Edgar Kellenberger, «Gottes Doppelrolle in Ijob 16», Vol. 90 (2009) 224-236
Job’s excessive plaint against his aggressive and hostile God is intertwined with his surprising confession of confidence (“Bekenntnis der Zuversicht”). It seems to be a special relationship between these two poles which are forming quasi two focuses of an ellipse. This article studies in ch. 16 (and 19) each pole and especially their interrelation in contrast to mitigating tendences in the ancient versions and the rabbinic exegesis. The mythic language of Job’s lament is compared with similar accadian literature for demonstrating both analogies and important differences. The author of the Book of Job uses especially the language of the mythic struggle against chaos (“Chaoskampf”) for his peculiar view of the dialectics in God.
236 Edgar Kellenberger
Tiefe von Ijobs Leiden erreichen, sondern bleibt in sicherer Distanz (46).
Ijob hingegen brennt an beiden Brennpunkten, seiner verstörenden
Klage und seinem kämpferischen Bekenntnis der Zuversicht. Gerade
so hat er auch heute Hilfreiches zu sagen (47).
Passage 12 Edgar KELLENBERGER
CH-4104 Oberwil
SUMMARY
Job’s excessive plaint against his aggressive and hostile God is intertwined with
his surprising confession of confidence (“Bekenntnis der Zuversichtâ€). It seems to
be a special relationship between these two poles which are forming quasi two
focuses of an ellipse. This article studies in ch. 16 (and 19) each pole and
especially their interrelation in contrast to mitigating tendences in the ancient
versions and the rabbinic exegesis. The mythic language of Job’s lament is
compared with similar accadian literature for demonstrating both analogies and
important differences. The author of the Book of Job uses especially the language
of the mythic struggle against chaos (“Chaoskampfâ€) for his peculiar view of the
dialectics in God.
(46) BALENTINE, Job, 264: “For Eliphaz, the pain of being wounded und struck
is unfelt and virtually invisibleâ€. — Auch die heutige Exegeten-Zunft ist zur
eigenen Hinterfragung herausgefordert. Gerade weil die meisten von uns — im
Vergleich zum Durchschnitt der Menschheit — geordnetere und behütetere
Lebensverhältnisse geniessen, ist das Einfühlungsvermögen begrenzt.
(47) Ein eindrückliches Beispiel sind die Erfahrungen südafrikanischer
Universitätstheologen, welche das Buch Ijob mit Betroffenen lesen und von
diesen Nichttheologen exegetisch reich belehrt werden; siehe z.B. G.O. WEST – B.
ZENGELE, “Reading Job ‘Positively’ in the Context of HIV/AIDS in the Southern
Africaâ€, Concilium 4 (2004) 112-124.