Night – Job and Elie
Night – Job and Elie
From:
William Blake’s Illustrated
Book of Job
A summary of The Book of Job with commentary - by Woolf Abrahams
The story starts by introducing Job who is described as a man of impeccable character, God-fearing, wealthy and with a large family. One day God was sitting in judgment when Satan appeared and taunted God by saying that the only reason that Job was God-fearing was because He had bestowed upon him much wealth together with other benefits and if these were removed he would begin to curse God. God would not accept this prediction and gave Satan permission to test Job, certain he would not succeed but He instructed Satan not to hurt Job in his person.
Satan does his worst and by exerting his influence over Job’s neighbors, marauding bands and the natural elements, kills off Job’s children, servants and livestock. Job’s reaction was “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away.” Satan again appeared before God who jubilantly pointed out that Job had retained his faith in Him as a just God. This, Satan replied, was because he had not been hurt in his person and if he were so hurt he would curse God.
God gave Satan permission to make Job seriously ill and uncomfortable but again instructed that he was not to take Job’s life. This task Satan fulfilled but Job cursed the day he was born, not God. Job’s three friends heard of the tragedies which had befallen him and came to comfort him (Job’s comforters). Their comforting comprised in telling Job that in this life people get what they deserve and therefore Job had only received his just deserts. Job emphatically refutes this allegation and insists that he had been a good and pious person who did not deserve such punishment. Much of the book is now taken up with a discussion about reward and punishment. Finally God participates in the discussion and speaking out of a whirlwind rebukes Job for presuming to understand the ways of the Almighty. Job repents for his presumption.
1. On page 34 Elie states “How I sympathized with Job!” Using specific evidence from Night and the summary above, discuss why Elie might sympathize with Job.
2. At this point, does Elie deny God’s existence? Cite a quote.
3. Define:
a. Omnipresence
b. Omniscience
c. Omnipotence
d. Omnibenevolence
4. The four terms above are, generally, applied to both the Jewish God and the Christian God. Which term do you think Elie questions the most at this point?
5. Does Akiba Drumer question God’s motives and actions?
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