How God pays back - retributive concepts in the Book of Job

Abstract

Five Old Testament concepts of retribution are presented. Then the Book of Job is evaluated under the aspect of its retributive concepts. Because of the lack of compensation in Job's life-experience, Job as well as his friends are led co cancel individual elements of the retributive concept. While Job's friends stick to a rigid concept, Job undergoes different stages of development that finally lead him to the denial of retribution. By this he agrees with his wife, but both come to opposite conclusions in their reasoning. Job's wife argues in favour of a nihilistic approach while Job is a proponent of a faith-approach. Therefore he is an example of a New Testament believer.