Reading the book of Job. Part 1

I like to read. I could do it more or less all day ... if it wasn't for other things getting in the way. Things like housework, using my hands, being a mother to my children and a wife to my husband ... and all the other things that make up the woman that is me.
And at the present, I'm trying to prepare a class on the master-degree-level on the book of Job from the Old Testament. Now, I haven't worked with this for 6 or 7 years. The Hebrew of the book of Job is - at the best of times - difficult (at the worst of times it's horrible). What is more, its one of the most loaded books in the Old Testament.
At the core of every modern commentary is - naturally - the big question : If Job is righteous, and he is, both God, Satan and Job claims this, why does he suffer ?
Put in fancy words, this is the problem of theodice, the unjust suffering of the just. The fact that s*** happens, even to good people. The fact that bastards may live well and happily while good people suffer in many ways.

Well. I've just finished what can only be called and early commentary on it. A narrative on why Job suffers and why his freinds are judged unjust and sinful. It's called "Testament of Job" and is a so-called apocrypha. It's not part of the bible, but the book is old, and deals with biblical material. The versions we know all come from manuscripts that are 11-14th century c.e. and they do not in any way agree with each other on the finer details. What they do agree on is, that the single thing that makes "the satan" (see below) seek to destroy Job and his faith is an act of faith, done by Job, turned against idolatry.
... this, naturally, does not deal with the still-remaining problem of why God allows the satan to have his wicked way.
BUT I'll try to keep you posted :-) as I wind my way around this text and the various large lines and fine details :-)

And then : why does she write "the satan" ...
well ... I do because in the book of Job, "satan" is not a name. It's a job-description :-) and it simply means "the contradictor". In the canonical book of Job, what happens is that God is full of pride in the righteousness of Job, and the contradictor, the satan, says : huh ! a man's righteousness and piety will only last as long as things go his way.
So, the satan has a clear function, he is (lame but pardonable pun) the devil's advocate with God, and it is his job to contradict everything and anyone :-) to question, to contradict, to counteract.
What is more, in the framework story, he is one of the sons of God (yes, it does say so, even if some translators shy away from this and translate "angels"), and is part of the heavenly household depicted in chapter 1.