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Job: The Wisdom of the Cross
Life can be hard, and sometimes it seems like God doesn't even care. When faced with difficult trials, many people have resonated with the book of Job--the story of a man who lost nearly everything, seemingly abandoned by God.
In this thorough and accessible commentary, Christopher Ash helps us glean encouragement from God's Word by directing our attention to the final explanation and ultimate resolution of Job's story: the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Intended to equip pastors to preach Job's important message, this commentary highlights God's grace and wisdom in the midst of redemptive suffering.
Taking a staggeringly honest look at our broken world and the trials that we often face, Ash helps us see God's sovereign purposes for adversity and the wonderful hope that Christians have in Christ.
In this thorough and accessible commentary, Christopher Ash helps us glean encouragement from God's Word by directing our attention to the final explanation and ultimate resolution of Job's story: the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Intended to equip pastors to preach Job's important message, this commentary highlights God's grace and wisdom in the midst of redemptive suffering.
Taking a staggeringly honest look at our broken world and the trials that we often face, Ash helps us see God's sovereign purposes for adversity and the wonderful hope that Christians have in Christ.
498 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 1, 2014
108 people are currently reading
480 people want to read
About the author
Christopher Ash
54 books83 followersChristopher Ash works for the Proclamation Trust in London as director of the Cornhill Training Course. He is also writer in residence at Tyndale House in Cambridge, and is the author of several books, including Out of the Storm: Grappling with God in the Book of Job and Teaching Romans. He is married to Carolyn and they have three sons and one daughter.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
September 13, 2023
This is the best commentary I've ever read.
Hands down.
While I read a fair bit of theology for a lay person, including several commentaries, I tend to find a lot of them to be rather dry and bland. They may be presenting good theology. But the text is so dissected that I sometimes feel like I lost the forest for the trees--and the spark has just gone out of the text for me.
That's not what this book is.
Ash's commentary is not only brilliant. It also is a beautiful blend of biblical and literary commentary. And more importantly, it's thoroughly human and pastoral. It speaks to the heart as well as the mind. Ash helps you grieve with Job as he loses everything he held close. He helps you feel frustration with his inept counselors. Awe at the presence of God. And joy at Job's restoration.
I came to this book in the midst of a difficult year where I had a lot of questions about events that God had allowed to happen in my life (and His seeming-silence in the midst of them.)
Reading through this commentary helped me better understand how the Book of Job answers those questions.
I can't recommend this book highly enough.
Rating: 4.5-5 Stars (Extremely Good).
Hands down.
While I read a fair bit of theology for a lay person, including several commentaries, I tend to find a lot of them to be rather dry and bland. They may be presenting good theology. But the text is so dissected that I sometimes feel like I lost the forest for the trees--and the spark has just gone out of the text for me.
That's not what this book is.
Ash's commentary is not only brilliant. It also is a beautiful blend of biblical and literary commentary. And more importantly, it's thoroughly human and pastoral. It speaks to the heart as well as the mind. Ash helps you grieve with Job as he loses everything he held close. He helps you feel frustration with his inept counselors. Awe at the presence of God. And joy at Job's restoration.
I came to this book in the midst of a difficult year where I had a lot of questions about events that God had allowed to happen in my life (and His seeming-silence in the midst of them.)
Reading through this commentary helped me better understand how the Book of Job answers those questions.
I can't recommend this book highly enough.
Rating: 4.5-5 Stars (Extremely Good).
July 19, 2017
The Book of Job has always been mystifying to me. At times my eyes would flow over the page without taking in much information. But this commentary was so helpful to me; I actually looked forward to reading every day. Yeah, it's a page-turner! I think I'm finally starting to get it. Buy it here: http://www.wtsbooks.com
December 28, 2018
Excellent and well worth the effort! It took me a year, and little did I know last December when I began reading how much I'd be needing the encouragement and truth found in this wonderful commentary, but I'm very thankful to have had this study, especially during this difficult final month of a difficult year.
