Eliphaz

Tarell El Masri Dr. Greenberg Religion 125 Theodicy and The Book of Job The book of Job is one of the most well-known and controversial of the books of wisdom in the Hebrew Bible, believed to be written between the 7th and 4th centuries BCE. The story not only questioned the conventional wisdom of the time, but provides the framework for addressing the issues of theodicy and man’s attempts to rectify the intrinsic good/omnipotent nature of god with their suffering. The story of Job shows that…

In the comic strip Peanuts, featuring “Good ol’ Charlie Brown by Schulz, it started off with Charlie Brown, the protagonist, complaining about the way their baseball game was turning out, and how they were losing. Within his complaint, he mentioned how he didn’t understand why he had to suffer by losing by so many points. This prompted his teammate to say “Man is born to trouble as the sparks fly upward,” which was a quote from the Book of Job, a book about a man named Job who was essentially…

Long throughout history, humans have been intrigued by stories. They cannot seem to slake their thirst for epic poems and tales about triumphant heroes that save the day. However, it is not always the stories of victory and happiness that captures one's attention, but like a horrible motor-vehicle accident on the side of the road, crowds are drawn towards stories of another's suffering. We as humans are fascinated by misery and adversity, just so long as it is someone else's and not our own. In…

birth and began wondering why those who long for death continue to live. Following his cries, Job’s friends offer their though that ultimately lead Job in the wrong direction. Each friend of Job’s offers a reason to Job’s suffering. For example, Eliphaz justifies his suffering and says that his suffering is caused because he is wicked. He says the innocent don't suffer the wicked do. Then Bildad inserts himself in the conversation by offering his thoughts to Job. He implies that Job's sons…

“Humans are born to trouble as surely as sparks fly upward” (Job 5:7 NIV). These are the astute words of Eliphaz, one of Job’s well-meaning friends. The observation is on target; as long as a fire continues, sparks blaze upward, are extinguished, and a new shower appears. Likewise, as long as life continues, it is fraught with difficulties. In Job’s case, however, it was not a matter of a cloud of sparks; his life itself resembled a blazing inferno. Here we encounter Job coming to grips with the…

“ESAU AND HIS HITTITE AND HIVITE WIVES” “JUDITH, BASEMATH, ADAH AND AHOLIBAMAH” Rebekah the wife of Isaac was barren after twenty years of marriage. They were married when Isaac was 40 years of age, and Isaac entreated the Lord, and the Lord opened Rebekah’s womb, and she conceived and gave birth to twins “Esau and Jacob-Israel” when Isaac was 60 years of age (Genesis 25:20-34; 1 chronicles 1:34). When Esau at the age of forty, got married to Canaanite women whose names were “Judith the daughter…

of atheists. Atheists argued that should God exit, then a pious person, such as Job in the Biblical Book of Job, who kept his faith in God, should not have suffered miserably from undeserved evil on earth. To support this statement, Job’s friend, Eliphaz suggested that the problem of Evil emanated from man and did not spring from the earth and that man is born to trouble. The religion of Manichaeism asserted that there must have been two gods-one of good god and one of evil god. The good god is…

I am Magaskawee and am 13 years old. Just recently, the government has opened residential schools for the sake of “education.” Residential schools operate on a half-day system, in which we have to spend half the day in the actual classroom, and the other half at work. The theory behind this idea is we will acquire the vital and essential skills that are demanded to be able to earn a living as adults. We wake up to the deafening sound of the bell in the very early morning before sunrise, which…

Wife. After all these actions, Job did not curse God. The majority of the book of Job is the poetic discourse. This section is composed of the frustrations that occur within Job, and he discusses them with three individuals. These individuals are Eliphaz who has visions, Bildad whom is a traditionalist, and Zophar whom is God’s right-hand man. This section of Job follows the pattern of Job’s expression followed by debates and responses from each of the individuals. Each individual has their own…

Out of Job’s namesake book in the Old Testament comes a familiar story that is known for the grueling trials of one of God’s most devout servants. Job appears to be spared from no form of suffering; his children are slaughtered, his fortune dissipates, and his community ostracizes him. The man who earned his fame from pious actions and abiding by God’s word seems to have been paradoxically abandoned by his maker, initializing a deep agitation in Job’s previously secure philosophy. Although these…