Wesley Corpus

It is likely, Job was of the posterity of Nahor, Abraham's brother, whose first - born was Uz, and in whose family religion was kept up, as appears Gen 31:53, where God is called not only the God of Abraham, but the God of Nahor. He lived before sacrifices were confined to one altar, before the general apostacy of the nations, and while God was known by the name of God Almighty, more than by the name of Jehovah: for he is called Shaddai, the Almighty, above thirty times in this book. And that he lived before (probably very little before) the deliverance of the children of Israel out of Egypt, we may gather from hence, that there is no allusion at all to that grand event throughout the whole book. In this noble poem we have, A monument of primitive theology; A specimen of Gentile piety: for Job was not of the promised seed, no Israelite, no proselyte: An exposition of the book of providence, and a clear solution of man difficult passages therein: A great example of patience and close adherence to God in the deepest calamities: and An illustrious type of Christ, emptied and humbled, in order to his greater glory. In this book we have, an account of Job's sufferings, chap. 1, 2, Not without a mixture of human frailty, chap. 3. A dispute between him and his three friends, chap. 4 - 31. The interposal of Elihu, and of God himself, chap. 32 - 41. The end of all in Job's prosperity, chap. 42.