May 8, 2025
The easiest five stars. This commentary is rigorous, humbling, pastoral, encouraging, and points to Jesus every step of the way. I genuinely enjoyed every page.
October 6, 2025
I have literally read thousands of pages on Job over the last year. Christopher Ash's treatment became my go-to. While I don't always agree with him (at points I strongly disagree!), his thoughtful treatment of Job is imminently Christ-centered and an especially good tool for anyone desiring to teach through the amazing book of Job. Highly recommend!
December 8, 2023
Read several years ago due to a family death. An excellent exegesis of the text.
July 14, 2014
If you search for “suffering” on Amazon in the books section you will find almost 11,800 results. If you search for “help for suffering” on Google there are 151 million entries to choose from. Indeed the world is a place full of suffering people looking for help. You cannot read more than four chapters into the book of Genesis without encountering suffering in the lives of the first two people God created and the first family they made. In reading through the pages of Scripture one encounters suffering at almost every turn. Ironically, it is Job, the oldest book in the Bible, which solely addresses the subject of suffering and how god relates to it and the sufferer.
Tackling this rich, long and sometimes puzzling book, Christopher Ash has written Job: The Wisdom of the Cross. This is the most recent installment in the Preaching the Word commentary series edited by R. Kent Hughes. Staying true to the series, Ash writes from the heart of a pastor as he seeks to show the reader the glory of God in Christ through suffering in the life of Job.
Job, Ash argues, is a book that reveals to us what kind of world we live in – a world full of suffering, and much of it is seemingly pointless. But Ash wants to focus the reader on a smaller aspect of the world – the church. In Job we see a man who endures all the suffering a person could imagine. In his friends we see responses that are detached from the reality of suffering and the God who has the answer to our suffering. Ash states, “The book of Job will force us to ask what kind of church we belong to” (19). This examination takes a look at the prosperity and therapeutic gospel. Both of these gospels are fake and threaten the church constantly. To Ash, Job is a corrective to these false gospels and outlooks on life before they gained their contemporary popularity.
The answer to these two false gospels is the gospel of Jesus Christ. While Job was a blameless man, he was not perfect. Concerning the foreshadowing of Christ in Job, Ash says that
The book ultimately makes no sense without the obedience of Jesus Christ, his obedience to death on a cross. Job is not everyman; he is not even every believer. There is something desperately extreme about Job. He foreshadows one man whose greatness exceeded even Job’s, whose suffering took him deeper than Job, and whose perfect obedience to his Father was only anticipated in faint outline by Job. The universe needed one man who would lovingly and perfectly obey his heavenly Father in the entirety of his life and death, by whose obedience the many would be made righteous (Rom. 5:19). (21)
Woven throughout the book, Ash demonstrates how the book of Job destroys the false message of the prosperity and therapeutic gospels and points us to Jesus as the true Savior. For example, in Job chapter three we see the brokenness of Job as he tries to articulate his response to his great loss. Job is in a dark place and so was Jesus when He hung on the cross and said, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me” (84). Though Job was a blameless man who greatly suffered, Jesus was a sinless man who suffered even greater because His suffering was wholly unjust.
But while Job addresses the subject of suffering, it is not primarily about suffering. Ash constantly points the reader to God who is in control of the suffering, who reveals Himself in the suffering and who carries Job through the suffering. Because Job is about God, it is about Jesus. Ash states,
Job is passionately and profoundly about Jesus, whom Job foreshadows both in his blamelesness and in his perseverance through undeserved suffering. As the blameless believer par excellence, Jesus fulfills Job. As a priestly figure who offers sacrifices for his children at the start and his friends at the end, Job foreshadows Jesus the great High Priest. (436).
Job: The Wisdom of the Cross is a wonderful and compelling commentary on Job. Ash ably explains the text, is attentive to the difficult issues it can present and faithfully presents the book as focusing on God and foreshadowing Christ. Ash has a gift of making a difficult book much easier to understand. This is a commentary on Job that every pastor should have in his library and any Christian should read for their personal Bible study.
