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The Torah, or first five books of the Hebrew Bible,does not say
much about death and the after life. The place where the dead go
being called sheol, which means a place of silence.
The book of Job has more to say : especially in chapters 14 and
19.
It depends on which translation you use as to what you learn from
these verses. The Hebrew is rich with meaning and is open to variation
and so those translating have come to different conclusions according
to the mind set they bring to it. Having said that surely the Jews
working in Israel to bring out the Jerusalem Bible must be respected
as they are using their native tongue in the place of origin.
So, using the Jerusalem Bible as a yard stick, let us compare
the other versions with it.
Job chapter 14 verse 10 says : "A man dieth, wasteth away,
giveth up the ghost, where is he now?"
Job chapter 14 verse 12: "A man lieth down and doth not rise,
'til heavens be no more they shall not awake, nor be raised out
of their sleep. "
Job chapter 14 verse 14: " If a man die shall he live again?
All the days of my service I should wait un til my reward should
come."
Other versions compare quite closely with these versions except
for the word "service". Here in the Hebrew it is not " avodah" meaning
worship or serving God as we think of it, but means a time of warfare,which
what Young’s Literal translation has. The authorised version
has " days of my appointed time." This shows a progression
away from the original idea as a look at the word "reward" confirms..
Young has the end of verse 14 as " til my change come",
but the word in Hebrew can mean a reward, or a change in the sense
of a change of guard soldiers or fresh troops, a refreshing change
of circumstances for the better. Actually, the New International
version has it quite well : " All the days of my hard service
I will wait for my renewal (or release) to come." Job is in
a battle, but he knows one day if he hangs in there God will reward
him with a change for the better.
It is when we come to Job chapter 19 that the real differences
show up.
The Jerusalem Bible has for verses 25 and 26 :" I know my
avenger lives and he who outlives all things will rise when I shall
be dust. But whilst I am still in my flesh, though it be after
my skin is torn from my body, I will see God that I might see him
for myself, that my eyes might behold and not another, in longing
for that my reigns are consumed within me."
There is nothing here of a resurrection and seeing God after that.
In fact if the Hebrew is studied carefully a greater depth is revealed.
The word "avenger" can mean a redeemer or anyone who
sets free, or even one who acts as in a vendetta for revenge. But
most interesting is the word for" skin" which can also
mean blindness. So the tearing away of flesh is like having a cataract
removed and being able to see clearly. Job knows that one day the
skin will be torn away and he will see and know God clearly and
properly in a way he cannot now. But it will happen whilst he is
still alive and in his flesh.
Because of the destruction of the covering of skin some translations
have added "worms" but they are not there in the original.
Even Young, who is usually so close in his translation, is biased
by his Christianity. He has " That I have known my Redeemer,
the Living and the Last, from the dust he doth rise. And after
my skin doth compass this body (body is in italics recognising
it is not there in the Hebrew) then from my flesh I see God."
The King James authorised has "For I know that my redeemer
liveth, and that he shall stand in the latter day (day in
italics recognising it is not there in the original) upon the earth
(not "eretz" in the Hebrew – it is " efer" which
means dust.) And though after my skin worms (again in italics
because it is not there in the original) destroy this body (italics),
yet in my flesh I shall see God."
At least the NIV leaves out the worms!
next section : The Adversary
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