Job Bible Study Resources

Study questions, maps, charts, key words, history, background, outlines, and links to help you study the Old Testament book of Job.

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Jump to: Background; ** Maps; ** Key Words; ** Encyclopedias; ** Commentaries; ** Articles; ** GotQuestions ** Next **

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Basics

• Dramatic form includes both poetry (3 cycles of dialogue between Job and his friends) and prose (prologue and epilogue).
• Appearance of God in Theophany (38-41).
• The purpose is NOT to answer our modern questions (e.g. why is there suffering?) but rather how do I live when I am suffering?
• Theme: faith upheld under adversity
• Key Text: Job 13:15-16
• Where can wisdom be found (28:12)? Answer: The fear of the Lord (28:28)

Wisdom Literature

• Job, Ecclesiastes, Proverbs, Song of Solomon
• General interest in humanity and universal pronouncements (as opposed to the people of Israel)
• Grounded in a theology of creation
• Fear of YHWH as proper context for wisdom, sometimes explicitly stated, but often implicit
• Questioning attitude about the basic problems of life: why is there suffering, inequality, death, why do the wicked prosper, etc.

Structure

• Job 1-3: Prologue (prose); Conflict
• Job 4-37: Dialogue (poetry); Debate
• Job 38-42: Epilogue (prose); Deliverance

Genre: Understanding Hebrew Poetry

Section 1: Background

Background & Outlines

Hebrew Calendar

Chart: Bible History at a glance

Blue Letter Bible: Old Testament Timeline

Bible Atlas: Uz

Biblehub: Job Overview

Ray C Stedman: Overview of the Book

John MacArthur: Author, Date, Background

Joshua to Job quotes in the New Testament

ESV: Introduction to Job

ESV: The Global Message of Job

NIV: Introduction to Job

David Malick: An Introduction to the Book of Job

David Malick: An Argument of the Book of Job

William Orr: Keys to Job

Myer Pearlman: Job Overview

Wil Pounds: Job – Introduction

James van Dine: Analysis of Job

Section 2: Maps

Maps from Holman Bible Atlas

The Face of the Ancient Near East

The Ancient Near East

Biblical Regions

Modern States and the Ancient Near East

Mesopotamia: Homeland of Abraham

Egypt: Land of Bondage

Syria and Lebanon

International Routes, The King’s Highway

Geography and Trade Routes of the Middle East

Natural Regions of Palestine

National Regions of Ancient Palestine

Physical Geography of Palestine

Topography of Palestine

Cross Sectional Views of Longitudinal Zones

Northern Coastal Plains

Plain of Dor, Plain of Sharon, Samaria, et al.

Philistine Plain, Shephelah, Judah, and the Dead Sea

Arabah, Negeb, Wildernesses of Zin and Paran

The Old City of Jerusalem Today

Modern Political Divisions of Ancient Palestine

Climate Patterns of Ancient Palestine

Before Abraham

Selected Neolithic and Chalcolithic Settlements

The Table of Nations_(1)

The Table of Nations_(2)

Ancient Near East in the 3rd Millennium

The World of the Patriarchs

Ancient Near East in the Time of the Patriarchs

The Land of Canaan from Abraham to Moses

Palestine in the Middle Bronze Age

The Migration of Abraham

Abraham in Canaan

Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob

Travels of Jacob

The Journeys of Joseph

ESV Charts & Maps

Genealogies of Genesis

Genealogies: Age at Fatherhood and Death

Chronology of Noah’s Time in Ark

Generations of Genesis

Garden of Eden

Table of Nations

Abram Travels to Canaan

Jacob Returns to Canaan

Egypt at the Time of Joseph

ESV Maps

Section 3: Key Words

Key Words

almighty (31x), curse (10x), cry, cries (20x/18v), wicked (34x), sin (25x/23v), iniquity (21x), transgression (9x), sons of God (3x), Satan (14x/11v), how? (25x/24v), why? (22x/19v), perfect (3x), blameless (4x), righteous (12x), right (18x), righteousness (8x), just (4x), wisdom (21x/20v)

Section 4: Encyclopedias

Dictionaries & Encyclopedias

Job, Book of

Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology:

