Big Idea: In the face of severe adversity, Job lives up to the Lord’s confidence in his character.

Understanding the Text

Job 1 and 2 serve as a prologue for the book. The initial chapter introduces the protagonist, Job, as a man of exemplary character. Both the narrator (1:1) and Yahweh (1:8) describe Job as blameless, righteous, and God-fearing. The rest of the book is intended to be read with this introduction in mind. Under the intense pressure that he faces, Job will make some statements that sound harsh toward God, but the prologue makes it clear that Job is a profoundly righteous man.

Both the prologue (Job 1–2) and the epilogue (42:7–17) are written in prose, but the rest of the book is predominantly poetry. The prologue and epilogue, then, function as a literary and interpretive fram…