Abstract
The use of privileged information has long been recognized as a strategy in the book of Job, especially as evidenced in God’s consultation with the Satan known to the reader but hidden from Job and his friends. Such anticipatory information can only surprise the careful reader once, and must be intended to prepare the serious student for elements of interest and significance. This study investigates examples of preknowledge and anticipation employed in the poetic sections of Job and how they influence the reader’s response to the unfolding narrative and the interpretation of the final form of the text. These examples of anticipation and preknowledge suggest a more cohesive awareness of the various segments of the book than is often assumed.
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