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Scofield Reference Notes (1917) The Poetical Books; Introduction to Job
The books classed as poetical are Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes,
Song of Solomon, and Lamentations. The term "poetical" is not to be
taken as implying fancifulness or unreality, but as relating to form
only. They are the books of the human experiences of the people of God
under the various exercises of earthly life; but those experiences are,
apart from the mere external setting, wrought in them by the Spirit,
interpreted to us by the Spirit, and written by holy men of God as they
were moved by the Spirit. While this is true of all these books, the
Psalms included, the latter have also a prophetic character.
The Hebrew poetic form is peculiar, and demands a word of explanation.
Rhythm is not achieved by the repetition of similar sounds, as in rhymed
verse; nor by rhythmic accent as in blank verse, but by repetition of
ideas. This is called parallelism; e.g.
"The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed,
A refuge in times of trouble." (Ps 9.9)
Parallelism is called \\synonymous\\ when the thought is identical, as in
the above instance; \\antithetic\\ when the primary and secondary
thoughts are in contrast; e.g.
"For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous:
But the way of the ungodly shall perish" (Ps 1.6);
and \\synthetic\\ when the thought is developed or enriched by the
parallel; e.g.
"And thou shalt be secure, because there is hope;
Yea, thou shalt dig about thee, and thou shalt take
thy rest in safety." (Job 11.18)
Under this method the Poetical Books are epic, lyric, and dramatic, and
supply examples of literary expression unmatched in uninspired
literature.
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The Book of JOB
Job is in form a dramatic poem. It is probably the oldest of the Bible
books, and was certainly written before the giving of the law. It would
have been impossible, in a discussion covering the whole field of sin, of
the providential government of God, and man's relation to Him, to avoid
all reference to the law if the law had then been known. Job was a
veritable personage (Ez 14.20; Jas 5.11), and the events are historical.
The book sheds a remarkable light on the philosophic breadth and
intellectual culture of the patriarchal age. The problem is, Why do the
godly suffer?
Job is in seven parts: I. prologue, 1.1-2.8. II. Job and his wife,
2.9,10. III. Job and his three friends, 2.11-31.40. IV. Job and Elihu,
32.1-37.24. V. Jehovah and Job, 38.1-41.34. VI. Job's final answer,
42.1-6. VII. Epilogue, 42.7-17.
The events recorded in Job cover a period within 1 year.
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[1] {land of Uz}
A region at the south of Edom, and west of the Arabian desert, extending
to Chaldea.