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Literary structure (chiasmus, chiasm) of Book of Job

Chiasmus and Concentric Structure of divided by 5


5-1

1 Job's fortunes and sufferings (1:1-2:10)
  2 Job's friends (2:11-13)
    3 Job curses the day he was born (3:1-26)
  4 First dialogue of Eliphaz and Job (4:1-7:21)
5 First dialogue of Bildad and Job (8:1-10:22)
Former halfRelationLatter half
1 Job's fortunes and sufferings (1:1-2:10)
1:5 And when each feast had run its course, Job would send for them and sanctify them, rising early and offering holocausts for every one of them. For Job said, "It may be that my sons have sinned and blasphemed God in their hearts." This Job did habitually. (1:5)
Sin of children5 First dialogue of Bildad and Job (8:1-10:22)
8:4 If your children have sinned against him and he has left them in the grip of their guilt, (8:4)
2 Job's friends (2:11-13)
2:13 Then they sat down upon the ground with him seven days and seven nights, but none of them spoke a word to him; for they saw how great was his suffering.(2:13)
Not speaking / Speaking4 First dialogue of Eliphaz and Job (4:1-7:21)
4:1 Then spoke Eliphaz the Temanite, who said: (4:1)

5-1-1

1 Job's fortunes and sufferings (1:1-2:10)
  2 Job's friends (2:11-13)
3 Job curses the day he was born (3:1-26)
Former halfRelationLatter half
1 Job's fortunes and sufferings (1:1-2:10)
1:5 And when each feast had run its course, Job would send for them and sanctify them, rising early and offering holocausts for every one of them. For Job said, "It may be that my sons have sinned and blasphemed God in their hearts." This Job did habitually. (1:5)
Curse3 Job curses the day he was born (3:1-26)
3:1 After this, Job opened his mouth and cursed his day. (3:1)

5-1-2

3 Job curses the day he was born (3:1-26)
  4 First dialogue of Eliphaz and Job (4:1-7:21)
5 First dialogue of Bildad and Job (8:1-10:22)
Former halfRelationLatter half
3 Job curses the day he was born (3:1-26)
see 4-1
see 4-15 First dialogue of Bildad and Job (8:1-10:22)
see 4-1

5-2

6 First dialogue of Zophar and Job (11:1-14:22)
  7 Second dialogue of Eliphaz and Job (15:1-17:16)
    8 Second dialogue of Bildad and Job (18:1-19:29)
  9 Second dialogue of Zophar and Job (20:1-21:34)
10 Third dialogue of Eliphaz and Job (22:1-24:25)
Former halfRelationLatter half
6 First dialogue of Zophar and Job (11:1-14:22)
You would call, and I would answer you; you would esteem the work of your hands. (14:15)
Wishing for answer of God10 Third dialogue of Eliphaz and Job (22:1-24:25)
23:3 Oh, that today I might find him, that I might come to his judgment seat! 23:4 I would set out my cause before him, and fill my mouth with arguments; 23:5 I would learn the words with which he would answer, and understand what he would reply to me. (23:3-5)
7 Second dialogue of Eliphaz and Job (15:1-17:16)
16:4 I also could talk as you do, were you in my place. I could declaim over you, or wag my head at you; 16:5 I could strengthen you with talk, or shake my head with silent lips. (16:4-5)
Blaming to rebuttal of friends9 Second dialogue of Zophar and Job (20:1-21:34)
How then can you offer me vain comfort, while in your answers perfidy remains? (21:34)

5-2-1

6 First dialogue of Zophar and Job (11:1-14:22)
  7 Second dialogue of Eliphaz and Job (15:1-17:16)
8 Second dialogue of Bildad and Job (18:1-19:29)
Former halfRelationLatter half
6 First dialogue of Zophar and Job (11:1-14:22)
see 1-1-1
see 1-1-18 Second dialogue of Bildad and Job (18:1-19:29)
see 1-1-1

5-2-2

8 Second dialogue of Bildad and Job (18:1-19:29)
  9 Second dialogue of Zophar and Job (20:1-21:34)
10 Third dialogue of Eliphaz and Job (22:1-24:25)
Former halfRelationLatter half
8 Second dialogue of Bildad and Job (18:1-19:29)
But you who say, "How shall we persecute him, seeing that the root of the matter is found in him?" (19:28)
Friends blame Job10 Third dialogue of Eliphaz and Job (22:1-24:25)
Is it because of your piety that he reproves you-- that he enters with you into judgment? 22:5 Is not your wickedness manifold? Are not your iniquities endless? (22:4-5)

