Message of Job

by Daniel J. Simundson

The book of Job proves that bad things do happen to good people, and the timeless question it raises is "Why?" How can we hold to the justice and goodness of God in the face of undeserved tragedy? What is more, this great Old Testament book shows how condescending and superficial the attempts to comfort someone who is suffering can be.

Drawing on his background as pastor, hospital chaplain, and seminary teacher, Daniel Simundson combines theological and pastoral concerns throughout his thematic survey of the trend of thought in the book of Job. The result is a useful resource for caregivers, general readers, study groups, and biblical classes.

A rare combination of Old Testament scholarship and pastoral sensitivity, designed especially for those who would minister to suffering individuals, as well as for those who are struggling with suffering in their own lives.
-- Terence Fretheim

Daniel J. Simundson is Professor of Old Testament at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota. He received his B.D. degree form Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago and his Ph.D. degree from Harvard University, where he was also a teaching fellow. Throughout his career, Simundson has maintained what he considers the equally important roles of pastor and scholar. Among his other books are Faith Under Fire and Where Is God in My Suffering?

158 pages, Paperback

First published May 27, 1986

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a hard book to rate because I felt there were parts that were quite strong, and others that really dragged. To be clear, writing any sort of analysis of the Book of Job seems hard given... the Book of Job. So in some ways I think that information was the most useful -- cultural and language context, how the book is put together, differently scholarly opinions, etc. The sections that went through the different sections started to drag and get old... But that is possibly because Job itself is repetitive and not as excited as Mission Impossible or the DaVinci Code would suggest. I wasn't able to find another book on the shelf that looked better wrt Job, but am open to suggestions. If you reference the parts of the book that are most helpful to you, it could be a good resource.

[Brian Watson · Rating 2 out of 5]

This short commentary wasn't very useful. The subtitle is "A Theological Commentary," which is certainly true. The problem is that his theology wasn't very good. I would recommend this book.