I received this book for free from Crossway for this review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Tackling this rich, long and sometimes puzzling book, Christopher Ash has written Job: The Wisdom of the Cross. This is the most recent installment in the Preaching the Word commentary series edited by R. Kent Hughes. Staying true to the series, Ash writes from the heart of a pastor as he seeks to show the reader the glory of God in Christ through suffering in the life of Job.
Job, Ash argues, is a book that reveals to us what kind of world we live in – a world full of suffering, and much of it is seemingly pointless. But Ash wants to focus the reader on a smaller aspect of the world – the church. In Job we see a man who endures all the suffering a person could imagine. In his friends we see responses that are detached from the reality of suffering and the God who has the answer to our suffering. Ash states, “The book of Job will force us to ask what kind of church we belong to” (19). This examination takes a look at the prosperity and therapeutic gospel. Both of these gospels are fake and threaten the church constantly. To Ash, Job is a corrective to these false gospels and outlooks on life before they gained their contemporary popularity.
The answer to these two false gospels is the gospel of Jesus Christ. While Job was a blameless man, he was not perfect. Concerning the foreshadowing of Christ in Job, Ash says that
The book ultimately makes no sense without the obedience of Jesus Christ, his obedience to death on a cross. Job is not everyman; he is not even every believer. There is something desperately extreme about Job. He foreshadows one man whose greatness exceeded even Job’s, whose suffering took him deeper than Job, and whose perfect obedience to his Father was only anticipated in faint outline by Job. The universe needed one man who would lovingly and perfectly obey his heavenly Father in the entirety of his life and death, by whose obedience the many would be made righteous (Rom. 5:19). (21)
Woven throughout the book, Ash demonstrates how the book of Job destroys the false message of the prosperity and therapeutic gospels and points us to Jesus as the true Savior. For example, in Job chapter three we see the brokenness of Job as he tries to articulate his response to his great loss. Job is in a dark place and so was Jesus when He hung on the cross and said, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me” (84). Though Job was a blameless man who greatly suffered, Jesus was a sinless man who suffered even greater because His suffering was wholly unjust.
But while Job addresses the subject of suffering, it is not primarily about suffering. Ash constantly points the reader to God who is in control of the suffering, who reveals Himself in the suffering and who carries Job through the suffering. Because Job is about God, it is about Jesus. Ash states,
Job is passionately and profoundly about Jesus, whom Job foreshadows both in his blamelesness and in his perseverance through undeserved suffering. As the blameless believer par excellence, Jesus fulfills Job. As a priestly figure who offers sacrifices for his children at the start and his friends at the end, Job foreshadows Jesus the great High Priest. (436).
Job: The Wisdom of the Cross is a wonderful and compelling commentary on Job. Ash ably explains the text, is attentive to the difficult issues it can present and faithfully presents the book as focusing on God and foreshadowing Christ. Ash has a gift of making a difficult book much easier to understand. This is a commentary on Job that every pastor should have in his library and any Christian should read for their personal Bible study.
I received this book for free from Crossway for this review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
August 31, 2014
The book of Job is most often associated with being a treatise on how to deal with the problem of evil as well as outlining how to deal with pain and suffering. While Job certainly does provide an excellent source of biblical truth on both of those topics, making true sense of evil and/or suffering can only be accomplished when one’s focus rests intently on the message of the cross. Christopher Ash in his book Job: The Wisdom of the Cross provides a helpful commentary on the book of Job, one that walks the reader through each verse of Job while constantly reminding the reader that rooted in the message of Job is the underlying message of the hope found in the cross of Christ.
This book is part of the ongoing commentary series called Preaching the Word edited by R> Kent Hughes. As the title implies, this series is focused on providing a more pastoral approach to the books of Scripture it engages. Thus, the exegesis Ash provides is intended to provide pastors with valuable insight so they might in turn share those insights with their congregation. Ash certainly does not shy away from engaging in scholarly exegesis along the way; however, his constant focus is driving home the message of the cross found in the book of Job.