5-3

11 Third dialogue of Bildad and Job (25:1-26:14)
  12 Words of Job (27:1-23)
    13 Where wisdom is found (28:1-28)
  14 Words of Job (29:1-31:40)
15 Elifu rebukes Job and Job's friend (32:1-33:33)
Former halfRelationLatter half
11 Third dialogue of Bildad and Job (25:1-26:14)
see 1-1
see 1-115 Elifu rebukes Job and Job's friend (32:1-33:33)
see 1-1
12 Words of Job (27:1-23)
see 1-1
see 1-114 Words of Job (29:1-31:40)
see 1-1

5-3-1

11 Third dialogue of Bildad and Job (25:1-26:14)
  12 Words of Job (27:1-23)
13 Where wisdom is found (28:1-28)
Former halfRelationLatter half
11 Third dialogue of Bildad and Job (25:1-26:14)
26:14 Lo, these are but the outlines of his ways, and how faint is the word we hear!(26:14)
Wisdom is hidden13 Where wisdom is found (28:1-28)
28:21 It is hid from the eyes of any beast; from the birds of the air it is concealed. (28:21)

5-3-2

13 Where wisdom is found (28:1-28)
  14 Words of Job (29:1-31:40)
15 Elifu rebukes Job and Job's friend (32:1-33:33)
Former halfRelationLatter half
13 Where wisdom is found (28:1-28)
28:28 And to man he said: Behold, the fear of the LORD is wisdom; and avoiding evil is understanding.(28:28)
Wisdom of God15 Elifu rebukes Job and Job's friend (32:1-33:33)
32:8 But it is a spirit in man, the breath of the Almighty, that gives him understanding. (32:8)

5-4

16 Elifu proclaims God's justice (34:1-37)
  17 Elifu condemns self-righteousness (35:1-16)
    18 Elifu proclaims God's majesty (36:1-37:24)
  19 The LORD answers Job (38:1-39:30)
20 Words of the LORD (40:1-2)
Former halfRelationLatter half
16 Elifu proclaims God's justice (34:1-37)
34:37 For he is adding rebellion to his sin by brushing off our arguments and addressing many words to God.(34:37)
Arguing with God20 Words of the LORD (40:1-2)
40:2 Will we have arguing with the Almighty by the critic? Let him who would correct God give answer! (40:2)
17 Elifu condemns self-righteousness (35:1-16)
35:16 Yet Job to no purpose opens his mouth, and without knowledge multiplies words.(35:16)
Words of ignorance19 The LORD answers Job (38:1-39:30)
38:2 Who is this that obscures divine plans with words of ignorance? (38:2)

5-4-1

16 Elifu proclaims God's justice (34:1-37)
  17 Elifu condemns self-righteousness (35:1-16)
18 Elifu proclaims God's majesty (36:1-37:24)
Former halfRelationLatter half
16 Elifu proclaims God's justice (34:1-37)
But caused the cries of the poor to reach him, so that he heard the plea of the afflicted. (34:28)
God's righteous judgment18 Elifu proclaims God's majesty (36:1-37:24)
He withholds not the just man's rights, but grants vindication to the oppressed, (36:6)

5-4-2

18 Elifu proclaims God's majesty (36:1-37:24)
  19 The LORD answers Job (38:1-39:30)
20 Words of the LORD (40:1-2)
Former halfRelationLatter half
18 Elifu proclaims God's majesty (36:1-37:24)
see 1-1-2
see 1-1-220 Words of the LORD (40:1-2)
see 1-1-2

5-5

21 Words of Job (40:3-5)
  22 Words of the LORD (40:6-41:26)
    23 Words of Job (42:1-6)
  24 Job's friends are humiliated (42:7-10)
25 Job's fortunes (42:11-17)
Former halfRelationLatter half
21 Words of Job (40:3-5)
40:4 Behold, I am of little account; what can I answer you? I put my hand over my mouth. (40:4)
Conversion of Job / blessing25 Job's fortunes (42:11-17)
42:12 Thus the LORD blessed the latter days of Job more than his earlier ones. For he had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she-asses. (42:12)
22 Words of the LORD (40:6-41:26)
Words of the LORD to Job
Words of the LORD24 Job's friends are humiliated (42:7-10)
Words of the LORD to Job's friends

5-5-1

21 Words of Job (40:3-5)
  22 Words of the LORD (40:6-41:26)
23 Words of Job (42:1-6)
Former halfRelationLatter half
21 Words of Job (40:3-5)
see 4-4
see 4-423 Words of Job (42:1-6)
see 4-4

5-5-2

23 Words of Job (42:1-6)
  24 Job's friends are humiliated (42:7-10)
25 Job's fortunes (42:11-17)
Former halfRelationLatter half
23 Words of Job (42:1-6)
42:2 I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be hindered.(42:2)
The almighty25 Job's fortunes (42:11-17)
42:12 Thus the LORD blessed the latter days of Job more than his earlier ones. For he had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she-asses. (42:12)

Citations of the Bible are from New American Bible, New Revised Standard Version and New Jerusalem Bible.

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Literary Structure of the Bible by Hajime Murai is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
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