Job
Chapter 1
PROLOGUE
First Scene: On Earth
Job, a blameless and upright man who feared God and avoided evil, once lived in the land of Uz.
He had seven sons and three daughters.
As the owner of seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred donkeys, along with a large number of servants, he was considered the greatest man among the people of the East.
His sons used to take turns hosting banquets at their homes, inviting their three sisters to dine and drink with them.
After each series of banquets, Job would summon his sons and daughters to have them purified. He would rise early in the morning and offer a holocaust for each of his children, thinking: “Perhaps they have sinned and blasphemed God in their hearts.” This had become a routine for Job.
Second Scene: In Heaven
One day, the heavenly beings came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came with them.
The Lord asked Satan: “Where have you been?” Satan answered: “Going up and down the earth, roaming about.”
The Lord asked again: “Have you noticed my servant Job? No one on earth is as blameless and upright as he is—a man who fears God and avoids evil.”
But Satan returned the question: “Does Job fear God for nothing?
Have you not built a protective wall around him and his family and all his possessions? You have blessed and prospered him, with his livestock all over the land.
But stretch out your hand and strike where his riches are, and I bet he will curse you to your face.”
The Lord said to Satan: “Very well, all that he possesses is in your control. But do not lay a finger on the man himself.” So Satan departed from the Lord’s presence.
Third Scene: On Earth
One day, while his sons and daughters were celebrating at their eldest brother’s house,
a messenger came to Job and said: “Your oxen were plowing, and your donkeys were grazing nearby
when the Sabaeans came and took them away. They killed the herders. I am the only one who escaped to tell you.”
While he was still speaking, another messenger came: “God’s fire fell from the sky and burned all your sheep and the shepherds as well. I alone have escaped to tell you.”
He had hardly finished speaking when another messenger arrived: “Three raiding teams of Chaldeans have killed your servants and carried off your camels. I alone have escaped to tell you.”
He was still speaking when another messenger came and said to Job: “Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking in the house of their eldest brother,
when suddenly, a strong wind swept across the desert and hit the house. It collapsed on the young people, and they all died. I alone have escaped to tell you.”
In grief, Job tore his clothes and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground and worshiped,
saying: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, naked shall I return. The Lord gave, the Lord has taken away. Blessed be his name!”
Despite this calamity, Job did not sin by blaspheming God.
Commentaries
Prologue.
A prose prologue, composed of five scenes that alternate between Heaven and Earth, opens the book, sets the stage, and introduces the characters. From a serene and happy beginning, the story quickly moves on to suffering and confusion.
First Scene: On Earth.
The figure of Job appears to be that of an old and legendary hero of faith (cf. Ezk 14:14-20). Uz is undoubtedly located in the vast territory that stretches west of the Jordan River, but its exact location is difficult to pinpoint. Although our hero does not belong to the people of Israel, he is nevertheless a model of virtuous living. His “fear of God” is not mere servile emotion, but the fruit of obedient faith. In the theological context of the wisdom books, the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom (cf. Job 28:28; Prov 1:7; 9:10) and a guarantee of a long and happy life (Prov 3:13-18). And so, Job has been blessed with children, livestock, and servants.
Second Scene: In Heaven.
The Lord, like a king presiding over his court, appears surrounded by the “sons of God,” his servants and courtiers, among whom is Satan. Neither are they the angels of our Christian theology, nor is this, yet the devil. Satan, “the adversary,” is the name of the office he holds: to roam the earth on a mission of espionage. God is proud of Job’s integrity, but Satan is skeptical, and before the entire heavenly court, he suggests that Job is a virtuous man simply because of the account he has of him. If he lost everything, could the same be said? In the context of a culture of honor and shame, God is now risking his prestige and allows Satan to test Job.
Third Scene: On Earth.
In rapid succession, messengers arrive announcing disasters. Destructive forces, both natural and human, unite and strike against Job, stripping him of all his possessions. With intense gestures typical of despair and lamentation, Job tears his clothes, shaves his head (Is 15:2; Jr 7:29), and throws himself to the ground. But when he opens his lips, it is to bless God. The Lord’s honor remains intact; Satan has lost in his insinuation.