How to Charge God with Murder: The Role of the "Witness in Heaven" in Job 16
In this article, I argue that the appeal to a heavenly witness in Job 16:19-21 is intended to support Job's accusation of unjust divine violence, which is depicted in 16:7-18 as an act of murder. Because of this, the common assumption that the witness is God is highly unlikely, but if not God,...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
|
| Interlibrary Loan: | Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany) |
| Published: |
[2019]
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| In: |
The catholic biblical quarterly
Year: 2019, Volume: 81, Issue: 1, Pages: 16-32 |
| Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
Bible. Ijob 16
/ God
/ Witness
|
| IxTheo Classification: | HB Old Testament NBC Doctrine of God |
| Further subjects: | B
APOLOGETICS (Rhetoric)
B Hebrew Bible B witness in heaven B Monotheism B Bible. Old Testament B Religion B intermediary figures B Book of Job B God |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | In this article, I argue that the appeal to a heavenly witness in Job 16:19-21 is intended to support Job's accusation of unjust divine violence, which is depicted in 16:7-18 as an act of murder. Because of this, the common assumption that the witness is God is highly unlikely, but if not God, to whom could Job be appealing, and for what purpose? I argue that Job's appeal to a "witness in heaven," like his call to "the earth" not to cover his blood (16:18), does not have a specific figure in view. Its purpose is neither to exonerate Job nor to secure God's condemnation but instead to provoke God to take Job's charges seriously. |
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| ISSN: | 2163-2529 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: The catholic biblical quarterly
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1353/cbq.2019.0048 |