You asked

how do other biblical authors discuss the origin of suffering or hardship?

Adds the setting and its conversation across both testaments.

Job 1:21

“He said, “Naked I came out of my mother’s womb, and naked I will return there. Yahweh gave, and Yahweh has taken away. Blessed be Yahweh’s name.””

This passage is spoken by Job, a righteous and wealthy man, immediately after receiving news that he has lost all his children, his servants, and his livestock in a series of catastrophic events. Despite immense personal tragedy, he does not curse God but instead expresses profound resignation and worship.

What does this passage challenge in your understanding of the relationship between hardship and divine action?

Then — the setting

The book of Job is ancient, likely originating between the 7th and 5th centuries BCE, possibly in Edom or a similar region. It addresses the fundamental question of why righteous people suffer, challenging the prevailing wisdom tradition that linked suffering directly to sin and prosperity to righteousness. Job's initial response here reflects a deep-seated monotheism where God is sovereign over all events, even those that bring immense pain. This perspective was common among ancient Near Eastern peoples to some degree, but Job pushes the boundaries of understanding God's role in suffering without attributing specific wrongdoing to the sufferer.

Across the Testaments

In the Old Testament, Job's perspective that 'Yahweh gave, and Yahweh has taken away' offers a distinct voice compared to the more direct correlation between sin and suffering found in parts of Deuteronomy or Proverbs. While Genesis 3 traces suffering back to human disobedience and its consequences for creation, Job presents suffering as something God permits, if not directly causes, even for the blameless. The New Testament, particularly in the Gospels, complicates this further by showing Jesus healing suffering and often challenging the idea that illness or misfortune is a direct result of personal sin (e.g., John 9:1-3). However, New Testament authors like Paul (e.g., Romans 8) also acknowledge a universal 'groaning' in creation and human experience that points to a world not yet fully redeemed, echoing the broader experience of suffering Job articulates.

Keep thinking

Read alongside it

Genesis 3:16-19
This passage connects suffering, labor, and death to humanity's disobedience in the Garden of Eden.
Psalm 73:1-14
The psalmist wrestles with the prosperity of the wicked and the suffering of the righteous, expressing confusion and doubt about divine justice.
Romans 8:20-22
Paul speaks of creation itself groaning under the weight of futility and decay, pointing to a broader systemic suffering.

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