Job - People's Bible Commentary

by Rudolph E. Honsey

This series is an excellent companion text for Bible study leaders and for individual use.

Genres: Old Testament

364 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1993

Reviews

[Ricky Beckett]

This is difficult to rate because while it's not THE best commentary on Job, it is a helpful aid in reading this difficult book in the Bible. Any review should keep in mind that it is part of the People's Bible Commentary published by CPH, which means its intended audience is laypeople—your average Joe Schmo. So, you're not going to get super in-depth Hebrew exegesis, although there is enough of that to be helpful with easy comprehension (this isn't a Concordia Commentary, after all). Honsey does a nice job of dealing with unsettled matters among scholars and commentators—such as what the behemoth and the leviathan are—without being too opinionated. Opinions are given, but they are faithfully sober opinions. There's no Concordia Commentary on Job as of yet, so this one makes a good substitute for sermon prep work and Bible studies, especially when compiled with the Lutheran Study Bible commentary notes. Fortress Press has a book by Brian R. Doak that might be worth checking out, "Consider Leviathan: Narratives of Nature and the Self in Job."

[Shelly]

Job is the book for anyone who asks ‘Where is God?’ when the innocent suffer from illness, disaster, etc. God spoke of Job as being a righteous man, yet Job’s faith waivered. I flagged many points of interest in this book! The author references similar books and commentaries that I’d like to read. The main themes of Job from A Survey of Old Testament Instruction:
1) God is worthy of love even apart from blessings
2) God may permit suffering as a means of purifying and strengthening the soul in godliness
3) God’s thoughts and ways are too vast for puny mind of man to comprehend
Job 1:21 Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised.
Job 28:28 The fear of the Lord – that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding.

[Spacek Kim]

In many ways we resemble Job. We are blessed beyond our understanding, we praise God for his blessings, yet the devil works in the background to destroy it. Yet, as Job, we continue to praise God and his blessings while our friends give advice that condemns our thoughts, words, and actions. Job reminds us to keep on the path as in the end we will be blessed according to God's grace.

When we judge God, we do so without wisdom. We seek that wisdom in his word, the bible. Job remained faithful and in the end repented of his error and was blessed for understanding where wisdom comes! (Third Reading)