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Testament of Job

About this book
Chapter 11

1 But I being desirous to take up again my work of benevolence for the poor, asked them saying: 2 “Give me each a lamb for the clothing of the poor in their state of nakedness, and four drachmas coins of silver or gold” 3 Then the Lord blessed all that was left to me, and after a few days I became rich again in merchandise, in flocks and all things which I had lost, and I received all in double number again. 4 Then I also took as wife your mother and became the father of you ten in place of the ten children that had died. 5 And now, my children, let me admonish you: “Behold I die. You will take my place. 6 Only do not forsake the Lord. Be charitable towards the poor; Do not disregard the feeble. Take not unto yourselves wives from strangers. 7 Behold, my children, I shall divide among you what I possess, so that each may have control over his own and have full power to do good with his share.” 8 And after he had spoken thus, he brought all his goods and divided them among his seven sons, but he gave nothing of his goods to his daughters. 9 Then they said to their father: “Our lord and father! Are we not also your children Why, then, do you not also give us a share of your possessions” 10 Then said Job to his daughters: “Do not become angry my daughters. I have not forgotten you. Behold, I have preserved for you a possession better than that which your brothers have taken.” 11 And he called his daughter whose name was Day Yemima and said to her: “Take this double ring used as a key and go to the treasure-house and bring me the golden casket, that I may give you your possession.” 12 And she went and brought it to him, and he opened it and took out three-stringed girdles about the appearance of which no man can speak. 13 For they were not earthly work, but celestial sparks of light flashed through them like the rays of the sun. 14 And he gave one string to each of His daughters and said: “Put these as girdles around you in order that all the days of your life they may encircle you and endow you with everything good.” 15 And the other daughter whose name was Kassiah said: “Is this the possession of which you say it is better than that of our brothers What now Can we live on this” 16 And their father said to them: “Not only have you here sufficient to live on, but these bring you into a better world to live in, in the heavens. 17 Or do you not know my children, the value of these things here Hear then! When the Lord had deemed me worthy to have compassion on me and to take off my body the plagues and the worms, He called me and handed to me these three strings. 18 And He said to me: “Rise and gird up your loins like a man I will demand of you and declare you unto me.” 19 And I took them and wound them around my loins, and immediately did the worms leave my body, and likewise did the plagues, and my whole body took new strength through the Lord, and thus I passed on, as though I had never suffered. 20 But also in my heart I forgot the pains. Then spoke the Lord unto me in His great power and showed to me all that was and will be. 21 Now then, my children, in keeping these, you will not have the enemy plotting against you nor evil intentions in your mind because this is a charm Phylacterion from the Lord. 22 Rise then and gird these around you before I die in order that you may see the angels come at my parting so that you may behold with wonder the powers of God.” 23 Then rose the one whose name was Day Yemima and wound it around herself; and immediately she departed her body, as her father had said, and she put on another heart, as if she never cared for earthly things. 24 And she sang angelic hymns in the voice of angels,⁠ and she chanted forth the angelic praise of God while dancing. 25 Then the other daughter, Kassia by name, put on the girdle, and her heart was transformed, so that she no longer wished for worldly things. 26 And her mouth assumed the dialect of the heavenly rulers Archonts and she sang the doxology of the work of the High Place and if any one wishes to know the work of the heavens he may take an insight into the hymns of Kassia. 27 Then did the other daughter by the name of Amalthea’s Horn Keren Happukh gird herself and her mouth spoke in the language of those on high; for her heart was transformed, being lifted above the worldly things. 28 She spoke in the dialect of the Cherubim, singing the praise of the Ruler of the cosmic powers virtues and extolling His glory. 29 And he who desires to follow the vestiges of the “Glory of the Father” will find them written down in the Prayers of Amalthea’s Horn.

Texts in conversation

Compare Testament of Job 11:24 and 1 Corinthians 13:1

Pseudepigrapha, Testaments · New Testament

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Summary

The Testament of Job describes Job's daughters singing in the language of angels after putting on heavenly sashes. Paul similarly connects the tongues of angels with the tongues of men, likely reflecting the same Jewish tradition.

Passages

Testament of Job 11:24

Pseudepigrapha, Testaments
22 Rise then and gird these around you before I die in order that you may see the angels come at my parting so that you may behold with wonder the powers of God.” 23 Then rose the one whose name was Day Yemima and wound it around herself; and immediately she departed her body, as her father had said, and she put on another heart, as if she never cared for earthly things. 24 And she sang angelic hymns in the voice of angels, and she chanted forth the angelic praise of God while dancing. 25 Then the other daughter, Kassia by name, put on the girdle, and her heart was transformed, so that she no longer wished for worldly things. 26 And her mouth assumed the dialect of the heavenly rulers Archonts and she sang the doxology of the work of the High Place and if any one wishes to know the work of the heavens he may take an insight into the hymns of Kassia. 27 Then did the other daughter by the name of Amalthea’s Horn Keren Happukh gird herself and her mouth spoke in the language of those on high; for her heart was transformed, being lifted above the worldly things. 28 She spoke in the dialect of the Cherubim, singing the praise of the Ruler of the cosmic powers virtues and extolling His glory.
75–50 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in the Testament of Job

1 Corinthians 13:1

New Testament
1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but I do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so that I can remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away everything I own, and if I give over my body in order to boast, but do not have love, I receive no benefit.
55–57 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in 1 Corinthians

References

“... “Tongues of men” would then refer to human speech, inspired by the Spirit but unknown to the speaker; “tongues of angels” would reflect an understanding that the tongues-speaker was communicating in the dialect(s) of heaven. That the Corinthians at least, and probably Paul, thought of tongues as the language(s) of angels seems highly likely—for two reasons: (1) There is some evidence from Jewish sources that the angels were believed to have their own heavenly language (or dialects) and that by means of the “Spirit” one could speak these dialects. Thus in the Testament of Job 48-50 Job’s three daughters are given “charismatic sashes”; when these were put on they allowed Hemera, for example, to speak “ecstatically in the angelic dialect, sending up a hymn to God with the hymnic style of the angels. And as she spoke ecstatically, she allowed ‘The Spirit’ to be inscribed on her garment.” Such an understanding of heavenly speech may also lie behind the language of 1 Cor. 14:2 (“speak mysteries by the Spirit”). ...”
Gordon D. Fee, The First Epistle to the Corinthians (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans, 1987), 630–631.

References are not endorsements of their contents. Read each reference in full to understand its author's intentions in using these texts.

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Testament of Job 11:24 and 1 Corinthians 13:1

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