Job’s Endurance (Jas 5:11b): Greco-Roman Virtue in the Letter of James

Interpreters have often struggled to account for the way in which the author of James employs the figure of Job as an example of ὑπομονή (Jas 5:11). Since a “steadfast” or “patient Job” is clearly incongruous with the book of Job, the Testament of Job is often forwarded as the preferred source of Ja...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: List, Nicholas (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Brill 2022
In: Novum Testamentum
Year: 2022, Volume: 64, Issue: 4, Pages: 469-488
Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains:B James / Bible. Jakobusbrief 5,11 / Job Biblical character / hypomonē / Endurance / Patience / Testament of Job / Job
IxTheo Classification:HB Old Testament
HC New Testament
HD Early Judaism
Further subjects:B Testament of Job
B Occupation
B ὑπομονή
B Letter of James
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Summary:Interpreters have often struggled to account for the way in which the author of James employs the figure of Job as an example of ὑπομονή (Jas 5:11). Since a “steadfast” or “patient Job” is clearly incongruous with the book of Job, the Testament of Job is often forwarded as the preferred source of James’ Joban tradition. This article argues that James’ language of ὑπομονή should be read against its wider Greco-Roman literary background, and when done so, the Greek term emerges as an active, aggressive virtue, best rendered “enduring resistance.” The article posits that the author of James has reread the book of Job within this Greco-Roman literary framework, resulting in a congruent, though thoroughly Hellenistic, reading of Septua-gint Job in which the virtue of endurance takes on a newfound centrality.
ISSN:1568-5365
Contains:Enthalten in: Novum Testamentum
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1163/15685365-bja10027