DEFENCES OF CLAY: THE BOOK OF JOB

This edition of The Book of Job provides a fully annotated text in the New International Version (NIV) of the Bible. The King James Version (KJV) is included for comparison and to enable the modern reader to fully appreciate the poetical quality that is often lost in the NIV. Joban ethics anticipate Jesus' 'Sermon on the Mount' and an extract (Matthew 5:1-48) is appended, as a ready reference. The Introduction places the book in the context of ancient wisdom literature along with other books found in the Bible such as Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. Apart from discussing the linguistic and generic features, the Introduction also deals with the larger philosophical questions and themes Job raises such as the question of suffering and the limits of human wisdom. The critical essays and background readings included in this edition present several ways in which the text has been interpreted over the centuries, ranging from the traditional, exegetical approaches to twentieth century perspectives.