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Wisdom & Poetry · Old Testament

Job 32

Job 32: Elihu's anger and his claim to speak

General context

The narrator reports that the three men ceased to answer Job because he was righteous in his own eyes. Then the wrath of Elihu, son of Barachel the Buzite, of the kindred of Ram, is kindled against Job, because he justified himself rather than God, and against the three friends, because they found no answer yet condemned Job. Elihu had waited until Job had spoken because the others were older; when he saw there was no answer in their mouths, his anger rose. Elihu then speaks. He says he is young and they are very old, so he was afraid to give his opinion; he thought days and years should teach wisdom, but there is a spirit in man, and the inspiration of the Almighty gives understanding; great men are not always wise. So he asks them to listen. He waited for their words and reasons, and none of them convinced Job or answered him; they should not say they have found wisdom, since God, not man, thrusts Job down. Job has not directed words against Elihu, and Elihu will not answer him with their speeches. They are amazed and say no more. Elihu says he will answer his part, for he is full of matter and the spirit within constrains him; his belly is like wine without a vent, ready to burst like new bottles. He will speak to be refreshed. He will not accept any man's person nor give flattering titles, for he does not know how, and his maker would soon take him away if he did.

Cited passages: Job 32:1, Job 32:2, Job 32:3, Job 32:4, Job 32:5, Job 32:6, Job 32:7, Job 32:8, Job 32:9, Job 32:10, Job 32:11, Job 32:12, Job 32:13, Job 32:14, Job 32:15, Job 32:17, Job 32:18, Job 32:19, Job 32:20, Job 32:21, Job 32:22

Job 32 (KJV)

1So these three men ceased to answer Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes.

2Then 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.

3Also against his three friends was his wrath kindled, because they had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job.

4Now Elihu had waited till Job had spoken, because they were elder than he.

5When Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men, then his wrath was kindled.

6And 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.

7I said, Days should speak, and multitude of years should teach wisdom.

8But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.

9Great men are not always wise: neither do the aged understand judgment.

10Therefore I said, Hearken to me; I also will shew mine opinion.

11Behold, I waited for your words; I gave ear to your reasons, whilst ye searched out what to say.

12Yea, I attended unto you, and, behold, there was none of you that convinced Job, or that answered his words:

13Lest ye should say, We have found out wisdom: God thrusteth him down, not man.

14Now he hath not directed his words against me: neither will I answer him with your speeches.

15They were amazed, they answered no more: they left off speaking.

16When I had waited, (for they spake not, but stood still, and answered no more;)

17I said, I will answer also my part, I also will shew mine opinion.

18For I am full of matter, the spirit within me constraineth me.

19Behold, my belly is as wine which hath no vent; it is ready to burst like new bottles.

20I will speak, that I may be refreshed: I will open my lips and answer.

21Let me not, I pray you, accept any man’s person, neither let me give flattering titles unto man.

22For I know not to give flattering titles; in so doing my maker would soon take me away.

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Historical context

Elihu enters here for the first time. The narrator gives his father, Barachel; his people, the Buzites; and his kindred, Ram; nothing before this chapter mentions him, and the text does not say when he arrived or why the earlier chapters passed over him. The narrator states two reasons for his anger: Job "justified himself rather than God," and the three friends "had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job." Both judgments are the narrator's summary of Elihu's view, not a verdict pronounced by God. The narrator also says the three men stopped "because he was righteous in his own eyes," which describes their reason, not Job's guilt. Elihu says he is young and they are very old, but gives no ages. From verse 6 to the end the speaker is Elihu, and "ye" in his speech addresses the three friends, while Job is spoken of in the third person. Verses 15 and 16 describe the friends' silence within Elihu's speech. "My maker" is Elihu's term for God.

Cited passages: Job 32:2, Job 32:3, Job 32:1, Job 32:6, Job 32:12, Job 32:15, Job 32:22

Literary context

The chapter is a hinge. The narrator, who has supplied little beyond speech headings since the prologue, returns for five verses to close the dialogue and introduce a new speaker; "wrath" and "kindled" are repeated four times in those verses, against Job, against the friends, and again when the silence is seen. Elihu's own speech then spends its whole length justifying the fact that he speaks at all: youth against age, waiting against silence, spirit against years, fullness against restraint. The wine and bottle image describes the pressure of holding his opinion in. He states in advance what his answer will not be, "neither will I answer him with your speeches," and what it will not do, flatter anyone. The chapter ends without any argument about Job's case yet made; the substance is deferred to the chapters that follow. The narrator's phrase for Job, "righteous in his own eyes," and Elihu's charge that he "justified himself rather than God" set the terms Elihu will press.

Cited passages: Job 32:1, Job 32:2, Job 32:3, Job 32:5, Job 32:6, Job 32:8, Job 32:19, Job 32:14, Job 32:21

Key moments

  1. The three men fall silent (Job 32:1). The narrator says the friends stop answering because Job is righteous in his own eyes.
  2. Elihu's wrath against Job (Job 32:2). Elihu, son of Barachel the Buzite, is angry that Job justified himself rather than God.
  3. Wrath against the friends (Job 32:3). Elihu is angry that the friends condemned Job without finding an answer.
  4. Young before the old (Job 32:6). Elihu says he held back out of fear because of his youth.
  5. Spirit gives understanding (Job 32:8). Elihu claims that the inspiration of the Almighty, not years, gives understanding.
  6. None convinced Job (Job 32:12). Elihu says he listened and none of the friends answered Job's words.
  7. Wine without a vent (Job 32:19). Elihu says he is so full of matter that he must speak to be relieved.

For reflection

Elihu is angry at the friends for condemning Job without an answer and at Job for justifying himself rather than God. Can both of those complaints be right at once, and what would an answer that satisfied Elihu have to look like?

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