Knowra Book of Job Book of Job A biblical book in which Job’s suffering prompts debates about divine justice, human innocence, and the limits of understanding. Its poetic dialogues are framed by a prose story about Job and God.
Job (biblical figure) : A righteous man in the Hebrew Bible who loses his wealth, children, and health before debating his suffering with companions. His losses and responses form the book’s central narrative.
Job's three friends : Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar, who visit Job and argue that his suffering must reflect wrongdoing. Their speeches voice retributive explanations that Job repeatedly contests.
Theodicy : An attempt to reconcile the existence of evil or suffering with the goodness and power of God. Job is a foundational exploration of the problem theodicy addresses.
Jobab of Edom : A king named in Genesis who is sometimes identified with Job in later interpretive traditions. The book’s ancient hero was linked to biblical genealogies despite lacking a secure historical identification.
Hebrew Bible : The collection of sacred writings that forms the scriptural canon of Judaism. Job belongs to this collection and shares its language and traditions.
Elihu (biblical figure) : A younger speaker in Job who rebukes both Job and his three friends before God speaks. His speeches add a distinct explanation of suffering just before the divine speeches.
Book of Proverbs : A biblical collection of sayings and instruction about wisdom, conduct, and the moral order of life. Its confident links between conduct and outcomes contrast with Job’s challenge to that order.
Septuagint : An ancient Greek translation of Jewish scriptures, produced over several centuries before the Common Era. Its version of Job differs substantially in length and wording from the Masoretic Text.
Wisdom literature : A body of writings that explores knowledge, conduct, human experience, and the order of life. Job uses wisdom debate while challenging familiar claims about moral order.
The Satan in the Book of Job : A heavenly accuser in Job who challenges Job’s motives and receives permission to test him. The opening wager supplies the narrative cause of Job’s ordeals.
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