Easton’s Bible Dictionary Job, Book of

Fausset Bible Dictionary Job, the Book of

Holman Bible Dictionary Job, the Book of

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia Job, Book of

Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia Job the book of

Smith Bible Dictionary Job, Book of

The Nuttall Encyclopedia Job, Book of

The Jewish Encyclopedia Job, the Book of

Job

American Tract Society Job

Bridgeway Bible Dictionary Job

Chabad Knowledge Base Job

Easton’s Bible Dictionary Job

Hitchcock Bible Names Job

Hastings’ Dictionary of the Bible Job

Hastings’ Dictionary of the NT Job

Whyte’s Bible Characters Job

Wilson’s Bible Types Job

Watson’s Theological Dictionary Job

Section 5: Commentaries

Commentaries

Top 5 Commentaries on the Book of Job – Keith Matheson Ligonier Ministries

Best Commentaries on Job – Tim Challies

Best Commentary on Job – Best Commentaries Reviews

Calvin’s Commentary on the Bible:

Matthew Henry: Job

Albert Barnes Notes: Job

Reformation Study Bible Notes: Job

Geneva Study Bible: Job

Precept Austin Commentaries & Sermons: Job

Section 6: Articles

Articles

Messianic Implications in Elihu’s ‘Mediator Speech’ (Job 33:23-28) William D. Barrick

F. F. Bruce, “The Crooked Serpent,” The Evangelical Quarterly20.4 (Oct. 1948): 283-288 Job 26:13 AV; Isa 27:1

F. F. Bruce, “The Wisdom Literature of the Bible: The Book of Job, “The Bible Student ns 23.2 (April 1952): 57-60

F. F. Bruce, “The Wisdom Literature of the Bible: The Book of Job (continued),” The Bible Student ns 23.3 (July 1952): 99-103

Antony F. Campbell “The Book of Job: Two Questions, One Answer,” Australian Biblical Review 51 (2003):15-25

Donald A. Carson, “Job: mystery and faith,” Southern Baptist Journal of Theology 4.2 (2000): 38-55

David C. Deuel, “Job 19:25 and Job 23:10 Revisited: An Exegetical Note,” The Master’s Seminary Journal 5.1 (Spring 1994): 97-100

Russell T. Fuller The Book of Job and Suffering- A Sermon

Norman L. Geisler, PRIMITIVE MONOTHEISM – Evidence for Christianity

R. Laird Harris, “The Book of Job and its Doctrine of God,” Grace Journal 13.3 (Fall 1972): 3-33

Roland K. Harrison, “The Problem of Suffering and the Book of Job,” The Evangelical Quarterly 25.1 (1953): 18-27

Robert V. McCabe, “Elihu’s Contribution to the Thought of the Book of Job,” Detroit Baptist Seminary Journal 2 (Fall 1997): 47-80

Charles Meeks, “Will the Real Job Please Stand Up? Politico-Pastoral Exegesis of Job 38 in the Wake of Nicea,” Journal for the Evangelical Study of the Old Testament 4.1 (2015): 21-37

Michael D. Oblath, “Job’s Advocate: A Tempting Suggestion,” Bulletin for Biblical Research 9 (1999): 189-201

Sydney Page – Satan: God’s Servant – JETS 503 (Sept, 2007), 449-65.

Elaine A Phillips – Speaking Truthfully: Job’s Friends and Job – Bull. for Biblical Research 18.1, 2008, 31-43

Aaron Pinker – Job’s Perspectives on Death – Jewish Bible Quarterly

Martin A. Shields, “Was Elihu Right?” Journal for the Evangelical Study of the Old Testament 3.2 (2014): 155-170

Martin Shields – Malevolent or Mysterious? God’s Character in the Prologue of Job – Tyndale Bull. 61:2, 2010

Elmer B. Smick, “Mythology and the book of Job,” Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 13.2 (Spring 1970): 101-108

Prof. Ulrich E. Simon, Gambling With Job. The Ethel M. Wood Lecture delivered before the University of London on 5 June 1980. London: University of London, 1980. Pbk. ISBN: 0718105637. pp.18

Lindsay Wilson – The Book of Job and the Fear of God – Tyndale Bulletin 46.1 (1995) p 59-79.

