This study seeks to argue that Job 28 is an integral part of the book as it stands, and that it is Job's speech. Job 28 serves a special rhetorical function within the book, and more specifically within chapters 22-31. This work provides a significant interpretative key to Job 28 within the most perplexing section of the book (Job 22-31). Job 28 is in contradictory juxtaposition with other sayings of Job. However, this study argues that such contradictory juxtaposition is a feature of Job's speeches in chapters 22-31, and is part of the author's strategy to make a rhetorical impact upon the audience.
Author(s): Alison Lo
Series: Supplements to Vetus Testamentum 97
Publisher: Brill Academic Publishers
Year: 2003
Language: English
Pages: 324
JOB 28 AS RHETORIC: An Analysis of Job 28 in the Context of Job 22-31......Page 4
CONTENTS......Page 6
Acknowledgement......Page 12
Abbreviations......Page 13
I. The Issues of Job 28......Page 16
II. Commentators’ Approaches to the Issues of Job 28......Page 17
A. Accepting Job 28 as Job’s Words......Page 18
1. Discrepancy in Style......Page 20
2. Oddity in Job’s Mouth......Page 22
3. Bringing the Book to a Premature Climax......Page 24
4. The Problems of 28:28......Page 26
III. The Approach of This Study......Page 30
A. Definition and Advantage of Rhetorical Criticism......Page 32
B. The Argument of This Study......Page 35
I. Incongruities in the Book of Job......Page 37
A. The Historical-Critical Approach......Page 40
B. The Structuralist Approach......Page 44
C. The Deconstructionist Approach......Page 50
III. Job 28 Within the Plot Development of the Book......Page 52
1. Movement One (1:1-2:10)......Page 54
2. Movement Two (2:11-31:40)......Page 60
3. Movement Three (32:1-42:17)......Page 66
Conclusion......Page 68
B. Plot Development and Job’s Characterization in Job 22-31......Page 69
IV. Job 28 Related to the Rhetorical Situation of the Book......Page 72
A. Definition of Rhetorical Situation......Page 73
B. Concept of the Audience......Page 74
1. The Exigency of the Rhetorical Situation......Page 77
2. The Audience of the Rhetorical Situation......Page 84
3. The Constraint of the Rhetorical Situation......Page 85
D. Job 28 in Relation to the Rhetorical Situation of the Book......Page 86
A. Inadequacy of the Friends’ Perspectives......Page 88
B. Inadequacy of Job’s Perspectives......Page 89
C. Job 28 as Part of the “From Less to More Adequate Perspectives” Strategy......Page 92
VI. Conclusion......Page 93
I. Introduction......Page 94
A. Definition of Contradictory Juxtaposition......Page 95
B. Functions of Contradictory Juxtaposition......Page 96
C. Positive and Negative Aspects of Gapping......Page 97
A. Assumptions for Approaching the Story......Page 98
1. Evaluative Points of View......Page 99
2. Use of Irony......Page 101
3. Literary-Rhetorical Markers......Page 102
C. Dramatic Presentation and Its Interpretations......Page 106
D. God’s Final Verdict in Job 42:7b as the Key to Interpretation......Page 109
IV. Job’s Contradictory Sayings in Job 22-24......Page 111
A. The Content......Page 112
1. Job 24:18-24 in Comparison with the Friends’ Sayings......Page 119
2. Job 24:18-24 in Comparison with Job’s Other Sayings......Page 120
C. Commentators’ Approaches to the Issue of Job 24:18-24......Page 123
2. Considering 24:18-24 as an Independent Poem of the Author......Page 124
3. Attributing 24:18-24 to One of the Friends......Page 125
4. Retaining 24:18-24 as Job’s Speech in which He Quotes the Friends......Page 128
5. Treating the Entire Speech as Job’s Speech......Page 129
Conclusion......Page 132
D. The Unity of Job 24......Page 134
E. The Rhetorical Impacts of Job’s Contradictory Sayings in Job 22-24......Page 135
1. The Flow of Argument......Page 136
2. The Rhetorical Impacts upon the Audience......Page 138
V. Job’s Contradictory Sayings in Job 25-26......Page 141
A. The Content......Page 143
B. The Characteristics of Job’s Hymnic Material in Job 26......Page 147
1. Job 26:5-14 in Comparison with Job’s Other Hymnic Passages......Page 148
2. Job 26:5-14 in Comparison with Job’s Non-Hymnic Materials......Page 160
3. Job 26:5-14 in Comparison with the Friends’ Hymnic Recitations......Page 161
1. Re-assigning from Job to Bildad......Page 167
2. Job as Speaking Satirically against God......Page 170
3. Job as the Speaker, Finishing Bildad’s Speech for him......Page 171
4. Defending 26:5-14 as Job’s Speech......Page 172
5. Assigning Both Job 25 and 26 to Job......Page 173
D. The Unity of Job 26......Page 174
1. The Flow of Argument......Page 175
2. The Rhetorical Impacts upon the Audience......Page 180
VI. Job’s Contradictory Sayings in Job 27......Page 181
A. The Content......Page 183
1. Job 27:13-23 in Comparison with the Friends’ Sayings......Page 187
2. Job 27:13-23 in Comparison with Job’s Other Sayings......Page 190
1. Denying Both vv.7-10 and vv.13-23 to Job......Page 193
2. Accepting vv.7-10 but Rejecting vv.13-23 as Job’s Words......Page 195
3. Treating the Whole of Chapter 27 as Job’s Speech......Page 198
1. The Flow of Argument......Page 202
2. The Rhetorical Impacts upon the Audience......Page 208
VII. Job’s Contradictory Sayings in Job 28-31......Page 211
A. The Content......Page 212
1. Job 28 in Comparison with Job 11:5-12......Page 220
2. Job 28 in Comparison with the Yahweh Speeches......Page 221
3. Job 28 in Comparison with Job 27 and Job 29-31......Page 224
1. The Flow of Argument......Page 227
2. The Rhetorical Impacts upon the Audience......Page 236
VIII. Job 28 Within the Context of Job 22-31......Page 238
A. Contradictory Juxtapositions as a Common Structure......Page 239
B. Contradictory Juxtapositions in Job 22-31 as Part of the Rhetorical Strategy......Page 244
C. Gap-Filling of the Contradictory Juxtapositions......Page 245
4. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION......Page 248
II. Proverbs......Page 252
III. Psalms 9-10......Page 254
IV. Psalm 73......Page 257
A. Ecclesiastes 1:12-2:26......Page 260
B. Ecclesiastes 3:1-15......Page 262
C. Ecclesiastes 3:16-22......Page 263
D. Ecclesiastes 5:9-19 [10-20]......Page 264
F. Ecclesiastes 9:1-12......Page 265
G. Ecclesiastes 11:7-12:8......Page 267
VI. Conclusion......Page 268
BIBLIOGRAPHY......Page 269
Indices......Page 304
INDEX OF AUTHORS......Page 306
INDEX OF BIBLICAL TEXTS......Page 308
INDEX OF SUBJECTS......Page 322