According to Ash, Job first and foremost reveals to us the kind of world we live in, namely one suffering under the weight and impact of sin. There would be no suffering if not for sin and Job definitely would not have encountered what he did, namely the loss of family, property, and health if sin was not a reality. Perhaps this is why Job is so often referred to when biblical apologists attempt to deal with that consistently thorny problem of evil. Furthermore, Ash, in the pastoral tone that runs throughout this commentary, reminds the reader to keep in mind that the message found in Job “is to be lived in and not just studied.” It should be a constant reminder to us of the type of people we need to be within the body of Christ as well as serving as a beacon that points us to the work of Christ on our behalf on the cross where he dealt sin a mighty and deathly blow.
The structure of this commentary follows the typical commentary pattern of identifying a pericope and then discussing the specific elements found in that particular section of the book. Ash’s effort is no different although as far as commentaries are concerned, I found this effort to be highly readable and not bogged down in exegetical nuances or the discussion of how every scholar in church history felt about a certain issue within Job. While Ash addresses matters of linguistics and is no stranger to getting a bit “nerdy” when is necessary, he focuses his discussion on his overall thesis, namely woven in the drama that is Job is the One who bore our sins and suffering on the cross.
Ash rightly notes “as we read the story of Job we think first and primarily of the greater story of Jesus, who walked the way of Job for us, who plumbed the depths of Job’s suffering for us, and who was vindicated for us. Satan is still able to attack us, and he spends what short life is left to him angrily doing that, like a hungry lion on the prowl. We must be realistic about this. Still we have to endure…But we are in Christ, the Satan is no longer able to accuse us before God.” Such a statement again drives home that the overall message found in Job points to the victory found at the cross.
In each chapter of this commentary, Ash expertly and pastorally notes an aspect of Job’s life that finds its answer in the cross of Christ and in Christ himself. Job was alone in the midst of his despair. Through Christ we have hope, comfort and relationship with God. Job wept in his despair. Through the work of the cross we look forward to a day when God will wipe away every tear from our eyes. Job declared that though God may kill him, he put his trust in God. We know that because of sin, death will find us all. We also know that through Christ’s own resurrection, he conquered death and the grave on our behalf thus we can place our hope that death has no sting. Finally, in Job we are provided with an important reminder that God is sovereign. Ash saliently outlines the closing chapters of Job where God reminded Job that He and He alone is in control.
Ash reminds the reader that “The book of Job ought to shape our expectation of the normal Christian life.” Job suffered for his faith and we are told the Christian walk will involve suffering for the cause of Christ. Furthermore, Ash brilliantly notes “Job is about true worship, about our bowing down in reality and in the darkness to the One who is God, leaving even our most agonized unanswered questions at his feet, for we are creatures, and he alone is the Creator.” Job points us straight to the cross and Ash does a marvelous job throughout this commentary of driving home that important truth.
I highly recommend this book for all believers. Job is an often neglected book except perhaps when one needs to try and find an answer when challenged about pain and suffering. Christopher Ash deftly weaves the message of the cross throughout this commentary, constantly focusing what Job experienced on the hope found in the cross. This is one of the best commentaries I have read on the book of Job and I encourage everyone to read, study, and understand that found in the message of Job is the life giving message of the cross, one of hope, purpose, and life in the midst of trouble.
I received this book for free from Crossway Books for this review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
This book is part of the ongoing commentary series called Preaching the Word edited by R> Kent Hughes. As the title implies, this series is focused on providing a more pastoral approach to the books of Scripture it engages. Thus, the exegesis Ash provides is intended to provide pastors with valuable insight so they might in turn share those insights with their congregation. Ash certainly does not shy away from engaging in scholarly exegesis along the way; however, his constant focus is driving home the message of the cross found in the book of Job.
