And they battle it out for a while. (Job 32) 1 So these three men ceased to answer Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes. INTRODUCTION TO JOB 32. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. But here’s one thing we know – that the narrator is always right. Some make him a descendant of Judah; Jerome, Bede, Lyranus, and some of the rabbis, make him Balaam the son of Beor, the magician; Bishop Warburton makes him Ezra the scribe; and Dr. Hodges makes him the second person in the glorious Trinity, the Lord Jesus Christ, and supposes that the chief scope of this part of the book was to convict Job of self-righteousness, and to show the necessity of the doctrine of justification by faith! because he was righteous in his own eyes. 8 But [there/it] is a spirit in [man/people]: He didn’t commit any sin worthy of the suffering that he’s receiving. 1 So these three men ceased answering Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes. He speaks without partiality. Commentary for Job 32 . E. The Speeches of Elihu (Job 32:1–37:24) 1. Now, it can be difficult to know who’s right in the book of Job. Dialogue with Elihu (Job 32-37) Bible Commentary / Produced by TOW Project. Indeed I waited for your words, We recall from our last message in Job that Job 31 – the chapter that precedes this one – ends with a statement to the effect that “the words of Job have ended.”. “Elihu is angry with everybody. But even though Job is viewing himself as righteous – that doesn’t settle anything. How few prosperous professors can appeal to the Lord, that they have not rejoiced because their gains were great! 4. All of them tried to prove Job wrong but none was able to do it convincingly. It is ready to burst like new wineskins. “The Buzite he is called, either from his progenitor Buz, the son of Nahor, who was the brother of Abraham, and had by Milchah, Huz, his firstborn (of whom some think Job came), and Buz, his brother, Genesis 22:21; or else from his country, the city of Buz, a city of Idumea, Jeremiah 25:23.” (Trapp), ii. That he had patiently heard all they had to say, Job 32:11-13. We can imagine Elihu following the debate, thinking of what he would say in response to Job, and being frustrated that the answers of Job’s friends were not as brilliant as the answers in Elihu’s mind. They couldn’t figure out God’s ways. For I am full of words; 16 [When/And] I [had/have] waited, [shall I wait?…] (1-5) Elihu and his dissatisfaction with the answers of Job’s friends. Or is it the innocent suffering Job that comes out of this looking good? What happens when you gather wealth by labor according to Proverbs 13 11? He is the classic angry young man, and from the outset what we need to notice about this kind of anger is that it puts him in a class by himself. And so, Elihu is rightfully angry at Job. And what these men have demonstrated is that even though they are the oldest – they are not the wisest. There is a dramatic interruption in the Book of Job at this spot; and, of course, many modern scholars explain Elihu's speech variously as, "the work of another author," [1] "a later addition," [2] and as, "speeches (of Elihu) that violently disturb the original structure of the book." But finally, they’re done and they have nothing left to say. These cookies collect information that is used either in aggregate form to help us understand how our website is being used or how effective our marketing campaigns are, or to help us customize our website and application for you in order to enhance your experience. For I do not know how to flatter, [they left off speaking/words fail them/they have nothing left to say]. He’s also angry with Job’s friends. We need 2 cookies to store this setting. Changes will take effect once you reload the page. 32:1-5 Job's friends were silenced, but not convinced. And so, this is now where the narrator hands it off to Elihu. And this is what we experienced Job’s friends doing. Job 32:8, ESV: "But it is the spirit in man, the breath of the Almighty, that makes him understand." Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament. So these three men ceased answering Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes. Why Elihu spoke. 20 I will speak, that I may [be refreshed/find relief]: Elihu was displeased with Job's friends because they had not been candid to … We fully respect if you want to refuse cookies but to avoid asking you again and again kindly allow us to store a cookie for that. For he is not a man as I am — But one infinitely superior to me in majesty and power, wisdom and justice. The rest I don’t know anything about. When these points are proved, they should be credited.” (Clarke). In Chapter 32, we have several reasons to … And of course, this would have been insulting to these men who have just been trying to understand God’s ways and have failed miserably at it. And what the narrator says is unquestionably right. ELIHU'S LONG DISCOURSE:. And I have waited, because they did not speak, Also against his three friends his wrath was aroused, because they had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job. And the author informs us that as Job finishes his last speech, so too do his friends. Maybe he spoke verse 15 directly to Job. What I mean by that is we might witness ourselves or others being blessed and we assume that the cause for that blessing is that we somehow pleased God and that obliged him to do something good for us. The authorship of this book has been attributed to many different men 13 [Lest ye should/Do not/So do not] say. BAR ES, "So these three men ceased to answer Job - Each had had three opportunities of replying to him, though in the last series of the controversy Zophar had been silent. Job 35 Commentary: Sometimes we get the idea that God reacts to our sin or righteousness in predictable ways that make sense to us.. We might look at the effect and assume the cause. With a UCG.org account you will be able to save items to read and study later! We just hear his getting us ready for his argument. So, Elihu goes on to state that he’s not going to give the same answers to Job as these friends have done. Elihu was justly displeased with Job, as more anxious to clear his own character than the justice and goodness of God. Is it God – who is almost senselessly – probably even incorrectly – bringing suffering into Job’s life? I listened to your reasonings, while you searched out what to say. But you do have something to say. 33) Man Has No Right to Complain (ch. 21 [Let me not, I pray you,/I will not] [accept any man's person/show partiality to anyone], “How young he was, or how old they were, we cannot tell; but there was no doubt a great disparity in their ages.” (Clarke), So Elihu, the son of Barachel the Buzite, answered and said: Words escape them. 3 Also against [his/Job’s] three friends [was his wrath kindled/his anger burned/he was angry], And Elihu can do at least that much. Indeed my belly is like wine that has no vent; And so, that leads Elihu to acknowledge now that the older among us are not always the wisest. And it likely took place around Edom – outside of and to the southeast of Israel. c. Great men are not always wise, nor do the aged always understand justice: We can only imagine the reaction from Job and his three friends at these words of Elihu. Elihu was displeased with Job's friends because they had not been candid to Job. That’s how stories work – the one telling them is never wrong. External Opposition to God’s Work and the Response of God’s People in Nehemiah 2. Job 32:8, KJV: "But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding." He reproves them. And so, we’ll embark on that task next time. Yet what he did not understand was that both Job and God were right. Commentary on Elihu and Job (Chapter 32 and 33) by Craig Truglia. 32 So these three men stopped answering Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes. [Hearken/Listen] to me; 8 Still the spirit, it is in mortal man, And the breath of the Almighty, that giveth them understanding. a. (Job 32) 1 So these three men ceased to answer Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes. They are dismayed and answer no more; words escape them: Elihu noted that Job’s friends were exhausted by the debate. Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament. I answer, He was ‘the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the kindred of Ram:’ this is all we know of him. - Job, Bible illustrations by James Padgett (1931-2009), published by Sweet Media صورة في موقع الأنبا تكلا : ندخل أليهو بن برخئيل البوزي بعدما استمع كثيرًا، وغضب من أيوب لشهادته لنفسه بأنه بارًا بلا خطيئة. 8 Still the spirit, it is in mortal man, And the breath of the Almighty, that giveth them understanding. [and, behold,/Indeed/yet] there was [none of you/no one] [that convinced/who refuted/proving … wrong] Job, [and the/the] [inspiration/breath] of the Almighty [giveth/that makes] them [understanding/understand]. Elihu shows some of the strengths and weaknesses of his youth. So, it seems that Elihu is fearful that these men have come to the conclusion that they can be absolved of any responsibility to answer Job by just shifting the responsibility for that to God.