ABSTRACT
Wisdom is not a literary genre, and what has been termed 'wisdom literature' assumes a variety of forms. Job rejects the view that wisdom is peculiarly characteristic of the aged, presumably because he wants to claim that he, being younger than they, is not inferior to them. If the author's intention had been to teach the nature of wisdom, whether divine or human, that intention cannot be said to have been successfully carried out. It is therefore necessary to look elsewhere for the book's real purpose. There is scant evidence for the view that human suffering is the principal topic discussed in the book of Job. Despite his feeling that God is his antagonist, Job has repeatedly wished for, hoped—or half-hoped—for, even demanded, an answer from him. All agree that wisdom is an attribute of God; but when it comes to human wisdom, of which they speak frequently, they use the concept in a variety of ways.
