LANGUAGE IN INDIA

Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow

Volume 13:7 July 2013
ISSN 1930-2940

Managing Editor: M. S. Thirumalai, Ph.D.
Editors: B. Mallikarjun, Ph.D.
         Sam Mohanlal, Ph.D.
         B. A. Sharada, Ph.D.
         A. R. Fatihi, Ph.D.
         Lakhan Gusain, Ph.D.
         Jennifer Marie Bayer, Ph.D.
         S. M. Ravichandran, Ph.D.
         G. Baskaran, Ph.D.
         L. Ramamoorthy, Ph.D.
Assistant Managing Editor: Swarna Thirumalai, M.A.

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The Unique Literary Form of the Book of Job

Suganthi Hebzibha. R. M.A., M.Phil., Ph.D. Research Scholar

The Book of Job has a unique literary form since it includes poetry and prose with different features of drama, epic and law suit. It forms a genre by itself. It is one of the most ancient books of the entire Bible. It is considered as one of the classics of Judeo-Christian heritage. The entire book revolves around the relationship between God and man.

A Narrative of Job’s Suffering and the Lessons

Job is a wise, wealthy and a righteous man in the land of Uz. Suddenly one day he loses all his wealth, his cattle, servants and his ten children. Finally on the same day, he falls sick and sits in ashes with the painful skin disease. Job did not know the reason why all these happened to him, that too in a single day. He was unaware of what went on with God and His adversary Satan. In other words, Job was caught in a mysterious context, totally ignorant as to the reason for all this tragedy. Thus begins this absorbing story of Job.

Job’s three friends come to visit with him in his death bed, and try to explain that his sufferings are due to his sins and that God is punishing him. They also do not know what went on between God and His adversary Satan. In other words, all these humans had to depend on what was reality on hand and to rationalize why these things had happened. Job’s friends went with the traditional notion of God’s sovereign power to do or undo every aspect of human kind. Perhaps they used the belief widely prevalent that if a human suffers he or she is responsible for it through their sinful work and disobedience. Job tries to defend himself, but it is all in vain. He is discouraged by the accusation of his friends and becomes frustrated. Yet he still believes in God and never utters a word against the Almighty.

The book, ending with the speeches of God answering Job in a whirl-wind, reveals his omnipotence to Job and reminds him that humans can never fully grasp the meaning of God’s work. God expresses His anger against Job’s friends for misinterpreting Him. Job confesses his unworthiness, lack of understanding and weakness and says, "I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now mine eye sees You. Therefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes." (Job 42:5, 6)

This is only the beginning part of the article. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ THE ARTICLE IN PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION.

Suganthi Hebzibha. R. M.A., M.Phil., Ph.D. Research Scholar
FLOFEE, 144A, Alto Dabolim
Airport Road
Goa- 403 801
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rshebzibha@yahoo.com

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