Job is book 18 of the 39 books of the Old Testament and belongs to the Wisdom & Poetry section. See how it fits with the rest in our guide to all 66 books of the Bible.
Quick facts
- Section
- Old Testament · Wisdom & Poetry
- Genre
- Wisdom literature: poetic dialogue framed by a prose story
- Author (traditional)
- Unknown; the Talmud attributes it to Moses, and other traditions suggest Job himself or Solomon.
- Other views on authorship
- An anonymous Israelite poet of great skill, possibly reworking an older folk tale about a righteous sufferer.
- Date (traditional)
- The story is set in a patriarchal age, around the time of Abraham; the book's writing is dated variously.
- Other views on dating
- Most date the book between the 7th and 4th centuries BC, often around the time of the exile.
- Chapters
- 42
- Verses
- 1,070
- Reading time
- About 83 minutes (16,608 words in the BSB)
What is Job about?
The book opens in prose. Job lives in the land of Uz, a man who is blameless and wealthy. In a heavenly scene, the accuser (in Hebrew ‘the satan’) suggests Job only serves God because God has blessed him. God allows Job to be tested: in a single day he loses his livestock, servants and ten children, then is struck with painful sores. Job grieves deeply but does not curse God.
Three friends, Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar, come to comfort him and sit in silence for seven days. Then Job breaks out in a lament wishing he had never been born, and a long poetic debate begins. The friends argue that God always rewards the righteous and punishes the wicked, so Job must repent of hidden sin. Job refuses to accept a false confession. He protests, questions and demands a hearing with God, yet he also reaches moments of startling hope. A young man, Elihu, then adds four speeches of his own.
At last God answers from the storm. He does not explain the heavenly test. Instead he takes Job on a tour of creation, from the foundations of the earth to wild animals and the great creatures Behemoth and Leviathan, showing a wisdom far beyond human grasp. Job responds with humility. God then says the friends have not spoken rightly about him as Job has, and Job is restored with a new family and double his former wealth.
Outline of Job
| ChaptersCh. | Section |
|---|---|
| 1–2 | Prologue: the test Job's losses and the conversations in heaven, told in prose. |
| 3 | Job's lament Job curses the day of his birth. |
| 4–14 | First round of speeches Each friend urges repentance; Job answers and appeals to God. |
| 15–21 | Second round The friends harden their argument about the fate of the wicked; Job voices hope in a living Redeemer. |
| 22–27 | Third round Eliphaz accuses Job outright; Bildad's speech is brief and the debate breaks down. |
| 28 | Where is wisdom found? A poem: humans can mine the earth, but true wisdom belongs to God. |
| 29–31 | Job's final defense Job remembers his past, describes his present misery and swears to his integrity. |
| 32–37 | Elihu's speeches A younger voice argues that God uses suffering to teach and correct. |
| 38–41 | God speaks Two speeches from the whirlwind on the wonders of creation. |
| 42 | Job's response and restoration Job repents in humility, the friends are rebuked, and Job's fortunes are restored. |
Key themes
- Why do the righteous suffer?. Job challenges the neat belief that suffering is always punishment. The book insists that some suffering has no simple explanation available to those who endure it.
- Honest lament. Job speaks to God with raw anger and grief, and God later affirms that Job spoke rightly. Faith in this book includes protest and questions, not only quiet acceptance.
- Bad comfort. Job's friends say many true things but apply them cruelly. Their speeches are a warning against explaining someone else's pain too quickly.
- God's wisdom and freedom. God's speeches do not answer Job's questions directly; they enlarge his view of God. Trust grows from meeting God, not from having every answer.
- Disinterested faith. The opening question is whether anyone serves God for nothing. Job's story shows a faith that holds on even when every reward is gone.
Key people and places
- Job — A blameless man from Uz whose faith is tested by suffering.
- Job's wife — Shares his loss and urges him to give up.
- Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar — Job's three friends who argue that he must have sinned.
- Elihu — A younger man who speaks after the friends fall silent.
- The accuser (the satan) — The heavenly figure who questions Job's motives.
Places: Uz.
Key verses in Job
Quoted from the Berean Standard Bible (BSB).
“saying: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD.””
“But I know that my Redeemer lives, and in the end He will stand upon the earth.”
“And He said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’””
“Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding.”
“My ears had heard of You, but now my eyes have seen You.”
How Job fits the big story
Job stands with Psalms, Proverbs and Ecclesiastes among the Bible's wisdom books. Proverbs teaches that wise living generally leads to blessing; Job tests that principle against real suffering and shows its limits. The book gives believers permission to lament and keeps the door open to a God who is greater than our explanations. Job's longing for a mediator and a Redeemer who would stand up for him is echoed in the New Testament, which presents Jesus as the innocent sufferer and the one who speaks to God on our behalf. Paul's confidence that God works through all things, in Romans 8:28, reads differently after Job.
How to read Job
At 3 chapters a day you can read Job in 14 days. Read chapters 1–3 and 38–42 first for the shape of the story, then go back to the dialogues. Notice which of the friends' claims sound right but are wrongly applied.