THEOSISTheodoret of Cyrus
Why does the author refer to Jobab as the father-in-law of the lawgiver, previously identified as Jethro and Raguel? It has already been mentioned that Job was the son of Jethro. The author uses the term father-in-law because he is the brother of Job's wife, a designation that is commonly used for such relatives today. Thus, Jobab’s descendants would be considered the grandsons of Jethro.
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What city does the author designate as a Phoenician city? Jericho. It seems the designation is due to the quality of its date fruits. Upon the people’s crossing of the Jordan, the narrative indicates that "the fruit of the ground… unleavened bread… new." On that day, the manna ceased, and they began to consume the produce of the land, and hence, there was no longer any manna for the children of Israel; they instead partook of the dates during that summer (Num. 5:11-12). Furthermore, the second book of the Chronicles recounting the exile of the ten tribes into the territory of Judah describes it as follows: "And they took them to Jericho, the city of Phoenicia, to their brethren" (2 Chronicles 28:15).