Biblical Hebrew Forum

[George F Somsel <gfsomsel AT juno.com>]

On Fri, 5 Aug 2005 23:03:36 -0500 "Charles Rempel"
<CharlesR AT mygalaxyexpress.com> writes:
> 
> > >Charles: While idiomatically it may well be that
> > >"considered" is a good translation, there is a
> > >possible inference that God is approaching Satan
> > >and bringing up the topic. I think that "what
> > >the Hebrew suggests" is that Satan had already
> > >carefully "considered" Job and therefore, in
> > >good English idiom, "set his heart" on testing
> > >Job.
> >
> > HH: The standard interpretation I've heard is
> > that the devil as the accuser speaks ill of human
> > beings and finds things to criticize.
> > Particularly he attacks their loyalty to God. So
> > as Dave tried to point out, God would be drawing
> > attention to Job as someone who lived uprightly
> > before God. God points him out to Satan as a good
> > testimony, so Satan tries to show that Job serves
> > God only because of the blessings he receives or
> > the good times he enjoys.
> >
> > Job fails to crumble under the pressure so God addresses Satan 
> again:
> >
> > Job 2:3 ¶ Then the LORD said to Satan,  "Have you
> > considered my servant Job? There is no one on
> > earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a
> > man who fears God and shuns evil. And he still
> > maintains his integrity, though you incited me
> > against him to ruin him without any reason."
> >
> > Then Satan claimed that that under the
> > provocation of physical suffering Job would curse
> > God to His face. Throughout Satan is trying to
> > disprove Job as an example of a person loyal to
> > God who did what was right. It is in response to
> > God's initiative that he takes this tack. But God
> > evidently acts because Satan is always denying
> > that people serve God for godly reasons.
> 
> Howard,
> I appreciate the standard interpretation, but is that actually what 
> the
> Hebrew says? Please note the emphasis I gave of "setting the heart" 
> as
> "having already considered." I do not deny that meaning of the idiom. 
> What I
> am questioning is the apparent English emphasis which might indicate 
> that
> God necessarily brings the topic up and presents Job as a new idea 
> to Satan.
> I read the text as indicating that Satan has been going about and 
> walking on
> the earth (v.7) and in his roamings having encountered Job, he has 
> already
> carefully considered Job, and must obtain permission before he can 
> actually
> put Job to the test. When combined with v.7 it seems to me to 
> indicate
> previous consideration by Satan, not God introducing a new idea to 
> Satan.
> 
> Charles
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The translation "to set one's heart on" may be literally correct,
however, I think it somehow misses the significance of the phrase.  I
think it's more like "notice."  It's as though I were talking to someone
whom I knew went to a certain restaurant for dinner on Fridays so I asked
him, "Did you notice that beautiful brunnette wearing that slinky black
dress in right-hand corner of the main dining room when you entered?"  He
might respond, "Notice her?  What do you think I am, blind?"  I would
definitely say God is yanking his chain a bit here by pointing out
something he couldn't possibly have missed.

george
gfsomsel
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