(the-book-of (the-book-of Job))

This article is about the book The Book of Job, by Raymond P. Scheindlin (ISBN-13: 978-0393046267). Book contents include a brief history of the book of Job, a fresh translation of Job by Scheindlin, and commentary on both the translation process and noteworthy features of the source and final translation.

I found this book a joy to read. Its most striking impression is the fundamental ambiguity involved in translating a work from a language both foreign and ancient into modern English. What is the point of agonizing over shades of meaning in an English translation of something written in Hebrew or Greek, when those shades of meaning may or may not be present in the original? Or perhaps those subtle gradations of meaning are present in the original translation, but idiomatic English has moved on (KJV, I'm calling you out)?

I realize that Job is an exceptionally messy translation, since, according to Scheindlin (p. 29), There are more words in Job that occur only once in the Bible than in any other book. But I think the idea still pertains.

Some further research really says it all--exegesis is a bitch! Each religion seems to have its own lore surrounding how to resolve the (sometimes glaring) internal inconsistencies. I think it's reasonable to have mixed feelings about this process; Godel's work informs us on formal systems and completeness:
For any consistent formal, computably enumerable theory that proves basic arithmetical truths, an arithmetical statement that is true, but not provable in the theory, can be constructed.1 That is, any effectively generated theory capable of expressing elementary arithmetic cannot be both consistent and complete.
Add the human element of bias, and soon you have a situation where honest men and women of good faith may disagree.

This book makes an interesting counterpoint to Ben Sirah and other Wisdom books I've read recently in the Apocrypha. While I don't disregard their utility and value, Job is the wrench in all that machinery.

The Title of This Post

O faithful and diligent reader, "(the-book-of (the-book-of Job))" is the sad attempt at humor of a man who spent a week learning Felleisen's derivation of the Y Combinator.

External References

For my own convenience, I've copied the text of some external references mentioned in the introduction and commentary here.

Ezekiel 14:12-14:
Then the word of the LORD came to me saying, "Son of man, if a country sins against Me by committing unfaithfulness, and I stretch out My hand against it, destroy its supply of bread, send famine against it and cut off from it both man and beast, even though these three men, Noah, Daniel and Job were in its midst, by their own righteousness they could only deliver themselves," declares the Lord GOD.
Ezekiel 14:19-20:
Or if I send a pestilence into that land, and pour out my fury upon it in blood, to cut off from it man and beast: Though Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither son nor daughter; they shall but deliver their own souls by their righteousness.
James 5:11:
We count those blessed who endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord's dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful.
Sura 21:83,84:
[21:83] And Job implored his Lord: "Adversity has befallen me, and, of all the merciful ones, You are the Most Merciful."

[21:84] We responded to him, relieved his adversity, and restored his family for him, even twice as much. That was a mercy from us, and a reminder for the worshipers.
Sura 38:41-44:
[38:41] Remember our servant Job: he called upon his Lord, "The devil has afflicted me with hardship and pain."

[38:42] "Strike the ground with your foot. A spring will give you healing and a drink."

[38:43] We restored his family for him; twice as many. Such is our mercy; a reminder for those who possess intelligence.

[38:44] "Now, you shall travel the land and preach the message, to fulfill your pledge." We found him steadfast. What a good servant! He was a submitter.
Leviticus 13:45 (American Standard Version), informing Job 2:8:
And the leper in whom the plague is, his clothes shall be rent, and the hair of his head shall go loose, and he shall cover his upper lip, and shall cry, Unclean, unclean.
Vocabulary

