The object of the book is rather to explain generally the nature and tendency of afflictions, and thereby to contribute towards the attainment of their design, to console the mind, and to cheer the drooping spirits. It is difficult for men to understand that their sufferings, however great, are still under that degree which they deserve. To consider afflictions as proofs of Divine favor, we must first learn to bring them into unison with Divine justice. Upon the doctrine of retribution after death our author does not enter, but that he knew it, may be inferred from several passages with great probability; as, for instance, ch. xiv: 14, 'if a man die shall he live again? All the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come.' The if here shows that the writer had been before engaged in considering the subject of life after death; and when such is the case a pious mind will necessarily indulge the hope, or will, at least, have an obscure presentiment of immortality. The truth, also, of God's un bounded grace, on which the doctrine of immor tality is based, will be found clearly laid down in ch. xix. Still the author does not recur to this hope for the purpose of solving his problem; he would not ground it on something in itself want ing support and a foundation, namely, that which is presented in this book. The doctrine of future retribution, if not sustained by the belief in retri bution during this life, is truly a castle in the air. The authott did not intend in his discussion to ex ceed the limits of what God had clearly revealed, and this was in his time confined to the vague notion of life continued after death, but not con nected with rewards and punishments.
3. Character of Composition. On this sub ject there are different opinions.
Some contend that the book contains an entirely true history; others assert that it is founded on a true history, which has been recast ; while others hold that the book contains a narra tive entirely imaginary, and constructed by the author to teach a great moral truth.
The first view, taken by numerous ancient in terpreters, is now abandoned by nearly all inter preters. It qeems, howdver, to have been adopted by Josephus, for he places Job in the list of the historical books; and it was prevalent with all the fathers of the church. In its support four reasons are adduced, of which the third and fourth are quite untenable; the first and second are out weighed by other considerations, which render it impossible to consider the book of Job as an en tirely true history, but which may be used in de fence of the second view alluded to. It is said: (a) That Job is (Ezck. xiv :14-2o) mentioned as a public character, together with Noah and Daniel, and represented as an example of piety.
(b) In the Epistle of James (v :it), patience in sufferings is recommended by a reference to Job.
(c) In the Greek translation of the Septuagint a notice is appended to Gen. xxxvi :33, which states
that Job was the King Jobab of Edom. This statement is too late to be relied on, and originates in an etymological combination; and that it must be erroneous is to a certain extent evident from the contents of the book, in which Job is not rep resented as a king.
(d) Job's tomb continues to be shown to Orien tal tourists. Now the fact of a Job having lived somewhere would not of itself prove that the hero of our narrative was that person, and that this book contained a purely historical account. More over, his tomb is shown not in one place, but in six, and, along with it, the dunghill on which Job is reported to have sat! Against this view it must be remarked gen erally, that the whole work is arranged on a well considered plan, proving the author's power of independent invention. The transactions between God and Satan in the prologue absolutely require that we should distinguish between the subject matter forming the foundation of the work, and its enlargement ; which can be only done when a poetical principle is acknowledged in its compo sition. This argument, which might be further extended without much difficulty, proves the first view above stated of the book of Job to be erro neous, and is meant to support the second; but it does not bear on the third, which contends that the narrative is an entire fiction, without any ad mixture of real facts; but which is contrary to the practice which anciently prevailed, when writ ers rarely invented the subject crf a narrative and rather took the materials furnished by tradition, digesting, enlarging, and modifying them, so as to make them harmonize with the leading theme. Taking the second view, we must still abstain from undertaking to determine what the poet de rived from tradition and what he added himself, since we know how far tradition had already em bellished the original fact.
4. Descent, Country and Age of Author. Opinions differed in ancient times as to the nation to which the author belonged; some considering him to have been an Arab, others an Israelite; but the latter supposition is undoubtedly preferable. For, first, we find in our book many ideas of genu ine Israelite growth; the creation of the world is described, in accordance with the prevailing no tions of the Israelites, as the immediate effect of Divine omnipotence; man is formed of clay; the spirit of man is God's breath; God employs the angels for the performance of his orders; Satan, the enemy of the chosen children of God, is his instrument for tempting them; men are weak and sinful; nobody is pure in the sight of God; moral corruption is propagated. There is promulgated to men the law of G-od, which they must not in fringe, and the transgressions of which are visited on offenders with punishments. Moreover, the nether world, or Sheol, is depicted in hues entirely Hebrew.