According to Ash, Job first and foremost reveals to us the kind of world we live in, namely one suffering under the weight and impact of sin. There would be no suffering if not for sin and Job definitely would not have encountered what he did, namely the loss of family, property, and health if sin was not a reality. Perhaps this is why Job is so often referred to when biblical apologists attempt to deal with that consistently thorny problem of evil. Furthermore, Ash, in the pastoral tone that runs throughout this commentary, reminds the reader to keep in mind that the message found in Job “is to be lived in and not just studied.” It should be a constant reminder to us of the type of people we need to be within the body of Christ as well as serving as a beacon that points us to the work of Christ on our behalf on the cross where he dealt sin a mighty and deathly blow.
The structure of this commentary follows the typical commentary pattern of identifying a pericope and then discussing the specific elements found in that particular section of the book. Ash’s effort is no different although as far as commentaries are concerned, I found this effort to be highly readable and not bogged down in exegetical nuances or the discussion of how every scholar in church history felt about a certain issue within Job. While Ash addresses matters of linguistics and is no stranger to getting a bit “nerdy” when is necessary, he focuses his discussion on his overall thesis, namely woven in the drama that is Job is the One who bore our sins and suffering on the cross.
Ash rightly notes “as we read the story of Job we think first and primarily of the greater story of Jesus, who walked the way of Job for us, who plumbed the depths of Job’s suffering for us, and who was vindicated for us. Satan is still able to attack us, and he spends what short life is left to him angrily doing that, like a hungry lion on the prowl. We must be realistic about this. Still we have to endure…But we are in Christ, the Satan is no longer able to accuse us before God.” Such a statement again drives home that the overall message found in Job points to the victory found at the cross.
In each chapter of this commentary, Ash expertly and pastorally notes an aspect of Job’s life that finds its answer in the cross of Christ and in Christ himself. Job was alone in the midst of his despair. Through Christ we have hope, comfort and relationship with God. Job wept in his despair. Through the work of the cross we look forward to a day when God will wipe away every tear from our eyes. Job declared that though God may kill him, he put his trust in God. We know that because of sin, death will find us all. We also know that through Christ’s own resurrection, he conquered death and the grave on our behalf thus we can place our hope that death has no sting. Finally, in Job we are provided with an important reminder that God is sovereign. Ash saliently outlines the closing chapters of Job where God reminded Job that He and He alone is in control.
Ash reminds the reader that “The book of Job ought to shape our expectation of the normal Christian life.” Job suffered for his faith and we are told the Christian walk will involve suffering for the cause of Christ. Furthermore, Ash brilliantly notes “Job is about true worship, about our bowing down in reality and in the darkness to the One who is God, leaving even our most agonized unanswered questions at his feet, for we are creatures, and he alone is the Creator.” Job points us straight to the cross and Ash does a marvelous job throughout this commentary of driving home that important truth.
I highly recommend this book for all believers. Job is an often neglected book except perhaps when one needs to try and find an answer when challenged about pain and suffering. Christopher Ash deftly weaves the message of the cross throughout this commentary, constantly focusing what Job experienced on the hope found in the cross. This is one of the best commentaries I have read on the book of Job and I encourage everyone to read, study, and understand that found in the message of Job is the life giving message of the cross, one of hope, purpose, and life in the midst of trouble.
I received this book for free from Crossway Books for this review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
February 7, 2024
One of the very rare commentaries I think should belong in every Christian's library, this is a powerful, provocative, lucid, and deeply compassionate exposition of a book of Scripture that has puzzled believers for centuries, and whose interpretive difficulties are legendary. I began reading this (for the second time) in the wake of having been laid off from a job I loved, and the comfort it afforded me cannot be gainsaid.
June 7, 2018
I picked up this book during a time of dark questions. Mr. Ash was a compassionate, patient, honest guide through that valley. If you’re struggling with the reality of pain and evil, I encourage you to get lost in the mysteries of God in Job, and find deep, lasting peace there.
