3-1-2 The Names of God in Job

Note: 28:1-28 is counted as Zophar's third speech (see R.V. and Heb.).

Job's speeches	No. of verses	Verse numbers	"God"	Yahweh	The Almighty
1:21	1	1	3
2:10	1	2	1
3:3-26	24	3-26	2
6:2-30	29	27-55	3	2
7:1-21	21	56-76
9:2-35	34	77-110	2
10:1-22	22	111-132	1
12:2-25	24	133-156	3	1
13:1-28	28	157-184	3	1
14:1-22	22	185-206
16:2-22	21	207-227	3
17:1-16	16	228-243
19:2-29	28	244-271	4
21:2-34	33	272-304	5	2
23:2-17	16	305-320	1	1
24:1-25	25	321-345	1	1
26:2-14	13	346-358
27:2-23	22	359-380	9	4
29:2-25	24	381-404	2	1
30:1-31	31	405-435
31:1-40	40	436-475	5	2
40:4,5	2	476-477
42:2,3,5,6	4	478-481

An analysis of the above data reveals one of three trend patterns:

1. The theme is constant (e.g. Job's self-justification and his awareness of the greatness of God), or

2. The theme is relatively absent at the beginning, but over time Job understands and emphasizes it more and more (e.g. his desire for the day of resurrection and judgment), or

3. Job emphasizes some things in his early thinking which over time cease to be big themes with him (e.g. his talk of suicide fades away, his quandary over whether he has sinned or not subsides. This latter aspect ought to be a feature of us all over time).