Job 15


Job 15 is the fifteenth chapter of the Book of Job in the Hebrew Bible or the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. The book is anonymous; most scholars believe it was written around 6th century BCE. This chapter records the speech of Eliphaz the Temanite, which belongs to the Dialogue section of the book, comprising Job 3:1–31:40.

Text

The original text is written in Hebrew language. This chapter is divided into 35 verses.

Textual witnesses

Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter in Hebrew are of the Masoretic Text, which includes the Aleppo Codex, and Codex Leningradensis.
There is also a translation into Koine Greek known as the Septuagint, made in the last few centuries BC; some extant ancient manuscripts of this version include Codex Vaticanus, Codex Sinaiticus, and Codex Alexandrinus.

Analysis

The structure of the book is as follows:
  • The Prologue
  • The Dialogue
  • The Verdicts
  • The Epilogue
Within the structure, chapter 15 is grouped into the Dialogue section with the following outline:
  • Job's Self-Curse and Self-Lament
  • Round One
  • Round Two
  • *Eliphaz
  • **A Rebuke of Job
  • **How God Views and Treats Humans
  • **The Fate of the Wicked
  • *Job
  • *Bildad
  • *Job
  • *Zophar
  • *Job
  • Round Three
  • Interlude – A Poem on Wisdom
  • Job's Summing Up
The Dialogue section is composed in the format of poetry with distinctive syntax and grammar.
Chapter 15 consists of three parts:
  • Eliphaz rebukes Job
  • Eliphaz outlines his dispute with Job
  • Eliphaz describes the fate of the wicked

Eliphaz challenges Job (15:1–16)

The first part of this section contains Eliphaz's rebuke to Job for the choices Job made and the emptiness of the words of Job, who thinks of himself as a wise man. Eliphaz concerns that Job undermines the proper attitude of respecting God. Eliphaz challenges each of Job's possible justifications and rejects each in turn:
  1. Job may have 'some primacy in creation', that is, he was present at creation; this is an impossible scenario.
  2. Job may have access to God's mind and purposes, that is, he was present in the heavenly council ; this is impossible for a human being.
  3. Job might think he has information that no one else has ; this is the real issue for Eliphaz who then appeals to the words of the sages, similar to Bildad's appeal to tradition.
Eliphaz suggests that Job should be satisfied with his current condition, rather than searching for further answers, because no human can come to God with a clean slate.

Verse 2

  • "Windy knowledge": translated from the Hebrew phrase דַעַת־רוּחַ, daʿat ruakh, which means "knowledge without any content" or "vain knowledge".
  • "East wind”: translated from the Hebrew phrase קָדִים, qadim, a parallel to "spirit/wind", in this case it is 'maleficent', but here refers to 'hot air', the 'scorching and destructive wind' that 'blows off the Arabian dessert'.

Eliphaz describes the fate of the wicked (15:17–35)

The lengthy description exploring the fate of the wicked in this section serves as a warning to Job. Each of the three friends states their particular description with different functions:
  • Eliphaz implies that this may apply to Job at this moment
  • Bildad warns this is what Job may become
  • Zophar suggest this is what Job must avoid.
Eliphaz claims that Job would have known the teaching because it is in the tradition of the sages. In essence, Eliphaz describes the negative aspect of the doctrine of retribution, that is, 'God will punish those who do evil'. Eliphaz's final verdict uses the imagery of birth that the conceived wickedness and deceit will grow up to be evil.

Verse 35

The last statement that 'Job's belly prepares deception' forms an 'inclusio' which frames Eliphaz's speech with the statement at the start that 'Job's belly was filled with the wind'.