July 3, 2022
God used this book to really help me process the grief that has been heavy on my life for a long time. Working slowly through the book of Job, entering into Job's grief and longing for God, and seeing the wisdom and power of God in its grand conclusion is something that I recommend to all.
August 2, 2024
This is a fantastic resource for anyone wanting to do a deep dive into the book of Job. In his conclusion the author writes, “So Job points us to the mystery at the heart of the universe: a blameless believer who walks in fellowship with his Creator may suffer terrible and undeserved pain, may go through deep darkness and then at the end be vindicated.” The answer to human suffering must be left to God alone, but this book will help the reader unpack the truths found in the Book of Job that seek to bring us into humble trust in the Sovereign God who does all things well!
Want to read
June 4, 2018This book was highly recommended to me.
June 11, 2025
Not inspired or inerrant but pretty close. A wonderful commentary to work through.
November 18, 2025
Ash probably reached a little too far at times in his Christo-centric application, but this was well-worth the read.
May 15, 2022
A very fine commentary on Job, providing more exegetical background than Ash's shorter work, "Trusting God in the Dark." I think Ortlund might have a slight edge as the best contemporary writer on Job, but Ash is a very close second.
March 13, 2025
This is the 2nd book I've now finished in the PTW commentary series, along side the M'Cheyne bible reading plan. It ticked all the boxes, an exegetical look at the text, the message, and the foreshadowing of Jesus. Ash rung out every last drop of wisdom from this book and I can't imagine you'd find a better commentary, I agreed with every word. It drags on a bit, but that's because Job does. That said, I learnt a lot, including some deeper theological changes.
God not only allowed Job to be attacked, he suggested it...
"We must not draw too clear a line between instruction and permission. We do not like the idea of God instructing the Satan to attack Job, but that is what he does. In all this the Bible insists on the sovereignty of God. It has been fashionable since the late twentieth century to get around the problem of evil by suggesting that God is doing his best and we cannot blame him if he does not manage to arrange everything the way he wants."
His 3 friends spent most of the book arguing their system of theology, which is:
1. God is absolutely in control. (We have seen that this is indeed one of the foundational markers laid down by our narrator in Job 1, 2.)
2. God is absolutely just and fair.
3. Therefore he always punishes wickedness and blesses righteousness—always (and soon and certainly in this life). If he were ever to do otherwise, he would necessarily be unjust, which is inconceivable.
At the end, God says that Job spoke right, but the friends sinned and spoke incorrectly. Though Job said things wrong as well, so what does that mean? Ash summarises:
It is not surprising to us that God says the friends were wrong, but it ought to surprise us that the Lord says that in some way Job is right, for again and again Job says terrible things about God. And yet in spite of the fact that Job charges God with being a wrongdoer (which is both serious and untrue, and God has rebuked him for it), God can say at the end that Job has spoken rightly of him. How is this?
"It is possible that God’s affirmation refers only to Job’s humble response to God’s speeches (40:3–5; 42:1–6), and it is true that this is “the simplest and clearest explanation” of what God says here. And yet I think there is a deeper truth here. It seems to me that God’s affirmation applies somehow not only to what Job has said but to who Job is. The answer would seem to be this: the friends have a theological scheme, a tidy system, well-swept, well-defined, and entirely satisfying to them. But they have no relationship with the God behind their formulas. There is no wonder, no awe, no longing, no yearning, and no prayer to meet and speak with and hear and see the God of their formulas. They are content with the rules of The System they have invented."
God not only allowed Job to be attacked, he suggested it...
"We must not draw too clear a line between instruction and permission. We do not like the idea of God instructing the Satan to attack Job, but that is what he does. In all this the Bible insists on the sovereignty of God. It has been fashionable since the late twentieth century to get around the problem of evil by suggesting that God is doing his best and we cannot blame him if he does not manage to arrange everything the way he wants."
