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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Job 2 is the second chapter of the Book of Job in the Hebrew Bible or the Old Testament of the Christian Bible.[1][2] The book is anonymous; most scholars believe it was written around 6th century BCE.[3][4] This chapter belongs to the prologue of the book,comprising Job 1:1–2:13.[5]
| Job 2 | |
|---|---|
 The whole Book of Job in the Leningrad Codex (1008 C.E.) from an old fascimile edition. | |
| Book | Book of Job |
| Hebrew Bible part | Ketuvim |
| Order in the Hebrew part | 3 |
| Category | Sifrei Emet |
| Christian Bible part | Old Testament |
| Order in the Christian part | 18 |
The original text is written in Hebrew language. This chapter is divided into 13 verses.
Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter in Hebrew are of the Masoretic Text, which includes the Aleppo Codex (10th century), and Codex Leningradensis (1008).[6]
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 (B; B; 4th century), Codex Sinaiticus (S; BHK: S; 4th century), and Codex Alexandrinus (A; A; 5th century).[7]
Within the structure of the book, chapters 1 and 2 are grouped as "the Prologue" with the following outline:[8]
The whole section precedes the following parts of the book:[9]
The Prologue consists of five scenes in prose form (1:1–5; 1:6–12; 1:13–22; 2:1–6; 2:7–13 (3:1)) — alternating between earth and heaven — which introduce the main characters and the theological issue to be explored.[5]
The passage describes the conversation in the second heavenly court which is very similar to the first one.[10] From verse 1 to the middle of verse 3, the narrative practically repeats Job 1:7–8, except for the addition of three Hebrew words at the end of verse 2:1 (להתיצב על יהוה, lə-hiṯ-yaṣ-ṣêḇ ‘al- YHWH,[11] translated: "to present himself before YHWH") and the difference in the Hebrew word used for "from where" (מֵאַ֣יִן, mê-’a-yin,[12] in 1:7; אי מזה, ’ê miz-zeh,[13] in 2:2).[14] It is indicated that after the series of calamities on his possession and children, Job continues to "cling to" his integrity, basically maintaining all his commendable personal qualities.[14] YHWH states that he has been "incited" to "ruin" Job "without any reason", acknowledging that YHWH is accountable and responsible, but mainly also inviting the Adversary to concede that Job passed the test.[15] The Adversary responds that the test did not go far enough, using the phrase "skin for skin" (verse 4) to make the exchange equal by including all that a man would give up to save his own skin.[16] YHWH permits the Adversary to proceed with the second test, to touch ("harm" or "strike") Job's "flesh and bone" but not Job's "life".[17] Thereafter God will not speak again until chapter 38.[17]
This verse shows that YHWH is sovereign over the Adversary by putting limits on how far the action against Job may go.[24]
The first part of the section (verses 7–8) describes the second attack by the Adversary on Job, which adds a negative aspect, by afflicting the physical pain of 'ghastly sores', to the removal of the positives in Job's life with the first attack.[17][20] The words of Job's wife elicits a spoken response from Job about the second attack (verses 9–10).[25] The arrival of Job's three friends, their mourning and silence, left to Job to speak first, setting the stage for the subsequent poetic dialogues (chapter 3 to 42).[26]
The words of Job's wife can be interpreted as suggesting a "theological method of committing suicide", that is, urging Job 'to put him out of misery by doing the one forbidden thing ("cursing God") that will ensure his immediate destruction and end his endless agony" according to the traditional 'doctrine of (divine) retribution'.[37]
The Greek Septuagint has a longer reading with the phrase "when a long time had passed" in the beginning of the verse and the speech of Job's wife: "How long will you hold out, saying, 'Behold, I wait yet a little while, expecting the hope of my deliverance?' for behold, your memorial is abolished from the earth, even your sons and daughters, the pangs and pains of my womb which I bore in vain with sorrows, and you yourself sit down to spend the night in the open air among the corruption of worms, and I am a wanderer and a servant from place to place and house to house, waiting for the setting sun, that I may rest from my labors and pains that now beset me, but say some word against the Lord and die."[38]
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