Breathingbook

This post is first in a series on the Book of Job. In my studies, I usually place a link to a pop up that contains the whole of the scriptures I’m working on, but because the Book of Job is forty-two chapters long, I’m going to provide you with a pdf version of the entire Book of Job (KJV) by clicking here. I’ll continue to post the usual pop ups as needed per verse, though, so no need to be concerned about that.

By the way, there will be several pdf’s made available within this post to help with the study, so you may want to save them to your computer and have them available to look at. If you need the free Adobe reader to read those files, you can get that by clicking here.

Let’s begin our study on the Book of Job by laying down some foundational understanding on the setting of the book itself. In doing that let’s get three questions resolved:

• Who is Job?
• Where is the land of Uz?
• In what era did Job live?

First off, Job is a wealthy man; in many ways he’s very rich. After all, not only is he called “the greatest of all the men of the east,” but scripture says he had a very great household, many servants, and many, many livestock (Job 1:1-3). Another interesting thing about Job is he seems to possess a pretty intimate relationship with the Lord (Job 29:2, 3, 4). Indeed, a great deal of the things Job says in the book of Job about God carry a unique wisdom to them that are not found anywhere else in the Bible.

In fact, Job describes the “secret of God” as formerly being upon his “tabernacle” (Job 29:4-5) and at the end of the book, God even makes a personal appearance to Job (which is something that doesn’t happen very often Job 42:5-6). What follows is simply the longest recorded discourse by God n the entire Bible. It’s because of these things, and many others, that it’s evident the Lord’s been manifesting Himself within Job’s life for quite some time, instructing and preparing him. Frankly, there is no possible way that Job could have ever receive the commendations he receives from God (Job 1:8; 2:3) or be able to endure the ordeals he goes through, if God’s hand were not upon him making all these things possible (Job 39:13-18; Jn 3:27; 14:6; 1 Cor 4:7; Jam 1:7).

Jn 3:27 John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven.

Here’s the short list of how Job describes what his life was like before his suffering began:

• God preserved me (Job 29:2). God’s candle shined upon my head and by His light, I walked through darkness (Job 29:3).
• The secret of God was upon my tabernacle (Job 29:4).
• I washed my steps in butter, and the rock pours me out rivers of oil (Job 29:6).
• When I went out to the gate… when I prepared my seat in the street… young men saw me and hid themselves, …aged men arose and stood up (Job 29:7-8).
• The princes refrained talking and laid their hand on their mouth. Nobles held their peace… (Job 29:9-10).
• Eye heard me, it blessed me… when the eye saw me, it gave witness… (Job 29:11).
• I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and him that had none to help him. I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy. (Job 29:12-13).
• I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: my judgment was as a robe and a diadem. (Job 29:14).
• I was eyes to the blind, and feet… to the lame. (Job 29:15).
• I was a father to the poor (Job 29:16).
• I brake the jaws of the wicked, and plucked the spoil out of his teeth (Job 29:17).
• My glory was fresh in me… To me men gave ear, and waited, and kept silence at my counsel. After my words they spake not again; and my speech dropped upon them. they waited for me as for the rain; and they opened their mouth wide as for the latter rain. (Job 29:20-23).

Moreover, Job says he dwelt as a “king” in the army (Job 29:25), and that in his affliction, God had stripped him of his “glory” and had “taken the crown” from his “head” (Job 19:9). Indeed, all Job’s descriptions of his life (before his affliction) describe the life of a man accustomed to both receiving and giving counsel from God – who’s taken part in the government not only of the people, but of princes and nobles, as well (Job 29:1-25).

