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...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Interlibrary Loan: | Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany) |
| Published: |
2022
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| 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
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| 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 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (kostenfrei) Volltext (kostenfrei) |
| 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. |
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| ISSN: | 1568-5365 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Novum Testamentum
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1163/15685365-bja10027 |