Here are a few new words, old words used in new ways, familiar words whose etymology I'm curious about, and words I want to learn how to pronounce correctly:
  • batten [p.192, in commentary on Job 20:27]: To become fat. To thrive and prosper, especially at another's expense.
  • exegesis: [New Latin, from Greek exēgēsis, from exēgeisthai to explain, interpret, from ex- + hēgeisthai to lead — more at seek] exposition, explanation; especially an explanation or critical interpretation of a text
  • expatiate: To speak or write at length: expatiated on the subject until everyone was bored.
  • hemistych: A half line of verse, especially when separated rhythmically from the rest of the line by a caesura. An incomplete or imperfect line of verse.
  • hermetic [introduction p.32, Difficult passages are not necessarily hermetic]: Impervious to outside interference or influence: the hermetic confines of an isolated life.
  • liminal [introduction, p. 42: [Behemoth and Leviathan] are liminal creatures, partaking of myth and reality, inhabiting both land and water.]: Of, relating to, or being an intermediate state, phase, or condition : in-between, transitional. ... in the liminal state between life and death--Deborah Jowitt
  • midrash [introduction, p.10]: Midrash (Hebrew: מדרש; plural midrashim) is a Hebrew word referring to a method of exegesis of a Biblical text. The term "midrash" can also refer to a compilation of Midrashic teachings, in the form of legal, exegetical or homiletical commentaries on the Tanakh (Jewish Bible).
  • nihilistic [p.19]: An extreme form of skepticism that denies all existence. A doctrine holding that all values are baseless and that nothing can be known or communicated. Rejection of all distinctions in moral or religious value and a willingness to repudiate all previous theories of morality or religious belief. The belief that destruction of existing political or social institutions is necessary for future improvement.
  • onager [p.77, Job 11:12--Zophar's first speech: Yet hollow-core man thinks he has some wisdom--man, born no better than a saddle-ass or onager.]: A fast-running wild ass (Equus hemionus subsp. onager) of central Asia, having an erect mane and a broad black stripe along its back.
  • papyrus [p.70, Job 8:11: Can papyrus grow tall without a marsh, or reeds flourish without water?]: \pə-ˈpī-rəs\
  • peroration: To conclude a speech with a formal recapitulation. To speak at great length, often in a grandiloquent manner; declaim.
  • philology: Literary study or classical scholarship.
  • pietist: One of a class of religious reformers in Germany in the 17th century who sought to revive declining piety in the Protestant churches; - often applied as a term of reproach to those who make a display of religious feeling. Also used adjectively.
  • repudiate: To reject the validity or authority of; to reject emphatically as unfounded, untrue, or unjust.
  • surfeit: Overindulgence in food or drink. The result of such overindulgence; satiety or disgust.
  • sybaritic: Devoted to or marked by pleasure and luxury.
  • Torah: The first five books of the Hebrew Scriptures. Pentateuch.
  • Ugaritic: The Semitic language of Ugarit. [An ancient city of western Syria on the Mediterranean Sea. It flourished as a trade center from c. 1450 to 1195 b.c. but was destroyed soon after by an earthquake. Excavation of the ruins (beginning in 1929) has unearthed important cuneiform tablets.]
  • vehement (etymology): [Middle English, from Old French, from Latin vehemens, vehement-, perhaps from vehere, to carry; see wegh- in Indo-European roots.]
Topics for Future Investigation

While reading this book and discussing it with others, some tangential ideas came to mind. In no particular order they are:
  • verses of the Quran relating to Job--read in greater context, with commentary?
  • The Satanic Verses (both the verses in the Quran and the book by Rushdie)
  • Ugaritic mythology
  • look for other uses of names in Job (Bildad, Zophar, Eliphaz, Elihu) in classical and contemporary sources--commentary on the use of the name "Bildad" in Moby Dick?
  • Clarify the Danel/Daniel discrepancy. When was Ezekiel written? When did Daniel live? Does it make sense for Daniel, Job, and Noah to be mentioned together? Commentary on the introduction clearly states that Danel and Daniel are different, but others appear to disagree? Read Ezekiel; find commentary on same.
  • read Lamentations
  • understand origins and meanings of the word "spell", e.g spell this word and magic spell
  • the problem of evil
Either God wants to abolish evil, and cannot; or he can, but does not want to. If he wants to, but cannot, he is impotent. If he can, but does not want to, he is wicked. If God can abolish evil, and God really wants to do it, why is there evil in the world? — Epicurus, as quoted in 2000 Years of Disbelief

Comments