His 3 friends spent most of the book arguing their system of theology, which is:
1. God is absolutely in control. (We have seen that this is indeed one of the foundational markers laid down by our narrator in Job 1, 2.)
2. God is absolutely just and fair.
3. Therefore he always punishes wickedness and blesses righteousness—always (and soon and certainly in this life). If he were ever to do otherwise, he would necessarily be unjust, which is inconceivable.
At the end, God says that Job spoke right, but the friends sinned and spoke incorrectly. Though Job said things wrong as well, so what does that mean? Ash summarises:
It is not surprising to us that God says the friends were wrong, but it ought to surprise us that the Lord says that in some way Job is right, for again and again Job says terrible things about God. And yet in spite of the fact that Job charges God with being a wrongdoer (which is both serious and untrue, and God has rebuked him for it), God can say at the end that Job has spoken rightly of him. How is this?
"It is possible that God’s affirmation refers only to Job’s humble response to God’s speeches (40:3–5; 42:1–6), and it is true that this is “the simplest and clearest explanation” of what God says here. And yet I think there is a deeper truth here. It seems to me that God’s affirmation applies somehow not only to what Job has said but to who Job is. The answer would seem to be this: the friends have a theological scheme, a tidy system, well-swept, well-defined, and entirely satisfying to them. But they have no relationship with the God behind their formulas. There is no wonder, no awe, no longing, no yearning, and no prayer to meet and speak with and hear and see the God of their formulas. They are content with the rules of The System they have invented."
August 9, 2015
In this commentary which reads like a novel, Christopher Ash teaches Job unlike I've ever read or heard him taught before. Ash takes the reader on a journey which she begins by looking for answers and ends--like Job--in finding God. I love how big God became in my view during my studies, and in light of Him, questions of my own suffering pale. The book offer great cultural, theological, artistic, and personal insight, drawing you into the story as a participant from the beginning. I cannot praise it enough. It's become one of my favorites.
August 19, 2015
One of the best commentaries I have ever read (I've read more than 50). Ash observes the text closely, traces the poet's train of thought clearly, and applies the text winsomely.
My only complaint would be that he doesn't give adequate focus to the central theme of the fear of God. He mentions the theme, but doesn't press on it as hard as I believe the text does.
My only complaint would be that he doesn't give adequate focus to the central theme of the fear of God. He mentions the theme, but doesn't press on it as hard as I believe the text does.
January 17, 2018
Ash is readable, rigorous and relatable. This commentary is an excellent one to read as a companion to devotional reading. It provides good treatment of the text, while not being overly technical, and valuable pastoral insights, drawn together with a Christo-telic reading.
April 17, 2018
this is one of the best books i have ever read. think it is my favourite by a christians author. thank you christopher
January 2, 2018
Such a substantial, readable, pastoral, scholarly work. A rare combination, but Ash manages to not only unlock the text historically and culturally, but with a humanity that enters into the real drama of Job's life and tenderly draws that into head, heart and life application. Few are the commentaries one might read not as a reference but as a book. Dale Ralph Davis has the gift of creating such works. Ash has written just such a book. Pastoral, powerful, practical and humble. Like the book's hero - Jesus. (Delivered not with a Christological lump hammer but with nuance and a winsomeness that lets fulfilment and hope really sink in.)
It's not a book about suffering - it's much more willing to follow the watercourse of the biblical text. That means Ash has done the hard yards through the bits most preachers skip. What he finds there is gold. It's about friendship, the presumption of orthodoxy, saying the right thing but being in the wrong, endurance, confusion, desolation - physical and spiritual -faithfulness, repentance and the wonder of God's incomparable nature being unsearchable to the broken whilst at the same time being their - our - only hope.
One of my best reads of 2018, right up there as a recommendation for pastors, preachers and humans.
It's not a book about suffering - it's much more willing to follow the watercourse of the biblical text. That means Ash has done the hard yards through the bits most preachers skip. What he finds there is gold. It's about friendship, the presumption of orthodoxy, saying the right thing but being in the wrong, endurance, confusion, desolation - physical and spiritual -faithfulness, repentance and the wonder of God's incomparable nature being unsearchable to the broken whilst at the same time being their - our - only hope.
