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NOTES for Job 32:1-22

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1 So these three men ceased to answer Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes.
2 Then was kindled the wrath of Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the kindred of Ram: against Job was his wrath kindled, because he justified himself rather than God.
3 Also against his three friends was his wrath kindled, because they had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job.
4 Now Elihu had waited till Job had spoken, because they were elder than he.
5 When Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men, then his wrath was kindled.
6 And Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite answered and said, I am young, and ye are very old; wherefore I was afraid, and durst not shew you mine opinion.
7 I said, Days should speak, and multitude of years should teach wisdom.
8 But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.
9 Great men are not always wise: neither do the aged understand judgment.
10 Therefore I said, Hearken to me; I also will shew mine opinion.
11 Behold, I waited for your words; I gave ear to your reasons, whilst ye searched out what to say.
12 Yea, I attended unto you, and, behold, there was none of you that convinced Job, or that answered his words:
13 Lest ye should say, We have found out wisdom: God thrusteth him down, not man.
14 Now he hath not directed his words against me: neither will I answer him with your speeches.
15 They were amazed, they answered no more: they left off speaking.
16 When I had waited, (for they spake not, but stood still, and answered no more;)
17 I said, I will answer also my part, I also will shew mine opinion.
18 For I am full of matter, the spirit within me constraineth me.
19 Behold, my belly is as wine which hath no vent; it is ready to burst like new bottles.
20 I will speak, that I may be refreshed: I will open my lips and answer.
21 Let me not, I pray you, accept any man's person, neither let me give flattering titles unto man.
22 For I know not to give flattering titles; in so doing my maker would soon take me away.
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Elihu has not been mentioned even once until now. He appears quite unexpectedly, and we know nothing about him except his origin and the fact that he is young. Still less do we know whether he had known Job in earlier times and, if he had, what their relationship had been. In any case, Elihu did not try to accuse Job under the guise of sympathy, and his words were not a stab in the back from someone whose support was expected.

Elihu's anger is prompted by zeal for God, whom none of the participants in the long conversation managed to defend properly. Here again we encounter the evaluative judgment of the unnamed narrator, who notes that Job justified himself rather than God. Elihu is a human being like everyone else, and he is aware of his lesser experience compared with those present. His words, like those of the other participants in the conversation, cannot contain the whole truth in an absolute sense. Yet to draw nearer to it, every point of view must be taken into account, especially one that comes from an unexpected direction.

Other notes

 
For Job 32:1-22
1 So these three men ceased to answer Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes.
2 Then was kindled the wrath of Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the kindred of Ram: against Job was his wrath kindled, because he justified himself rather than God.
3 Also against his three friends was his wrath kindled, because they had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job.
4 Now Elihu had waited till Job had spoken, because they were elder than he.
5 When Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men, then his wrath was kindled.
6 And Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite answered and said, I am young, and ye are very old; wherefore I was afraid, and durst not shew you mine opinion.
7 I said, Days should speak, and multitude of years should teach wisdom.
8 But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.
9 Great men are not always wise: neither do the aged understand judgment.
10 Therefore I said, Hearken to me; I also will shew mine opinion.
11 Behold, I waited for your words; I gave ear to your reasons, whilst ye searched out what to say.
12 Yea, I attended unto you, and, behold, there was none of you that convinced Job, or that answered his words:
13 Lest ye should say, We have found out wisdom: God thrusteth him down, not man.
14 Now he hath not directed his words against me: neither will I answer him with your speeches.
15 They were amazed, they answered no more: they left off speaking.
16 When I had waited, (for they spake not, but stood still, and answered no more;)
17 I said, I will answer also my part, I also will shew mine opinion.
18 For I am full of matter, the spirit within me constraineth me.
19 Behold, my belly is as wine which hath no vent; it is ready to burst like new bottles.
20 I will speak, that I may be refreshed: I will open my lips and answer.
21 Let me not, I pray you, accept any man's person, neither let me give flattering titles unto man.
22 For I know not to give flattering titles; in so doing my maker would soon take me away.
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Only God Himself could answer the questions Job had asked. But, as often happens...  Read more

Only God Himself could answer the questions Job had asked. But, as often happens, a human being got ahead of God, and before God spoke, Job had to listen to the heated speech of young Elihu, who until now had remained silent out of respect for his elders (vv. 4-5). His heat was caused by anger, anger both at Job, who in Elihu's opinion considered himself more righteous than God, and at his three friends, who to Elihu's great annoyance seemed unable to answer Job properly (vv. 2-3). But Elihu is not simply young; he represents a clearly marked type of religious charismatic. He evidently sets against the established tradition, sanctified by authorities and long-standing wisdom, the "breath of the Almighty" that gives a person "understanding," true knowledge and comprehension of reality (vv. 6-8). He accuses his older interlocutors of having given Job no answer on the merits, limiting themselves only to traditional, generally accepted opinions that, as Elihu thinks, proved insufficient in this case (vv. 11-13). What irritates Elihu most of all is precisely the fact that Job's friends eventually fell silent, leaving it to God to refute Job's words (v. 13).

Meanwhile, this decision is explained by the fact that Job's friends truly had exhausted all their arguments. According to the author of the Book of Job, they stopped objecting to Job precisely because he was "righteous in his own eyes" (v. 1). Such a position really does make any further discussion useless, regardless of whether the person is actually right or not. In that case only God can persuade a person if he is mistaken, or confirm his rightness if he is right after all. But this is exactly what does not satisfy Elihu. It is clear that he thinks Job's friends did not say to Job everything they could have said, sparing him because he is their friend and because he suffers (vv. 14-15). Elihu himself says directly that he is not going to flatter or be hypocritical, that he will say everything and will not stop when the matter concerns truth (vv. 21-22). Such statements impose obligations, but Elihu is not afraid, as one can see, and he is not afraid precisely because he is a charismatic: he cannot be silent. The words that Elihu himself is sure come from God are pressing inside him (v. 19). He himself will feel better if he speaks out (v. 20).

Such a state, of course, leaves little room for hearing one's interlocutor. Moreover, the desire to speak one's mind sometimes makes even God fall silent, and He too needs silence in order to be heard, not so much external silence as internal silence. Be that as it may, before hearing God Himself, Job will have to listen to one of His ardent, though perhaps uninvited, defenders, who has so unexpectedly inserted himself into the conversation.

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