Feinberg, Charles Lee. “The Book of Job,” Bibliotheca Sacra 91 (361) (Jan. 1934) 78-86.

Feinberg, Charles Lee. “Job and the Nation Israel First Study: In the Hands of the Enemy,” Bibliotheca Sacra 96 (384) (Oct. 1939) 405-11.

Feinberg, Charles Lee. Job and the Nation of Israel: Second Study: At the Mercy of the Critics,” Bibliotheca Sacra 97 (385) (Jan.-Mar. 1940) 27-33.

Feinberg, Charless Lee. “Job and the Nation Israel: third Study: Face to Face with the Lord,” Bibliotheca Sacra 97 (386) (Apr 1940) 211-16.

Feinberg, Charles Lee. “The Poetic Structure of the Book of Job and the Ugaritic Literature,” Bibliotheca Sacra 103 (411) (Jul., 1946) 283-92.

Green, William H. “Book of Job,” Biblical Reparatory and Princeton Review 29 (1857) 281-327.

Harris, R. Laird. “The Book of Job and Its Doctrine of God,” Grace Theological Journal 13.3 (Fall 1972) 3-34.

Newell, B. Lynne. “Job: Repentant or Rebellious?” Westminster Theological Journal 46.2 (Fall, 1984) 298-316.

Parsons, Gregory W. “The Structure and Purpose of the Book of Job,” Bibliotheca Sacra 138 (550) (Apr. 1981) 139-57.

Parsons, Gregory W. “Literary Features of the Book of Job,” Bibliotheca Sacra 138 (551) (July, 1981) 213-29.

Parsons, Gregory W. “Guidelines for Understanding and Proclaiming the Book of Job,” Bibliotheca Sacra 151 (604) (Oct. 1994) 393-413.

Smick, Elmer. “Another Look at the Mythological Elements in the Book of Job,” Westminster Theological Journal 40.2 (Spring, 1978) 213-28.

Smick, Elmer. “Semeilogical Interpretation of the Book of Job,” Westminster Theological Journal 48:1 (Spring 1986) 135-49-58.

Smith, Gary, V. “Is There a Place for Job’s Wisdom in Old Testament Theology?” Trinity Journal 13.1 (Spring 1992) 3-206?

Waters, Larry J. “Reflections on Suffering from the Book of Job,” Bibliotheca Sacra 154 (616) (Oct. 1997) 436-51.

Waters, Larry J. “Reflections on Suffering from the Book of Job,” Bib Sacra 156: 621 (1999): 443-451

Waters, Larry J. “The Authenticity of the Elihu Speeches in Job 32-37,” Bibliotheca Sacra 156 (621) (Jan., 1999) 28-41.

Waters, Larry J. “Elihu’s Theology and His View of Suffering,” Bibliotheca Sacra 156 (622) (Apr., 1999) 144-59.

Section 7: Got Questions

GotQuestions.org

Book of Job – Bible Survey

What should we learn from the life of Job?

What does it mean that Job was blameless and upright?

Was it unfair for God to allow Job to suffer over what was basically an argument between God and Satan?

What does the Bible say about suffering?

Does Satan have to get God’s permission before he can attack us?

What is a hedge of protection?

Why does God allow Satan to attack us?

Does Satan have the power to control the weather?

Does Satan still have access to Heaven? Why does God allow Satan to enter Heaven, as recorded in the Bible?

How long was Job’s suffering?

How could Job say, “Though He slay me, I will trust in Him”?

Why did Job’s wife tell him to curse God and die?

Are the holy angels perfect, or do they sometimes fail God (Job 4:18; 15:15)?

What is the behemoth?

What was the leviathan?

What does it mean to make a covenant with your eyes?

What was Eliphaz the Temanite’s message to Job?

What was Bildad the Shuhite’s message to Job?

What was Zophar the Naamathite’s message to Job?

What was Elihu’s message to Job?

What did Job’s three friends have wrong, and what did they have right?

The patience of Job—why is Job famous for being patient?

What does it mean that Job repented in dust and ashes?

Section 8: Next

Next: Psalms

Previous: Esther

Resources: by Book of the Bible

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