"What Is Enosh?" The Anthropological Contributions of Job 7: 17–18 through Allusion and Intertextuality

Abstract

In this article, I treat an oft-discussed parody of Ps 8:5 in Job 7:17–18. I answer objections and make the case for its identification as parodic based on the texts' objective relationship to each other and on patterns of allusion that the poet habitually employs, including reference to another biblical passage (Job 42:2 and Gen 11:6) and the establishment of motifs within Job (Job 1:10; 3:23; 38:8). This pattern has hermeneutical implications for understanding the meaning of Job 7:17–18. While scholars often identify the poet's position with Job-the-character's position, I argue that this identification is undermined by the poet's parody of Job's words in the whirlwind speech. A hermeneutical crisis confronts the reader: affirm Job's critique of Hebrew Scripture or submit to divine rhetoric. Job's rhetoric is suited to this submission as—contrary to his friends—his language can be spoken piously, indicating an elevated anthropology particularly in terms of its broader literary context.