The Structure of Job

Here's a brief overview of how Job is put together...

I. Prologue 1:1 - 2:10

A. Setting the scene (1:1-5)

B. The heavenly council (1:6-12)

C. The satan’s trial (1:13-21) [22 narrator]

D. The stakes are raised (2:1-6)

E. The satan’s second trial (2:7-10b) [10c narrator]

F. The three friends (transition to the dialogues; 2:11-13)                       

II. Dialogues with "friends" 3:1 - 42:6                                           

A  Job’s opening soliloquy (3:1-26)

B. Dialogs with "friends" (4:1-27:23)
               1.First cycle (4:1-14:22)
                   a. Eliphaz speaks (4:1-5:27),    Job responds (6:1-7:21)
                   b. Bildad speaks (8:1-22), Job    responds (9:1-10:22)
                   c. Zophor speaks (11:1-20), Job    responds (12:1-14:22)
                2. Second cycle (15:1-21:34)
                   a. Eliphaz speaks (15:1-35),    Job responds (16:1-17:16)
                   b. Bildad speaks (18:1-21), Job    responds (19:1-29)
                   c. Zophor speaks (20:1-29), Job    responds (21:1-34)
                3. Third cycle (22:1-27:23)
                   a. Eliphaz speaks (22:1-30),    Job responds (23:1-24:25)
                   b. Bildad speaks (25:1-6), Job    responds (26:1-27:23)                      

III. Monologues 28:1 - 37:24

A. The inaccessibility of Wisdom (28:1-28)

B. Job’s concluding soliloquy (29:1-31:40)

C. The speeches of Elihu (32:1-37:24)

IV. Dialogue with God 38:1 - 42:6

A. God speaks (38:1-40-2), Job responds (40:3-5)

B. God speaks again (40:6-41:34), Job’s second response    (42:1-6)

V. Epilogue 42:7-17