One of my best reads of 2018, right up there as a recommendation for pastors, preachers and humans.
January 25, 2022
A beautiful commentary on the book of Job that amalgamates thorough exegetical work and wonderful application in a rich exaltation of the Cross. Ash’s approach to the book differs from some commentaries and typical contemporary approaches, seeing Job as a foreshadowing of a future innocent man who goes through undeserved suffering - he argues that the book of Job makes no sense apart from the cross of Christ, and so in reading, we must first see this OT story as supremely fulfilled in Jesus, before we consider the application to our own lives, rather than making the jump directly from Job’s circumstances to our own. In my opinion, the commentary on Job 40:6-42:6 is Ash’s finest from the book and deals masterfully with God’s sovereign control over evil. Highly recommend!
March 6, 2021
I've read this commentary cover to cover slowly over the past 9 months. I've been reading a chapter a week and then once a week starting the day in a Zoom call with a few friends from church, discussing it and praying it through. It's been a wonderful, formative experience. This is a great commentary about which I had heard people rave about a lot. It didn't blow me away, and Ash didn't convince me of his position on Elihu. It doesn't say much on some of my favourite verses in Job and also didn't really have any information on or interaction with historical exegesis, all of which knocks a star off. Otherwise, recommended!
May 2, 2025
Honestly, I did not find Ash's commentary terribly helpful. It's meant to be a commentary preparing pastors to preach, but it is more useful for pastors who have issues with the Hebrew and personally interpreting the text. Ash provides his own illustrations and understandings instead of dealing with the original language and exact meaning of the text. The relatively few times he does, I often disagree with his conclusions although his illustrations decently characterize the text somehow. Personally, I do not think Ash fully understands Job as a book but does understand how to use imagery to communicate points.
March 18, 2018
Great commentary on Job.
Ash does a great job taking the story of Job, and showing how so many aspects in the story point to Christ. I’d never considered Job as a type of Christ, but I do now. Job was a righteous sufferer, pointing forward to Jesus, the unparalleled, perfectly righteous sufferer.
If you’re a pastor looking for a deep, yet sermonic, commentary on Job, get this one!
Ash does a great job taking the story of Job, and showing how so many aspects in the story point to Christ. I’d never considered Job as a type of Christ, but I do now. Job was a righteous sufferer, pointing forward to Jesus, the unparalleled, perfectly righteous sufferer.
If you’re a pastor looking for a deep, yet sermonic, commentary on Job, get this one!
April 20, 2021
I've immensely profited from Christopher Ash in the past, and such is the case with this commentary. A thoughtfully written, expository commentary, where Ash takes your hand and walks you through the book of Job, showing what it is all truly about. This commentary has a big view of God, and naturally shows how the entire book of Job points to the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ. Every believer will gain encouragement from this marvelous work.
July 12, 2023
Easiest 5 stars I've given.
I've read Job a few times and I've really struggled with it. I've opened Ash alongside it this time and my confusion has turned to clarity.
Spoiler-
God is sovereign.
Christ is at the heart of it.
Job suffered, Christ suffered, we will suffer too.
Job 1:21-Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I shall depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised.
I've read Job a few times and I've really struggled with it. I've opened Ash alongside it this time and my confusion has turned to clarity.
Spoiler-
God is sovereign.
Christ is at the heart of it.
Job suffered, Christ suffered, we will suffer too.
Job 1:21-Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I shall depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised.
April 21, 2021
I just read this book cover to cover and was blown away by the clarity and profundity both of the Book of Job and of Christopher Ash who opened it to me so wonderfully! During times of sorrow in the past I have turned to Job and been strangely comforted but now the horizon of my confidence in the Lord's sovereignty and his love in Christ has become immense and joyful. Alleluia!
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