Short Note: Job 42:2-6, a (Possible) Key to the Message of the Book

Abstract

Assuming that the author of Job placed the essence of his poetic message near the end of the text, where it would be most noticed and remembered (literary end stress), I would argue that Job’s final cited speech (42:2–6) is likely to convey such thematic significance. This short discourse occurs immediately after and in response to the climactic speeches of Yahweh (chapters 38–41) and right before the book’s narrative resolution in 42:7–17 (the so-called epilogue). So what has Job learned from this challenging divine discourse as reflected in his concluding, now confessional reply? 1 ׃ר ַֽ מַאֹּ יוַ ה ָ֗ והיְ־תאֶ בו ֹּ֥ יאִ ןעַַּ֖ יַוַ ל ָ֑ כוּתּ ל ֹ֣ ֹּכ־יכִ )יתִּעְדַ ָ֭ י( תּעְדַ י 2 ׃ה ַֽ מזִמְ ֹ֣ ךמְמִ ר ַּ֖ צ ביִ־אֹּ לוְ תעַ ֹּ֥ ד י ִ֫ לִ ַֽ בְ ה ָ֗ צ ע םי ֹּ֥ לִעְמַ ׀ ה ֶ֨ זֶ י ִ֤ מִ 3 ןי ָ֑ בִ א א ֹ֣ ֹּ לוְ יתִּדְגַ ָ֭ הִ ן ֹ֣ כ ל ׃ע ַֽ ד א א ֹ֣ ֹּ לוְ ינִ ָ֗ מֶ ִ֝ מִ תו ֹּ֥ א לפְנִ 4 ר ָ֑ בדַאֲ י ֹ֣ כִֹּ נ אוְ א ָ֭ נ־ע ַֽ מַ ַֽ שְ ׃ינִ ַֽ עידִוהוְ ָ֗ ךלְ אשְ ִ֝ אֶ 5 ֶז ֹּ֥ ֹּ א־עמַ ַֽ שלְ ךי ָ֑ תִּעְמַשְ ן ׃ךתְ ַֽ א ר י ֹּ֥ נִי ע ה ָ֗ תּעִַ֝ וְ ס ֹ֣ אַמְאֶ ן ָ֭ כ־לעַ 6 יתִּמְ ָ֑ חַנִוְ פ ׃רפֶ ַֽ א ו ר ֹּ֥ פ ע־לעַ