The Prosperity of the Wicked
The Prosperity of the Wicked: A Theological Challenge in the Book of Job and in Ancient Near Eastern Literature reexamines the Book of Job by shifting focus from the well-known "righteous sufferer" theme to the overlooked discussions about the fate of the wicked. While Job’s friends insist that divine justice always punishes the wicked—a claim they eventually apply to Job—Job counters by arguing that real-life experience shows inconsistency in retribution, noting that the wicked often prosper without divine consequence. By analyzing the rhetoric, imagery, and literary techniques in Job’s first two rounds of dialogue and comparing them with similar themes in ancient Near Eastern texts, the study investigates whether Job effectively challenges the traditional belief in a fixed system of just retribution, specifically by refuting five recurring arguments presented by his friends.