A Look at Job in Dream Language (you know — that book in the Bible)

by Glenda Finnegan

     For a while now I’ve been trying to remember, record, and decipher my dreams using Barbara Condron’s book, The Dreamer’s Dictionary. Decoding my dreams has made me aware of how understanding symbols can help in cognizing events and therefore understanding the self in all areas of life.


     When the book, Answers to Job by Carl Jung, was assigned for reading and writing a paper on for a class I’m taking, I decided to write about how I’d interpret Job in dream language.

     First let me say, Carl Jung’s Answer’s to Job is brilliant and a must read for anyone serious about their own spiritual evolvement. His ability to see everything in terms of development of the self was, and is still, truly amazing.

Now, for my attempt at interpreting Job using dream symbols:

     In dreams all of the characters represent aspects of the self. Since Job was likely written by a man, he (Job) would be a conscious part of the author’s psyche. (All men in a man’s dream are conscious aspects, while females in a male dream represent subconscious aspects.) The first chapter of Job lists all of his animals, and states that he was the richest man in the East. Animals in dream language refer to habits of the dreamer. Job also had ten children. Children are new or recently developed ideas. In dream language Job had habits and ideas. (Don’t we all?)

     Now God (an unknown creative aspect) allowed Satan (also an unknown aspect, but one that is unproductive in dream language) to destroy Job’s children and animals (ideas and habits). Job is informed by his servant (an aspect of self that serves the self). Job shaves his head (hair represents conscious thought). So, on dream language, Job is free of all conscious thought.

     Satan attacks again (unproductive self). This time Job is afflicted with sores all over his body (body in dream language signifies the mental attitudes of the dreamer). So, in dream language, Job was afflicted by an unhealthy attitude. His wife (a subconscious aspect of himself) encourages him to curse God (this unknown creation) and die. Job does not.

     His friends (familiar aspects of self) come to comfort him. They wax philosophical about the nature of God and why he is doing this to Job, as well as giving Job advice. They go on for thirty-three chapters. (Isn’t this like the incessant voices in our heads?)

     Finally, in chapter thirty-eight, God (creativity) speaks to Job, and in chapter forty-two Job shows wisdom in his response. God (creativity) chastises Job’s friends and has Job pray for them (Prayer in dream language indicates aggressive communication with creation). God (creativity) made Job prosperous again and gave him twice as much as he had before. All of Job’s family and friends came to a feast (food in dream language represents knowledge). So they all learned from this experience. Each of them gave him money (represents value) and rings (represent commitment). The aspects of Job represented by his family and friends saw value in him and were committed to him. He lived a full long life.

     Looking at Job in dream language allows us to see the psychological implications for all of us in learning to know ourselves. Job translated in dream language, is one man’s journey into the self; a reconciliation of all the aspects of self into wholeness using creativity, and as such, is something we can use as an example for our own evolutionary journey.

Disclaimer: This is simply one person’s ideas on spirituality and dreams

All dream interpretation and terminology came from The Dreamer’s Dictionary by Dr. Barbara Condron


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Glenda is currently writing a column for The New Era Times called Meta-Muse where she will delve into the metaphysical world on many levels with investigative reporting on various topics. Please check back for more articles.