The Thematic, Stylistic, and Verbal Similarities Between Isaiah 40-55 and the Book of Job

This dissertation examines the evidence for a dependent literary relationship between Isaiah 40-55, commonly called 2 Isaiah, and the book of Job. Scholars have long recognized certain similarities between these two works. Both emphasize ideas such as the transcendence of God, the lowliness and ignorance of human beings, and the power of God in relation to the creation. The authors of both works show at times a similarity in style of writing. Further, 2 Isaiah and Job share a number of words, phrases, and word strings that are unique within the Hebrew Bible. Finally, both works treat the idea of innocent suffering. Some scholars have judged that these similarities are more than coincidental and that one work is dependent on the other, although not all agree on which is the dependent work. One of the primary factors behind the difference of opinion is the uncertainty about the date of Job. While 2 Isaiah can be reliably dated based on internal evidence, the book of Job is very elusive in this regard, and scholars have posited historical contexts for Job that span hundreds of years. My project is to take a fresh look at the thematic, stylistic, and verbal similarities between 2 Isaiah and Job, aided by recent research into the phenomenon of intertextuality, with the goal of ascertaining the probability of a dependent relationship between them, describing the nature of their relationship if such exists, and exploring its implications for interpretation. Chapter 1 introduces 2 Isaiah and Job, particularly theories about the date and nature of their composition and the scope of the texts to be analyzed. Chapter 2 summarizes previous research on the relationship between 2 Isaiah and Job, including problems related to method. I also describe several recent studies on allusion and quotation in literary and biblical studies, including some relating to 2 Isaiah and Job. I then outline my own procedure for analyzing the similarities between 2 Isaiah and Job. Chapter 3 lists as systematically and comprehensively as possible the specific similarities between 2 Isaiah and Job in categories of thematic, stylistic, and verbal parallels, and similarities related to the idea of an innocent suffering servant. Chapter 4 analyzes the nature and distribution of these similarities in their contexts to determine what conclusions can be reached about the nature of the similarities and the relative chronology of the two works. I conclude that previous research has overstated the evidence for a special relationship between 2 Isaiah and Job, and that the claim that one work was inspired by or developed straightforwardly from the other does not hold in light of the evidence. Nevertheless, I suggest two cases in which it appears as if the author of Job is alluding to the text of 2 Isaiah. These allusions can be characterized as parody, and are similar to other cases in which the author of Job is believed to have parodied forms or specific texts known from elsewhere in the Hebrew Bible. Chapter 5 explores the implications for interpretation of the divine speeches in the book of Job when they are read in part as a response to the criticisms leveled by Job in these instances of parody.