21 GOD’S ANSWER AND JOB’S RESPONSE If Job’s real intention were the concealed one and God under- stood it, it was strangely tolerant of him to declare Job right and to agree that he himself was unfair just on the basis of one double en- tendre. If God missed this intention, then he has not “been had” in a grand irony in which he unwittingly admits that he is a “chaotic, capricious, jealous Tyrant” 69. There is no “terrible self-incrimina- tion” 70. God has merely failed to catch a bad pun. Job is genuinely repenting — not of any sin that might have justified the calamity, but of having spoken in ignorance — as God rebukes him for doing (38,2) 71. His ignorance was not a sin, but it was arrogant. Whatever else the Theophany means, it certainly seeks to induce hu- mility, and it is no surprise that it has this effect on Job 72. Not all readers are affected that way, but that does not mean that Job was not. It is true, as often noted, that God’s answer to Job is not quite sat- isfactory. It does not address Job’s complaints or explain his suffer- ing. But if it did, the book would not be relevant to others who do not receive a theophany to address their case. Hence God points out facts that Job (and anyone else who shares his cultural assumptions) can see or know, namely God’s powers in creation and providence. It must be said that many religious sufferers do just that: they see a meaningful order in the world and when that seems violated they allow themselves to trust God’s wisdom even when it is not manifest. Still, Job’s complaints and demands are not satisfactorily an- swered. He will never know why he has suffered, and he may re- main dissatisfied. This is, after all, the common lot. But this must flection of this intention”. I find it doubtful that the author took the readers this far merely to offer a list of possibilities (why just three?) from which they can select whichever fits their preconceptions. Morrow is conflating exegetical un- certainty with literary indeterminism. WILLIAMS, “You Have Not Spoken Truth of Me”, 247. 69 ROBERTSON, “Book of Job”, 468. 70 Thus LÉVÊQUE, Job, 154, 247. Lévêque observes that “Job n’a pas trans- 71 gressé des préceptes, mais les limites de sa finitude” (271). By God’s questioning, “[l]’hybris s’est changée en audace de la foi, 72 mais de cette mutation YHWH a été l’artisan, par une grâce de révélation ana- logue à celle qu’il réserve à ses grands serviteurs” (LÉVÊQUE, “L’interpréta- tion”, with reference to Exod 19,19 and Ezek 1,4). This interesting comparison reminds us that Job is YHWH’s servant (1,9; 2,3; 42,7) and that what he received is prophetic revelation. Job’s vision consisted of facts avail- able to anyone, but this is true of much of prophecy. © Gregorian Biblical Press 2012 - Tutti i diritti riservati