CHAPTER V.
THE SPEECHES OF JEHOVAH.
(CHAPS. XXXVIII.-XLII. 6.)
'The words of Job are ended' (xxxi. 40b), remarks the ancient
editor, and amongst the last of these words is an aspiration
after a meeting with God. That Job expected such a favour
in this life is in the highest degree improbable, whatever view
be taken of xix. 25-27. It is true, he sometimes did almost
regard a theophany as possible, though he feared it might
be granted under conditions which would make it the reverse
of a boon (ix. 3, 15, 33-35; xiii. 21, 22). He wished
for a fair investigation of his character, and he craved that
God would not appear in too awful a form. It seems at first
sight as if Jehovah, casting hard questions at Job out of the
tempest, and ignoring both the friends' indictment and Job's
defence (xxxi. 35-37), were realising Job's worst fears and
acting as his enemy. The friends had already sought to
humble Job by pointing him to the power and wisdom and
goodness of God, and Job had proved conclusively that he
was no stranger to these high thoughts. Is the poet consistent
with himself, first, in introducing Jehovah at all, and,
secondly, in making Him overpower Job by a series of sharp,
ironical questions? Several answers may be given if we wish
to defend the unity of the poem. Job himself (it may be said)
has not continued at the same high level of faith as in
xix. 25-27 (assuming Prof. Davidson's view of the passage);
he needs the appearance of Jehovah more than he did then.
As to the course attributed in xxxviii. 1 to Jehovah, this too
(the poet may have felt in adding these speeches) was really the
best for Job. Jehovah might no doubt have declared Job to
