The Book of Job—Annotated & Explained

The Book of Job, celebrated as a classic of world literature and one of the glories of the Bible, can

often be puzzling and frustrating: puzzling for its

dialogue form and off-putting because in places it

doesn't seem to make sense. The book was written

in a world very different from ours, and yet the

fundamental questions are very much our own: Is

it worthwhile to act for the best? Does life have a

meaning beyond itself? Are there any answers to

our questions?

In this SkyLight Illuminations edition, Donald

Kraus, the longtime editor of Oxford Study

Bibles, clarifies for today's readers what Job is,

how to overcome difficulties in the text, and what

it may mean for us. Kraus's fresh translation captures

some of the finest poetry in the Hebrew Bible

as well as recovers some of the original author's

intent. His probing commentary explores Job's daring

challenges to God's goodness, questions about

the basic fairness of existence and compelling

descriptions of the glories of the created world and

the bitter sorrows of human life. Kraus identifies

and clarifies problem areas in the text, invites us to

enter into Job's dialogue and stimulates thoughtful

consideration of life's intractable questions.