Metaphor and the Study of Job

Metaphor is ubiquitous in poetry. Illustrating one concept in terms another is a significant component of that which is aesthetically pleasing about poems. The establishment of metaphor and its coherent iterations throughout a poem is a work of art in and of itself. On many occasions, the usage of connected metaphors within a literary work presents the reader with a puzzle; its component parts must be found, ordered, and connected in order for the reader to appreciate the significance of the composition. In this sense, discerning metaphors is part of the joy of reading poetry. Novel metaphors are indeed challenging to discern, yet their interconnection throughout the composition can also reflect the genius of a poem. Discerning these metaphors results in a profound understanding of the text and, thereby, an enjoyable reading experience. The reader participates in a struggle between coherence and unintelligibility while striving to trace the meaning of prominent, complimentary metaphors that are used throughout a poetic composition.

The poetic dialogues of Job are replete with metaphors; thus, comprehending the speeches among the interlocutors is, in large part, contingent upon grasping the significance of the metaphors therein. Consequently, reading the dialogues of Job is an experience that vacillates between being straightforward (in discernible sections in which conventional metaphors abound) and obscure (in sections in which we, as contemporary readers, do not share or understand the source information necessary to harmonize the ingenious component parts).

There are multiple viewpoints concerning how the human mind processes metaphor. Consequently, there is not a scholarly consensus regarding the methodological techniques that should be applied in the analysis of metaphor in the biblical text. Scholars who analyze metaphor utilizing conceptual metaphor theory (CMT) contend that human beings frequently think in terms of metaphors. Given the pervasive nature of metaphor in the Bible, biblicists have integrated the study of conceptual metaphor theory into the examination of biblical metaphor with the intent of better understanding that which the biblical writers may have been striving to communicate in their literary contexts.

Hanneke van Loon and Lance R. Hawley incorporate the study of conceptual metaphor theory in their analyses of the metaphors in Job in their monographs, Metaphors in the Discussion on Suffering in Job 3–31 and Metaphor Competition in the Book of Job. In utilizing conceptual metaphor theory, both authors provide insight into the world of cognitive linguistics for the student of the Bible. They also demonstrate how the integration of conceptual metaphor theory is helpful in tracking discernible metaphors in the poetry of Job. Van Loon and Hawley agree that understanding and tracing related metaphors in Job is a key to grasping the main point(s) and flow of the composition. Below, I summarize both the manner in which van Loon and Hawley track the usage of metaphor in Job and the major conclusions of their analyses.

1. Overview: Metaphors in the Discussion on Suffering in Job 3–31, by Hanneke van Loon

In the introduction to Discussion on Suffering (pp. 1–3), van Loon sets forth the book's two main integrated goals. First, van Loon intends to examine how recent scholarship helps readers understand metaphors in literary texts and, more specifically, interpret Job's deliberately used metaphors in Job 3–31. Second, van Loon sets out to investigate what metaphors reveal about how Job makes sense of a broken world and the recommendations Job makes to his community based upon his findings. Van Loon's tracking and explanation of metaphors reveal a fresh perspective on the theme of suffering in Job 3–31.

1.1. Metaphor and Biblical Exegesis: A Proposal

In chapter one (pp. 4–34), van Loon presents straightforward definitions of complex terms and summarizes the helpfulness of conceptual metaphor theory for...