Book of Job

by Raymond P. Scheindlin (Translator)

"The Book of Job" addresses the most disturbing themes in the Western tradition: what is our place in God's creation? Are the good rewarded? The evil punished? Can we grasp the ways of creation or are they beyond our ken? Job the patient sufferer, the afflicted man whose faith in God is finally rewarded, is a standard figure in our cultural heritage. But in this new translation by Raymond Scheindlin, a different Job emerges. This is the angry Job, who knows as we do that his suffering is undeserved, and who demands an argument with God. With a practiced ear for Hebrew poetry and a deep understanding of the ancient Hebrew text, Scheindlin captures the fierce beauty of this poem. This edition of Job contains the entire book, including passages omitted in other translations. Issues concerning the integrity of the text, its meaning, and interpretation are addressed in the Introduction and the Notes, which guide the reader through this rewarding work.

Genres: Religion

237 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 1998

About the author

Raymond P. Scheindlin is a scholar of early Hebrew literature, specializing in the Hebrew writing that emerged from contact between Jews and Arabs in the Middle Ages–the medieval Golden Age of Hebrew Literature.

Reviews

[Quirkyreader · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this translation of The Book of Job.

The translator did his best to make it all flow together and translated it directly from Hebrew texts. He even mentioned in his introduction that there were difficulties doing the translation due to grammar it was written. He mentioned on page 30 of the introduction “Among Hebraists, it is a notoriously difficult book”. And with this, the translator was being honest.

So if you are interested in this book of the Bible, try and search out this translation.

[Janice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Continuing my study of the book of Job in the Old Testament, I turned to this Book of Job, the second book that has that same title, with a different translator/interpreter. Raymond P. Scheindlin, author of this volume, is a Jewish Scholar who specializes in ancient Jewish and Arabic literature, and has translated and interpreted numerous works. While he delves deeply into this book and the issues it brings, he writes in a way that is quite readable for the average reader like me. I liked that he left nothing out in his translation; others have deleted certain passages or language from the original Job, finding them obscure, or not consistent with the language used at the time period of it's writing. This scholar has not taken that route, but instead tries to make sense of all that the original author included.
Dr. Scheindlin notes that Job's friends meant to reassure Job, as well as themselves, continuing to insist that the suffering Job has endured (loss of home, all his wealth, loss of health, death of his children) fits into a predictable, universal pattern; that there is a correlation between behavior and outcomes; that Job is being punished by a just and righteous God for something he has done. This, they want to believe, is the way the world works. Job, however, "has grasped and intrepidly maintained the most terrifying reality".
I liked this author's way of analyzing all the different characters in the story of Job, and his attention to the details and underlying assumptions made evident in their speech. I also thoroughly enjoyed his analysis of the poetry, especially the beauty of the passages that "find life's abundance invigorating" and seeing that the "world pulses with life". Dr. Scheindlin further states "the poetry is in part a vehicle for steering us away from the suffering with which life burdens us toward the delight at what life has to offer". I found more depth in this translation and interpretation, but will probably continue searching for additional authors who delve into the meaning of Job.

[Johannes Duckeck · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best commentary on the Book of Job I have read in full so far. It is the book of the Bible that I’ve studied the most, and I’m always interested in what scholars have to say about it.
Scheindlin seems to have devoted a greater deal of study than maybe most, and his is the first uniquely Jewish perspective that I’ve read. His translation is similarly involved as Alter’s and I’m fascinated by his verse by verse commentary and explanation of his translation choices. It would be interesting to read his translation next to a standard Bible translation. Here is hoping I get to teach this book one day!

[Ben Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perhaps one of the greatest works of literature ever written, beautifully translated by a scholar of Hebrew into an intense painting of suffering, struggle, and the beauty of God’s creation.

[Pierre]

Scheindlin's take on the Book of Job is ideal for anyone interested in reading a translation that is more "faithful" to the original Old Testament tale written by an Unknown Jewish Author who incorporated concepts foreign to Christianity (since it didn't exist during Job's composition).

Most of the Book of Job is written in verse, and, as Scheindlin notes, it is beautiful poetry that even the most atheistic readers (myself included) can enjoy. If nothing else, Job is just a damn good story with important philosophical and theological content that has survived and continues to influence Western culture as a piece of seminal mythology.

[Miriam Engel · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was in the process of reading this book that I made major personal spiritual revelations, so that carries significant weight here, but the actual content wasn't spectacularly memorable; I knew the story of Job already, though, so I expected that. Biggest note is that the translation was compelling, but the introduction was more interesting.

[Allie Dettelbach · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book of all time. Theodicy, nature, what it means to be human, justice, institutional justice and injustice, describing the divine. All of it.

[Clif Hostetler · Rating 2 out of 5]

Scheindlin's helpful introduction attributes coherence and unity to Job in its final form. His keeping all of the traditional contents within the book is the main reason I was attracted to this contemporary version. Reviewers have said this translation is more direct, contemporary, and forceful than the New International Version (NIV), the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV), and the new Jewish Publication Society (JPS) translation. Raymond P. Scheindlin is professor of Medieval Hebrew Literature at The Jewish Theological Seminary and director of JTS's Shalom Spiegel Institute of Medieval Hebrew Poetry. With those credentials I presume he's knowledgeable in the Hebrew language and qualified to author this translation.

I ended up using this book to sample translations of various popular passages rather than reading it through. I used it primarily to prepare for the Great Books KC March 2009 meeting at which we discussed the book of Job.

[sr · Rating 1 out of 5]

I would stick to the Authorized Version, or if you can read Koine Greek, then the Septuagint. All through the book I felt as if the author was trying to discredit the Bible. Like what's up with the "lesser gods" and the "polytheistic roots of the Hebrew religion", not his words exactly, but that's the drift one gets. And I certainly didn't like his portrayal of Job, which really messes up the meaning of the whole story.

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid effort at giving a translation for the book of Job, without too much clutter. I appreciated Scheindlin's artistic rendering of the speeches, and his fidelity to the text when it came to emendations and reconstructions (a tendency which is sadly lacking in a number of other recent translations). The format with an introduction, the text itself, and then notes on the text worked well and kept the translation from feeling too dense or cluttered.