02_Biblica_1_B_Pinker_Layout 1 30/01/13 13:15 Pagina 509 509 ON THE MEANING OF JOB 4,18 God’s angels err or do not carry out their responsibilities as God might wish. These malfunctions as well as human wickedness to- wards his fellow man cause the justice system between mankind and God to be sometimes out of symmetrical order (4,18) 47. This description presents Job as naively primitive. It shifts much of the evil and misfortune in the world from God to angels and men; a theology that would be at odds with the normative thinking at any period suggested for the formation of the book. It would be also very difficult within the confines of monotheism to attribute folly (i.e., irrational behavior) to angels — entities whose function is completely prescribed by God. Similarly, attributing to angels the possibility of erring would stretch the anthropomorphic metaphor well beyond the common understanding of angels. More- over, accepting the possibility that angels could err would imply that prophets could inaccurately transmit God’s message, and conse- quently the theological foundation of the entire Bible would be un- dermined. It is doubtful that the author would not have realized the danger in such a position. Finally, assigning to hlht the meaning “foolish, err” leads to the doctrine of universal sinfulness, which contradicts the doctrine of retribution in Eliphaz’s first speech. Neither “folly” nor “error” is an acceptable option for hlht. Clearly, the meaning of 4,18 is still unsettled. III. Problems of Interpretation The assumption that the terms wydb( and wyk)lm refer to super- natural entities, coupled with the perception that these entities could engage in improper behavior, leads to problematic theological conse- quences. For instance, Gibson’s frustration with 4,18 can be felt from his words: “We do not know the background, mythological no doubt, to these disturbing verses, unless it be something to do with fallen an- gels (cp. Gen. 6.1-2). But the manner in which Eliphaz employs them is so reckless as to be not worthy of Job himself”. In Gibson’s view the verses imply “a capricious deity, who sows discord in the heavenly places and permits ignorance on earth” 48. G.V. SMITH, “Job IV 12-21: is it Eliphaz’s vision?”, VT 40 (1990) 463. 47 GIBSON, “Eliphaz”, 267. 48 © Gregorian Biblical Press 2012 - Tutti i diritti riservati