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JOB (Person)
1. KJV rendering of Iob, an alternate form of Jashub, Issachar’s third son, in Genesis 46:13. See Jashub #1.
2. Central character of the book of Job. The intense suffering endured by Job provides the framework for the main theme of the book, which deals with the role of suffering in the life of a child of God.
The etymology of the name is difficult. Some have seen it as a derivative of a Hebrew word meaning “to be hostile” and have suggested that it reflects Job’s adamancy in refusing to bow to God’s will. The name occurs in several West Semitic texts as a proper name, however, and it seems best to understand it simply as a common name. The meaning of the name in West Semitic is either “no father” or “where is my father?”
The lack of certainty surrounding the authorship and geographical provenance of the book makes it difficult to place Job in history. The occurrence of Job’s name in Ezekiel 14:14, 20 seems to support the possibility that he was a personage of great antiquity.
See also Job, Book of.