Comparing John Steinbeck's 'Chapter Summary And Analysis Of Job'

From Job chapter three to chapter twenty-eight, God recorded three rounds of speeches between Job and his three friends. In each round Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar speak and are answered by Job (except for the third round where Zophar does not speak or his speech was not recorded). The friends accuse Job of wrongdoing, but Job tries to maintain his defense of his innocence. These conversations, unlike chapters one and two where we see God’s reasoning for Job’s suffering, detail the opinions and theories of fallible men as they struggle to understand and justify why God was afflicting Job.

The first friend, Eliphaz, tries to explain to Job that he cannot be innocent before God based on what he has seen in the world. He contests that although

What Eliphaz said was true in a sense—God does indeed judge sinners. However, Job pointed out that in recounting all his past experiences and personal testimonies, Eliphaz has not pointed out a single sin of which Job is guilty (6:24, 30). The closest accusation Eliphaz brought was that Job was pleading his case of undeserved suffering before the One who calls on His children to cast their cares upon Him. (Even if this was a sin, Job protested that it was not the cause for his original suffering.) This suffering was simply not like the other cases Eliphaz had experienced. There had to be another reason.

Bildad tries to make a logical case to Job to show him that he must have done something wrong. He uses the word “if” repeatedly, relying on human reasoning to suppose that Job is at fault for his suffering. He also asks Job to consider what their forefathers have taught them about suffering—that the unrighteous suffer—and to consider their wisdom (8:8-10). He urgently appeals to Job to get right with God so that he will not be blotted out and eternally remembered by others only as a wicked man whom God judged