6. _Job a Real Person:_ "It has been supposed by some that the Book of Job is an allegory, not a real narrative, on account of the artificial character of many of its statements. Thus the sacred numbers, three and seven, often occur.. He had seven thousand sheep, seven sons, both before and after his trials; his three friends sit down with him seven days and seven nights; both before and after his trials; he had three daughters. So also the number and form of the speeches of the several speakers seem to be artificial. The name of Job, too, is derived from an Arabic word signifying repentance. But Ezekiel 14:14 (cf. v. 16, 20) speaks of "Job" in conjunction with "Noah and Daniel," real persons. St. James (5:11) also refers to Job as an example of "patience," which he would not have been likely to do had Job been only a fictitious person. Also the names of persons and places are specified with a particularity not to be looked for in an allegory." (Commentary, Critical and Explanatory, p. 308.) 7. _Design of the Book:_ "It is a public debate in poetic form on an important question concerning the divine government; moreover the prologue and epilogue, which are in prose, shed the interest of a living history over the debate, which would otherwise be but a contest of abstract reasoning. * * * * The question to be solved, as exemplified in the case of Job is, Why are the righteous afflicted consistently with God's justice? The doctrine of retribution after death, no doubt, is the great solution of the difficulty. And to it Job plainly refers in chapter 14:14, and chapter 19:25. The objection to this, that the explicitness of the language on the resurrection in Job is inconsistent with the obscurity on the subject in the early books of the Old Testament, is answered by the fact that Job enjoyed the divine vision (chapter 38:1; 42:5), and therefore, by inspiration, foretold these truths." (Commentary, Critical and Explanatory, p. 309.) 8. _Proverbs:_ "The Hebrew title of this book is the 'Mishele,' (i. e., the maxims) 'of Solomon,' and it was in early ages, sometimes along with other similar portions of the Bible, often referred to as "Wisdom," in one instance specifically defined as the "wisdom that respects virtuous conduct"--as summarizing the teachings of wisdom in their bearing on the conduct of life. Though ascribed to Solomon, these maxims are obviously not all of his composition, or even his collection, being of very varied authorship, and the vintage of the observation and experience of many wise men at different periods of Jewish history." (Cambridge Bible Helps, p. 32.)