Job 33

General context

Elihu now addresses Job by name and asks him to hear all his words, which come from an upright heart; the Spirit of God made him, and he invites Job to set his words in order and stand up. He says he is, according to Job's wish, in God's stead, formed of clay like Job, so his terror will not frighten him. He quotes what he heard Job say: that he is clean and innocent, that God finds occasions against him, counts him an enemy, puts his feet in the stocks and marks his paths. In this, Elihu says, Job is not just, for God is greater than man and gives no account of his matters. God speaks once and twice, though man does not perceive it: in dreams and visions of the night he opens men's ears to withdraw man from his purpose and hide pride from him, keeping his soul from the pit. Man is also chastened with pain on his bed until his life loathes bread, his flesh wastes, his bones stick out and his soul draws near the grave. If there is a messenger, an interpreter, one among a thousand, to show man his uprightness, God is gracious and says, Deliver him from the pit, I have found a ransom. His flesh becomes fresher than a child's; he prays, God is favourable, and he sees God's face with joy. If any says, I have sinned and perverted what was right, God delivers his soul from the pit. All this God works often with man. Elihu tells Job to mark well and hold his peace, to answer if he can, since Elihu desires to justify him, and otherwise to listen and be taught wisdom.

Cited passages: Job 33:1, Job 33:3, Job 33:4, Job 33:5, Job 33:6, Job 33:7, Job 33:8, Job 33:9, Job 33:10, Job 33:11, Job 33:12, Job 33:13, Job 33:14, Job 33:15, Job 33:16, Job 33:17, Job 33:19, Job 33:20, Job 33:21, Job 33:23, Job 33:24, Job 33:25, Job 33:26, Job 33:27, Job 33:28, Job 33:29, Job 33:31, Job 33:32, Job 33:33

Job 33 (KJV)

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Historical context

The speaker is Elihu, continuing from the previous chapter; the chapter has no heading of its own and no narration. Here Elihu turns from the friends to Job, naming him in the first verse and again near the end. The words Elihu attributes to Job in verses 9 to 11 are given as Elihu's report, "I have heard the voice of thy words, saying." They summarize Job's position; Job's own oath of innocence in chapter 31 and his complaint that God "hath taken away my judgment" are the nearest statements in the preceding chapters, and the phrase "I am clean without transgression" is Elihu's wording. Elihu's claim to stand "in God’s stead" answers Job's wish for someone to hear him and for the Almighty to answer, but Elihu is a man formed of clay by his own account, and the chapter does not present his words as God's. The "messenger" and "interpreter" of verse 23 are not identified, and the "ransom" is not explained. The account of God speaking by dreams and by sickness is Elihu's teaching. No dream, sickness or recovery is narrated in this chapter, and Job does not reply within it.

Cited passages: Job 33:1, Job 33:31, Job 33:8, Job 33:9, Job 27:2, Job 31:6, Job 33:6, Job 31:35, Job 33:23, Job 33:24

Literary context

The speech is framed by direct address to Job, "Wherefore, Job, I pray thee, hear" at the start and "Mark well, O Job" near the end, with an invitation to answer at both ends. Between them Elihu first quotes Job, then names the fault, "in this thou art not just," then teaches. The teaching is organized around the line "God speaketh once, yea twice": the first way is the dream in the night, the second is pain on the bed, and both are said to aim at turning a man from his purpose and keeping him from the pit. "The pit" recurs four times as the thing avoided. The description of the sick man, loathing bread, flesh wasted, bones sticking out, matches the body Job described in chapter 30, and the promised reversal, flesh fresher than a child's and a return to the days of youth, answers Job's longing for the days of his youth in chapter 29. The speech offers Job a script, "I have sinned, and perverted that which was right," as the way out. Elihu also takes up Job's courtroom wish and offers himself as the answering party, "in God’s stead," while insisting his hand will not be heavy.

Cited passages: Job 33:1, Job 33:31, Job 33:12, Job 33:14, Job 33:18, Job 33:30, Job 33:21, Job 30:30, Job 33:25, Job 29:4, Job 33:27, Job 33:6, Job 33:7

Key moments

1. Hear me, Job (Job 33:1). Elihu turns from the friends and addresses Job by name.
2. In God's stead (Job 33:6). Elihu offers himself as the answering party Job wished for, formed of clay like him.
3. Job's words quoted (Job 33:9). Elihu reports Job as claiming to be clean and treated as God's enemy.
4. God is greater than man (Job 33:12). Elihu names Job's fault and states that God gives no account of his matters.
5. God speaks in dreams (Job 33:15). Elihu says God opens men's ears in visions of the night to turn them from pride.
6. Chastened with pain (Job 33:19). Elihu describes sickness on the bed as another way God speaks.
7. A ransom found (Job 33:24). Elihu says God is gracious and delivers the man from the pit when an interpreter shows his uprightness.

For reflection

Elihu says God speaks through dreams and through pain, and that a man who says "I have sinned" is brought back from the pit. Job has already sworn he did not do the things he is charged with. What is Elihu asking Job to confess?

People in this chapter

• Job