That being said, let’s take a look at the Septuagint (LXX) version of Job 1:1 from the New English Translation of the Septuagint (NETS), published by Oxford University Press (2007), and see how it compares to Job 1:1-3 of the Authorized King James Version (KJV):

LXX IOB 1:1-3 There was a certain man in the land of Ausitis, whose name was Iob, and that man was genuine, blameless, righteous, religious, staying away from every evil thing. 2 Now there were born to him seven sons and three daughters. 3 And his livestock was seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred she-donkeys at pasture; as well he had very many servants and extensive activities in the land, and that man was well-born among those of the east. (NETS)

Now, let’s compare that to the King James Version:

Job 1:1-3 There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil. 2 And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters. 3 His substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she asses, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east. (KJV)

As you can see, the LXX (NETS) version translates “Job” as “Iob,” and instead of being from the land of “Uz,” he’s from the land of “Ausitis.” Thus, even though the translation does has some variances, it does not take away from scripture, but when used in comparison to the KJV, adds to it.

Now, you will not find the following LXX verses in the KJV, which is based on the Hebraic Masoretic Text of the Bible. But, since Jesus and the Apostles often quoted from it, and the entire early Greek speaking church relied on it, I believe it’s worthy of our consideration, as you will see.

So, let’s get to the meat of it and look at (LXX Job 42:17c-17e) where the descriptions of who Job is and where he lived are described.

LXX Iob 42:17b-17c This man is interpreted from the Syriac book as living in the land ofAusitis, on the borders of Idumea and Arabia, and previously his name was Iobab. 17c Now he took an Arabian wife and fathered a son, whose name was Ennon, and he in turn had a father Zare, a son of the sons of Esau, and as mother Bosorra, so that he was the fifth from Abraam. (NETS)

living in the land of Ausitis As discussed above, we know this is speaking of the Land of “Uz.”

on the borders of Idumea and Arabia This tells us Job lived on the borders of Idumea. Idumea is the Greek and Latin version of “Edom” and is what Edom was called at the time the Septuagint was written (300-200 BC).

Arabia points to the Arabian desert.

previously his name was Iobab The LXX version compiled by Sir Lancelot C. L. Brenton (1851) translates “Iobab” as “Jobab” (LXX Job 42:17c-17e). Basically this means “Jobab” is what “Job” was called before the scenes depicted in the Book of Job took place.

he in turn had a father Zare, a son of the sons of Esau This tells us Job’s father, “Zare,” was a “grandson” of Esau, the son of Isaac and twin brother to Jacob (Gen 25:24-26).

Indeed, Esau did have a son named “Reuel” (Gen 36:13), who had a son named “Zerah” (Gen 36:13), who had a son named “Jobab” (Gen 36:33).

he was the fifth from Abraam Job’s father “Zerah” (Gen 36:33) was the son of Reuel (Gen 36:13), who was the son of Esau (Gen 36:4), who was the son of Isaac (Gen 25:24-26), who was the son of Abraham (Gen 21:5), making Job (Jobab) fifth in line from Abraham.

LXX Iob 42:17d And these are the kings who reigned in Edom, which country he too ruled: first Balak the son of Beor, and the name of his city was Dennaba, and after Balak, Iobab, who is called Iob, and after him Hasom, who was a leader from the Thaimanite country, and after him Hadad son of Barad, who cut down Madiam in the plain of Moab, and the name of his city was Geththaim. (NETS)

these are the kings who reigned in Edom, which country he too ruled This leads in to further details about the kings who reigned in Edom, and tells us Job also ruled over Edom.

first Balak the son of Beor The LXX names Balak as the first king of Edom, but Gen 36:32 KJV calls him “Bela.” And, while it was Bela who was the first Edomite king, it’s his father who is far more interesting to look at.

Because the kingship appears to go from Beor’s line (Bela Gen 36:32), to Reuel’s (Jobab Gen 36:33), and then to Eliphaz’s (Husham of Temani Gen 36:11; 36:34), it appears Bela’s father Beor was firstborn son to Esau, and the kingship made its way down through the heirs by the order of Esau’s son’s births.

