wisdom and Psalms)

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-0-8010-3107-6 (cloth)

1. Bible. O.T. Job—Commentaries. I. Title.

BS1415.53.L66 2012

223ʹ.1077—dc23

2012008262

Except where indicated, all Scripture quotations from Job, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes are the author’s own translation.

Scripture quotations labeled NRSV are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1989, by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations labeled NLT are from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations labeled NIV are from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com

To Mia Katherine Longman

Behold, the fear of the Lord is wisdom,

and turning aside from evil is understanding.

Job 28:28

Contents

List of Reflective Essays

Series Preface

Author’s Preface

Abbreviations

Introduction

I. The Prologue: The Suffering and Patience of Job (1:1–2:13)

II. Job’s Lament (3:1–26)

III. The Debate between Job and His Three Friends (4:1–27:23)

A. First Cycle (4:1–14:22)

1. Eliphaz’s First Speech (4:1–5:27)

2. Job’s First Response (6:1–7:21)

3. Bildad’s First Speech (8:1–22)

4. Job’s Second Response (9:1–10:22)

5. Zophar’s First Speech (11:1–20)

6. Job’s Third Response (12:1–14:22)

B. Second Cycle (15:1–21:34)

1. Eliphaz’s Second Speech (15:1–35)

2. Job’s Fourth Response (16:1–17:16)

3. Bildad’s Second Speech (18:1–21)

4. Job’s Fifth Response (19:1–29)

5. Zophar’s Second Speech (20:1–20)

6. Job’s Sixth Response (21:1–34)

C. Third Cycle (22:1–27:23)

1. Eliphaz’s Third Speech (22:1–30)

2. Job’s Seventh Response (23:1–24:25)

3. Bildad’s Third Speech (25:1–6)

4. Job’s Eighth Response (26:1–27:23)

IV. Job’s Monologue (28:1–31:40)

A. First Speech: Where Is Wisdom Found? (28:1–28)

B. Second Speech: The Months of Old (29:1–25)

C....