Job Outline

There are several ways to outline the book of Job…

  • This is a very high level outline that provides the basic structure of the book:
Job 1-3 Job 4-37 Job 38-42
PROLOGUE:
Prose		 DIALOGUE:
Poetry		 EPILOGUE:
Prose
Conflict Debate Repentance
  • The outline below is a bit more detailed and provides a little more information.
    1. Prologue: Satan’s challenges to God and attacks on Job. – 1:1 to 2:13
    2. Dialogue: Job and his three friends (three cycles). – 3:1 to 31:40
    3. Elihu’s speeches. – 32:1 to 37:24
    4. Dialogue: Between God and Job. – 38:1 to 42:6:
    5. Epilogue: God rebukes the three friends and restores Job. – 42:7-17
  • The outline below accentuates the Prose/Poetry context of the book.
    1. Prose: Job tested by losing everything (1-2)
    2. Poetry: Dialogues (3-41)
      • Job and his friends: Eliphaz, Bildad, Zophar (3-31)
      • Elihu’s speech (32-37)
      • God’s answer to Job (38-41)
    3. Prose: Job restored (42)
  • The outline below is a chiastic structure of Job from the E. W. Bullinger’s Companion Bible Notes.

THE STRUCTURE OF THE BOOK AS A WHOLE.

A. Job 1:1-5. INTRODUCTION. HISTORICAL.
B. Job 1:6 – 2:10. SATAN’S ASSAULT. JOB STRIPPED OF ALL.
C. Job 2:11-13. THE THREE FRIENDS. THEIR ARRIVAL.
D. Job 3:1 – 31:40. JOB AND HIS FRIENDS.

E. Job 32:1 – 37:24. THE MINISTRY OF ELIHU:THE MEDIATOR*.

D.’ Job 38:1 – 42:6. JOB AND JEHOVAH.

C.’ Job 42:7-9. THE THREE FRIENDS. THEIR DEPARTURE.

B. ‘ Job 42:10-13. SATAN”S DEFEAT. JOB BLESSED WITH DOUBLE.

A. ‘ Job 42:14-17. CONCLUSION. HISTORICAL.

A Good Chiastic Structure of Job

A. Prologue: The Adversaries’ attacks on Job (1:1-2:13)
B. Dialogue – Job and three friends – 3 cycles (3:1 – 27:23)
D. Interlude on Wisdom (28:1-28)
B. ‘ Monologues: Job and Elihu (29:1- 37:24)
A. ‘ Epilogue: The Outcome of the Test (42:7-17)

More  chiastic structure of Job here:   http://www.bible.literarystructure.info/bible/18_Job_e_1.html

Prologue chs. 1-2

A.  Job’s personal lament ch. 3
B.  The first cycle of speeches between Job and his three friends chs. 4-14
C.  The second cycle of speeches between Job and his three friends chs. 15-21
D.  The third cycle of speeches between Job and his three friends chs. 22-27
E.  Job’s concluding soliloquies chs. 28-31
F.  Elihu’s speeches chs. 32-37
G.  The cycle of speeches between Job and God 38:1-42:6

Epilogue  42:7-17

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