Also, because Job’s grandfather (Reuel) was born of Bashemath (Gen 36:4), it’s likely Beor son was of Judith the Hittite (Gen 26:34-35). For, when Balaam, son of Beor, was summoned by the king of Moab to curse Israel (Gen 22:5), Balaam was residing in Pethor, which was in the Hittite region near Haran. If Judith were Beor’s mother, he would have had family there. Please click on the thumbnail image of the pdf map of Pethor, Babylon, Bozrah, and Sheba to the left to see where Pethor is (I’ll be referring to this as the Overview map later on in the post).

Unfortunately, Balaam, son of Beor’s name came to be associated with wickedness. Balaam used his gifts for self-promotion and self-gain (Num 24:10-11; 2 Pet 2:15-16; Jude 1:11; Rev 2:14). He also taught the enemy to seduce God’s people into sinning so they would lose God’s favor and become vulnerable to attack (Num 31:15-17).

after Balak, Iobab, who is called Iob This reiterates that Iobab/Jobab, who is called Iob/Job reigned as king of Edom after Balak/Bela (Gen 36:33).

after him Hasom, who was a leader from the Thaimanite country Gen 36:34says this was Husham of the land of Temani. This third king of Edom is from the line of Esau’s son, “Eliphaz” (Gen 36:4), who had a son named “Teman.”

Thaimanite, Temanite, or Temani all refer to Eliphaz’s son, “Teman” (Gen 36:11).

This same “Eliphaz” was Job’s grandfather (Reuel’s) half-brother, and is the same “Eliphaz” portrayed throughout the Book of Job (Gen 36:4; Job 2:11).

LXX Iob 42:17e Now the friends who came to him were: Eliphaz, of the sons of Esau, king of the Thaimanites, Baldad, the tyrant of the Sauchites, Sophar, the king of the Minites. (NETS)

Job 2:11 Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this evil that was come upon him, they came every one from his own place; Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite: for they had made an appointment together to come to mourn with him and to comfort him. (KJV)

So, Job is from the family of Esau. In fact, he’s Esau’s great, great grandson, through Reuel, then Zerah (Gen 36:4; 13, 33). And, Eliphaz, who comes to visit Job (with Bildad and Zophar; Job 2:11), is his grandfather Reuel’s half-brother (Gen 36:4).

You can look at the scriptural listings of these families in Gen 36:1-41, or you can look at a visual chart I’ve made to see how this “family” fits together, by clicking on the thumbnail to the left (I’ll refer to this chart as the Generation chart later).

Now, LXX Job 42:17d says Job lived on the borders of Idumea (Edomite) territory and the Arabian (Desert). Now, since Job was an Edomite king he would obviously be somewhere in Edomite territory, but where does “Uz” fit into all of this?

To make a long story short, Seir, the Horite, once held control over the territory comprising the long mountain range just southeast of the Dead Sea. In one of his many marriages, Esau married into Seir’s family by marrying Aholibamah (Gen 36:2,5,20-21). As time passed, Esau established himself there, so that Seir territory eventually became (mostly) Edomite Territory (Gen 32:3), and Moab took the land just to the north. You can view where the older Seir territory was and compare that to the later Edomite and Moab territories by clicking on the thumbnail image to the right. I’ll refer to this map as the Territories Map further on in the study.

As time went by, eventually Seir and his descendants held no territory at all. Now, Seir had a great, great, grandson named “Uz” (Gen 36:20,21,28), and the land of “Uz” is the Land Job lived on, but it was probably still called by that name because it had not fully transitioned away from being called “Uz” (even though Edom controlled it).

It’s also noteworthy that “Uz” came to be used as a metaphor for a time of deep introspection and waiting on the Lord (a type of captivity). Lam 4:21-33 speaks of the daughter of “Zion” being released from her captivity, but the daughter of “Edom” – who dwells in the land of “Uz” – enters into it. This is interesting, because it is yet but another scripture confirming Edom’s relationship to “Uz,” hence, also, “Job.”

Lam 4:21-22 Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, that dwellest in the land of Uz; the cup also shall pass through unto thee: thou shalt be drunken, and shalt make thyself naked. 22 The punishment of thine iniquity is accomplished, O daughter of Zion; He will no more carry thee away into captivity: He will visit thine iniquity, O daughter of Edom; He will discover thy sins.

