Omitting the Elihu speeches as an intrusion on the original complete poem, Job's wish is suddenly granted. Jehovah speaks out of the whirlwind, telling of his wisdom and power in the creation and control of the mighty forces of nature. In this section many feel that an interpolator had added the semi-mythical be hemoth and leviathan (xl, 15 — xli, 34). With out these the section contains the wonders of both the inanimate and animal worlds. In the speeches of the Almighty no really new thought is added to the faith that the Hebrew prophets had attained before the book of Job was writ ten; but a splendid, dramatic presentation of the Divine wisdom and power seen in nature humbles Job; he feels that he had heard of God by the hearing of the ear but that he now sees Him. In this vision he rests humbled and content, not even 'thinking of arguing his case as he had hoped to do.
Like every great work of literature, the book of Job is a transcript from life as it is It reveals the negative power and the limita tions of the critical intellect, the positive power and outreach of vision and faith. The classi fication of the poem has been the subject of much debate. That it is dramatic is obvious; it may even be presented with some effective power upon the modern stage; yet the theory that the poem is a genuine drama, designed for action, is now generally abandoned. It is rec ognized, indeed, that the ancient Semites did not develop any true drama, so far as our knowledge of their life and literature extends. The work has in recent years been styled an epic, "the epic of the inner life,* telling the story of the perilous quest and brave deeds of a typical Jewish hero whose exploits were in the sphere of the spirit. In external form it resembles epic rather less than drama, yet the recognition of the fact that the search for God is the essence of the poem is vital to its right understanding. Exact classification' of ancient
Semitic writings under our categories of Indo European literature is not possiblr; The divi sions of epic and dramatic poetry were made - for the description of Greek not Hebrew poetry. That has its own forms, usually less rigid than those of Western writings. As yet they have defied thoroughly satisfactory definition. Al though Job is a supreme world poem revealing "the essentials of life in its greatness,)) true alike to the 4th century B.C. and the 20th century A.D., in external form it is Semitic poetry, not Occidental. This statement is just as true of its general structure as it is of its genuinely Hebrew rhythm and metre.
Bibliography.— Barton, G. A., 'Job' (in 'Bible for Home and School,' New York 1911) ; Cheyne, T. K, 'Job and Solomon' (New York 1887) ; Cornill, C. H., 'Introduc tion to the Canonical Books of the Old Testa ment> (London 1909) ; Creelman, H., 'Intro duction to the Old Testament' (New York 1917) ; Davidson, A. B., 'Job' (in 'Cambridge Bible,) Cambridge 1887) ; Driver, S. R., 'Book of Job) (Oxford 1906), and 'Introduction to the Literature of the Old Testament) (New York, revised ed., 1914) ; 'Encyclopaedia Bib lice (New York 1901) ' • Fowler, H. T., 'His tory of the Literature of Ancient Israel' (New York 1912) ; Genung, J. F., 'The Epic of the Inner Life) (Boston 1891) • Gibson, E. C. S., (Job) (in 'Westminster Commentaries' Lon don, revised ed., 1905) ; Hastings, J., 'Diction ary of the Bible' (New York 1900) ; 'Jewish Encyclopaedia' (New York 1904); Strahan, J., 'Book of Job) (Edinburgh 1913).