THE JOB I PROLOGUE I. HERE was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, one who feared God CHAP. I. I. The narrative portions of the Book of Job, which comprise the Prologue (section i.), the introduction of Elihu (section xxi.), and the Epilogue (section xxx.), are written in prose; the rest (except the section headings) in poetry. To the English reader the difference in tone, character of subject-matter, and diction, are so plainly discernible that the distinction between the two kinds of discourse cannot easily be mistaken. The adoption of the paragraph form for the one, and of the parallelistic form for the other, is as natural, and as fitting to the thought, in a translation as in the original. It is this fact which makes Hebrew poetry, as poetry, so susceptible of reproduction in another language: the poetic form depends, for the most part, on principles essential to the thought, as passion, imagery, and elevation, rather than on rules of quantity and assonance. The rhythm is such as our impassioned prose makes to itself, — fashioned, that is, by the impelling spirit within the thought to a regularity of flow and accent, though not a strictly measured regularity like that of our and shunned evil. And there were born to him seven sons and three daughters. And 5 his property was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she-asses, and a very great household; and this man was the greatest of all the sons of the East. 10 And his sons used to go and make a feast metre. CHAP. I. 2-4. Its manifestation, the parallelism, is a thought-measure rather than a form-measure. LINE 1. The most probable location of the land of Uz, which at best is matter of conjecture, is indicated in the table of persons prefixed to the poem. What is of chief importance to note here is, that the poet has laid his scene in a land outside of Palestine, with its national traditions of law and ritual; and thus he has chosen a fitting place for an action that deals with the pure essentials of religion and morals. 3. Job's character, too, exemplifies that devout righteousness which is well-pleasing to God, whatever the external form of service; compare Acts x. 35. In the life of Job the poet evidently intends to portray the plain and universal ideal of a good life, such as every one can understand. The word perfect is not to be complicated with modern dogmatic subtilties; it corresponds not inaptly to Horace's integer vita, being the adjective of which integrity is the substantive. 6. The word translated sheep designates in Hebrew both sheep and goats, corresponding to the German kleinvieh, "small cattle." 9. The household included family, servants, and dependents. 10. The term sons of the East is a general designation for all who lived in the regions eastward and southeastward of Palestine. at the house of each on his day; and they would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. And so it was, that whenever the feast-days came round, 15 Job sent and sanctified them; and he rose early in the morning and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all; for Job said, "Haply my sons have sinned and blasphemed God in their hearts." Thus 20 did Job continually. II. Now there was a day when the sons of CHAP. I. 4-6. 12. It would appear from the expression in section ii. 2, that the day observed by each of the sons was his birthday. Seven times a year, therefore, such a feast-day would come round. 16. Job sanctified his children by some simple ceremony of washing and change of garments, probably, such as is inculcated in Genesis xxxv. 2. 17. The form of sacrifice here mentioned was not such as is laid down in the ceremonial law of Moses, but the simple patriarchal form, such as from earliest times expressed the primitive impulse to worship. 20. The word translated blasphemed, which occurs again in lines 43 and 109, where it is translated renounce, and in line 119, where it is translated curse, primarily means bless. It probably got its secondary meaning from the idea of giving the good-by blessing, hence bidding farewell, renouncing. 22. Sons of God is an ancient term see Genesis vi. 2designating the spirits who attend Him and work His will. God came to present themselves before the And Satan answered the LORD and said, "From roaming to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it." And the LORD said to Satan, "Hast thou 30 considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a man perfect CHAP. I. 6-8. 24. The word here translated the LORD is the Hebrew name Jehovah. Outside of the Prologue and Epilogue the name occurs only in section viii. 20. As the interlocutors are all dwellers in lands outside of Palestine, it is natural that they should apply to the Deity designations more general than that of the national God of the Hebrews; the writer, however, being a Hebrew, has no such reason for avoiding that name in the Prologue and Epilogue. The Hebrew word Satan is literally the Satan, that is, the Accuser; being at the time this Prologue contemplates, a designation rather than a name. 28. Satan's first account of himself betrays that lack of dignity and stability which Goethe has taken as the basis for his portrayal of Mephistopheles. He is a wandering spirit, unattached to any allegiance, unsteadied by any principle; his only occupation being, apparently, to appease the restlessness of an active mind, as well as he can, by incessantly roaming over the earth and observing its affairs; see Introductory Study, p. 33. From this trait of unrest, the unrest of a spirit who has lost his moorings, all other traits of Satan's character, as here brought to light, are naturally traceable. 31. Not the author alone, but the LORD Himself ac and upright, who feareth God and shunneth evil?" And Satan answered the LORD and said, 35 "Doth Job fear God for nought? Hast Thou not Thyself set a hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that is his, on every side? Thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his property is 40 spread out in the land. But put forth now Thy hand, and touch all that he hath, and CHAP. I. 8-11. knowledges Job's good life; nor does Satan deny it. That Job is a true and upright man is to be accepted as an unquestionable element, so to say, in the hypothesis with which we set out. And yet it is just this element which Job's friends, merely on the ground of his affliction, deny. 36. Satan's question opens the whole argument, or problem, of the poem. It discloses, for one thing, the weak point of the current Wisdom philosophy, which, associating as by an unfailing law of nature prosperity with righteousness and destruction with wickedness, opens the way for a merely selfish barter of religious service for worldly wages; and thus the question says, in effect, why not be righteous when righteousness pays so well? But for another thing, the question reveals Satan's character, which, as the sequel shows, is in polar contrast to that of Job. A half wondering, half sneering, wholly selfish question, the question of one who, having no allegiance outside of self, has no ability to understand unselfishness, it says in effect, Is there such a thing as disinterested integrity, goodness without thought of reward, possible in the world? See Introductory Study, p. 19. 42. And see if he will not renounce Thee. This is virtually a wager, as if he had said, "My word for it, he will re |