So, when the LXX says Job lived on the borders of Edom Territory and the Arabian Desert, it’s really saying Job lived close to either the “Kings Highway” or the “Desert Route” where Edomite territory ended and the Arabian Desert began (please see the Territories Map).

The “Kings Highway” and the “Desert Route” were the two main east side routesthat gave access either 1) northward (towards Damascus or Babylonia), 2) south then west (to Egypt), 3) south then east (to Dumah) and north again (to Babylonia), or 4) deep south (through Dedan to Sheba).

If Job lived on the borders of Edom and Arabia, then he was close to these routes, making it very possible for the travelling Chaldeans (from Babylonia; Job 1:17) or Sabeans (from Sheba; Job 1:15) to have easily raided upon Job and rode away on either of these popular routes (please see the Overview map to view the Chaldean (Babylonia; Babylon) and Sabean (Sheba) locations).

What all this does is substantiate where Job got his obvious reverence and unique understanding of God: he was born five generations from Abraham.

Also, given Eliphaz’s presence in the Book of Job, there’s no doubt the Book of Job took place before the Law of Moses was given, and therefore becomes indicative of a type of justification that only God can give and only otherwise glimpsed at in the OT through the life of Abraham.

And, now, because we know Job is Jobab, fifth from Abraham and that Eliphaz the Temanite is present within the Book of Job, we actually have some idea of the possible time and era in which Job lived.

To help illustrate this, I’ve created a chart showing ages at specific events. Now, I’ve only listed the events I could trace back through actual scripture reference. I can only hope you’ll utilize my work, because it really helps to have something to look at as I bring up a specific age or event. You can click on the thumbnail to the left to view it (I’ll be referring to this later as the Timeline chart).

You may need also need my personal notes to see the computation and years used on the chart, so I’m making them available. You can get them by clicking on the thumbnail to the right (I’ll refer to this as my Personal notes later).

Basically, what the Timeline chart reveals is that because Esau was married at forty (Gen 26:34; 36:3-4), but Jacob at eighty-four (Gen 29:18-25), it would stand to reason that Esau would have had sons and grandsons from his first marriages before any of Jacob’s son’s had yet been born.

And because Job is listed as the second king of Edom, fifth from Abraham, and his grandfather Reuel was of Bashemath, whom Esau married at forty (Gen 36:13), it’s very likely Reuel was Esau’s second born son, born sometime soon after Esau’s marriage at forty (Gen 26:34; 36:3-4; please see Generation chart).

So here’s my hypotheses for the estimated time of Job’s birth:

• If Reuel (Job’s grandfather) was born soon after Esau’s marriage at forty, and
• if Reuel followed the example of both Isaac and Esau, and got married when he was also forty, then,
• Reuel’s son, Zerah, could have been born around the time that Esau turned eighty-two. And,
• if Zerah followed suit and was married when he turned forty, then Job could have been born sometime around Esau’s one hundred and twenty-second birthday or the year 1711 BCE.

What all this means is that Job was probably born sometime just before, during or not long after the great famine of Joseph (for reference, that would be around the time of the birth of Joseph’s sons, Manasseh and Ephraim; Gen 41:50-53).

So there you have it: the who is Job? Where is Uz? And, in what era did Job live?

By the way, the Hebrew meaning of the name “Job” (KJV) is “hated” or “persecuted,” and the meaning of the name “Jobab” (KJV) is “howler” (as in one who “bawls” or “cries out”). Both of these names are similar and rather appropriate for a man rejected, mocked and accused over and over by his friends. A man whom, much like the afflicted man in Psalm 102, obviously wailed about because of the magnitude of his grief.

Whew!

Peace out!

Loris A. James

All quotations marked NETS are taken from A New English Translation of the Septuagint  ©2007 by the International Organization of Septuagint and Cognate Studies, Inc. Used by permission of Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. (NETS)