The Book of Job

This book contains a new translation of the Biblical book of Job, based on the instructions contained in the Masoretic accents and the prose frame. The main part is a poem and is being presented as such. The Masoretic poem is characterized by continuously changing verse patterns, not visible in the Greek translation which usually is the base for versions in European languages. It also is emphasized that alone among Biblical books all actors are characterized as Gentiles, with the possible exception of the person of Elihu. From the geographical description of the background it is concluded that most of the many uncommon words used in the text must be interpreted on the basis of Arabic roots. The commentary is restricted mostly to linguistic remarks; the meaning of the text is a matter of personal interpretation by the reader. Naturally the translation itself is in many cases an interpretation.